Convicts and The Rocks: Sydney's Walking Tour Led by Historian
Recommended by 99% of travelers
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Sydney, Australia
- 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Head to The Rocks to learn about Sydney’s colorful past. Your historian guide will regale you with stories of the first convicts to arrive in Sydney, their early experiences in Australia, and how they ultimately transformed a shanty camp to an enduring settlement. Listen to tales of street gangs, visit the Customs House, and check out maps and murals of old and new Sydney.
- Explore The Rocks on a history-focused walking tour
- Benefit from the expertise of your local crime historian guide
- See and hear about 20 historic sites and stories
- Enjoy a more personal experience with a small group
What's Included
- A local Sydney crime historian as your tour guide
- 2.5 hour walking tour covering approximately 20 historic sites and stories
- Tour finishes in the heart of The Rocks beside historic pubs and cafes with local recommendations
- A visit inside Customs House to discover scale model of Sydney from above
- A visual folder with historic imagery, maps and portraits of the area presented by your guide
- Food is not included on this tour, but your tour guide will have fantastic local recommendations
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Customs House31 Alfred St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
This tour meets in front of CUSTOMS HOUSE (31 Alfred Street Circular Quay). Your guide will be located outside the building on right hand-side if facing the entrance. Your guide will have a white tour folder that says CONVICT HISTORY TOUR and will check you in.
End point
- Endeavour Tap Rooms39-43 Argyle St, The Rocks NSW 2000, Australia
Itinerary
1
Journey Walks
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Customs House
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Macquarie Place Park
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
Tank Stream Fountain
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
The Rocks
1 hour 20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
The Argyle
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- We continue our tours in all weather conditions so please dress accordingly. Umbrella's are a good idea if wet weather seems likely.
- Due to the layout of The Rocks, some stairs are unavoidable at certain points along the way, but majority of the route follows flat terrain.
- Anyone requiring special assistance is kindly asked to make contact with your local operator in advance.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are advised that this tour may include the names and images of people who are now deceased.
- Your guide is a native English speaker and will carry tour folder with A3 size images to help illustrate the area's past
- Groups are kept small (15 person maximum) and we encourage questions and interaction.
- Your guide will ensure that Covid-safe social distancing measures and a contact free policy is in place throughout the tour
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
5.0
based on 311 reviews
Bruce_W, Mar 2026
The tour guide was excellent. He was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic but also had a great way of imparting info. Had it not been for him we would have missed a lot of the history surrounding Sydneys birth and history
Jack_H, Mar 2026
Very nice walking tour through the Rocks district in Sydney. Mostly flat, but participants should be able to climb and descend stairs without assistance.
Katie_Z, Feb 2026
This was an outstanding introduction to Sydney and our guide Max was amazing. We went on our first day in Australia and love it. We saw so many things we would have otherwise walked by without a thought. Small group.
So much history!
Ina_F, Feb 2026
Max gave a great historical tour. It was Easy to follow the sequence of events in the early days of Australia.
Luis_A, Feb 2026
Well worth it. Excellent tour guide. Very knowlegeable. Suggest he keeps in mind people may need to use a toilet during the 2-1/2 hours walk.
Abhinav_G, Oct 2025
The tour comprehensively covered the history of Sydney from the arrival of the convicts to the evolution of 'The Rocks'. Our guide, Beck, was very knowledgeable and answered all questions patiently.
Ian_C, Oct 2025
Fantastic tour very interesting and informative tour of Sydney and the rocks area.
Tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history and culture of the area.
Leslie_C, Aug 2025
Our guide was very knowledgeable and interjected her personal ties to the history. She was engaging and well prepared. She tactfully pivoted and told her story in spite of the crazy rainy weather conditions.
Anne_B, Apr 2025
This was a fantastic walking tour, Max certainly knows his history and gave us so much information, there is no doubt that everyone was impressed with what we learnt about the early start of Sydney and how it was built. Some great humourous stories. I loved The Rocks area and I met some lovely ladies and we all went for lunch together afterwards. A perfect end to a perfect tour. Thank you Max
Simon_M, Mar 2025
Excellent tour. Great history - gave us a good understanding of Sydney’s founding. Max certainly knew his stuff!
austin_b, Mar 2025
This walking tour was brilliant, the guide has really studied his stuff and knew everything, full of energy and passion aswell
Joan_O, Feb 2025
Walking tour focused on Sydney's history and its earliest settlers - who they were, why they came, where they were from, and what life was like for them. Our guide really brought to life what these people found when they arrived in terms of geography and climate. The tour ends in The Rocks which is a combination of preserved original houses and home sites and today's repurposed buildings for restaurants, bars, & shopping.
We took this tour on a hot sunny day, and the guide was always sure to keep us in the shade when possible. Overall distance and many stairs call for sensible footwear!
Brenda_R, Feb 2025
Very interesting tour
Lots of history filled with stories about people.
Excellent tour. Choose this with confidence.
Jennifer_G, Dec 2024
Amazing guide she was brilliant patient and full of information. I would highly recommend taking this tour earlier in stay to appreciate the historic sites. My 15 and 18 year old sons LOVED IT !
Kim_T, Dec 2024
Really enjoyed this walking tour with Beck. She was very knowledgeable and interesting. A great way to start exploring Sydney!
Amber_S, Sep 2024
Excellent tour, insightful guide, interesting storyteller. After having walked around the Rocks and Quay area previously, it was interesting to learn more about what has shaped the area over time. Would absolutely do it again!
Anna_M, May 2024
This was a very informative tour & Bex our guide was very knowledgeable. She conducted the tour with so much enthusiasm & made it very interesting. We learnt a lot about the convicts and The Rocks and how Sydney became Sydney. Bex was able to answer all questions confidently.
There was only 4 people on this guided tour so we were able to hear everything that was said, and also the tour was well paced.
I would highly recommend this tour to first time visitors to Sydney.
William_M, May 2024
Our tour guide was great. The tour was interesting and informative, but this 3-hr tour should be about 1.5 hours.
Justin_M, Apr 2024
Excellent content and presentation. Read the ‘Fatal Shore’, go on Max’s tour and understand the colonial birthplace of Australia.
Kathryn_C, Apr 2024
Our guide, Beck provided us with a well structured and very interesting account and tour from the arrival of the British to Australia and the development of Sydney up to the present day. The illustrations she brought with her were particularly helpful.
Vernon_M, Apr 2024
Bec, our tour guide, was wonderful - engaging, knowledgeable, and friendly. We enjoyed her sharing so many stories about Sydney and the Rocks. And wonderful to be able to walk around while learning history. Would highly recommend.
Kevin_K, Mar 2024
The walking tour was excellent from start to finish 👏 . Our tour guide Beckie was very knowledgeable and dealt with all questions with interest and intusium.
Vena_C, Mar 2024
Fantastic guide so knowledgeable. Would recommend this tour interesting, entertaining and an easy walk.
John_L, Mar 2024
This tour brings alive early history of the rocks and why that location was important to the development of Sydney and the larger region. Our guide, Max, is a history teacher and that was evident in the way he wove the history and culture together to help us develop a feeling for what that place was/is about.
Katytrumbo, Feb 2024
Rebecca was a fantastic tour guide. She wove the whole tour into a wonderful history lesson about the Rocks and Sydney. I would definitely recommend this tour!!
Chip_G, Feb 2024
Max was our guide. He was simply the best guide we had in the three weeks in Australia (about 10 different tours). Besides completely knowing the subject, Max wove the history of the US into the history of Australia. Max provided anecdotes about each stop and foreshadowed future stops that became so much more meaningful when we got to that next stop. There was a lot of walking, but Max was patient, kept our group together and gave rest (and shade) when we needed it. Max was funny, informative and helpful. He offered suggestions on other things to do and see in Sydney. We were ready to sign up for his class. If you have any interest in better understanding the history and culture of Sydney, please sign up for this tour and specify Max.
Paul_C, Jan 2024
Excellent tour
Guide was very interesting and the history of how Sydney was discovered and developed from the early settlers into todays city was fascinating
So much to discover which you would not know and the stories and tour was run by the guide in a very friendly and engaging manner.
Definitely a must do on a visit to Sydney
Vigen_S, Jan 2024
You pretty much go through history of city and surrounding area from Ice age to modern days. Although you cover a lot of places the walk is organized very well so it isn’t hard to do. Most important our guide was very knowledgable and also gave us recommendations to go to other places like Governor’s House for free tour.
Kimberly_B, Nov 2023
Loved the history with the tour of the Rocks. Could really imagine the challenges the Colonizers faced. Max was engaging and a great tour Guide.
Tracy_G, Nov 2023
Max was extremely knowledgeable about the entire history of the region. Just a fabulous tour- one of the best!
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Convicts and The Rocks: Sydney's Walking Tour Led by Historian
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