Top New South Wales Historical Tours

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, see the city’s oldest cottage, visit the Customs House, and check out maps and murals of old and new Sydney.

Uncover the secrets of Sydney’s heritage as you explore The Rocks on this guided walking tour of the historic precinct. Offering amazing views over the Sydney Harbour and the Campbells Cove Wharves, your guide will lead you along shady laneways and cobbled courtyards where you’ll discover some of Sydney’s earliest buildings, including Cadman’s Cottage, built in 1816 and the Garrison Church, which dates back to the 1840s.

Cycling around Sydney is the perfect way to sightsee in this gorgeous harborside city. Join your expert guide for a fun and fascinating look at up to 30 top sights, including the iconic Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, along with many others. As you pedal around the city, learn about the history, culture and favorite local spots on your choice of four cycling routes. Choose from various tour durations depending on your schedule.

This comprehensive tour of Sydney is perfect for first-time visitors or those short on time. Spend a half-day immersed in the history and culture of Sydney, learning through stops at landmarks such as Chinatown, Darling Harbour, and Australia’s largest urban development, Barangaroo. Your guide will follow a curated itinerary centered on the history of Sydney from 1788 to modern day, adding commentary to illuminate the details.

Discover the history of Sydney on a 2.5-hour walking tour and pub crawl in The Rocks. Your knowledgeable and entertaining guide takes you to four of Sydney's oldest pubs where you try a different glass of craft beer, cider, or wine in each venue. Learn about the early days of the British colony in Australia and hear the stories of these old-time pubs as you enjoy their rich atmosphere and tasty drinks.

Take in panoramic views of top Sydney landmarks as you cruise through Sydney Harbour en route to Taronga Zoo. Your package includes round-trip cruise from Circular Quay to the zoo, and a ride on the Sky Safari Gondola, which whisks you uphill from the boat dock to the main entrance of Taronga Zoo. From the gondola, get an early peek at some of the zoo's inhabitants, such as giraffes, big apes, and native animals like kangaroos and koalas.

Go behind the scenes at the Sydney Opera House for a fascinating look at this Sydney icon. Your knowledgeable guide leads you through the World Heritage–listed building on a walking tour, sharing entertaining stories about the revered performance center's history and providing access to off-limits parts of the house.

Located on shoreline of Sydney Harbour, Sydney Taronga Zoo is home to thousands of fascinating animals, including Australian natives such as the koala, kangaroo, and platypus. With your admission ticket, you gain entrance to the zoo along with the Sky Safari cable car, which gives you the chance to look down into the animal enclosures and enjoy sweeping views of Sydney Harbour Bridge and the city skyline. Check the schedule for daily keeper presentations, or book an animal encounter or guided tour (own expense) for a more in-depth experience.

Enjoy a full day out exploring both the highlights of the Blue Mountains, the Featherdale Wildlife sanctuary, and finishing with a river cruise ending at the Opera House. Some of the sights you’ll see in the Blue Mountains are the Grand Canyon, The 3 Sisters, Echo Point, and Kootomba Falls (plus more). You’ll see koalas and kangaroos at the sanctuary, and the iconic boat ride to finish the day.

Enjoy an in-depth experience of Sydney Taronga Zoo on a guided tour with a zoo guide who introduces you to Australian native animals including koalas and kangaroos. Go behind the scenes with the zoo guide to meet the zoo’s hand-raised native animals and have your photo taken with some furry friends. Learn more than you could on your own and gain access to areas that are normally off-limits to the public. This small-group tour is limited to six people and includes admission tickets to Taronga Zoo including Sky Safari.

Enjoy sweeping views of Sydney Harbour and beyond during a scenic helicopter flight over Sydney. Take to the skies for a quick flight that provides stunning panoramic views of Sydney’s eastern coastline including Coogee Beach, Bondi Beach, Manly Cove, Sydney’s spectacular Harbor and city skyline, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and Sydney Opera House. Learn about the city’s history from your knowledgeable pilot as you fly along the coast of the Pacific Ocean before your pilot whirs over Sydney Head marking the harbor’s entrance.

Visit your choice of two, three or four of Sydney’s top attractions with the convenient and economical Sydney combo pass. Choose from a list of five options: SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, Sydney Tower Eye or Madame Tussauds Sydney. The Sydney Tower Eye observation deck offers sweeping views over Sydney Harbour and the city. The zoo and aquariums feature an amazing array of native Australian wildlife. Pose for photos with life-like wax statues of your favorite celebrities at Madame Tussauds.

Experience the majestic World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains on a small-group full-day tour from Sydney. Enjoy sweeping views of the Blue Mountains and sites including the Three Sisters and Jamison Valley. Hop onboard the Scenic Railway (or other rides) at Scenic World, enjoy a chef-prepared lunch (dietary requirements accommodated), and visit Featherdale Wildlife Park to see kangaroos and other native Australian critters. Then, cruise by boat back to Sydney Harbour on the Parramatta River.

Join a hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour by double-decker bus to discover the highlights of Sydney and Bondi Beach. Enjoy unobstructed views and recorded onboard commentary as you travel along two routes to top destinations like Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, Darling Harbour, and Bondi Beach. Go in-depth at any given place by simply hopping off the bus to explore. You can experience Sydney and Bondi's most noteworthy attractions at your own pace with your choice of ticket, valid for either 24 or 48 hours.

Cruise the ocean waters off of Sydney to look for humpback and southern right whales as they migrate between Antarctica and the Great Barrier Reef from May to November. Your whale-watching experience starts out of Sydney Harbour and heads to the open ocean on a custom-built catamaran with large viewing windows and spacious decks that provide excellent sightlines. Often, dolphins, sea birds and other marine animals make an appearance during the nearly 2.5-hour whale-watching tour.

Enjoy a full-day tour from Sydney to the Blue Mountains to discover the charms of this UNESCO World Heritage-listed region. Enjoy sweeping views of the Blue Mountains from Kings Tableland. Take a walk at Wentworth Falls or Leura Cascades; visit Leura and Katoomba; stop to see the Three Sisters rock formation and explore the rides at Scenic World (own expense). See ancient Aboriginal rock carvings, then take a boat cruise down the Parramatta River to Circular Quay in Sydney Harbour.

Spend some time like a classic Aussie on a historical pub tour of The Rocks, Sydney’s oldest neighborhood. Join a fun-loving and informative guide, and visit some of the quarter’s oldest drinking holes to experience authentic Aussie pub life. Enjoy five drinks and dinner; discover pubs' behind-the-scenes secrets; and uncover the The Rocks' history, discovering how its drink spots have shaped local culture. Includes souvenir gift, photos, and discount vouchers for local shops and restaurants.

Discover the dark side of Newcastle’s past—one that most visitors never experience—on this walking tour. With a guide to show you the city’s spookiest sights, uncover tales of true crimes that you might never hear otherwise. Hear about the Tomahawk Murderer, view locations such as the Convict Lumberyard and Old Jail; and absorb the creepy atmosphere as your guide reveals stories of killings, hauntings, fraud, and more.

If you've ever wondered how pearls are made and where they come from, this tour is for you. From the comfort of a catamaran you'll admire the nature of the Central Coast, maybe even spotting pelicans, turtles, and stingrays. Visit a pearl farm, where you'll have a chance to chat with the farmers, learn about Australia's pearl farming history, and see examples of beautiful Broken Bay pearls.

Enjoy an insider’s perspective on the iconic Sydney Opera House during a 1-hour walking tour. Learn about the performances, history, and architecture of the World Heritage-listed Sydney Opera House as your expert guide fills you in on insider secrets and stories. Get photos ops from vantage points that are normally off-limits, and have the option to dine at the famous Opera Bar or Opera Kitchen. Tours are offered throughout the day, making it easy to schedule into your sightseeing when your cruise ship docks in Sydney.

Discover Sydney’s most infamous crime scenes and learn about its chilling past on this leisurely walking tour. The saying “Truth is stranger than fiction” plays out as you hear Sydney’s most terrifying tales, walk through its neighborhoods, and visit the sites of its true crimes. Your guide provides fascinating facts about the city’s dark history.

Discover a side to Sydney's history that the guide books don't tell you about. This walking tour takes you on a deep dive into a time of a war, when the infamous razor gangs dominated the crime scene. You'll explore the gangs' territories, the old streets and alleyways that they stalked, and learn about the speakeasies and the most-feared personalities of the 1920s and 30s.

Discover three of Sydney’s most fascinating inner-city neighborhoods—Pyrmont, Ultimo, and Glebe—on this small-group guided walking tour. You’ll learn about the area’s Aboriginal and colonial history, pick up some Aussie slang, and find out why there are so many pubs in these parts. Stop for coffee at a local café midway through the walk, then finish with a glass of craft beer at one of Sydney’s most unique pubs.

For travelers short on time, there is probably no faster way to see more of the Hunter Valley than this 15-minute helicopter tour. Hop on at the Cessnock Aerodrome and get airborne over the valley’s wineries, gardens, and golf courses before heading to the Broken Back Range and Mount View area. Plus, you can opt for round-trip transportation from your hotel for an extra fee.