The Rocks to the Opera House: The Town Sydney Kept Trying to Knock Down
120 min · 3.7 km · moderate
Roamer has 2 self-guided history walking tours in Sydney. Every one is free to start: the introduction and first stop play in full, and every later stop plays a short preview before you pay. They run from about 75 to 120 minutes and 2.4 to 3.7 km on foot, with GPS-triggered narration you control at your own pace.
History walking tours in Sydney
| Tour | Length | Distance | Stops |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Rocks to the Opera House: The Town Sydney Kept Trying to Knock Down | 120 min | 3.7 km | 10 |
| Macquarie Street: The Convict Architect's Sandstone Mile | 75 min | 2.4 km | 7 |
What each tour covers
Hear a stop from this walk
Playfair Street: Where The Rocks Fought Back
- The Rocks to the Opera House: The Town Sydney Kept Trying to Knock Down: The Rocks is where Sydney began, and for most of the twentieth century the city kept trying to clear it away: plague resumptions, the Harbour Bridge, an expressway and a plan for office towers. Ten stops round Sydney Cove, from Cadmans Cottage, under the Harbour Bridge, up Observatory Hill, through the Argyle Cut and the lanes where residents and builders' labourers made their stand in October 1973, to the Opera House, which Queen Elizabeth II opened four days before police cleared their protest on Playfair Street. Your pace, your order, no group and no schedule.
- Macquarie Street: The Convict Architect's Sandstone Mile: A level, roughly one-kilometre walk down the grand ceremonial street Governor Macquarie built to turn a penal camp into a city, reading the sandstone works of the convict architect Francis Greenway and the ground of the Gadigal beneath them.
How much do these tours cost?
Every history tour in Sydney is free to preview. A single tour is $4.99 for lifetime access, and a 30-day pass covering every Roamer tour is $19.99. There is no group, no start time, and no tip.
Related walking tour guides
History walking tours in other cities: Agra, Athens, Auckland, Avignon, Banff, Belgrade, Berlin, Bern, Boston, Brussels, Budapest, Buenos Aires.
See all Sydney walking tours.
Keep exploring Sydney
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Frequently asked questions
- What are the best history walking tours in Sydney?
- Roamer has 2 self-guided history walking tours in Sydney: The Rocks to the Opera House: The Town Sydney Kept Trying to Knock Down and Macquarie Street: The Convict Architect's Sandstone Mile. Each is free to start.
- How much does a history walking tour in Sydney cost?
- Free to preview, then $4.99 per tour for lifetime access. A 30-day pass covering every tour is $19.99.
- How long are the Sydney history tours?
- About 75 to 120 minutes, covering 2.4 to 3.7 km on foot. You set the pace and can pause any time.
Ready to experience it?
The Rocks to the Opera House: The Town Sydney Kept Trying to Knock Down
120 min · 3.7 km · moderate
More from Sydney
Explore more at your own pace.
One Day in Sydney: A Walkable Morning-to-Evening Itinerary
Hyde Park Barracks: The Building That Explains Convict Sydney
The Sydney Opera House and the Struggle Behind the Postcard
Cadmans Cottage: Sydney's Little House by the Water
Hyde Park and the ANZAC Memorial: Australia's Oldest Park and Its War Memory
