
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 60 to 120 minutes and 1.4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macquarie Street and Hyde Park: The Governor's Town | 60 min | 1.4 km | 12 |
| The Rocks to the Opera House: The Town Sydney Kept Trying to Knock Down | 120 min | 3.7 km | 10 |
What each tour covers
Hear a stop from this walk
Playfair Street: Where The Rocks Fought Back
- Macquarie Street and Hyde Park: The Governor's Town: From St Mary's Cathedral through Hyde Park and up Macquarie Street, past the Hyde Park Barracks, the Rum Hospital's Mint and Parliament, the State Library and Greenway's castle stables, to the 1818 obelisk in Macquarie Place.
- 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.
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, Amsterdam, Arequipa, Athens, Auckland, Avignon, Banff, Bangkok, Barcelona, Belgrade, Berlin, Bern.
See all Sydney walking tours or by theme: Nature.
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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: Macquarie Street and Hyde Park: The Governor's Town and The Rocks to the Opera House: The Town Sydney Kept Trying to Knock Down. 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 60 to 120 minutes, covering 1.4 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
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