Tours of the City
Walking Tours
The Rocks Self-guided Tour leaflet is available from the Sydney Visitor Centre (see Tourist Information) for A$1 and covers approximately 30 historic buildings and points of interest in The Rocks district. The heritage walk takes one to three hours, beginning at the Visitor Centre (a former sailor’s home) and ending at Cadman’s Cottage. The Rocks Walking Tours (tel: (02) 9247 6678; website: www.rockswalkingtours.com.au) operates 90-minute guided tours, taking in all the historic sites. Tours cost A$19 and depart three times per day (twice per day on the weekend and in January) from 23 Playfair Street.
Bus Tours
City Sightseeing Sydney (tel: (02) 9567 8400; e-mail: sydney@citysightseeing.com.au; website: www.city-sightseeing.com) covers 22 points of interest in the city, Kings Cross, Woolloomooloo and Darling Harbour, with a hop-on, hop-off service. Departures are every 30 minutes daily 0845–1745. Tickets cost A$30 and are valid for 24 hours.
Hosted by drag queens, the Sydney By Diva (tel: (02) 9360 5557; e-mail: reservations@sydneybydiva.com; website: www.sydneybydiva.com) tour is a comedic expedition of Sydney as seen through the queer eye. Setting off from outside the Oxford Hotel in Taylor Square (scene of the demonstrations that launched Mardi Gras in 1978) every Sunday at 1700 (also every Friday at 1800 October-March), the three-hour tour costs A$80 (first class) and A$60 (economy).
Other Tours
There is a plethora of harbour cruises available from a number of operators; many of them based at Circular Quay. Captain Cook Cruises (tel: (02) 9206 1122; e-mail: cruise@captaincook.com.au; website: www.captaincook.com.au) offers the luxury ‘Sydney 2000 Dinner Cruise’, departing daily at 1900 from No 6 Circular Quay, ending at 2130 (2230 on Friday and Saturday). The A$99 fee includes an a la carte three-course meal with coffee (wine is extra). The ‘Sydney Harbour Explorer’ (costing A$25) and ‘Harbour Highlights Cruise’ (costing A$20) are fully narrated cruises, leaving from No 6 Circular Quay, with a fixed number of stopping points. The ‘Sydney Harbour Explorer’ tour takes 2 hours and departures are every 2 hours daily 0945–1530. The ‘Harbour Highlights Cruise’ takes between 75 and 90 minutes; tours depart approximately once every 105 minutes daily 0930–1930. Magistic Cruises (tel: (02) 8296 7222; e-mail: res@magisticcruises.com.au; website: www.magisticcruises.com.au) is another reliable company offering similar cruises for similar prices.
For aerial views of Sydney, Australia By Air (tel: (02) 9982 9666; website: www.australiabyair.com.au) offers a one-hour ‘Sydney Scenic Flight’ in a twin-engine aircraft. Flights depart Sunday, Wednesday and Friday and cost A$195, which includes complimentary hotel pick-up (at 0930) and drop-off. The ‘Sydney and Mountains Scenic Flight’ includes all of the above plus flight over the Blue Mountains. It costs A$295 and lasts 90 minutes.
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Tours of the City