Sydney Tourism

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Sydney tourism companies provide tours in different sizes, styles and budgets, and can help you see more of the large area that the city covers.

Some of the best-known tours are on the water, and include Harbour cruises, whale watching tours and Harbour kayaking expeditions.

Others are land-based tours and include the very popular Bridge Climb, City Sightseeing double-decked bus tours, and city walks and bike tours.

Check out our Blue Mountains page for tour information to this world heritage area.

And our Sydney Day Trips page offers touring ideas to other places out of the city including the Hunter Valley, Jenolan Caves and Canberra.

Harbour and Ocean Going Tours

Sydney Harbour Cruises

Larger and smaller boutique companies operate Sydney Harbour cruises. Cruise length can last as little as an hour, or even over night. There is a Harbour cruise for all budget, and cruise types include,

• Sightseeing only, or sightseeing lunch and dinner cruises
• Private parties, events and functions
• Special event cruises such as Australia Day and New Years Eve
• Themed cruises giving historical accounts and glimpses into days gone by

Sydney Whale Watching

Sydney's coast is a part of the Antarctic whale migration route.

Visitors to Sydney can see a many species of whales and dolphins from May to December each year, by joining a whale watching cruise. These cruises generally depart from Circular Quay or Darling Harbour.

Two popular whale watching companies that operate out of Sydney Harbour include Whale Watching Sydney and True Blue Cruises Sydney Whale Watching.

Kayaking Tours

A Harbour kayak tour offers the chance to see the harbour uniquely from sea level. Tours are available for all levels of kayaking experience.

Located at Manly, Life's an Adventure offer nature escapes of all shapes and sizes. Activities available include kayaking, mountain biking and hiking. Each tour is available as half a day, full day, or overnight. Tours extend right across the Sydney region.

Natural Wanders Kayak Adventures promotes itself as Sydney's original kayak tour company. The company operates out of Lavender Bay on Sydney's north shore. Tours available include harbour tours, 'before work' fitness paddles and personalised tours.

Tours Around the City

The Bridge Climb is the quintessential Sydney tour. What better way to see the Harbour and the city than by climbing its most famous landmark. The bridge can be climbed morning, day or evening.

City Sightseeing runs two hop-on hop-off bus tour routes - The Sydney Explorer and the Bondi Beach Explorer. An open topped double-decked bus provides transport and is equipped with automated commentary about the city's sites.

Sydney Historic Walks and Bike Tours

A number of Sydney tourism companies provide guided walks around the city. The walks are informative, giving insights into the history of Sydney, and its development over the years.

I'm Free - Historical Sydney Walk offers a free tour of the city streets every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. My experience of this tour was that the tour operators were friendly, and from the outset imparted their knowledge about Sydney history, sites and characters. The tour covers a windy route through the city CBD visiting most major points of interest. The tour is tip based so give generously so this great tour continues.

Rocks Walking Tour is promoted as being the original guided walking tour of The Rocks. They offer walks through one of the oldest and infamous areas of the city.

Bounce Walking Tours offer daily walks around many of Sydney's major city areas including The Rocks and Kings Cross. Tours begin at Circular Quay.

Sydney Architecture Walks offer walk and bike tours using the city's architecture for insights into historic events and attitudes. The company prides themselves on knowing everything there is about Sydney's architecture.

Bonza Bike Tours are located in The Rocks and add a unique spin to a city tour, pun intended. The bike tours and bike tour packages cover most of Sydney's famous sites.