Morning or Afternoon Highlights Tour in Sydney with a Local Guide

The Rocks

The oldest part of (white) Australia. It is where Captain Arthur Philip started the first penal settlement on 26 January 1788. Now a lively & romantic area with plenty of shops, bars and restaurants.

Observatory Hill

10 min

The highest point in the inner-city, where in 1858 the Observatory was built to keep the timer and observe the Southern Cross. Now a museum, a cafe and a favourite location for weddings.

Dawes Point Park

10 min

Right by the Sydney Harbour Bridge. From the Ivy Steps we marvel at this beautiful part of the harbour, with views on the bridge and the Sydney Opera House.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

10 min

Opened in 1932, after 9 years of construction. Employed 16,000 people, and therefor called "Sydney's Iron Long". Also known as "The Coat-hanger". With 508 meters wide, for a long time the widest single span bridge. 134 meters high. 8 car lanes, 2 train-tracks, a pedestrian walkway, a cycle path and a ... commercial Bridge climbing operation.

Mrs Macquarie's Chair

15 min

Spot where Elizabeth Macquarie, Lachlan's second wife, loved to wait for tall shops to come in from England with letters from home, furniture and clothes.
Her husband had a seat carved for her out of the sandstone: Mrs Macquarie's Chair is an attraction, and a good excuse to take in the views over this part of the harbour.

Fort Denison Island

15 min

Former prison island, military fort (during the Crimean War) and a posh restaurant.

Woolloomooloo Wharf

15 min

AKA the Fingerwharf, the largest wooden construction in the world. Once a working waterfront, with a fish-market and a ferry-wharf. Now the home of Hollywood actors, a 5 star hotel and upmarket restaurants.

Harry's Cafe de Wheels - Tempe

5 min

Not the one in Tempe, but the original one an Woolloomooloo!

Potts Point Sunday Markets

5 min

Potts Point: an eclectic mix of Victorian, Colonial, Art-Deco and Manhattan-style architecture.

Kings Cross

5 min

Party-town, (former) red-light district, the Golden Mile, the Coca-Cola sign, Bohemian Sydney of the 30's.

Rushcutters Bay Park

5 min

The Royal Yacht club of Australia - start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race on Boxing Day.
First of as series of wealthy Harbour-side suburbs.

Double Bay Farmers Markets

5 min

Double Bay, AKA Double Pay. The most expensive shops in Australia include Dior, Cartier, Louis Vuitton. Streets lined with Ferrari's, Bentley's, and all types of German cars.

Woollahra Massage

5 min

No, we're not having a Thai massage. We're just seeing thje posh suburb of Woollahra. And Point Piper - the most expensive real estate in Australia, where properties cost an average of $12 million.

Rose Bay Beach

5 min

The largest bay of the 66 bays of Sydney Harbour.
Location of the first international airport of Sydney. An airport for seaplanes, AKA the Flying Ships.

Nielsen Park

5 min

Part of Sydney Harbour National Park.
Shark Beach!

Rose Bay to Watsons Bay Walk

10 min

A short walk across Parsley Bay to absorbe the atmosphere in this magnificent part of Sydney. Plenty of Rainbow Lorikeets in the Banksia's.
In summer we can spot an Eastern Waterdragon.

Watsons Bay

10 min

And its hamlet of wooden cottages on a peninsula, between the Pacific and the harbour.

Camp Cove

5 min

The first bay Capt Philip saw after he had entered Sydney Harbour, and where he first set foot on Australian soil on 21 January 1788 - 5 days before disembarking in Sydney Cove.

Gap Park

20 min

Walk part of the famous Gap Walk to enjoy views over Sydney Harbour and the Pacific,
In winter and late spring/early summer we can spot Humpbacks and Southern Right whales on their yearly migration to and from the tropics.

Macquarie Lighthouse

3 min

Replica of the first lighthouse built in Australia, to a design of Frances Greenway - the convict-architect who helped Lachlan Macquarie built Sydney.

Bondi Beach

30 min

Famous Bondi Beach. Birthplace of Australia's Beach Culture, location of first apartment buildings, first milkbar, first professional life saving club, Sydney's first tram terminal...
Starting point of the Bondi to Coogee Walk.

Tamarama Beach

30 min

AKA Glamourama.
Older generations know it also as 'Little Bondi' , where some of them may still remember the trips in a Hot Air Balloons and a visit to one of the many an ill-fated Aquariums and other entertainment venturers that dotted the Sydney beaches at the turn of last century.

Bronte Beach

30 min

Terminus of the Bondi to Bronte Backpacker Express - the rip that takes you on a free, yet dangerous trip between Sydney's best known beaches.

Centennial Park

30 min

In English "Centennial Park', Sydney's largest city park. Home of Lachlan Swamp - once source of Sydney's drinking water (the Tank Stream), now the home of thousands of fruitbats hanging in the paperbark ghost-tree forest.

Paddington Markets

30 min

Paddington, aka Sydney's Fashion District.
Where Australia's top-designers hold court in beautiful, heritage protected Victorian Terraces.

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras

30 min

Held every year in Darlinghurst.

Aurora Rooftop Hotel

30 min

Passing though lively Crown Street.

The Haymarket Hotel Syd

30 min

Located in Sydney's China Town - small but old settlement.
Home of Paddy's Markets!

Darling Harbour

30 min

Formerly a busy working waterfront, now an entertainment district with national and international attractions, junk food, restaurants & bars, casino's, hotels etceteras.

Barangaroo Reserve

30 min

The last chapter of Sydney.