A guided walking tour is an inspired way to explore Sydney, whether you’re a culture or history buff, a nature or food fan, or you just want to experience another side of Australia’s largest city. Here are five to add to your itinerary.
Help kids while hiking
Support a social enterprise while taking in some of the most picturesque beaches and bays northern Sydney has to offer on the Sydney Harbour to Manly Beach Hike on the Manly Scenic Walkway. Led by volunteer guides from Emu Trekkers, a registered charity, your walk starts at Spit Bridge in Middle Harbour, a 20-minute drive from the city centre, and meanders through 10km of beautiful harbour foreshore and national park to iconic Manly Beach on the Northern Beaches. Highlights along the way include 1,000-year-old Aboriginal rock art, a chance to encounter native animals, a dip at a secluded beach and a lunch stop with five-star views. Emu Trekkers also offers overnight walks in the Royal National Park to the south and Blue Mountains to the west, with proceeds from all tours going to help kids in need via a range of charities.
Soak up the sun and surf
Walk the breathtaking clifftop track from Bondi to Coogee and check out haunts favoured by the locals with Splendour Tailored Tours, which offers private guided tours of Sydney’s iconic Eastern Suburbs beaches. The quintessential Best of Aussie Beach Life tour includes the stunning 6km scenic walk, a 90-minute surf lesson at famous Bondi Beach, a swim at family-friendly Bronte Beach, an art gallery visit, and cocktails at Coogee Pavilion. Pack your swimmers and a sense of an adventure!
Follow the food trail
Hungry for a taste of Sydney? Try a guided walk of vibrant multicultural suburbs with Taste Cultural Food Tours, which offers a range of options to satisfy all culinary cravings. Explore the Cantonese delights of inner-city Chinatown, or venture out to the city’s southwest to enjoy a Middle Eastern banquet in Bankstown or mingle with Cabramatta’s vibrant Vietnamese community. Highlights of the Taste of Vietnam tour include traditional food tastings, shopping in bustling markets and insights into the history and significance of food in Vietnamese culture.
Haunted history
Have a ghoulishly good time on a night tour of The Rocks precinct in the city centre with the experienced guides at The Rocks Ghost Tours. Listen to grisly insights into Sydney’s dark colonial past as you explore the creepy cobblestoned laneways and ethereally inhabited interiors of some of the oldest buildings in the city. Guaranteed to give you goosebumps.
Take a lesson in heritage
Step back in time to discover Sydney’s colonial past among the UNESCO World Heritage-listed buildings of Parramatta Park. The traditional home of the Burramattagal Aboriginal people, Parramatta was Sydney’s first seat of colonial government. Located 20km west of Sydney’s city centre, Parramatta Park houses the historically significant Old Government House and Dairy Cottage and precinct — the site of Australia’s first colonial farm and the third-oldest building on the mainland. A comprehensive and insightful walking tour, run by the Parramatta Heritage and Visitor Centre, takes in the various monuments and heritage remains scattered throughout the park, and includes a light lunch.