History on Tap: The Rocks Pub Tour Discount Tickets

5.0
★★★★★ ★★★★★
Based on 2 reviews |
location pin icon Sydney, Australia
location pin icon Sydney
5.0 /5
2 reviews
View all History on Tap: The Rocks Pub Tour photos
View all History on Tap: The Rocks Pub Tour photos

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History on Tap: The Rocks Pub Tour
FROM

$73.40

REG. $84.80

Overview

This isn’t just a pub crawl — it’s Sydney’s history served with a drink in hand. Join us on a walking tour through The Rocks, stopping at four of the city’s most iconic heritage pubs. Along the way, you’ll hear true tales of convicts, larrikins, corrupt officials, and colourful locals who shaped the city — often over a pint. Enjoy a middy of beer, glass of house wine, or soft drink at each stop as you soak up stories of rum deals, razor gangs, and revolution. Led by a passionate storyteller, this is the past as you’ve never heard it: gritty, funny, and poured fresh.

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Please meet on the harbour-facing side of the MCA, the large white building at Circular Quay. Your guide will be wearing a dark blue shirt, smart jacket, and BITS cap, near the steps facing the Opera House. Arrive 10 mins early — the tour departs on time.

End Point

End point

the Tour finishes about 5 minutes walk from the meeting point in The Rocks. Trains, buses and ferries all within 5 minutes walk

Language Offered

English-GUIDE

Itinerary

1. Cadman's Cottage
Where the Chaos Began Built in 1816 on Sydney’s original shoreline, this was the landing point for illegal grog, smugglers, and shady deals. Home to a convict-turned-coxswain, it sat at the heart of the harbour’s black market. If Sydney had a ground zero for mischief — this was it.
Duration: 15 mins
2. Fortune of War - Sydney's Oldest Pub
Since 1828, this pub has been pouring drinks, settling scores, and sheltering scoundrels. It served soldiers, sailors, and anyone with a thirst and a story. Inside? War memorial meets watering hole. Outside? The Rocks’ history soaked into the floorboards — and possibly the carpet.
Duration: 20 mins
3. The Doss House
Once an opium den, bootmaker’s shop, and cheap lodging house, this 1840s sandstone cellar now serves whisky where drunks once slept it off. It’s heritage with a hangover — a place where Sydney’s underclass once paid a penny for a bed… or a bottle.
Duration: 10 mins
4. Suez Canal
This tight sandstone alley was once Australia’s most dangerous shortcut. Push gangs prowled the shadows, rolling sailors and slashing rivals. Locals gave it a wide berth — ironic, given it’s the narrowest laneway in the country.
Duration: 5 mins
5. Argyle Cut
Convicts carved this tunnel through solid rock with picks, chains, and fury. When progress stalled, the government brought in gunpowder. It’s the only shortcut in Sydney built on hard labour, blasted rock, and very bad moods.
Duration: 5 mins
6. The Australian Heritage Hotel
This heritage pub has been pouring pints since 1901. During the era of the six o’clock swill, thirsty Sydneysiders packed the bar shoulder-to-shoulder, necking beers before closing time. It’s one of the last places in The Rocks where you can drink in real history.
Duration: 20 mins
7. The Big Dig Archaeology Education Centre
This archaeological site unearthed over 1,000,000 artefacts and the remains of 30 convict-era homes — including one with a secret backyard distillery. Hidden booze, buried bones, and Sydney’s scrappy beginnings all lie just below the surface.
Duration: 5 mins
8. The Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel
Sydney’s oldest licensed pub, still pouring since the 1840s. Built by convicts, run by characters, and home to more than one ghost story — this place has sandstone walls, a working brewery, and the kind of bar where history sticks to your boots.
Duration: 20 mins
9. Hero of Waterloo Hotel
Built in 1843 and soaked in scandal ever since. This pub's sandstone walls hide tales of press gangs, trapdoors, and tunnels to the harbour. Some say drunken sailors woke up at sea. Others never woke up at all. Come for a drink, stay for the legends.
Duration: 20 mins

Inclusion

Alcoholic beverages

Exclusion

Dinner

Cancellation Policy

Check mark icon Refundable tickets

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

  • 100% refund if cancelled 1+ days before the start date
  • 0% refund if cancelled less than 1 day(s) before the start date

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Public transportation options are available nearby

Transportation options are wheelchair accessible

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Supplied by Bloody Interesting Tours

Reviews

5.0

★★★★★ ★★★★★
Based on 2 reviews

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