Total Sydney: Shopping, History and Pub Walking Tour

Combine two of our most popular tours — Made In Sydney and When Rum Ran the Rocks — and see the best of Sydney during the day. 

There’s history with mystery in the edgy suburb of Newtown. We will explore this historical neighbourhood together and discover its internationally acclaimed street art, shop in an incredibly creative marketplace and enjoy a selection of treats — all just 10 minutes from Sydney’s Central Business District.

We’ll take you off the high street into the laneways and side streets to meet local artisans and watch them ply their trade and sell their creative wares.

We’ll then stop at three diverse independents that call Newtown home. We’ll taste the most photographed dessert in the world, visit the gelato business that won Italy’s 'best gelato in the world' competition and we’ll sample a beer made by Sydney’s premier craft brewers (founded by a rock group and operating from disused warehouses). All the while, you will be learning about the colourful past and present which sets Newtown apart from every other suburb of Sydney. 

Take the time to buy items of craftwork for yourself or as gifts for friends and family. And it’s all Sydney-made.

Then there will be an hour break where you will have an opportunity to grab some lunch (not included, but your guide can recommend some places nearby) before heading harbourside where the second leg of your Sydney adventure begins. As Australia’s first neighbourhood, the Rocks was literally cut from the sandstone cliffs that rise above Sydney Harbour. As we walk, your guide will carve out a narrative of this neighbourhood’s history, starting with the convicts that were forced to settle here and their amazing tales of survival and entrepreneurship.

Along the way, we will make pit stops at some classic local pubs in the heart of the Rocks. From there, we explore the once seedy back alleyways, which today are very safe, of course, but still feature many great photo opportunities.

After a drink at another historic pub, we delve deeper into some of the unique and most off-the-beaten-track parts of the Rocks as we visit an archaeological site like no other in Australia. 

Your tour ends here but before you go, don’t forget to ask your local guide for more tips on what else to see, do and eat during your stay in sensational Sydney.