History on Tap: The Rocks Pub Tour
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.
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History on Tap: The Rocks Pub Tour
What's included in History on Tap: The Rocks Pub Tour
(Subject to Option Inclusions)Itinerary
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.
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.
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.
Inclusions
- At four historic pubs, enjoy your choice of a middy (285ml) of beer, a glass of house wine, or a soft drink at each stop. It’s the perfect way to experience Sydney’s wild boozy past
- Dinner
- 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
Meet
Pickup and Dropoff
You will make your own way to the meeting points
Meeting Points
- 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 Points
- the Tour finishes about 5 minutes walk from the meeting point in The Rocks. Trains, buses and ferries all within 5 minutes walk
