Tour Guide in Sydney

Can anyone suggest a tour guide we might use for 3 days in Sydney?

While there is plenty to see in Sydney for 3 days, I would not say there is enough for a full-time tour guide to show you for 3 days. (For example, you could easily spend half-a-day or more at Taronga Zoo, but you don't need a tour guide to show you around there.)

I'd probably recommend taking one guided tour (either half-a-day or a full day) and spendingthe other two days on your own exploring.

I recommend viator tours.....they have a 2 day tour combo that includes blue mountain one day and city/ harbor cruise the second day.....then the third day do on your own

I recommend viator tours.....they have a 2 day tour combo that includes blue mountain one day and city/ harbor cruise the second day.....then the third day do on your own

We used Viator last spring in Italy and enjoyed the tours and knowledgeable guides. If Viator in Australia guides are similar, we have no hesitation in using them in Australia. Too early for us to make our plans as our cruises are a year away but we are definitely considering the 2-day tour with them while we are in Sydney between cruises. Has anyone else used Viator while in Australia or New Zealand?:)

Check out this thread

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1375767

espec post no 14.

There are many things you can do in Sydney on your own. Your Hotel Concierge will give you directions. With 3 days you could also do a couple of day trips. Check out Sydney Day Tours on google for the full range from boutique to mass market.

Viator is simply a go between booking agency. You will probably end up on the same tours as others booked directly.

We have booked tours overseas through Viator but never in Australia.

A little research using Mr Google or as suggested, book through your hotel.

Lots to do in and around Sydney and the top one would be the harbour bridge climb (which is guided). You can book direct.

Having just come back from my X cruise ending in Sydney, I would say that you don't really need a tour guide there. Lots to do on your own. Some ideas:

1. Tour the Sydney Opera House

2. Bridge Climb (a bit pricey)

3. Take some free walking tours (google it...)

4. Take the hop on, hop off bus. Went to Bondi Beach this way.

5. Day trip to Blue Mountains. Lots of tour providers offer this, but you can also catch the train (about 2 hour ride), then do the hop on, hop off bus around the area. Try for a nice day for this one!

6. Walk the Royal Botanical Gardens. Free! They also have a little train that goes around the gardens for about $10 AUD (think the kiddie trains at the zoo!).

7. Taronga Zoo. We didn't do this, but you don't need a tour guide.

8. Walk around The Rocks (historic district close to the OPT). They have a Saturday/Sunday market, as well as a "Friday Foodie Market".

Lots of museums as well, if that is your thing.

Enjoy! I loved Sydney!

Many hotels also have racks of brochures advertising various tours.

But I agree much of what there is to do in Sydney doesn't need a guide.

I concur with all the posts on how convenient and easy to see Sydney is to see on your own and would just add/emphasize how completely wonderful the Blue Mountains are to do for maybe a tiny sampling of what part the REST of Australia is like (not the city!) for some Aboriginal culture and artifacts, nature and exotic, beautiful experiences - a day tour is possible and so very worth it. I actually wished I'd done their overnight tour but I had much more time in Sydney, I just had no idea how fascinating the experience would be.

Sydney is so very easy to get around, friendly and beautiful you'll have no trouble filling up your three days there with things to see/do. ENJOY!! :)

Agree with Host Bonjour.

The Blue Mountains are a favourite day-trip destinations for many Sydneysiders, and. the small towns up there are delightful.

On Saturdays and Sundays it can get a bit busy.

There are many, many tour operators offering trips from Sydney to the mountains and you will coma across their brochures all over town, and all hotel concierges will be able to book something for you. There is really no need to make arrangements prior to arrival to Sydney.

The exception would be if you want a good bargain. These can sometimes be found on "discount websites" such as Groupon.com. They also offer (more often) cheap deals to the wine-growing region of the Hunter Valley. These include wine tastings, stops at cellar doors and (sometimes) a lunch as well. These are long day tours, typically leaving Sydney around 07.00 and returning late afternoon/early evening.

Some of these tours (to the mountains or the Hunter) are conducted in large coaches. Whilst these are comfortable, I find that a lot of time is wasted waiting for slow people. And (sorry to sound racially stereotypical) if there are a lot of Japanese and/or Chinese guests on the tour you'll be forever waiting for them to get out of souvenir shops.

If you are just a little bit adventurous, there is a very convenient train from Sydney's Central Station (hourly, 18 min past the hour) to the Blue Mountains and beyond. To the main villages of Leura (nicest, I think) it takes and just under 2 hours and a few minutes more to the "main" town of Katoomba.

Tickets are just under AUD $9.00 one way.

Once in the mountains, there is a HoHo bus, the Blue Mountains Explorer that runs loops ever half hour to all the major and important sights. They have a very good website you can Google.

Tickets are AUD$ 40 p.p., which is pretty good value.

They also have a combination ticket which comes with unlimited rides on the various "scenic rides", such as the cable car that rides across the canyon up there. Definitely no suitable for folks afraid of heights (or depths actually).

The village of Leura is lovely, with a few decent restaurants and cafe's. For a treat eat a place called SILKS BRASSERIE (bookings are definitely recommended. Your hotel will be able to arrange this). Leura has a range of quirky shops, full of stuff nobody NEEDS, but is nice to have.

Katoomba is the main town up there. I find it a bit Hippy and slightly faded.

All walking tracks in the area are well sign posted, and not even ray Charles would get lost. As long as you stick to the trails and walk ways you'll be safe.

Take a bottle of water and a hat!

While there is plenty to see in Sydney for 3 days, I would not say there is enough for a full-time tour guide to show you for 3 days. (For example, you could easily spend half-a-day or more at Taronga Zoo, but you don't need a tour guide to show you around there.)

 

I'd probably recommend taking one guided tour (either half-a-day or a full day) and spendingthe other two days on your own exploring.

To celebrate the pending arrival of the Three Queens over the next 3 weeks I'v written a quick guide on what can be expected and achieved from a pre or post stay in Sydney.

Hope you folks find it useful...

http://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2016/02/18/one-way-to-do-sydney/

Having just come back from my X cruise ending in Sydney, I would say that you don't really need a tour guide there. Lots to do on your own. Some ideas:

 

1. Tour the Sydney Opera House

2. Bridge Climb (a bit pricey)

3. Take some free walking tours (google it...)

4. Take the hop on, hop off bus. Went to Bondi Beach this way.

5. Day trip to Blue Mountains. Lots of tour providers offer this, but you can also catch the train (about 2 hour ride), then do the hop on, hop off bus around the area. Try for a nice day for this one!

6. Walk the Royal Botanical Gardens. Free! They also have a little train that goes around the gardens for about $10 AUD (think the kiddie trains at the zoo!).

7. Taronga Zoo. We didn't do this, but you don't need a tour guide.

8. Walk around The Rocks (historic district close to the OPT). They have a Saturday/Sunday market, as well as a "Friday Foodie Market".

 

Lots of museums as well, if that is your thing.

 

Enjoy! I loved Sydney!

Hi Miss Muffin.

You certainly hit a few spots that are covered in my link above.

We had an exceptional full day tour of the Blue Mountains from Sydney that included part of the return journey being made on the river.

I would also suggest doing the FREE walking tours of the city starting at Town Hall and also evening walking tour of the Rocks area.

Question for Richard.......is not the Pylon lookout access around 13 dollars?????

Question for Richard.......is not the Pylon lookout access around 13 dollars?????

Yep. Cost for adult is AUD 13.

http://www.pylon lookout.com.au

Walking across the bridge ( that is using the public walkway on the opera house side of the bridge) is free. And spectacular as well.

I prefer starting the walk on the northern end of the bridge.

Take the train (north shore line from Wynyard or Town Hall ststions) to Milsons Point and follow the signs.