The Rocks and Circular Quay

Where Sydney began

The First Fleet anchored in Sydney Cove in January 1788, and the rocky western shore became the colony's first neighbourhood — a crowded quarter of convicts, sailors, merchants and pubs. Much of it was nearly demolished in the 1970s until union 'green bans' and residents saved the old streets.

Today The Rocks is a compact area of sandstone warehouses, laneways and terraces under the southern end of the Harbour Bridge. Look for Cadman's Cottage (1816), Susannah Place Museum's workers' terraces, and the Argyle Cut, a road hacked through the sandstone ridge by convicts.

Circular Quay

Circular Quay is the hub of the harbour: ferry wharves, the train station and light rail, with the Opera House at one end and the Overseas Passenger Terminal at the other. The Museum of Contemporary Art sits on the western side, and Customs House, a restored 1885 building, faces the wharves.

Ferries leave every few minutes for Manly, Taronga Zoo, Watsons Bay, Parramatta and more — see ferries and cruises. Harbour cruise companies also depart from here and from nearby Campbells Cove.

Pubs, food and markets

Several pubs in The Rocks claim to be Sydney's oldest; the Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel and the Fortune of War are both nineteenth-century institutions worth a drink. Weekend Rocks Markets fill George Street with crafts and food stalls, and a Friday food market runs on some weeks.

For a view with dinner, the restaurants of Circular Quay East and the Opera House concourse are hard to beat, though you pay for the setting. Cheaper bites are found a few blocks south in the CBD.

Walks and lookouts

• Climb to Observatory Hill for a free, elevated view of the bridge.
• Walk out to Dawes Point under the bridge's southern approach.
• Follow the foreshore west to Barangaroo Reserve for sunset.
• Join an Aboriginal-led walking tour that starts at Cadman's Cottage to hear the Dreaming stories of the harbour's Saltwater People.

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Walking tour

Opera House, Harbour Bridge and The Rocks walking tour

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A guided walk linking the three classic harbour sights with the history of Sydney Cove.

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Harbour cruise

Harbour sightseeing cruise

About 1.5 hours

A morning or afternoon cruise from Circular Quay past the Opera House, the bridge and the harbour bays.

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Dinner cruise

Tall ship twilight dinner cruise

About 2 hours

Dinner on a tall ship departing Campbell's Cove, with the sails up when conditions allow.

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Staying in The Rocks and Circular Quay

This is the best base for a first visit: everything in the harbour guides is walkable, and ferries leave from your doorstep. It is also the most expensive area, with luxury hotels on the water and a well-known hostel with a rooftop view. Compare all areas in our where-to-stay guide.