Sydney's best ghost tours

The Rocks Ghost Tours

Tonight, as we wander through the Rocks, it’s amazing to think that this gentrified, tourist-friendly facade hides a grim and sinister past. Where gelato bars and art galleries stand now, there once were slums, opium dens and brothels. Amid the grime and decay, lusty sailors staggered from inn to inn and street gangs preyed upon the weak. So are their victims still walking the earth, seeking revenge?

“Yes,” according to Ghost Tours of the Rocks, who have been thrilling and chilling visitors for nearly 20 years now. On our walking tour, we wind through gloomy back streets to the locations of murders, suicides, hangings and bizarre disappearances. This is how it rates:

Tour guide: 4/5
‘Ghost Host’ Richard certainly looks the part. Dressed from head to foot in black, with a broad-brimmed hat and leather briefcase to match, he looks like a Dickensian villain. He's eccentric, for sure, but knowledgeable with it.

Entertainment: 3/5
Each member of our tour group is given a prop (ranging from a plastic severed hand to a child’s doll) and a new identity, such as a rich merchant or a Greek sea captain. As the evening unfolds, we are each asked to play a part in one of the strange tales. This lightens the mood and gives us a few laughs; but it means the tour is less frightening as a result.

Historical interest: 4/5
During our tour we learn what daily life was like during early European settlement. We hear about the devastating effects of the bubonic plague on Sydney in the 1900s, and about the near-demolition of many historic buildings in the 1970s. Richard also has after-hours access to some historic buildings, including the 18th-century Windmill Street Cottage - a nice bonus.

Fear factor: 2/5
Despite the full moon, we rarely feel like we might actually come face to face with a ghost. Even at night, the Rocks is a busy place, and this takes away some of the atmosphere. The scariest moment comes when we’re gathered among the foundations of an early colonial house and Richard jumps out unexpectedly in front of us.

The Rocks Ghost Tours, departs Cadmans Cottage, Cnr George & Argyle Sts, The Rocks 2000. (02 9241 1283). Mon-Sun 7.45pm. $33-$42.

Q Station Adult Ghost Tour

Our night-time arrival at the Quarantine Station on North Head conveys a real sense of foreboding. Looming above us is a cluster of sombre buildings on a grassy windswept slope while, far away, the city’s lights remind us of just how remote this place is. But that’s nothing compared to what ailing immigrants experienced when they were offloaded here. The Station was Sydney’s first line of defence against contagious diseases for more than 150 years. Until the 1970s, ships suspected of carrying outbreaks of smallpox, cholera and Spanish flu were diverted here, with passengers enduring an enforced stay until the threat passed - or until they died an agonising death. This was not a happy place to be and the very thought of walking around here tonight is unsettling.

Tour guide: 5/5
In Daniel’s hands, this is less a ghost tour and more a ghost hunt. He’s convinced that the place is crawling with demons, phantoms and poltergeists; all he needs is the bait to coax them out. Which is where we come in. He persuades several of us to spend solitary minutes away from the group in darkened rooms, corners, nooks or crannies and - more than once - he’s rewarded with screams.

Entertainment: 4/5
Daniel is like a kid poking a bees’ nest with a stick and this creates suspense wherever we go. Whether this is terrifyingly real, or just brilliant theatre, doesn’t matter. It’s highly entertaining and the time flies by.

Historical interest: 2/5
The Quarantine Station has some fascinating history but we don’t hear too much of it this evening. What we do hear are graphic stories about 19th-century medical treatments, questionable hygiene and methods of incarceration. Frankly, it’s understandable that some of the poor souls felt wronged and vengeful enough to return from the grave.

Fear factor: 5/5
During the evening I count more than ten instances where someone in the group experiences something that they can't explain. Alone in the darkened shower block, a girl feels something tapping her arm. In the first-class passenger quarters, a man sees a pair of red eyes peering at him through the blackness. In the hospital, two girls are scared witless when a cupboard flies open by itself. And it could be my imagination but, throughout the night, a creepy scent of evil hangs in the air.

Adult Ghost Tour, Quarantine Station, North Head Scenic Dr, Manly 2095. (02 9466 1500). Wed-Sun 8-10.30pm. $44.

The Gruesome Sydney Tour

This bus tour promises a comprehensive look at Sydney’s grisly and ghastly past. When our ride shows up (25 minutes late) our small group files nervously on board - ready for a whirlwind tour of darkened cellars, suicide spots and giant tombs.

Tour guide: 3/5
Bronywn knows all the gory details, whether it’s the Demon Dentist of Botany Bay or the Butcher of Sussex Street - and Bronywn’s sidekick, driver Leo, is suitably creepy. It’s like being shown around Sydney by Dr Frankenstein and Igor. But there’s a disappointing lack of showmanship. Bronywn brings a cape with her (presumably to be “in character”) but forgets to wear it until the very end of the night.

Entertainment: 4/5
The tension between the guide and our slightly hapless bus driver makes the tour unintentionally hilarious. At one point, he speeds straight past one of our stops (the reputedly haunted Hyde Park Barracks) and the ensuing argument means we miss the chance to go back. But we’re too busy stifling giggles to care.

Historical interest: 2/5
Bronywn is so familiar with her subject that her delivery is, at times, blithe and matter-of-fact. Other stories are hazy on details. In fairness, that’s partly because of the huge number of sights and locations we have to squeeze into three hours.

Fear factor: 1/5
Whenever atmosphere builds (such as when we’re poking around the gothic William Charles Wentworth mausoleum in Vaucluse) it’s quickly lost when we all clamber back on board the bus. And the cellar of the Hero of Waterloo Hotel could have been spine-chilling, but the noise from the pub upstairs, complete with Elvis covers band, puts paid to that. Unless it really was Elvis...

The Gruesome Sydney Tour, From Clocktower Sq, Argyle St, The Rocks 2000. (02 9487 2895). Fri-Sat, 7.30pm. $45 (includes free drink).

Other Ghost Tours in Sydney

Lower North Shore Ghost Tour

Includes a tour of Aboriginal sites, a haunted mansion, a former mortuary and a church cemetery. There’s also a family-friendly tour and a Middle North Shore Ghost Tour. Sydney Ghost Tours From Cammeray Sq, Cnr Miller St & Amherst St, Cammeray 2062. (02 8197 0363). Tue-Sun 8.30 & 11.30pm. $35.

Blue Mountains Ghost Tour

Ride the ghost bus with Paranormal Pete to learn the dark and bloody history of the mountains. See an abandoned cemetery, convict stockade, and perhaps even the Lady in Black herself… From Hotel Gearin, 273 Great Western Hwy, Katoomba 2780. (02 4751 2622). Fri–Sat 7pm. $75.

Weird Parramatta Ghost and History Tour

A tour of the sites of murders, executions and known hauntings. Find out about the Parramatta River Murder and the Man who was hanged twice. From Cnr Church & Market Sts, Parramatta 2150. (02 9487 2895). Tours by arrangement. $42.

Monte Cristo Ghost Tours

Australia’s “most haunted house” has a history of mysterious lights, unexplained voices, malignant unseen presences, and a woman in white. Sleep well! 1 Homestead Ln, Junee 2663. (02 6924 1637). Sat 7pm. Dinner, ghost tour, bed and breakfast $195.

Book a Sydney ghost tour

More festivals, fairs and large events in Sydney? Sign up to our weekly newsletter