Journey Walks : Culture, Crime & History Tours & Events in Sydney

We had the joy - and honor of a walking tour of Paddington hosted by Max Burns-McRuvie last Sunday. Our family have always been history-smitten. This tour weas a logical opportunity as our daughter currently lives in Paddington and my Great Great Grandfather, Michael Griffin, a bandsman with the Welsh 12th Regiment of Foot stationed at Victoria Barracks in the 1840s and for several years a resident of Caledonia Street Paddington. Max brought colonial Paddington to life with his passion and deep knowledge along our almost 4km walk. Looking forward to another opportunity in the very near future to spend time with Max - next stop - Balmain where my great Grandparents lined in Mort Street, and where they both died a week apart in 1906 from plague pneumonia - leaving 9 children under 18.....

The convict tour was one of the best tours I've ever done. As a Sydney local I learned things and saw places I've never heard of before. Rebecca was a hugely knowledgeable, friendly and passionate guide who clearly loves her job. She had so many fascinating stories to tell and I cannot recommend the tour highly enough.

I recently joined the Kings Cross Walking Tour and was thoroughly impressed. Our guide, Max, is a passionate historian who brought the area’s rich and often gritty history to life. He took us right back to colonial times, setting the stage for how Kings Cross evolved into the vibrant, notorious precinct it became. From tales of early settlers to colourful characters, crime, bohemia, and social change, Max covered it all. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Sydney’s hidden past!

Took a group of tour guides on the convict History Tour of the Rocks and it was fantastic! We all learnt so much. Max was an excellent guide

Highly recommend Max's tour of Sydney's Convict and early settler history. Great locations and stories, as you weave your way around Circular Quay and The Rocks. Whether you're a visitor to Sydney, or a local, you'll learn so much and see so many beautiful spots. Loved it so much we went and did the Once Upon a Crime in Paddington Tour which was amazing!! Back alleys and seedy stories, so much local history in one tour. Thanks Max.

We went on Journey Walks’ tour “Gangsters, Girls and Grog” and it was brilliant! Max was a fantastic tour guide, not only did he know a ton of super interesting history, he wove it together in a way that was really seamless and flowed perfectly throughout the tour. There’s a real difference between knowing your stuff and being able to impart it in a way that is engaging and really brings the facts to life - Max was awesome at it! I’ve lived in Sydney for 20+ years and learned heaps I didn’t know and saw so many wonderful pockets of history (the attached photo is what used to be the infamous Kate Leigh’s house!) over the course of our tour. To top it all off, Max took us to the coolest kinda ‘speakeasy’ bar to have a drink at the tour’s conclusion! Highly highly recommend doing a tour with Journey Walks, whether you’re a local or a tourist. I absolutely can’t wait to do another of Max’s tours - I’m aiming to do “Once upon a crime in Paddington” next…

I did the Journey Walks walking tour in Sydney last week and it was the highlight of my stay in Sydney. Max is a born storyteller and through his fast knowledge of Sydney's history and the city's spots and alleys he was really able to bring the history alive. The tour lasted about 2.5 hours, we were with a group of 8, and the general vibe was very relaxed throughout. I recommend doing the tour on one of the first days of your stay, as it will really make you see the city from a different perspective.

Omg! I’ve been on many walking tours. This small company has several tours in Sydney. We took the Convict Tour booked through Airbnb. Absolutely the best 2.5 hours of our trip so far. This early Australia walking tour is so fun and educational. When do u ever get a tour from a Masters degree who did his thesis on the subject. And his stories were the best. Spend the time and money and have the bestest tour ever.