Sydney Harbour Tall Ship Afternoon Cruise

Campbell's Cove and The Rocks

Your tall ship cruise starts at Campbell's Cove Jetty, on the western side of Circular Quay in The Rocks. This is where Sydney began: the first European settlement was founded here in 1788, and the sandstone warehouses along the cove, built in the 1800s for a local merchant's trading business, still line the waterfront today. Cafes and restaurants now fill the old stores, and the Overseas Passenger Terminal, where large cruise ships berth, sits just beside the jetty.

Arrive a little early and take a stroll through The Rocks before boarding: narrow lanes, stone steps and heritage buildings that now hold galleries, weekend markets and small museums. How to get to Campbell's Cove: Circular Quay station and ferry wharves are about five minutes away on foot along the harbour promenade, and the jetty is between the waterfront hotel and the passenger terminal.

Sailing under the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Few experiences in Sydney match sailing beneath the Harbour Bridge on a traditional tall ship. Opened in 1932, the steel arch spans about 503 metres and rises some 134 metres above the water at its highest point, which is why locals affectionately call it the Coathanger. From the deck you look straight up into the riveted girders and the granite-faced pylons that anchor each end.

The bridge links the city with the North Shore and carries trains, cars, cyclists and walkers. From the water you also see the climbers in grey suits making their way over the top of the arch. On this afternoon cruise the bridge is one of the best photo moments, especially as the ship turns and you can frame the arch with the sails and rigging in the foreground.

The Sydney Opera House from the water

The Sydney Opera House, opened in 1973 and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007, looks its best from the harbour. As the tall ship passes Bennelong Point you see how the white shells of the roof rise like sails above the water, covered in more than a million glazed tiles that change colour with the light. In the late afternoon they often glow cream and gold.

From the deck you can also make out the broad monumental steps, the Royal Botanic Garden beyond and the green lawns of Farm Cove. Many visitors ask what is the best way to see the Opera House; seeing it from a sailing ship gives you the full shape of the building, something you cannot appreciate standing on the forecourt. Take your time with photos here.

Fort Denison, the island fort

In the middle of the harbour, east of the Opera House, sits Fort Denison, a small rocky island topped by a sandstone fort and a round Martello tower. In the early years of the colony the island was known as Pinchgut and was used to punish convicts. The fort was completed in the 1850s, when fears of a naval attack during the Crimean War led the colony to strengthen its harbour defences.

Today Fort Denison is a heritage site managed by the national parks service, and its tower still holds the harbour's tide gauge and a daily time gun tradition. As the tall ship sails past you get a clear view of the fortifications from the water. It is one of the classic landmarks of every Sydney Harbour cruise, and the crew usually shares a few of its stories.

Life on board a traditional tall ship

What sets this Sydney Harbour cruise apart is the ship itself: a timber tall ship built in the style of the 1850s, with masts, square sails and heavy rigging. Unlike a motor cruise, you can get involved. The crew invites guests to help hoist the sails, heave on the ropes and even take a turn steering, so you feel what sailing was like for the sailors who reached Sydney under canvas.

If you would rather relax, find a spot on deck and enjoy the sea breeze and the commentary. A mast climb can be added on board at extra cost for those who want a higher view. Expect to be photographed by people on the shore too: a tall ship under sail is a rare sight on the modern harbour and always draws attention.