The 15 City Tours in Australia That Earn Their Price

1.2-Hour City Highlights River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 1,804 reviews · 2 hours · from $49Our pick

Cruise upstream and downstream on Melbourne’s Yarra River, passing Docklands, Southbank, the MCG, Olympic Park, Herring Island, and the Royal Botanic Gardens. GPS-triggered English commentary explains the sights. You can sit inside or use the open back deck, with tea and coffee included. A mid-cruise pause or boat change may occur.

“lovely views Would prefer a 1 hr option as well..as the boat is slow and it gets monotonous towards the end...we hoped off early after 1 hr”

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2.Combo Pass for 2, 3, or 4 Top City Attractions

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 926 reviews · 1 - 2 months · from $38

Build your own Sydney day out with entry to two, three, or four attractions: SEA LIFE Sydney, Wild Life Sydney, Madame Tussauds, and Sydney Tower Eye. Visit the first attraction in your booking, then use the remaining entries within 60 days. Expect phone barcode entry, with a separate timeslot needed for the Tower Eye.

“Great experience, really enjoyed all activities and well worth the money! Recommend 10/10”

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3.Famous Melbourne City Bike Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 779 reviews · from $100Top rated

Ride through Melbourne with a local guide and a group of no more than eight. You’ll cover the Yarra River, Shrine of Remembrance, public gardens, MCG, Rod Laver Arena, street art, arcades, rooftop bars, and lesser-seen neighborhoods. Bikes, helmets, and safety gear are included, with an eBike upgrade available for A$40.

“Melbourne has great bike routes throughout the city. Darcy brought us to many of the parks and sights of the city. Would have liked more time in Victoria Market and less time with colonization stops.”

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4.Morning or Afternoon Half-Day Sydney City Sightseeing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 566 reviews · from $109

This 3.5-hour small-group tour takes you from your hotel through The Rocks, Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, Rose Bay, Watsons Bay, Bondi Beach, Centennial Park, Paddington, Chinatown, and Darling Harbour. Choose morning or afternoon departure, ride with a driver-guide such as Vic, Paul, Nigel, or Graham, and finish at Darling Harbour.

“Very informative. Andy was an excellent and fun guide . Took us to an extensive range of places: mainly by bus, but some walking time too.”

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5.Perth East Foreshore and City Segway Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 549 reviews · from $99

Start at Barrack Street Jetty with a safety briefing and practice session, then follow a guide along Perth’s Swan River. You’ll pass Elizabeth Quay, Kings Park, Claisebrook Cove, wetlands, the WACA, Perth Mint, Government House, and Optus Stadium views. The 90-minute tour runs at 2 pm, with a maximum of 10 people.

“Excellent experience, Seth was very friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommend as a great way to see the city.”

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6.Hot Air Balloon Flights over Melbourne City (optional breakfast)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 403 reviews · from $369

Meet around 5:00 am for a dawn flight with Liberty Balloon Flights over Melbourne. You may see the MCG, Melbourne Museum, the CBD, and the city waking below. Pilots such as Nick, Dan, Pete, and Thor have led flights, with safety briefings, in-flight guidance, and hands-on balloon setup and pack-down. Breakfast at Hotel Windsor costs extra.

“Excellent trip. Very well organised with regular contact from the balloon company (Liberty). Be prepared for a very early start (ours was 4.15). Friendly & experienced pilot & support crew. You are involved in preparing for the flight & clear up Read more”

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7.Sunset City Lights Cruise 5.30pm or 6pm *seasonal

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 387 reviews · 1h 30m · from $41

Board at South Bank’s Cultural Centre Public Pontoon for a relaxed 90-minute evening cruise with River City Cruises. You’ll see the Story Bridge, Kangaroo Cliffs, and Brisbane’s lights from the water, with background music, a complimentary charcuterie share board, and drinks available to buy. There is no formal commentary, so this suits a scenic night out more than a history tour.

“Did the sunset river cruise. Value for money - absolutely! Great staff, lovely atmosphere and a beautiful 1.5 hours seeing the city on dusk one way, and enjoying the stunning lights on the way back. Will be doing that again for sure.”

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8.City Highlights Day Tour with Entrance Fees

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 114 reviews · 8 hours · from $133

Spend a full day seeing Canberra’s key sights with a local English-speaking guide. Visit Mount Ainslie, both Parliament Houses, the National Capital Exhibition and the Australian War Memorial, including the moving Last Post Ceremony when scheduled. Pickup, transport and entrance fees are included. Guides such as Neil, Bob and Simon are known for lively commentary and local insight.

“Just a brilliant introduction to Canberra! Neil was our friendly and very knowledgeable guide who kept us entertained and engaged throughout a full day of touring around the city and suburbs. Neil’s passion and enthusiasm for Canberra in contagious! So many interesting aspects to discover: the city’s origins, unique design, its history and geography, flora and fauna, and the many curious human inhabitants! I came away feeling I had learnt so much about our nation’s capital. Lots of information to absorb, much of it quite intriguing and unexpected. This is a wide-ranging tour suitable for just about everyone. My 16 year old nephew accompanied me on the tour. Neil went…”

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9.City Walking Tour with Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 83 reviews · 1h 30m · from $31Best value

Walk central Adelaide with local guides such as Katina, Kat, or Andrea, starting at the Mall's Balls and ending at Adelaide Central Market. In 90 minutes, you visit Rundle Mall, Adelaide Arcade, Parliament House, Town Hall, Leigh Street, and key food and nightlife areas. Expect personal stories, city history, and plenty of useful tips for the rest of your stay.

“We braved the hot weather in Adelaide to go on a very interesting walking tour with Kat. She is very knowledgeable about the landmarks in the CBD of Adelaide and their recent and past history She went at our pace which was a bit slower than usual due to the extreme heat. We would recommend this tour but in cooler weather”

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10.48 Hour Hobart City Hop-On Hop-Off Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 49 reviews · 2 days · from $38

See Hobart from an open-top double-decker bus on a 90-minute loop with 20 stops. Your 48-hour ticket lets you hop off at Salamanca Place, Battery Point, Cascade Brewery, the Female Factory, MONA ferry terminal, and more. Commentary comes in up to eight languages, and guide Tony has earned praise for adding funny local detail.

“I've always liked and done the hop on hop off bus when ever I visit a different city as it always showcase the best of the city. I highly recommend doing this on your first day in Hobart so as to know which places you want to go to for the rest of your trip.”

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11.City, Adelaide Hills Villages, and Hahndorf Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 49 reviews · 8 hours · from $118

Spend eight hours with an English-speaking driver-guide exploring Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide Oval, Mount Lofty, and Hahndorf. You get free time at the National Wine Centre, a 75-minute lunch break, and 90 minutes in the old German village. Lunch, drinks, and purchases are extra.

“Enjoyed the Adelaide hills tour. Guide was great, lots of humour. Couldn’t fault anything about the day.”

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12.Adelaide City Highlights Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 30 reviews · 3 hours · from $62

Get your bearings in Adelaide from an air-conditioned coach with an English-speaking local guide. You’ll pass North Terrace, Botanic Gardens, historic North Adelaide, St Peter’s Cathedral, and Adelaide Oval, then have free time at the National Wine Centre. Guides such as Michael and Athol add useful local history.

“Clean transport. Good air con. Thought could have visited more churches or a pub seeing as so many in city. Guide Michael gave some interesting facts about history of the city. Felt disappointed by lack of stops lots of time in bus”

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13.48-Hour Hobart City Loop Tour and Mt Wellington

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 28 reviews · 2 days · from $60

Use one ticket for two days of Hobart sightseeing and a return trip to the 1,270-metre summit of kunanyi/Mt Wellington. Ride an open-top double-decker bus, stop at 20 city locations, and choose between a short summit visit or walks at five Wellington Park stops. Commentary is offered in eight languages, with Wi-Fi and headphones included.

“We enjoyed the hop on hop off bus in the morning and the Wellington tour in the afternoon. We got lucky with a beautiful day and really enjoyed it all.”

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14.Adelaide City Highlights Half-Day Tour, Mt Lofty & Hahndorf

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 25 reviews · 4 hours · from $91

This four-hour Bostours outing combines an English-guided drive through Adelaide, a short stop at Mount Lofty Summit, and two hours to explore Hahndorf. Pickup is available from Adelaide or Glenelg, with groups of up to 30 using a car, minibus, or coach. Ask about the optional Beerenberg Farm visit before booking.

“Tour was great - alll on time and as represented. Excellent morning tea as location and refreshment.”

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15.Best of Adelaide- City Highlights (Half-Day Tour)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 21 reviews · 4 hours · from $82

See Adelaide’s North Terrace, St Peter’s Cathedral, Adelaide Oval, Central Market, Plane Tree Drive, Mount Lofty, and Hahndorf in four hours. Your English-speaking guide handles the driving and commentary, with free time in Hahndorf and selected stops. Pickup is available from Adelaide or Glenelg, but cruise terminal pickup costs extra.

“Overall thought it was a great way to see and know more about Adelaide”

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