Max is a fabulous tour guide, very knowledgeable and I would highly recommend any of his tours - we joined once upon a crime in Paddington - an excellent way to learn more about the history of your home town.

Max is very well informed, obviously loves his subject and did an amazing job. We all enjoyed it despite the rain! Highly recommend it and will go on another.

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…

Max is a wealth of knowledge, his recounting of historical events just draws you in. The stories he tells are fascinating. I highly recommend his tours. You won't be disappointed.

Did the "Once upon a Crime in Paddington" walk and loved it. Max is a very engaging storyteller and has clearly done his own original research, so even though I am a local, I hadn't heard any of the stories before. The walk was well paced, with drinks in a pub along the way and a drink together on a rooftop pub at the end. Would. def recommend and plan to do more of his walks.

Two thumbs up for Max, a professional street history teacher who brought the history so alive! 👌From Max convict tour, when we do our own guided tour in some other convict historical places (since not all historical places in Sydney have the guided tour), we can absorb the information of the place or convict historical event faster. Max is a well performer too, he knows where to put himself among the tour group to make sure everyone can hear his voice also a very well done voice control, so eventhough sometimes surrounding is a bit disruptive, we can still hear him. If we come back to Sydney again, definitely will join his other tour to hear his alive history researh!

The Best walking experience I have ever had. Was a great way to explore the streets of Sydney while learning about its history. Max was an amazing storyteller keeping me on the edge of my feat throughout. Taking me to places as an Australian who had lived in Sydney I had never been before. Book in and Check it out.

Highly recommend Sydney’s Convict Colony walking tour by Journey Walks. Max had us enthralled and our imaginations transported for 2.5 hours. His knowledge, passion and storytelling ability all combine to deliver a sensational experience.

We joined the East Balmain tour with Journey Walks at The Fenwick in Balmain. And what a really pleasant surprise when Max introduced himself to the group. To have such a knowledgeable and agreeable person to show us the history of this place was a treat. You felt as though you were the only person on the tour such was his attentiveness. Every detail of the tour was clearly explained and backed up with photos of the various areas in this part of Sydney. Well done Max we are checking out your other tours. Thank you.

Cannot overstate how excellent this tour was. Max is an amazing font of knowledge and, even though I've lived here for decades, I learned so much about Sydney's early days on this tour. I had heard some of the facts before, but never connected them together the way Max does as he weaves his narrative through the streets and alleys of the Rocks and Circular (thank you Max, this will forever now be known by us as Semi-circular) Quay. Highly recommended for visitors or locals alike. Thank you Max

Excellent tour, would highly recommend. There's nothing Max didn't know, including colonial and indigenous history. He's so incredibly passionate about what he knows and delivers it in such a fun and engaging way. The visual prompts were great and bought the past to life really well. We came away brimming with knowledge to share others, gutted we were going home that day or would have joined the cocktail session too! 🍸 It's so tough to talk for such a long time but his energy never wanted, so impressed! A must do in Sydney! Max... If you ever hit up other European countries to deliver tours, I'm in! 🙋‍♀️

I did the Convicts and the Rocks Tour with Max during a visit to Sydney. It was simply fantastic. Max is exceptionally knowledgeable, an excellent story teller and clearly well versed in (and passionate about) Australian and Sydney history. His ability to weave together historical facts, architectural highlights in the city and memorable stories meant that the 2 and half tour simply flew by. I would highly recommend the tour to any visitor to the city.

Convicts and The Rocks: Sydney's Walking Tour Led by Historian Fun Facts and a Great Guide What a great tour. Our guide Max is one of the best guides I’ve had the pleasure of being with. This tour was more than just convicts (of which there were a lot of interesting stories) but included how Sydney came to be pre-colonization, where The Rocks got its name, and so many engaging facts about how the city transformed. Every day since this tour, I walk thru the Botanic Gardens on the way to other sites and think about why the Botanic Gardens are here. (Go on the tour to find out!) Max was enthusiastic, super-knowledgeable, and interesting. I highly recommend this tour as fun and informative.

I joined Journey Walks for the Convict Colony History of the Rocks tour on 26 August led by Max. It was AMAZING! My partner and I really enjoyed it, such fascinating history brought to life wonderfully by Max. Do not hesitate to book with Journey Walks. We wish we’d booked another tour, but we’ll be back! Very interesting, easy walk, excellent value for money.

Had the most amazing time on the Rum and Rascals walking tour of The Rocks. This is the second tour we have done with Max and it was great fun. If you want to learn something new about Sydney or visit a few hidden gems in The Rocks this is the tour for you. Already looking forward to our next tour with Max.

What a fantastic tour, absolutely fascinating insight into the history of the Rocks and Sydney in general. Max was incredibly knowledgeable, totally engaging with a great sense of humour. Would give more stars if I could, highly recommended.

A really interesting and informative tour with April around The Rocks learning about convict history. We learnt so much and discovered new areas and pockets of The Rocks that we had never known about before. Most enjoyable morning and highly recommend!

Max at Journey Walks did such a fantastic job. We had booked in the Convict Colony Tour for a social event and the team absolutely loved it - since the tour all I've heard have been positive reviews and how brilliant Max and tour was. Thank you!

We took a Once Upon a Crime in Paddington tour and it was incredibly insightful and entertaining. Paddington is a a beautiful suburb full of stories that will shock and delight! I learned so much from this tour both about the history of Paddington but also how many laneways there are! Max was an excellent guide and would 100% recommend to anyone who’s looking for a unique experience and an overall good time!

Just did the Kings Cross walking tour. Live in a city and think you know it. Well doing this tour was an eye opener. Thanks Max. Know what I'm going to give as christmas presents. Certificates to your tours. Great experience

We have done two tours with Journey Walks and both tours were fantastic. Once upon a crime in Paddington offers everything you could want in a walking tour: great stories (at times humorous and always cripping); hidden in plain sight local gems; and a brilliant ending at roof top bar with a view to rival any. We will be back again to explore another area of Sydney. Thank you Max.

Max is a down to earth tour guide and is more than welcome to get to know his attendees. He clearly demonstrates his passion and knowledge regarding history, especially in regards to his birthplace of Kings Cross *cough* Queens Cross *cough* 😂. I would highly recommend going on a tour with Max and we would definitely be doing so again in the future.

Show me a better tour and I'll be impressed. Service, passion, skill. Max is truly dedicated to sharing the historical stories of Sydney. I would recommend attending his tours if you like to watch murder mysteries, enjoy listening to energetic people who can tell a complete story, and you like to drink whilst being in the action of it all.

Incredibly informative, interesting and engaging tours. We did the Rocks and the Surry Hills walks and they were both fantastic! Highly recommend!

We rarely leave reviews, but Max’s tour through The Rocks district was just so fantastic they’ve earned it and then some. If you are savvy for drinking an absolute wealth of information quickly, this is 100% the tour for you. This tour changed the way we saw Sydney itself, guarantee the next time we come we are absolutely going to do their drinks with stories!! Thanks guys

Hands down the best walking tour I have been on. Our tour guide (Max) was an encyclopedia of knowledge and lead a small group of us through parts of Sydney which take you back 200+ years. I walk past these sights every day but little did I know about the history behind the details which are carved into the buildings, floors and walls around Sydney. The tour is as scenic as it is educational, teaching you so much about the early colonial days all within two hours - highly recommended for locals and tourists.

Our friend Linda booked a "convicts and the Rocks tour" on Sunday as a birthday gift for her husband and she invited us. We met our wonderful guide Max Barnett at Custom house. Our tour was so interesting and Max was such a passionate, well informed and knowledgeable guide. It was a quiet day and we were lucky to be a small group, only the four of us with Max. Max knows his stuff and we learned so much about the stories of the past. He has a Bachelor for the stories of the past and have a Bachelor of History and Law from Macquarie and Sydney University, a Masters in History from Macquarie University and he is about to commence a PhD in World History at Macquarie University. So, let me tell you that we were in good hands. In this time of Covid where Australians and locals cannot travel overseas, it was a great way to explore and get to know our city's history.. We came away with a far greater appreciation of this part of history in Australia. I highly recommend this tour, especially to Australians and locals during this time of Covid.

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.

Slums, Slashings & Sly Grog tour with April was terrific. Highly recommend this walk!

Max from Journey Walks was incredibly helpful and adaptable to my corporate groups needs and timeline for the day, creating a tour to suit our office location and a suitable finish point. We learnt so much about our beautiful city and see Sydney in a new light and appreciation. Max is very knowledgeable, professional and friendly, from the time of booking enquiry to the delivery of the tour. Highly recommend!

This was such a cool, informative walking tour. It covers things from why convicts were sent to Australia, the boat ride over, why they settled in Sydney, the stories behind many of the names in Sydney (e.g. street names), a brief history of street gangs (or pushes), old Chinatown, some historical figures, and more. Our guide, April, was so friendly and did a great job telling all of the stories. I also appreciated that she gave us tips on her favorite places to go and restaurants worth eating at. My only "complaint" is that the email confirmation doesn't say specifically when or where to meet. My husband eventually looked at the website and found where to go in the tour description. For reference, we met April at the outdoor cafe/bar right outside of the Customs House library. She had a big spiral notepad that said, "Journey Walks".

We are a Probus group of 25 people who recently did the Convicts & the Rocks tour with Max. Highly recommend it. Max, with his detailed knowledge , professional presentation skills & passion for his topic brought the era to life. We were taken back in time as we walked the streets & narrow alleys of The Rocks. After a pub lunch we journeyed home thinking "how lucky are we". Thanks Max.