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Sydney Opera House Guided Backstage Tour

Badge of ExcellenceSydney, Australia

From USD 118.35

Select Date and Travellers

Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours in advance.
Sydney Tours
All Sydney Tours
Audio Guides
Kid-Friendly
Likely To Sell Out
Unique Experiences
  • 3 hours (approx.)
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Get an exclusive experience of the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Sydney Opera House on a backstage tour of this world-famous center for the performing arts. Your expert guide shares stories about the real-life dramas behind the curtain and in the venue's storied history since it opened in 1973. Go behind the scenes to see parts of the opera house normally reserved for staff and performers, including the stage and dressing rooms. Wrap up this fascinating morning tour by sitting down with your small-group companions for a light breakfast with your guide and small-group companions at House Canteen next to the harbour. Numbers are limited to 10 participants for a more intimate tour.
  • Guided backstage tour of the Sydney Opera House
  • Gain exclusive access to rooms reserved for performers and staff
  • Walk on the same stage where luminaries such as Cate Blanchett, Luciano Pavarotti and Ella Fitzgerald have performed
  • Get the inside scoop on what goes on behind the scenes from your knowledgeable guide
  • Learn the history of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed building
  • Small-group tour limited to 10 people ensures an intimate experience with fellow art-lovers

What's Included

  • Behind the scenes tour - with a professional guide
  • Breakfast
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Gratuities

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

  • Sydney Opera House
    Bennelong Point, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

    Please meet your tour guide at 6:45 am at the Sydney Opera House Stage Door located on the ground level of the Sydney Opera House.

Start time

07:00 am

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Meet your small-group tour guide at Stage Door to begin your backstage experience of the UNESCO-listed Sydney Opera House. Experience what it's like to walk through Stage Door, where thousands of actors, performers, and famous names have walked before. Performing arts fans of all stripes will relish the chance to experience the inner workings of this famous venue.

Get started early in order to ensure that you can access rehearsal areas, dressing rooms, and concert stages; access that is restricted later in the day. You might catch a glimpse of actors, dancers, or musicians as they warm up backstage. You may step onto the conductor's podium and view the orchestra section, then walk onstage where countless artists have performed, seeing the majesty of the opera house from their perspective.

Complete the experience with a light breakfast at House Canteen next to the harbor, where you can ask further questions and hear more stories. It's the perfect ending to a memorable tour of this iconic performing arts center.

Sydney Opera House

Arrive at Stage Door for this backstage experience, and join an intimate tour group to begin your exploration. Experience first-hand what it’s like to walk through Stage Door where thousands of actors, performers and famous names have walked before. Get ready to explore places usually off limits to the general public to find out how the magic of theatre happens. Relish the opportunity to get a glimpse into the demanding, passionate, dramatic (and sometimes scandalous) world of our performers – as our guides recount the stories and insider secrets of what really happens behind the curtain. From pulleys to props, sequins to sound-checks, we take you through nooks and crannies not known to the public. Discover what makes the Sydney Opera House both a world-renown icon and a world-class performance venue. Complete the experience with a delicious light breakfast at House Canteen - our newest dining venue with the best views of Sydney Harbour.

Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Minimum age to participate is 10 years old
  • Please note: There are over 300 stairs on this tour, a moderate level of physical fitness is required to participate on the tour
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Due to safety requirements - fully covered enclosed rubber soled shoes must be worn for the duration of the tour
  • Please meet your tour guide at the Sydney Opera House Stage Door at 6:45am - your tour will commence at 7:00am sharply
  • Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • Please note patrons aged 18 years and over entering the Opera House building for the Backstage Tour are required to show that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (unless medically exempt).
  • Patrons are also required to wear a face mask at all times during the tour, unless lawfully exempt. Please bring your own mask.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travellers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveller Photos

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Traveller Tips

It is an excellent tour, but it is pretty strenuous, so be prepared.
As this tour is done once a day, you should take every opportunity to fit this in.
Reviews
5.0
192 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Showing 1-10 of 192 reviews
Definitely worth the early wakeup
Anita_G, Mar 2020
Excellent tour. We were taken all around the backstage area and our guide shared lots of information around what happens behind the scenes, all the work that goes on to insure a successful production, and how the sets are moved in and out quickly and efficiently. She also shared some interesting anecdotes when things didn't go exactly as planned and performers had to do some some quick thinking to avoid disruptions. Very good breakfast too! Highly recommend this tour.
unique
Swissgirl, Mar 2020
Unique experience, great guide, very knowledgeable and entertaining. Great opportunity to look behind the scenes.
The best way to see the Opera House
Holly_S, Mar 2020
Was on this tour Monday morning with my brother and 8 others. Great overview of the Opera House, and how it works. I expected a lot more stairs, but because they showed us the rails for the drama theatre, and not the opera, the tour is friendly even for those with sore legs...(little different than when I was on it 5 years ago with my daughter). The cover history as well as the workings behind the scenes, which anyone involved in local community theatre will really appreciate. Tour ends with a lovely breakfast in the green room (which has a view of the water), making the early 7am start well worth it. Also as a nice perk - if you buy tickets for a show and you have been on a tour, there is a discount, let them know at the box office. Heads up - you meet at the 'backstage door' - not where the other tours do.
Storage and moving of stage scenery!!
Sara_S, Mar 2020
Wonderful tour- and our guide was so knowledgeable. Well worth being there by 6:45 am. From entry through the stage door to delicious breakfast in the green room, all corridors and backstage areas were toured.
Behind the scenes
WILLIAM_L, Feb 2020
Jeanette did a lovely job during our behind the scenes tour, she is very knowledgeable! You can tell she has been guiding guests for years, we never got lost!
Sydney Opera House backstage tour
Diane_C, Feb 2020
Excellent tour. I highly recommend this tour. Steve is a great tour guide and is very knowledgeable of the opera house. The pace was perfect and the breakfast was great to end the perfect tour.
Great Opera House Tour!
Carl_S, Feb 2020
It is an excellent tour, but it is pretty strenuous, so be prepared. We thoroughly enjoyed it! We viewed all the different venues in the Opera House and learned much about it! Did you know it is covered in tiles?
This is one of the must do things when you in Sydney
ngreen4093, Feb 2020
Highly recommended!! It’s something we will never forget Alex our guide was extremely knowledgeable, funny, and we saw and learnt so much of how it all operated backstage! The breakfast at the end was excellent!
Informative and interesting
Tyler_F, Jan 2020
Nabilah was a fantastic guide with wonderful energy. The tour was well-organised and very comprehensive. Learned the story behind architecture, the construction process, and the inner workings of the Opera House. Highly recommended.
highly recommended tour
Alexander_R, Dec 2019
This is probably one of the top Sydney attractions, aside from actually seeing a show at the SOH. Our guide was wonderful, and the whole tour was very entertaining and informative. Just go, you will not regret it. Cheers!
Great place, top service.
Discover49305353170, Oct 2019
My friend and I really enjoyed the Backstage Tour of Sydney Opera House, friendly tour guide & very informative. I would recommend & go back there again.
Awesome and no regret
Lynette_J, Oct 2019
Although this is a early start it was an awesome tour and our tour guide Steve was excellent in ensuring we saw everything that was possible. Only one theatre that we could not visit due to a stage set change. It is amazing the amount of backstage stairs and rooms that there are within the Opera House. We even got to see inside a Dressing Room that is used by the stars. We then finished off with breakfast in the Green room and this was enjoyable as well. As this tour is done once a day, you should take every opportunity to fit this in.
Great tour!
lilyqianz, Sept 2019
The staff were super friendly, learnt a lot during the tour! Strongly recommend to everyone who is visiting Sydney!
Amazing experience!
Brian_W, Aug 2019
Great, great tour! You get to see all the behind the scenes places that you never would in another tour. Some people complain that you can't take pictures in certain spots. Yes, that is true, but it is really only in the green room and stage sets that are not owned by the Opera House. Personally, I was more for the building and history and I was able to take pictures of all the things I wanted to in regards to those two things. Yvonne was amazing!
I am so glad I had the opportunity...
Alva A, Apr 2018
I am so glad I had the opportunity to take this guided back stage tour. Coming to Sydney and not touring the Opera House would have been a waster trip. Getting to go inside this iconic building was a real pleasure. I felt very lucky to get the information we received. Everyone should take this tour.
Amazing information about the...
James T, Mar 2018
Amazing information about the structure. Tour followed up with a free breakfast.
This was a very interesting tour. My...
Daniel_N, Mar 2018
This was a very interesting tour. My husband took our nicer camera thinking we would get lots of interesting photos. However, because of copyright laws and privacy issues there are many areas that we were not allowed to photograph. So my advice would be to just plan on taking a few snapshots and just enjoy the sights and stories. Our guide was very nice and entertaining while showing us around. What you see and where you get to go may possibly depend on the shows and events that are taking place at the time of your tour. The breakfast was tasty. You are presented with a menu part way through the tour, and then your breakfast is ready for you at the conclusion. It was exciting to go inside the Opera House and see some of the behind the scenes areas and different venues that are within the buildings. It was definitely worth our time and the price of the ticket.
The views you get behind the scenes...
JimR_H, Mar 2018
The views you get behind the scenes of the Joan Sutherland Theatre and the Concert Music Hall are great. You're in the orchestra pit and in the wings they can't get you any closer. Our guide, Kenny, was the BEST. This was one of the things we scheduled that we felt was entirely worth the time and the money. It starts AWFULLY early in the morning when you're on vacation!!, but it's definitely worth it. The included breakfast we expected would be a roll and some coffee. You actually had several choices, including a full eggs, bacon, toast, juice, coffee. And you dine in the green room where the musicians and technicians meet and dine before, during, and after work.
Very good “back stage” tour; get to...
Martin_V, Mar 2018
Very good “back stage” tour; get to see how all behind the scenes work gets done; we had access to all venues (told that was unusual as some can be off limits due to setup/production)... only negative was a so so breakfast in the green room (scrambled eggs were only half cooked); learned a lot.
Very interesting and up close. Just...
Thomas_W, Feb 2018
Very interesting and up close. Just a tip, nothing to do with the tour....we wish we had seen a show at the Opera House...on the tour, our guide said tickets are usually available.
...

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