Poihākena tours: stories of Māori in Sydney

Explore The Rocks with a Māori Guide on a 2-hour walking tour and hear intriguing stories of Māori in Sydney spanning 230 years.
- Award-winning Poihākena tours take place in The Rocks, Sydney.
- Poihākena is the Māori word for Sydney/Port Jackson.
Poihākena tours are currently closed and will re-open for bookings later this year (2023).
What to expect on Poihākena tours
On this 2 hour guided walk with a Māori Guide you’ll:
- Visit sites in The Rocks where Māori have lived, loved, traded, visited, worked and died since 1793
- See Māori taonga (treasured objects) found on a local archeological site and now exhibited at The Rocks Discovery Museum
- Walk down Māori Lane
- Listen to waiata – Māori song
- Hear surprising stories of Māori in Sydney – visiting Māori chiefs, kidnappings, trade; Wahine Toa – stories of Māori women and much more…






Tour information
- Poihākena tours depart from Campbells Cove, The Rocks
- Group or private tours available anytime on request – minimum 15 people or equivalent price.
- Optional extras – Kapa Haka (performance) and/or Hāngi

“Poihākena Tours give a voice to the stories of our (Māori) ancestors and whānau/family who came here before us. One in five Māori now live in Australia and these stories are a reminder of our strong connection to Australia, and our history and heritage here.” Hōhepa Ruhe, Kotahi Tourism Director
Please contact us if you’d like more information.
Poihākena tours take place on Gadigal Country. Always was, always will be.
Awards for Poihākena tours: stories of Māori in Sydney
- Winner 2021 Best Cultural Tour Experiences – Australia (Leaders in Luxury Awards – Lux Magazine)
- Winner 2018 Award for Excellence – Interpretation Australia.
- Winner 2018 Tour Operator of the Year – Sydney (Luxury Travel Guide Awards).
- Winner 2017 Sustainable Tour Operator of the Year – Sydney, Australia (Luxury Travel Guide Awards)
- Winner 2015 National Trust Heritage Award – Heritage Tours & Multimedia.



