Cockatoo Island ghost tour: Costs, times and alternatives
The Cockatoo Island ghost tour in Sydney lasts two hours and costs $47. Expect haunted buildings, ghost stories and tales of gruesome murders on these guided walks.
A Cockatoo Island ghost tour is a fun way of experiencing what is arguably the best island in Sydney Harbour.
This Sydney island is better-known for its waterside bar and camping experiences, but on select Friday and Saturday nights you can explore the darker side.
Cockatoo Island ghost tour experience
The Cockatoo Island ghost tour unashamedly ladles on the ghost story schlock, going into several paranormal experiences that have been reported on the island. With a history as a former convict prison, then a dockyard, Cockatoo Island has had more than a century of ghost sightings. There have also been reports of people feeling ghostly presences, and getting unnatural spine-tingling sensations.
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, there’s an undeniable sense of fun. The guides know their stuff, and the after-dark ghost tour heads into supposedly haunted buildings that are rarely open to the public.
How long is the Cockatoo Island ghost tour?
The Cockatoo Island tours run on some (but not all) Friday and Saturday nights, from 21.00 to 23.00. This guided walk takes around two hours.
To add to the theatre, the guide has a K-II EMF reader and a pendulum to detect any paranormal activity. The commentary goes into gruesome murders, gang violence and failed prison escapes.
Cockatoo Island ghost tour cost
These Cockatoo Island ghost tours cost $47, and booking can be made through the Cockatoo Island website.
If you’d prefer a Cockatoo Island tour that covers the often grisly history, but without the focus on hauntings and paranormal activity, there’s also a Dark Past tour. This runs from 18.30 to 20.00 on selected Saturday evenings.
The best way to get to and from Cockatoo Island is the Cockatoo Island ferry.
13 brilliant experiences in Sydney you should book
- (💲Great value 💲) Tick off several bucket list items on a highlights-packed Blue Mountains day tour.
- Get perfect views of the world’s most beautiful city on a Sydney Harbour helicopter tour.
- Save money with a multi-attraction pass.
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Enjoy the romance of a tall ship cruise on Sydney Harbour.
- Eat all you can at the Skyfeast at the top of Sydney Tower.
- See migrating humpbacks – on a whale-watching cruise.
- (Highly recommended ✅) Go behind the scenes of Australia’s most famous building on an Opera House tour.
- Dine as the city lights up on sunset dinner cruise around the harbour.
- Combine beers and stories on a historic pubs tour through the convict-era Rocks district.
- Stand on your board and catch waves during Bondi Beach surfing lessons.
- Go to wombat and kangaroo-spotting hotspots on a Southern Highlands tour.
- Enjoy Sydney’s wild side on a Manly snorkelling & nature walk.
- (🥇Top choice in Sydney) And, best of all, paddle to hidden beaches on a harbour kayaking adventure.
More Sydney travel
How long does the Wollongong to Sydney train take?
How much does the Rose Bay ferry cost?
Avoid the crowds in Manly at Collins Beach and Little Manly Beach.
Stop at Symbio Wildlife Park on the drive from Sydney to Jervis Bay.