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Nor are we and yes you should. They’re often really boring, aren’t they? But if you found us then you probably know what you’re looking for. We’re not professional guides by any stretch. We haven’t learnt a script. We’re design professionals; architects who spend their days designing bits and pieces of the city and we guide because we’re passionate about architecture and design. Guiding is also our chance to moonlight a little and share things we love with the design-curious public.
SAW tours are carefully crafted urban narratives hidden beneath a guise of informality. They’re not touristic or aimed at a mid-market, lazy audience that wants to be hand fed a bunch of amazing facts. We explore ideas through architecture and try to get to the bottom of what makes our dreamy, grimy emerald city tick. They are both a celebration and a critique, celebrating contemporary architecture, art and design while also delving into the murky depths of politics, culture, history, and environment. They’re like a crash course in architecture and urbanism with a sharp focus on what is special and unique about Sydney.
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If you’re 12 or older you’re a General ticket.
If you’re 11 or under we invite you for free if you bring your own adult. -
We are friends and we are architects. We began exploring, celebrating, attacking, sharing, talking, and walking about the city in 2000, because – frankly – someone in Sydney had to. We love cities, what they house and what they reveal but we also want to understand what drives them, what makes them tick. We use architecture to open up other conversations – political, cultural, environmental. So architecture becomes our lens to unpack and re-pack the city. More info on us here.
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Yep. Truly awesome. Promise!
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Yep. Try this one on for size:
– A skeleton walks into a bar and asks for a glass of milk … and a mop! -
As an outdoor event our tours are subject to weather. We have a “rain or shine” policy and try to go ahead with tours wherever possible, and do not cancel for light/intermittent/potential rain. We strongly recommend you dress appropriately and bring wet weather gear if there is any chance of rain.
Tours will be cancelled only if the weather poses a safety threat. We try to cancel as early as possible, however as weather conditions are unpredictable we may have to cancel up to 60 minutes prior to the start time. In the rare event that a tour is cancelled, ticket holders will receive an SMS and an EMAIL and you will receive a full refund.
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Not at all. The conversations are about the city from an architectural point of view. They are not “tours-for-architects”. That kind of conversation is generally pretty dry and full of archi mumbojumbo. Our conversations are full of small, simple words but rich, beautiful ideas. They are full of life. We reckon that city-making is not that complicated and is a conversation ew should all be engaged with. If an idea is any good it should be easy to communicate. No archi-jargon. Promise!
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Yep. If you’re an architect then all our tours earn formal CPD points – 1 point per hour. At check-out you will be asked if you are eligible and we will send you details after the tour if you say “yes”. Please note that we only send you CPD details if you have completed the tour. More info on CPD here.
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We add dates seasonally – usually three months in advance. Tours generally fall on a Saturday morning. We can arrange special Group Tours at any time.
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We sure do.
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Yes. We love school groups, though they’re generally high school kids but we have also taken tours for primary school kids as well. Steiner groups are a particular specialty of ours. Tours range from 90 minutes to multiple-day itineraries though the majority are 2 to 3 hours long. See Group Tours for more information and email us with your request. The more information you can give us the easier it will be to plan something super-special.
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Yes you can. But you will have to pay cash (and bring the right money please). And we can’t guarantee that there will be spaces or that the tour will run if you haven’t booked. Safer to call, text or email first. Or do it the old fashioned way and book online.
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100%. If you’re not completely satisfied, we’ll do pretty much anything – within the laws of physics – to satisfy you. If all else fails we’re happy to give you a refund.
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We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Stripe, Google Express and hugs. Only kidding. We don’t do Google Express.
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You can change or cancel any order up to 72 hours before the tour online. If you can’t work out how to do it then tell us what you have in mind. Email is preferred.
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Give us a call or send a txt to 0403 888 390. If the tour has already started then we won’t answer the phone. Most tours begin with a 10-20 minute introduction at the meeting point so if you’re fashionably late you will see us.
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We offer Gift Cards that can be redeemed on any of our tours. If you’re having any issues with purchasing or redeeming Gift Cards please email us and let us know what the problem is. Keep in mind that Gift Cards have been setup within the constraints of our booking platform so they are, we admit, a little clunky (sorry).
