Bendigo After Dark Ghost Tour: 90-min lantern walk

Walk Bendigo's haunted streets by lantern light and hear the stories archived records tell.

A 90-minute night walk through Bendigo's gold-rush history, led by a guide who reveals tragic fires, mysterious deaths and restless spirits tied to real events. You'll step inside the Shamrock Hotel and Black Swan Hotel, stand near the old Sandhurst Gaol, visit the site of the town's first hidden cemetery, and finish with a complimentary local beer, wine or soft drink at the Black Swan's dark cellar.

Step-by-step itinerary

Bendigo ghost tour and historic sites

• Visit Shamrock Hotel and hear stories
• Explore original gold-rush camp site
• Stand by old Sandhurst Gaol
• Wander old China Town district
• Visit Henry Bachaus's resting place
• Enter Black Swan Hotel cellar
• Enjoy complimentary drink and share stories

The experience

The tour starts at 8pm from the Bendigo Visitor Centre and follows a relaxed 2km walk through the city's historic streets. A live guide carries a lantern and draws from newspapers, coronial inquests and archived records to ground every story in real Bendigo history, not invention. You'll hear of William Harrison, an infamous Sandhurst Gaol resident; Yuck Yung, a Chinese miner trapped in a foreign country; and Henry Bachaus, the property tycoon whose final resting place you'll visit. The walk moves at an easy pace, so the focus stays on the tales and the places they happened.

Inside the Shamrock Hotel, the guide describes its permanent residents: the spirits said to linger there. You'll explore the site of the original gold-rush camp, once marked by lawlessness and murder, and hear about the old state school and police barracks that stood nearby. The Black Swan Hotel's dark cellar is where you'll learn about a murderous publican who once ran the place. At the site of the town's first cemetery, over 200 souls remain buried beneath a dark alley, their names lost to time. Standing near the walls of Sandhurst Gaol, you'll hear the stories most visitors never encounter.

The tour wraps up in the Black Swan's cellar with a complimentary local beer, wine or soft drink, giving you time to debrief the evening and share your own ghostly stories. Service animals are welcome, and public transport options are nearby if you need them after.

What’s included

• 90-minute guided walk by lantern light through Bendigo's historic streets.
• entry to the Shamrock Hotel and Black Swan Hotel.
• a complimentary local beer, wine or soft drink at the Black Swan Hotel cellar.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 11 Jun 2027

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (16 and older) · Under 16: can't be booked

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Bendigo Guided Tours

Is this one for you?At 90 minutes, the tour leaves room for dinner before or after without eating the whole evening, and the 8pm start means you can spend the day exploring Bendigo's gold-rush sites and museums on your own pace.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What's inside the Shamrock Hotel that makes it haunted?

The Shamrock Hotel has permanent residents: spirits said to linger there after dark. The guide shares the stories tied to the building and its history.

Does the tour go inside the old Sandhurst Gaol?

You stand near the walls of the old Sandhurst Gaol and hear the story of William Harrison, one of its most infamous residents, but the tour does not enter the building itself.

What's the walk like physically?

It's a relaxed 2km walk over 90 minutes, so the pace is easy and the focus stays on the stories and the places. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels.

Is there an age limit for this tour?

The minimum age is 16. The tour contains stories of tragic deaths and mysterious events, so it's pitched at older teens and adults.

What happens at the end of the tour?

The tour concludes in the dark cellar of the Black Swan Hotel, where you'll enjoy a complimentary local beer, wine or soft drink and have time to share your own ghostly stories with the group.