Sydney has no shortage of ghost tours, from the historic laneways of The Rocks to haunted sites beyond the city. But new ratings data reveals which NSW ghost tours are winning over visitors, and which are falling behind in the national rankings.
Newcastle Ghost Tours has taken the top spot in NSW’s ghost tour rankings, earning a perfect 5.00-star average. Quarantine Ghost Tours in Manly follows with 4.45 stars, while two tours in Sydney’s historic Rocks precinct sit at the bottom of the state’s rankings.
Also, the research compared ghost tours and haunted attractions across Australia, with NSW appearing four times across the national top and bottom 10.
Here are the four highest-to-lowest-rated NSW ghost tours, and how the state compares with the rest of Australia.
Newcastle Ghost Tours has NSW’s highest rating
With a perfect 5.00 stars from 14 Google reviews, Newcastle Ghost Tours leads NSW and ranks among Australia’s highest-rated haunted attractions.
The four highest-rated ghost tours in NSW
- Newcastle Ghost Tours, Newcastle — 5.00 stars from 14 reviews
- Quarantine Ghost Tours, Manly — 4.45 stars from 355 reviews
- Lantern Ghost Tours, The Rocks, Sydney — 4.26 stars from 149 reviews
- The Rocks Ghost Tours, The Rocks, Sydney — 4.13 stars from 210 reviews
The two Rocks operators record the lowest averages among the four NSW attractions, despite the precinct’s rich history and reputation for spooky stories.
However, both still hold ratings above four stars, indicating that their position reflects their place in the national comparison rather than overwhelmingly negative visitor feedback.
How does NSW compare with the rest of Australia?
Newcastle Ghost Tours is the only NSW attraction among Australia’s 10 highest-rated ghost tours and haunted attractions, sharing a perfect 5.00-star average with two Victorian experiences.
Queensland also features prominently, with Door Seven Haunted House in Surfers Paradise recording 4.95 stars from 661 reviews and Ipswich Ghost Tours earning 4.94 stars.
At the other end of the rankings, NSW accounts for three of Australia’s 10 lowest-rated attractions. The Rocks Ghost Tours ranks lowest nationally at 4.13 stars, followed by Lantern Ghost Tours in The Rocks at 4.26 stars. Quarantine Ghost Tours in Manly ranks seventh-lowest, with 4.45 stars.
Victoria also features several times in the bottom 10, including Aradale Ghost Tours in Ararat and Asylum Ghost Tours in Beechworth.
How the rankings were calculated
The analysis used Google Maps data collected on 9th October 2026. Attractions needed at least 10 reviews and at least one new review since the beginning of September 2026 to qualify.
Researchers calculated each attraction’s average using individual one- to five-star review counts, rather than Google’s rounded ratings. They rounded averages to two decimal places and used the unrounded figures to rank attractions with matching displayed scores.
The results offer a glimpse at visitor ratings across Australia’s ghost tours, with Newcastle leading NSW and two of Sydney’s historic ghost tours sitting among the lowest-rated attractions nationally.
