CdS sensitized 1D Zr:Fe₂O₃ nanorod arrays have been synthesized on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) by hydrothermal method. The photoelectrochemical measurement results of CdS/1D Zr:Fe₂O₃ photoelectrode shows the current density of 4.2 mA.cm^-2 at 0 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) which is 2.8 time higher than the bare 1D Zr:Fe₂O₃. The reduced recombination, and the effective transport of photogenerated holes in CdS facilitates the enhancement in photoelectrochemical performance. Furthermore, the photocurrent and stability of the CdS/Zr:Fe₂O₃ nanorods was significantly enhanced by Al₂O₃ layer as compared to bare CdS/Zr:Fe₂O₃ heterojunction due to its ability to act as an effective hole transport as well as passivation layer. The chemical analyses and nanostructural study of the Al₂O₃ coated CdS/1D Zr:Fe₂O₃ photoelectrodes confirms the presence of Al₂O₃ on surface of CdS and 1D Zr:Fe₂O₃ nanorods embedded in the CdS flakes. These remarkable enhancements in light energy harvesting, improvement in charge transport and stability directly suggest the usefulness of photoelectrodes for solar hydrogen generation. KEYWORDS: Zr:Fe₂O₃ nanorod arrays, CdS Sensitizer, Al₂O₃ passivation layer, Hydrogen generation ACKNOWLEDGMENT: This research was supported by the BK21 plus program, the Korean National Research Foundation (Nano-Material Fundamental Technology Development, 2016M3A7B4909370).