Port Arthur

Culture & history

Embark on a cruise that sails beneath the highest vertical sea cliffs in the Southern Hemisphere at Cape Pillar. Discover waterfalls, rock formations, archways and deep-sea caves. Cruise along the coastline which is part of the Tasman National Park. Discover the home of a diverse range of wildlife including hundreds of seals, migrating whales, and abundant sea birds in their thousands. At any time of year, you're likely to see the feeding frenzy of diving gannets, albatross and sea eagles wheeling on the wind, cliff-nesting cormorants and peregrine falcons, or a pod of playful dolphins surfing the bow wave of the boat. Enjoy a cruise on a vessel that has covered open-air tiered seating for an excellent all-round view and connection with the environment.

Explore the award-winning iconic attraction, the Port Arthur Historic Site. Just a short 1.5 hour drive from nipaluna / Hobart in turrakana / the Tasman Peninsula, the Port Arthur Historic Site has over 30 buildings, ruins and restored period homes set in 40 hectares of landscaped grounds. Allow plenty of time to fully experience all that Port Arthur has to offer. Site entry tickets are valid for daytime entry for two consecutive days and includes a harbor cruise, a self-guided audio experience, and complimentary site talks by expert guides throughout the site. Start your experience in the Port Arthur Gallery where you can select a character card to connect with one of the convicts, soldiers, or free settlers that spent time in this secondary punishment station. Listen to personal histories of the people of Port Arthur and explore the collections of artifacts that have been uncovered there. Stream the Port Arthur Experience as you venture through the convict ruins and lush gardens at your own pace. Wander through meticulously curated house museums and engage with expert guides with free presentations throughout the day. A short harbor cruise will present the site to you as the convicts would have experienced back in the 1800s. Enjoy historical commentary as you cruise around the Isle of the Dead and past the Dockyards and Point Puer the site of the first Boys Prison in the British Empire.

Experience the best of the Tasman Peninsula on an informative and entertaining day trip from Hobart.  Journey 1.5-hours from Hobart to Port Arthur by comfortable coach. Enjoy morning tea on the Tasman Peninsula. Climb aboard a custom-built boat for an unforgettable 3-hour wilderness cruise. Explore the spectacular coastline between Port Arthur and Eaglehawk Neck. Look for seals, migrating whales, seabirds, or even dolphins.  At the end of your cruise, spend 3-hours at the Port Arthur Historic Site. You will have time for lunch on site and to explore before the return journey to Hobart. Be dropped back to Hobart or your hotel around 6 pm.

Take a convenient shuttle transfer service from Port Arthur to Hobart. Travel in comfort on air-conditioned vehicles driven by a friendly local driver. After pickup, set off on the journey to Port Arthur. Along the way, stop at Eaglehawk Neck’s Pirates Bay lookout and the Dog Line monument to soak up the scenery and take fantastic photos. The next stop will have the mouths of sweet tooths watering as you visit the Tasmanian Chocolate Foundry. After the chocolate factory, explore the beautiful Port Arthur Lavender Farm. Discover unique handmade products made from Tasmanian Lavender and take a stroll around the scenic lavender trail. Next, visit the Port Arthur Historic Site (entrance fee not included). Immerse yourself in the fascinating, rich, and dark history of the best-preserved penal settlement in Australia. Admission is at your own cost and the entry fee will include a self-guided audio experience and a 20-minute harbour cruise. If history is what you came for, enjoy the full 4 hours exploring Port Arthur Historic Site. However, if you are up for one more experience, then you can hop back onboard the bus after 3 hours for a trip to the Remarkable Cave. Just a short 8-minute drive away, be greeted with the spectacular vista of Maingon Bay. At the lookout, you can take in the exceptional views of Penguin Rocks and the bay. Descend down the 115 steps to view the Remarkable Cave from a viewing platform where you will be surrounded by ancient sandstone cliffs. Return back to the historic site to pick up the remaining passengers and then return to Hobart in the late afternoon.

Embark on a tour full of contrasts — compelling tales of the harsh lives of convicts combined with the breathtaking scenery of the Tasman Peninsula. Your passionate Tasmanian driver guides will entertain you with personal insights and information about wildlife and other points of interest during the bus tour and are on hand to assist you throughout the day. From Hobart, cross the Tasman Bridge and head into the Coal River Valley, an award-winning wine region, through the historic town of Richmond with a short photo stop at the famous convict-built Richmond Bridge. Visit Tasman National Park, where you’ll marvel at the spectacle of Tasman Arch and enjoy superb views of the rugged coastline. Be in awe of the wonderful views from Pirates Bay Lookout. Arriving at Port Arthur, join one of the complimentary site talks and enjoy access to over 30 restored buildings and ruins. See the penitentiary, the separate prison, the commandant's house, the church, and more. Visit the interpretation center with its interactive exhibits and displays, and follow the harrowing life of a convict. Enjoy a cruise on Carnarvon Bay around the Isle of the Dead. Purchase lunch with plenty of time for quiet contemplation in the beautifully maintained gardens and to explore the many restored historic buildings of Port Arthur. Ask your driver about the optional, included remarkable cave tour. On our return to Hobart, enjoy a brief stop at Tasmanian Chocolate Foundry where you can indulge the senses and browse a selection of hand-made chocolate gifts using the finest Belgian coverture chocolate. On Saturdays, the tour includes a visit to Hobart’s Salamanca Market. Delight in a shopping experience at this popular, colorful outdoor marketplace. You'll have time to explore the market at leisure for approximately 2 hours. Then, you will need to meet your bus at 11:00 to continue on with the Port Arthur tour and get a sense of Australia’s convict era and the early settlement of Tasmania. The Saturday tour does not include the cave tour, visit to Richmond or Chocolate Foundry.

Experience the highlights of the Tasman Peninsula on a day trip from Hobart. Journey 1.5 hours from Hobart to Port Arthur by a comfortable coach. Enjoy morning tea on the Tasman Peninsula. Climb aboard a custom-built boat for an unforgettable 3-hour wilderness cruise. Explore the spectacular coastline between Port Arthur and Eaglehawk Neck, from rugged sea cliffs to waterfalls, rock formations, archways, and deep-sea caves. You might see seals, migrating whales, seabirds, or even a pod of playful dolphins surfing the boat's bow wave.  At the end of your cruise, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before heading to the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park. Spend part of the afternoon at the Park before the returning journey to Hobart for hotel drop-off.

Travel from Hobart to the Tasman Peninsula, where the might of the Southern Ocean has carved spectacular caves and arches into solid rock. Explore the coastline on a scenic tour, discover the fascinating Tasmanian Devil Unzoo, and admire Port Arthur on a boat trip. Begin your journey from Hobart, then spend the morning walking along 300-meter-high clifftops, pausing at majestic lookouts to watch giant waves crash against dolerite spires. Visit Pirates Bay, Waterfall Bay, Tasman Arch, and the famous Devil’s Kitchen, ticking all the best views off the list. Enjoy a trip to the Tasmanian Devil Unzoo to get up close and personal with these iconic critters in a feeding frenzy. Admire the feisty creatures with one of the most powerful bites in the animal kingdom. Seize the chance to feed wallabies by hand, attend a Birds of the Bush presentation, and learn about local wildlife from the Unzoo’s staff, before heading off to explore the Port Arthur Historic Site. Arrive in Port Arthur and gaze at the impeccably preserved ruins offering a chilling glimpse of life as a Tasmanian convict. Spend four hours exploring this World Heritage open-air museum, including a relaxing harbor cruise around the Isle of the Dead and fascinating site talks. Finally, head over to Richmond, a historic village filled with quaint stone buildings, ancient lolly shops, and Australia’s oldest bridge. Discover this sandstone beauty built by convicts and thought to be haunted before driving back to Hobart.

Travel with us from Hobart to the Tasman Peninsula, where the might of the Southern Ocean has carved spectacular caves and arches into solid rock. Meet Tassie’s coastline at its rugged finest. It’ll take your breath away. Spend the morning walking along 300 metre high clifftops, pausing at majestic lookouts to watch giant waves crash against dolerite spires. Visit Pirates Bay, Waterfall Bay, Tasman Arch and the famous Devil’s Kitchen, ticking all the best views off the list. Port Arthur is up next, where impeccably preserved ruins offer a chilling glimpse of life as a Tasmanian convict. Spend four hours exploring this World Heritage open air museum, including a complimentary harbour cruise around the Isle of the Dead and fascinating site talks. Our last stop is the unmissable Richmond, a historic village filled with quaint stone buildings, ye olde lolly shops and Australia’s oldest bridge! This sandstone beauty was built by convicts and is thought to be haunted. You be the judge. This tour returns to Hobart around 6pm.

Day 1: Hobart to Strahan Departing Hobart, your tour of Tasmania/lutruwita begins in Mount Field National Park. Walk among the world’s tallest eucalyptus trees and discover the cascading Russell Falls. The incredible scenery continues at Lake St Clair (Australia’s deepest freshwater lake), and the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. You’ll learn about Tasmania’s mining history in Queenstown before arriving in the village of Strahan where we’ll spend the next two nights. Day 2: Wild West Coast Discover the West Coast’s wild and rugged coastlines and rainforests. Walk to Tasmania’s highest waterfall, Montezuma Falls, within the ancient rainforests of the Tarkine/takayna. At the coast we’ll explore Henty Sand Dunes and Tasmania’s longest stretch of sand at Ocean Beach. Or today you can choose an outstanding nature cruise on the beautiful Gordon River (own cost). Day 3: Cradle Mountain to Launceston Discover Cradle’s alpine and glacial-carved wilderness as you look for wombats, echidna, and other Tasmanian wildlife. Choose from a variety of world-class walks, such as the track to the summit of Marion’s Lookout, or the Dove Lake circuit. Later today we'll drive to the city of Launceston via the colourful town of Sheffield, known as the Town of Murals. Day 4: Launceston to Bicheno Explore Launceston's lovely Cataract Gorge which is a great place for seeing wallaby. Travel to the Bay of Fires/larapuna and learn about the spiritual connection of the land to Tasmanian aboriginal people/palawa. Walk along pristine white sands with its turquoise waters with striking orange boulders. We will spend the night in Bicheno, home of the little penguin. Day 5: Freycinet National Park Walk to Wineglass Bay or climb to the summit of Mt Amos. We'll visit the Cape Tourville lighthouse before returning to Hobart/nipaluna. Day 6: Tasmanian Devils, Richmond and Wellington Park Today we'll meet Tasmanian devils at Bonorong wildlife sanctuary, before exploring the heritage village of Richmond. Back in Hobart we'll show you some of our favourite spots on Mount Wellington/kunanyi. Tonight, unwind in one of Hobart's historic pubs or restaurants. Day 7: Port Arthur and the Tasman Peninsula Discover the rugged coastal scenery and epic convict history of the Tasman Peninsula/turrakana. Visit Port Arthur, Australia’s best preserved convict settlement. Later today we'll walk to the stunning Crescent Bay, before returning to Hobart.

Embark on a tour full of contrasts — compelling tales of the harsh lives of convicts combined with the breathtaking scenery of the Tasman Peninsula. Your passionate Tasmanian driver guides will entertain you with personal insights and information about wildlife and other points of interest during the bus tour and are on hand to assist you throughout the day. From Hobart, cross the Tasman Bridge and head into the Coal River Valley, an award-winning wine region, through the historic town of Richmond with a short photo stop at the famous convict-built Richmond Bridge. Visit Tasman National Park, where you’ll marvel at the spectacle of Tasman Arch and enjoy superb views of the rugged coastline. Be in awe of the wonderful views from Pirates Bay Lookout. Arriving at Port Arthur, join one of the complimentary site talks and enjoy free time to explore many of the restored buildings and ruins. See the penitentiary, the separate prison, the commandant's house, the church, and more. Visit the interpretation center with its interactive exhibits and displays and follow the harrowing life of a convict. Enjoy a cruise around Carnarvon Bay and a 1 hour guided walking tour on the Isle of the Dead Purchase lunch with plenty of time for quiet contemplation in the beautifully maintained gardens and to explore the many restored historic buildings of Port Arthur. Ask your driver about the optional, included Remarkable Cave tour. On our return to Hobart, we enjoy a brief stop at Tasmanian Chocolate Foundry where you can indulge the senses and browse the selection of hand-made chocolate gifts using the finest Belgian coverture chocolate.