Top things to do in Port Arthur

Things to do in Port Arthur centre on the convict-era ruins of Port Arthur Historic Site, the harbour around the Isle of the Dead and a coastline of sea cliffs, caves and arches on Tasmania's Tasman Peninsula. Most people arrive on a day tour from Hobart, and a few cruises leave from Port Arthur itself, so the first decision is whether you want someone else to drive.

Port Arthur tours from Hobart

The Port Arthur tours page lists every guided day, and the simplest version is the Port Arthur Day Tour with Carnarvon Bay Cruise. It leaves Brooke Street Pier in Hobart at 8.45am and returns at 5pm, or 5.30pm from October to April. The day covers admission, a 40-minute guided tour of the site, a cruise on Carnarvon Bay around the Isle of the Dead, and coach stops that take in Tasman National Park, Devil's Kitchen and Pirates Bay.

To step onto the island itself, the day tour that adds a guided Isle of the Dead tour keeps the same 8.45am start. The Port Arthur Historic Site Full Day Tour from Hobart leans on the peninsula coast, with the Tasman Arch and Devil's Kitchen lookouts, a site talk you can join and a cruise around the Isle of the Dead.

Saturdays work differently. The Port Arthur Day Tour with Salamanca Market and Carnarvon Bay Cruise spends the morning at Salamanca Market in Hobart, then heads down the peninsula for the guided site tour and the cruise, returning at 6pm.

Tasman Peninsula tours with Richmond and Waterfall Bay

The Port Arthur, Richmond and Tasman Peninsula Tour suits anyone who wants the coastline as well as the ruins. It leaves 20 Davey Street in Hobart at 7.30am on weekdays and stops at Pirates Bay Lookout and Eaglehawk Neck. It then walks the 2km Great Short Walk along the Waterfall Bay cliffs, a 45 to 60-minute track, to Tasman Arch and Devil's Kitchen. After a harbour cruise at Port Arthur the day finishes in historic Richmond Village, with groups capped at 20 and a return to Hobart at about 6pm.

The Port Arthur and Lavender Farm Guided Tour from the same operator pairs the site with a lavender farm, for a gentler day out.

Cruises that leave from Port Arthur

Driving yourself opens up the cruises that depart from Port Arthur. The 90-minute Cape Raoul Wilderness Cruise leaves the Port Arthur Historic Site jetty from 10.45am and includes an entry ticket to the site. It passes cliffs, arches and sea caves on the way to Cape Raoul's dolerite columns, and the crew watches for seals, dolphins and seabirds.

The Tasman Island Cruises 3-hour cruise is a popular choice for self-drivers. Check-in is at 9.15am for a 10am departure from the Tasman Island Cruises booking centre on the Arthur Highway in Port Arthur, aboard an open-air boat that carries a maximum of 43 passengers beneath the highest sea cliffs in the southern hemisphere. The skipper picks the direction each day from the wind and sea conditions, and weather gear is supplied.

Port Arthur attractions and sights

The Port Arthur attractions page is the place to look if you would rather build your own day than join a coach tour. It also holds sights in Hobart, such as the Hobart City Highlights Tour with MONA Entry & Ferry, which takes the ferry from Brooke Street Pier along the Derwent River to the Museum of Old and New Art and adds a guided coach tour past Salamanca Place and Battery Point.

Other Tasmanian day trips listed under Port Arthur

Not everything on the page goes to Port Arthur. The Tahune Airwalk and Hastings Caves Guided Tour leaves Hobart at 7.30am on Mondays and Thursdays, walks a 619m cantilever 40 to 50m above the Huon River and takes in the Hastings Caves and the Thermal Springs pool. The Russell Falls and Mt Field National Park Day Tour adds rainforest walks to Russell Falls and Horseshoe Falls and a stop at the Salmon Ponds, and the Mt Wellington Summit Tour is a morning trip that leaves at 9.15am and is back by 11.50am.

Planning a day at Port Arthur

Tours from Hobart that include the Historic Site run as 8 to 9-hour days, and the Richmond and Tasman Peninsula tour stretches to an 11-hour one, so choose by how much of the day you want to spend on the coach. Self-drivers can build a shorter day around a jetty cruise and the site entry that comes with the Cape Raoul trip. Pack layers: the Tasman Island cruise recommends warm windproof clothing, a hat and sun protection.