Port Arthur Tours

Port Arthur tours are mostly full-day trips from Hobart to the convict-era Port Arthur Historic Site on Tasmania's Tasman Peninsula, with a handful of other Tasmanian day tours listed alongside. This page sorts them by what the day includes. The wider picture, including cruises that leave from Port Arthur, sits on the things to do in Port Arthur page.

Port Arthur Historic Site tours from Hobart

The day tours built around the Historic Site differ mainly in what surrounds it. The Port Arthur Day Tour with Carnarvon Bay Cruise includes hotel transfers, admission, a 40-minute guided tour, the Carnarvon Bay cruise around the Isle of the Dead, coach commentary and free WiFi on the coach. It leaves Gray Line's Brooke Street Pier terminal in Hobart at 8.45am.

The Isle of the Dead edition of the day tour adds a guided tour of the Isle of the Dead to the harbour cruise, and it sells an infant ticket as well as adult and child. The Port Arthur Historic Site Full Day Tour from Hobart leads with the coast, stopping at Tasman Arch and Devil's Kitchen first, and gives you the chance to join a site talk at the Historic Site.

On Saturdays the Port Arthur Day Tour with Salamanca Market and Carnarvon Bay Cruise takes over. It gives you time to browse Salamanca Market before the drive south, then covers the 40-minute site tour, the Carnarvon Bay cruise and Tasman Arch, and returns at 6pm.

Tasman Peninsula and Richmond tours

For more of the peninsula than the site, the Port Arthur, Richmond and Tasman Peninsula Tour is an 11-hour guided day, with groups capped at 20. It runs Monday to Friday from 20 Davey Street at 7.30am, hears the story of Eaglehawk Neck and The Dogline, walks the Waterfall Bay clifftop track and finishes at Richmond Village after a harbour cruise.

The Port Arthur and Lavender Farm Guided Tour is from the same operator and pairs the site with a lavender farm.

Hobart city tours and Mt Wellington

A few tours here stay in and around Hobart. The Hobart City Highlights Tour with MONA Entry & Ferry runs from 9.30am to 5.30pm: a ferry along the Derwent River to the Museum of Old and New Art, then a coach tour with Salamanca Place, Battery Point and the Rosny Hill Lookout.

The Mt Wellington Summit Tour covers St David's Park, Battery Point, Cascade Brewery and the Organ Pipes rock formation on the way to the summit, leaving at 9.15am and returning at 11.50am.

Waterfalls, rainforest walks and the Huon Valley

The Tahune Airwalk and Hastings Caves Guided Tour is a Monday and Thursday trip from Hobart, with 104 forest steps up to a 619m cantilever above the Huon River, 2,500-year-old Huon pines and a guided cave tour. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the Russell Falls and Mt Field National Park Day Tour includes morning tea of pancakes, a feed-the-trout stop at the Salmon Ponds and guided rainforest walks.

Freycinet and Cradle Mountain day trips

Longer guided days head away from the south-east, including the Wineglass Bay and Freycinet National Park Tour and the Cradle Mountain National Park Guided Tour. Each runs as a long day out.

How to choose a Port Arthur tour

Start with the day of the week, because the Carnarvon Bay day tour and its Isle of the Dead edition run every day except Saturday, and the Salamanca Market version takes Saturdays. Then decide how much coastline you want: the cruise-inclusive day tours are 8 to 9-hour days, and the Richmond tour is an 11-hour one with a clifftop walk.

Pickup matters too. Gray Line tours meet at Brooke Street Pier, Tours Tasmania departures meet at 20 Davey Street, with hotel pickup from selected locations.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to tour Port Arthur?

A Port Arthur tour from Hobart is an 8 to 11-hour day return. The Port Arthur Day Tour with Carnarvon Bay Cruise is a 9-hour day, the Port Arthur Historic Site Full Day Tour is an 8.2-hour day and the Port Arthur, Richmond and Tasman Peninsula Tour is an 11-hour day. The cruise-inclusive day tours include a 40-minute guided tour of the site itself.

Which Port Arthur tour includes the Isle of the Dead?

The Port Arthur Day Tour with Carnarvon Bay Cruise cruises around the Isle of the Dead, and the Isle of the Dead edition of that day tour adds a guided walking tour of the island. The Port Arthur Historic Site Full Day Tour from Hobart also includes a cruise around the Isle of the Dead.

Do Port Arthur tours from Hobart include entry to the Historic Site?

Yes. The Port Arthur Day Tour with Carnarvon Bay Cruise, the Isle of the Dead edition, the Salamanca Market day tour and the Port Arthur Historic Site Full Day Tour all list admission or entry to Port Arthur, and the Port Arthur, Richmond and Tasman Peninsula Tour includes the Historic Site entrance fee.

Is there a Port Arthur tour on Saturdays?

Yes. The Port Arthur Day Tour with Salamanca Market and Carnarvon Bay Cruise departs Hobart on Saturdays at 8.45am and returns at 6pm. The Port Arthur Day Tour with Carnarvon Bay Cruise and its Isle of the Dead edition run every day except Saturday.

Can you take a Port Arthur tour from Hobart without a car?

Yes. Port Arthur tours from Hobart include coach transport, with meeting points at Brooke Street Pier or 20 Davey Street and hotel pickup from selected locations on some departures. The Richmond and Tasman Peninsula tour offers hotel pickup from selected locations, confirmed with the operator after booking.

What should you bring on a Port Arthur tour?

Bring layers, sturdy closed shoes, a waterproof jacket and a refillable water bottle. The Port Arthur, Richmond and Tasman Peninsula Tour recommends a day backpack and snacks as well, and the walking tours suggest a few layers even on a sunny summer day.

Choose the Historic Site day that matches your travel date, then add the Tasman Peninsula coast if you have a day to spare. For cruises from the jetty and the rest of the area, head back to the Port Arthur region page.