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Port Arthur Cruises & boat tours

Our most recommended Port Arthur Cruises & boat tours

From Port Arthur: Tasman Island Wilderness Cruise

1. From Port Arthur: Tasman Island Wilderness Cruise

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.

Port Arthur Historic Site Entry Ticket

2. Port Arthur Historic Site Entry Ticket

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.

Tasman Peninsula Tour, Cruise & Port Arthur Historic Site

3. Tasman Peninsula Tour, Cruise & Port Arthur Historic Site

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.

Tasman Peninsula Day Trip with Cruise & Devils from Hobart

4. Tasman Peninsula Day Trip with Cruise & Devils from Hobart

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.

Port Arthur Tour & Cruise Day Trip from Hobart

5. Port Arthur Tour & Cruise Day Trip from Hobart

Depart Hobart on a full-day tour exploring Tasmania’s ruthless convict past and experience the rugged landscapes of the Tasman Peninsula. Start with a visit to the well-preserved colonial village of Richmond. Admire sights like Australia's oldest bridge that is still in use. Head south to the Tasman Peninsula and enter the Tasman National Park for some amazing views of the coastline and sea. Upon arrival at the Port Arthur Historic Site, learn the story of the convict settlement. Listen to stories about the chilling realities of life as a prisoner amid the preserved jail ruins on a guided tour. Hear more about the penal colony's terrible past. Take a cruise of the harbor to see the site from a different perspective, and get a look at the Isle of the Dead where those who died at the prison were laid to rest in mass graves. Return to Hobart and benefit from the opportunity to stop by the remarkable geological formations of the Tasman Arch, Devil's Kitchen and Blow Hole. Get dropped off in Hobart in the early evening.

Port Arthur: Tour with Isle of the Dead Cruise

6. Port Arthur: Tour with Isle of the Dead Cruise

Cross the Tasman Bridge, and head out on the Tasman Highway over the Pittwater Causeway onto Forestier Peninsula. Admire the pristine beauty of Pirates Bay, Eaglehawk Neck, and Norfolk Bay. Visit Abel Tasman National Park, where you’ll marvel at the spectacle of the Tasman Arch and enjoy superb views of the rugged coastline. You’ll be amazed at the magnitude of the Devil's Kitchen. Explore Port Arthur, where you’ll take a guided walking tour of the historic convict site, with access to over 30 restored buildings and ruins. See the penitentiary, the separate prison, the commandant's house, and the church.

From Hobart: Richmond, Tasman Peninsula & Port Arthur Tour

7. From Hobart: Richmond, Tasman Peninsula & Port Arthur Tour

Step inside Australia’s most intact and evocative convict site at World Heritage-listed Port Arthur Historic Site. Unravel the dark history of hardship and punishment as you wander through the ruins and preserved buildings of Port Arthur.  Delve into the dark history of hardship and punishment on a guided introductory tour through the ruins and preserved buildings of Port Arthur. Port Arthur Historic Site is a bucket-list destination for most visitors to Tasmania.  Enjoy a short harbor cruise around the Isle of the Dead and Point Puer, the site of the English colonies' first boy's prison. Enjoy a warm drink, a bite to eat, or sample a local wine or beer.  Get the camera ready for the stunning coastline of the Tasman Peninsula. These soaring sea cliffs will leave a lasting impression. Visit all the highlights like Eaglehawk Neck, Blowhole, Tasman Arch, and Devil's Kitchen.  Explore the quaint historic village of Richmond. Walk over and under the oldest convict-constructed sandstone bridge in Australia, visit the oldest Catholic Church in Australia and peruse the antique shops and galleries. 

Other Sightseeing Options in Port Arthur

Want to discover all there is to do in Port Arthur? Click here for a full list.

What people are saying about Port Arthur

Great experience from go to whoah! Our bus driver Allen very accommodating, funny and knowledgable. Cruise staff Lily and Kane were fun and pointed out those ancient weathered and craggy cliffs populated in many places by various species of seals. Large pod of dolphins at start of cruise (paid to appear on cue by Pennicotts)? Port Arthur walkabout interesting but spoiled by rain Overall really great value for mony and would do it all again.

We had a great time. Bill, our driver/guide, was informative and personable. The lunch was unexpectedly excellent ("you get a salad roll") with wonderfully fresh ingredients. Port Arthur holds a thrall, but the tour feels rushed after we'd been exploring on our own. We'd prefer to have a longer tour before our own wandering.

It was interesting to do the guided tour, I don’t think I would have got as much out of the trip if we didn’t do the tour.

Lucky to have good weather and winds. Captain Drew and crew Ari were excellent. Scenery was magnificent.

The trip was wonderful. An incredibly unique view of the Tasman peninsula. The time flew by.