Do you enjoy historical tours? This full day tour from Hobart has been designed to allow as much time as possible to explore Port Arthur. Formerly a convict site, Port Arthur is bursting with history and today boasts a landscape of natural beauty, scenic ruins and restored buildings. Make the most out of your day and join the informative fully guided historical walking tour then jump on board the relaxing cruise to the Isle of the Dead!
Port Arthur Historic Site is a compelling and dramatic reminder of our convict past and the early settlement of the Colony of Van Dieman's Land, now Tasmania. Interpretive and interactive presentations being the reality the harrowing life of convicts 200 years ago. Please note, this tour offers the opportunity for maximum time at Port Arthur Historic Site.
Highlights:
Cross the Tasman Bridge
Head out on the Tasman Highway over the Pitwater Causeway onto Forestier Peninsular
Eaglehawk Neck
Skirt Norfolk Bay on the Tasman Peninsula
Take a guided walking tour of the historic convict site - Port Arthur, with access to over 30 restored buildings and ruins
See the Penitentiary - a one time granary and flour mill, the separate prison, the Commandant's House, the church and much more...
Take a cruise on Carnarvon Bay and circumnavigate the Isle of the Dead
Visit Highlights of the Tasman National Park
Wonder at the spectacle of the Tasman Arch
Superb views of the rugged coastline
Be amazed at the magnitude of the Devils Kitchen
Lunch (not included) is available at Port Cafe at the entrance to the Port Arthur Visitor Center. There is also a sit down restaurant called Felons. Both have a large selection of sandwiches, hot food and drinks.
Click on "View Additional Info" for the hotel pickup list
Lovely day with ample time to walk around Port Arthur at your own pace after a short walking tour with a guide. Driver picked us up from our hotel on time and provided us with a very informative trip to and from Port Arthur.
Review by: Corey B, April 2018
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Mark W, March 2018
Awesome Trip.Excellent Service Provided by Tour Guide
Review by: Eileen G, March 2018
Beautiful scenic location full of history. The stories of the convict settlement and the quaint cottages that remain make this a truly magical place.
Review by: Colin Y, March 2018
I had enjoyable few days in Hobart. after checking out the great Salamanca Markets, it is a good place to have a feed and visit the fruit market.
Review by: Jacque w, February 2018
Our bus driver, Greg, didn't put out more than an average effort. It would have been more fun with a little more energy from the beginning. The site itself, and the guides on site, were great. Very knowledgeable....We added a little harbor cruise at the end, but that wasn't really anything spectacular, unless you were getting off for one of the island tours.
Review by: Stella B, January 2018
Was far better than I thought will not disappoint... very interesting, good service, informative guide.. just good.. pity is was windy, but _br/_ Still a fantastic day.. :
Review by: Ingrid A, January 2018
Fantastic day visiting this former convict prison. The site is amazing and included in your ticket is a 30 minute guided tour and a boat trip around the bay. You have plenty of time to look around the site at your own pace which makes it all the more enjoyable. I would recommend this trip if you are interested in history.
Review by: Andrew N, December 2017
I booked the tour for the 3rd December. Unfortunately it was a day of torrential rain and strong winds._br/_ Our driver was great and tried very hard to make the experience as enjoyable as possible given the circumstances._br/_ Great place to visit and I enjoyed taking in the scenery without driving.
Review by: Bill R, December 2017
A place of Australian history worth exploring. Great commentary.
Review by: Elizabeth H C, December 2017
Greg was a great tour guide and made the journey enjoyable with his commentary, despite the horrendous weather that day!
Review by: Geraldine R, November 2017
A very interesting and confronting day. Our Port Arthur guide Helen was very informative and interesting. It was also good to be able to have plenty of time to wander around and look at buildings and sites of interest. Great to have the boat trip as part of the tour too. Also having historic Richmond included was wonderful, even though we had stayed there one night when we first arrived in Tassie.
Review by: Anthony S, November 2017
What an amazing place and history to it. We had almost 5.5 hours at Port Arthur which allowed plenty of time to explore on your own. 40 minute guided walking tour and 3/4 hour boat cruise are included in the price. Great value and a good day trip even if it did rain for a fair portion of the day
Review by: Amanda P, October 2017
Port Arthur is a big place and really does need more time to explore it properly. The little bit of a guided tour you get at the beginning just give you a taste of what happened to the convicts here. I would forego the cruise so you could have more time to wander in and around all the buildings and grounds. There are little carts to help those with limited mobility get around but waiting for them does eat into your tour time.
Review by: Susan M, October 2017
Pick up from Hotel went smoothly, nice compact tour as there was only 6 of us in coach. Wonderful tour guide Nigel, who had a terrific sense of humour and very accommodating as one of us had a collapsible mobility scooter. All in all, a wonderful day with a wonderful guide.
Review by: allandorrington, August 2017
My wife and I went on this trip to Port Arthur from Hobart in March. The bus driver was most informative and kept up a lively description as we travelled both there and back._br/_ The Port Arthur site is amazing and well worth the visit. Unfortunately, on the day we did our tour the weather was atrocious the rain was heavy and wthe wind was very strong. We did the boat tour just so we could get under a bit of cover._br/_ So, we are determined to return to Hobart and redo the tour to Port Arthur so we can take in the site much more comfortably!
Review by: Victoria M, July 2017
An easy pick up from our hotel started off the day for our trip to Port Arthur. Our Gray-Line driver was very friendly and knowledgable and chatted away to us all the way to Port Arthur._br/_ Once their we were left to our own devices to explore, but did join a free walking tour, where the guide told us a bit more about the history of the penitentiary etc._br/_ Included was a boat trip around the Port so you could see more of the area._br/_ We visited on a beautiful clear day and it eashard to think about the terrible things that must have taken place there as it is suce a beautiful place.
Review by: brutus, July 2017
We enjoyed this tour and we had plenty of time to look around Port Arthur. The driver we had was friendly and knowledgeable.
Review by: Susan T, June 2017
Definitely recommend this tour. Port Arthur is definitely worth a visit.
Review by: Michaela S, June 2017
It was a great experience. lovely countryside. The boat trip was also wonderful. It was all about the history of the site.
Review by: Henry K, May 2017
Sue has done a great job to show us around surrounding area of Port Arthur. The Tasman Arch and Devil's Kitchen are natural beauty._br/_ The walking guided tour inside Port Arthur was good, about 35 minutes, just about right particularly for people who cannot walk long distance.
Review by: Diane E, March 2017
We really enjoyed this tour. The weather was fantastic, the bus driver was an encyclopaedia of interesting information, the guided tour was neither too long nor too short and the boat trip around the harbour afforded beautiful views of the area. We also appreciated the fact that we had plenty of time to wander around on our own and experience both the buildings and the gardens. All those men who passed through Port Arthur, leaving their tragic stories behind them, are an important and an unforgettable part of the overall experience.
Review by: Oli, March 2017
Our bus driver Nigel was very informative and entertaining. He had many stories about the history of Hobart and many funny little jokes. He informed you always of what was to happen and the best places to eat at port arthur. And at the end he asked whether people wanted to be reurned to their hotels or dropped off at the docks to explore more. He suggested getting fish and chips at Flippers and strolling around the docks. We did just that and it really completed a great weekend. We enjoyed this trip very much. Pleasant paced and adequate time at Port Arthur to explore site.
Review by: Bevis S, February 2017
If you are interested in Australian history then this is the tour for you. The site is well explained with explanatory signs, multimedia displays and a well informed walking commentary tour. There is plenty of time to see everything, have a nice lunch and take the short cruise before boarding the bus to take you home.
Review by: Ada P, February 2017
The guide was a very experienced man and all the details he provided during the tour were great. Also, we were on time with everything, which showed a great planning. I would have liked more stops on the way to Port Arthur I am a foodist, I would have loved to buy cherries on the way, or chocolate :, but other than this no comment at all. Excellent tour!
Review by: Felix L, January 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed the trip. The bus was very comfortable, and the guide's commentary was just right - enough, but not too much. The time available at Port Arthur was more than adequate, and I felt fully satisfied that I had explored the place. It is, of course, very beautiful now - which it wasn't back then, when the penal colony was in operation. Taking the tour, rather than renting a car in Hobart, took all the tension out of the trip.
Review by: Leanne F, January 2017
What a place! Recommend Port Arther to everyone. The history to this place is amazing.The guides gave a great talk while walking the grounds which were beautiful.Feel the goosebumps of the stories they tell.Ferry trip around parts of the islands were great.giving information all the time.Spend a day here it is so well worth it.
Review by: Syo, January 2017
My friend and I were happy that we got to visit this place and learn its history. Did not have a very good experience with the tour guide, unfortunately, but the place was worth visiting!
Review by: Ian B, January 2017
Port Douglas itself holds the mystic feeling of haunted souls subjected to the conditions of the day. the tour to and fro left a lot to be desired, or could it be I'm asking to much.
Review by: Liz A, January 2017
Great I would have loved to have time on the Island also. A lot to see could have spent more time at the site. The tour guide was very informative and very knowledgeable. Port Arthur is an amazing site and so much to see. Well worth doing and a must to see. Liz A
Review by: Christiana G, January 2017
Nice day out to Port Arthur, with one stop each way to take in the views. Really, if you have a car you could make this trip yourself. But as a solo traveller, this was perfect for me.
Review by: Christine S, November 2016
This was excellent, plenty of time to explore Port Arthur
Review by: Marilyn E, November 2016
Port Arthur was wonderful, the new visitor centre great, bus was comfortable, the driver was good but could have been a bit more friendly but understand as they do it all the time, my ten year old grandson learnt so much, we had a wonderful time and did so much in 3 days.
Review by: Kate R, October 2016
A great day stopping at a couple of gorgeous viewing spots to and from Port Arthur. It was great having the free time to see everything there. The boat ride around the bay was wonderful and a great reprieve from the cold wind.
Review by: Nicole K, October 2016
Port Arthur was really interesting. Would have been good to know that there were other onsite tours you needed to sign up for that were extra beforehand -- as the trip didn't include much of a tour once you got there -- you are basically on your own to explore besides a short intro tour of the grounds and a quick boat trip. Our driver was very nice though and gave us some good information as we drvove up about the area, etc.
Review by: Judith L O, October 2016
This was a great tour. Port Arthur is a very beautiful and interesting area. Our guide/bus driver was was very informative and funny. Along the way we stopped to take photos of breath taking areas. There is a short boat ride around the prison area but I didn't feel that was worth the time it took away from seeing more of the prison area.
Review by: Carolyn A, September 2016
Port Arthur is incredible! The tour was very well organized with the perfect amount of time for activities. The price is amazing. 10/10 would recommend
Review by: garygarywongwong, July 2016
It was okay but pretty much a transport tour that brings you to-and-fro Port Arthur. When we reached Port Arthur, it was the guide from Port Arthur that gave a good detailed explanation of the place.
Review by: Young B, July 2016
The Unesco historic site is worth visiting to understand the history of Hobart even tho there is identical local one at only $110. They have successfully maintained the site of the prison with many exact stories of each prisoner as well as the gravestones, etc. They have the world best tour guides.
Review by: mcallary, June 2016
Great tour guide - very informative. Enjoyed our time exploring the site. Hotel pickup and drop off was great. Would recommend this tour!
Review by: ANYA C, June 2016
Excellent from start to end , even with an elderly mother in tow . Nothing was too much trouble for anyone
Review by: Joseph M, June 2016
Takes about an hour and a half to drive to the port narrated tour. There's a small museum and cafe at the entrance to the site and the arrival is timed to match up with a free walking tour and with a 30 minute afternoon harbour cruise the boat doesn't get more than a kilometre from the port and mainly circles the islands that were used by the jail. The site sprawls a bit but is easily accessible by foot within the free time available. Be warned, most people would consider this an old person's day trip and people looking for something more than a walk around ruins are going to be disappointed. There were quick stops as some beauty points cliffs near the site on the way back to Hobart, but the trip back isn't narrated. Interesting if you want to see some of Tasmania's scenery and have a relaxing day, but it's unlikely to prove an exciting trip that you remember for a lifetime.
Review by: Karen K, May 2016
We enjoyed this day, particularly the peacefulness of the area.
Review by: Mrs Coral A H, April 2016
I am sure I have already rated this trio! However to repeat, it was excellent. A great day tour of Port Arthur, the isle of the dead and the Tasman Gorge. Very good driver full of both information and jokes. A great day out.
Review by: Philip M, March 2016
Very good driver/guide and very interesting place. Definitely a MUST for all Hobart visitors.
Review by: Luca V, March 2016
Lovely place!
Review by: Alan J, January 2016
Friendly and knowledgeable driver. We stopped en route to view features of the Tasman Sea Coast - a bonus.
Review by: Sally F I, January 2016
This was an excellent day. The driver, John, was articulate and informed, punctual and charming. The site has been beautifully maintained and is very well present. The highlight of our stay in the Hobart area.
Review by: Robyn M, December 2015
Very enjoyable and interesting. Driver also informed us of different things to and from Port Arthur which you don't get to know if you do it by yourself.
Review by: Rein B, November 2015
Port Arthur was bigger and better than we expected. John, our bus driver, was one of the best tour guides we've had.
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