Tasman Peninsula cruises

Which cruises leave from Port Arthur?

Four: the harbour cruise included with entry, the Isle of the Dead ferry, the 90-minute Cape Raoul cruise and the 3-hour Tasman Island cruise.

What is the Port Arthur harbour cruise?

A 20-minute loop of Mason Cove that comes with every entry ticket, passing the Isle of the Dead and the boys' prison at Point Puer.

You choose a departure time after you buy entry, online or at the counter. The boat is wheelchair accessible. It is optional and skipping it doesn't lower the price, says the official FAQ. It stays inside the sheltered harbour, so seasickness is rarely an issue. It does not land on the Isle of the Dead: that takes the separate guided tour on the MV Marana.

Take the cruise early in your visit. It gives you the layout of the site from the water, and Point Puer only makes sense from here.

What is the Tasman Island cruise like?

Three hours on an open wilderness boat along the cliffs of Cape Pillar to Tasman Island, into sea caves and past seal colonies. Site entry is not included.

The operator runs it daily except Christmas Day. The morning cruise runs all year: check in by 9:15am, out from 10am to about 1pm. From 1 December to 28 April there is also an afternoon cruise, 2pm to about 5pm. Booking direct costs A$190 for adults, A$115 for children aged 3 to 16 and A$590 for a family of two adults and three children. That is about US$132 for an adult, against $136 online, where you get the platform's free cancellation up to 24 hours before. The booking centre is at 6961 Arthur Highway, on the left 100 metres before the site entrance.

Cape Pillar's dolerite columns rise straight out of the sea: the operator bills them as the highest sea cliffs in Australia. On a calm day the boat noses into caves and between rock stacks. On a rough one, it is a ride. Wet weather jackets are provided.

Three hours along the highest sea cliffs on the peninsula, with seals, dolphins and seabirds. No minimum age.

★ 4.9 · 3 hours · from $136

Explore the Tasman Island cruise → Tour details

What is the Cape Raoul cruise?

A 90-minute cruise from the Port Arthur jetty past Point Puer and the Isle of the Dead to the dolerite columns of Cape Raoul. You need site entry as well.

Pennicott runs two departures a day, about 10:45am to 12:15pm and 1:15pm to 2:45pm, per the historic site's cruise page. You check in at the site entrance and walk about 300 metres to the jetty. The online listing is cruise only at $98, and the operator has confirmed in a review reply that site entry is charged separately. Booking direct, the cruise with entry costs A$190 for adults and A$140 for children, which works out at about the same money.

The boat is a catamaran enclosed on three sides, with room for two wheelchairs: the most accessible way onto open water here. Expect albatross, sea eagles and fur seals at the base of the cliffs, and dolphins and whales in season.

Is the full day with the Tasman Island cruise worth it?

If you have no car and want both the cliffs and the ruins, yes. At $246 it costs more than a cruise plus a day trip, but it is the only way to fit both into one day from Hobart.

The Tasman Island cruise and Port Arthur day checks in at 7:15am at the Dock Head Building on Franklin Wharf. A coach takes 1.5 hours to Port Arthur, with morning tea. Then three hours at sea, lunch, and about three hours at the historic site with entry included. Back in Hobart around 6pm. Spray jackets are provided.

With a car, do it yourself for less: the 3-hour cruise at 10am, then the site in the afternoon on a A$55 ticket, which also covers the next day. Without one, it is the only day here that combines the two.

Three hours at sea under Cape Pillar, then about three hours at Port Arthur, with morning tea, lunch and entry included.

★ 4.9 · 10.5 hours · from $246

Explore the Tasman Island cruise day → Tour details

Will you get seasick on a Tasman Peninsula cruise?

On the harbour cruise, almost certainly not. On the Tasman Island cruise it depends on the swell: the boat goes out into open ocean, and the operator offers ginger tablets to everyone.

Tasman Island Cruises hands out natural ginger tablets at boarding and gives sensible advice: sit in the back third of the boat, stay warm but not hot, keep your eyes off the camera screen and the binoculars, and skip orange juice and coffee beforehand. Tell the crew early if you feel bad. Take your usual seasickness tablet before you board if you get queasy on boats.

If the forecast is poor, the operator can move you to another day. Pregnant guests are welcome on most days, but in heavy swell the ride is bumpy; the company suggests calling a day or two ahead. The Cape Raoul cruise is half the time at sea, which helps.

What wildlife will you see on the cruises?

Australian fur seals almost always, plus albatross, sea eagles, gannets and often dolphins. Whales pass from May to December. Nothing is guaranteed.

Seals haul out on the rocks below Cape Pillar and Cape Raoul all year, and the Tasman Island cruise usually spends a while with them. Seabirds follow the boats. Dolphins are a regular bonus. Whales migrate along the coast in the cooler months; Tasmania's marine safety authority sets whale season as May to December. The whale season post has this year's sightings.

Which Tasman Peninsula cruise should you choose?

The Tasman Island cruise for the cliffs, the Cape Raoul cruise if you want a shorter trip from the site itself, and the harbour cruise if your stomach or budget says no.

• The big one: Tasman Island cruise, $136. Three hours, the highest cliffs, the most wildlife.
• Already inside the site: Cape Raoul cruise, $98 plus entry. Ninety minutes, from the jetty, wheelchair accessible.
• No car: the full day from Hobart, $246, with lunch and site entry.
• Short on time or prone to seasickness: the 20-minute harbour cruise that comes with your ticket.

Plan to stay over? The Tasman Island cruise at 10am pairs well with an evening on the Ghost Tour the night before.

Frequently asked questions