Port Arthur & Tasman Peninsula: Day Tour with Harbour Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.83 (393 reviews) 89% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/6

Duration8h

GroupUp to 24

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Port Arthur history, chocolate stops and wild Tasman coast in one day

You’ll taste local chocolate, stroll through lavender fields near Port Arthur, stand above wild cliffs at Maingon Bay, and drift across historic waters on a harbour cruise—all in one day trip from Hobart with pickup included. The mix of convict stories and salty air might just stay with you longer than you expect.

Step-by-step itinerary

Port Arthur and Tasman Peninsula tour

Pickup from Hobart locations
Stop at Eaglehawk Neck lookout
Visit Dog Line Monument
Visit Tasmanian Chocolate Foundry
Visit Port Arthur Lavender Farm
Explore Port Arthur Historic Site
Enjoy 20-minute harbour cruise
Option to stay full 4 hours at site
Optional visit to Remarkable Cave
View Maingon Bay and Penguin Rocks
Descend 115 steps to Remarkable Cave
Return to Port Arthur Historic Site
Return to Hobart by 5:30pm

The Experience

Holding a square of dark chocolate from the Tasmanian Chocolate Foundry, I could still smell the sea air from our last stop at Pirates Bay lookout. Our driver—Steve, I think?—had this way of pointing out odd little things you’d miss on your own, like how the Dog Line monument isn’t just a photo op but a weirdly tense bit of history. The bus windows fogged up for a minute as we wound through the peninsula; outside, mist clung to the gums and everything felt sort of suspended.

I didn’t expect to like the Port Arthur Historic Site as much as I did. There’s something about walking those old stone paths with your own audio guide in your ear—stories drifting in and out while you watch magpies pick at the grass. The harbour cruise was included (it’s short but worth it), and there was this moment when the clouds broke over Isle of the Dead and everyone just kind of went quiet. Not sure why that stuck with me. Maybe because it felt honest—no drama, just weather and water and old ghosts.

If you’re restless after three hours (I was), you can hop back on for Remarkable Cave. It’s only eight minutes away but feels like another world—windy, raw cliffs, penguin rocks below. There are 115 steps down to the viewing platform (counted them on the way back up, legs still sore). On the return to Hobart I caught myself replaying bits of Steve’s stories in my head, half-laughing at how badly I pronounced “Maingon.” So yeah, if you want a day trip from Hobart that mixes history with odd little detours—plus chocolate and lavender—you’ll probably find something here that lingers.

What’s included

Your day includes convenient pickup from central Hobart locations, stops at Pirates Bay lookout and Eaglehawk Neck’s Dog Line monument, time to sample treats at the Tasmanian Chocolate Foundry and wander through Port Arthur Lavender Farm, general admission to Port Arthur Historic Site with self-guided audio experience plus a harbour cruise—and an optional side trip to Remarkable Cave before heading back in the evening.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Tassie Tours Tasmania