Tasman Island Cruises and Port Arthur Historic Site Day Tour from Hobart

Such a stunning day !!!.

This is my second trip with this wonderful company. Everything was so well thought out and I had good communications too. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend both this trip and this company to anyone based on my experiences. Our guides and team were friendly and professional and you felt very safe in their capable hands. Our group was taken good care of through the day and there were appreciated stops for morning tea with a yummy muffin at a gorgeous Tudor style hotel before transferring for our sea trip. You are given a full length poncho which is so good for protecting you against much of the wind as well as any potential spray (so you do not need to bring with you waterproofs, they are spotlessly clean and cosy too !). Plus they kindly offer ginger tablets just in case you are worried about sea sickness and give you a sip of water too, you really are well cared for !). The sea cruise was so stunning !. The sights of the cliffs and the views including of some perched seals on the rocks are so stunning and they thoughtfully turn the vessel around so you do not need to worry about missing anything or needing to pick a 'good side' ! . Apart from the stunning sights of the coast and coastline we were so lucky to have a pod of curious dolphins jump and swim along side us as well as seals too !!!. I have already returned to work so have not had chance to upload and sort my (MANY) photos but they are so stunning. Post this part of the trip we were transferred and were given our packed lunches which was very substantial plus there was a voucher at the bottom of the bag for an additional hot drink of your choice. It is little details like this which make a difference. Then post eating our lunches at Port Arthurs lovely cafe we had some free time prior to our tour. I had not appreciated that the site was so big !. We had over a hour to wander about post eating including to explore the museum too and then met our guide for a 45 minute tour. The guide was so lovely and knowledgeable and he walked us to and around some of the buildings and gave a really informative talk which I got a lot from. The whole day was very special and memorable and I am so glad I went on this trip, I felt very well taken care of and have so many special memories and photos of this day which will stay with me for life - thank you so much !!!.

Spectacular

Spectacular - we’re lucky to get great conditions - although v cold - should have wore warmer clothing - staff we’re awesome

Fabulous day out

Had a fabulous day out on this tour. The wilderness cruise was so much fun and the scenery spectacular. Experienced the choppiness of the Southern ocean. Port Arthur was very interesting and much larger than expected. Would recommend the general walking tour.

Great Combo of Adventure and History!

Fortunately the seas were relatively calm the day we were on the boat. The rugged coastline and outcroppings were majestic. The sea lions and pod of dolphins kept us entertained. The crew did a marvelous job of seeking out wildlife and showed tremendous skill navigating the turbulent waters of the last part of our cruise. Exhilarating! The serene, solemn contrast at the Port Arthur site brought us back to earth. Great docent BTW! We had plenty of time to relax for lunch and then stroll the grounds of Port Arthur. Lunch was included and was delicious! A special shoutout to Ben (our captain) and Jo (first mate) on our cruise. It was grand!

Ok cruise

The cruise was great, but at port Arthur was a bit too long, and nothing in between, I think if we can hop to the unzoo Tasmania devil, will make it perfect

Great day out.

Very professional team with lots of experience and knowledge. Brilliant scenery. I highly recommend this company.

Not enough time left to spend at port Arthur! Don’t take the cruise!

There was nothing special about this “Wilderness”Tour! One hour would have been enough. It was too long, we were very cold and there was nothing spectacular about this ride. Spent most of the day driving to get there and too much time on the boat so we only had two hours to see port Arthur! Port Arthur is the number one site to see in the area. I feel we wasted our time on this cruise that was recommended. It was sad to see a seal with a hook in its chest! I really hope staff contacts the appropriate authorities to help the seal. If you want to see Port Arthur, don’t bother wasting your time on this cruise! You will need more time at Port Arthur than a lousy two hours!

Awesome!

An absolute must do if you’re visiting Port Arthur! The boat cruise was amazing! We had Ben and Nick on the boat and they were both very knowledgeable and were also funny! Would recommend 100%!!

Beautiful day overall...

Beautiful day overall with spectacular views and wildlife encounters on the cruise, followed by an intriguing walk through history and convict life at Port Arthur.

Excellent

The coastal boat excursion and wildlife were fabulous and Port Arthur came to life with the guide. !!

Tasman Island Adventure: Seals, Seabirds, and Stories

Had an incredible Tasman Island cruise experience, thanks to Phil, our bus driver, who was exceptionally friendly and helpful. The boat trip truly stood out, offering us the joy of watching seals and seabirds up close—undeniably the highlight. The visit to Port Arthur was equally memorable; our guide was incredibly knowledgeable, providing deep insights into the historical significance of the area. Highly recommend this tour for anyone looking for an engaging mix of adventure and history.

You are the best.....

Everyone we interacted with was amazing and so welcoming. Very well organized tours . Thanks heaps would highly recommend.

Cruise around Tasman...

Cruise around Tasman Island was excellent. Added bonus being a clear day, we were able to travel all the way to Port Arthur, seeing seal colonies with lots of pups along the way. Bus Driver and Boat Crew were most helpful and well informed. Highly recommend.

Perfect

Sophisticated driver/guide Tasty muffin (really good Stunning cruise and scenery Worth a try Just go for it

Great day out!

What an awesome trip! The cruise was the best part - where you can see all the cliffs and rock formations and seals! Dress warmly as it was still cold in January. Port Arthur was also a great place to visit. We chose to do our own thing there instead of joining the group tour as we wanted to wander around at our own pace especially with the kids. The lunch provided was generous and delicious! My only let down was that all the single travellers sat alone on the bus leaving a tonne of single sits meaning families and couples had to sit apart. It would have been great if the singles were asked to sit together.

Tasman Island Cruise (wow!) and Port Arthur Historic Site - a real treat!

This tour was fabulous. The island cruise was outstanding. (Plus I got at least four new birds on my life list!) Lunch was lovely. Port Arthur was great too, but not really suitable for physically challenged or disabled people, being a very hilly site. The shuttles were great though, and we got one where the driver took us on a little tour, pointing out places we hadn’t been able to walk to. Thanks very much, and I would recommend your company any time!

A bit boring

Good historical detail of the penal colony. Not very meaningful unless you are interested in Australian history. Over an hour drive from Hobart which provides some good views of part of the island.

A not to miss day trip from Hobart

It was a thrilling experience. The bus driver was friendly and full of anecdotes. The boat crew were knowledgable, entertaining and capable. We were awestruck by the beauty of the sea cliffs, and the seals were very cute. The adventure of bouncing along the waves was exhilarating. The Port Arthur heritage site was fascinating. Definitely worth the money.

Wonderful cruise, amazing wildlife & historic site walk

Wonderful speed boat cruise of the Tasmanian coast and wildlife + very warm day at Port Arthur historic site in the afternoon. Highly recommended.

Top tour - An absolute must

Fantastic tour! Kieran was our coach driver and was very efficient, informative and, given a few passengers were doing different/additional tours, he made sure we knew when we had to get on or off and where to meet. The morning tea and lunch were great and the preparation for these prior to the commencement of the tour enabled a smooth morning tea and lunch break without having to wait around. The cruise with Andrew and Lily was fantastic! Andrew certainly knows how to drive that boat and both knew alot about the area. The information they provided was easy to listen to and very informative. It is clear that they both love what they do. Regardless of where you end up sitting you are encouraged throughout numerous locations to move about to take photographs so there are no hindrances of railings or other passengers getting in to your photos. If a passenger chose not to stand Lily offered to take photos of the sites for them and did so often. We saw a penguin, fur seals, loads of bird life and towards the end were lucky enough to witness a fish feeding frenzy involving Albatross, Seals, dolphins, etc. Was amazing. The ocean was a little choppy in parts and Lily regularly checked on everyone to ensure they were travelling ok. She did this in such a genuine way approaching each row to check with every passenger. I highly recommend this tour and this company! Very well run, friendly and professional with a great deal of care given to their customers.

Great day out

There were 2 main highlights of the day. The first was the cruise. We had rough Tassie weather at it's best, which is perfect for wheelies and donuts on the boat. The Tasmanian coast is spectacular. The second for me was the plaques at Port Arthur with convicts stories, and the memorial for the terrible events there. You could see where people had touched the names on the cross while paying their respects as the gold was starting to wear off. It was very touching.

This was a great trip! A...

This was a great trip! A long day of driving was worth it for the great views on the cruise and knowledgable guides both on the cruise and the port Arthur site.

Just beautiful

It’s so beautiful the cruise , a must when you are visiting Tasmania . After the cruise you can choose to visit either the Port Authur or Tasmania devil , from the same tour company , just make sure about the title when you reserve online

Negatives outweigh the positives

Unfortunately felt very much like a school excursion. Logistics were frustrating, lining up at the start to check in , then again to order your morning tea and lunch ( lunch served in a brown paper bag). Minimal time to explore locations , most of the time is on the bus which was cramped ( 43 passengers). The staff are lovely but I would not recommend this tour if you prefer to spend more time seeing places or don’t like being on a bus for long periods.

Beautiful Wild Tasmania

The coastline is just stunning. Birds and dolphins were amazing and the history of Port Arthur terrific.

Brilliant day out

Boat trip was amazing , the coach driver Phil was just great very knowledgable and such a great help making the day excellent . Would recommend this trip

Tasmania cruise and Port Arthur

Fantastic day out, the scenery on the cruise is spectacular with rugged terrain and coastline. Plenty of wild to see as well. The staff were very knowledgeable and really looked after you. Port Arthur is also not to be missed especially if you like history. An amazing place to visit

Good excursion which could have been managed better

The Tasman cruise was truly amazing and enjoyable. Port Arthur part could have been managed better. The tour started 25 minutes late and that upset the entire programme. The cafe where we were scheduled to have coffee/tea was not informed about the delay and the coffee had become cold when we reached. The delayed cascaded to late start of scheduled lunch and our missing the 2 pm guided tour of Port Arthur. We could get only 3.45 tour and then had to abort the tour half way as the bus was leaving at 4.30 pm. The bus should have waited till we competed the full guided tour.

Great tour

We booked the Tasman Island, cruise and Port Arthur combination. The cruise was the highlights of the trip, and frankly, one of the better excursions on our three week tour of Australia. It was exhilarating. More than likely you will get some spray, but no one became soaked. We went on a day with 20 to 40 knot winds but they were from the east and we could shelter it by staying close to the coast. We are a group of seniors, and we’re quite comfortable. Everybody was given spray jackets which looked more like gowns. But they kept you well protected. The crew was good and made sure everyone was secure and comfortable. The Port Arthur portion was interesting, but aside from the significant history rather boring. Fortunately, we did not spend a lot of time there. Lunch was provided at Port Arthur and during the morning we had tea before starting the boat portion. I highly recommend this tour.

Must visit!!!! So beautiful…..

Must see them!!! Tasman Island cruise has Beautiful and Fabulous views. we are lucky to see seals, dolphins and seagulls. The rocks are amazing, and the ocean water colour is emerald colour. After a nice lunch, visited the Port Arthur Historical. It was an impression experience. The staff were very knowledgeable and had given information clearly about the trip and a great driver. Thank you

Dolphins , albatross and seals

Really good weather. Had wondered if it would cover the same ground as the bruny island tour but totally different. Saw an albatross, dolphins and seals

Fabulous day.

Josh, Tim & Ang were all great. They obviously love their jobs and their enthusiasm showed. The day was very well organised and was most enjoyable. The boat trip was fabulous, but I would bring warmer clothes if doing it again as bags can be stored on the bus during the Port Arthur visit. Port Arthur was great, but you could spend longer there exploring it all!

An adventure I will never forget.

This tour is a must for people visiting Hobart. Emma, Lilly and the driver Phil are all superb at sharing their knowledge and making it fun.

Fabulous fun day trip from Hobart.

Fabulous exploring day trip from Hobart. We are travelling from NZ and wanted a fun & informative tour. Our guides of Phil, Emma & Lily really treated us on with great weather assisting. Top notch day that is busy, great lunch, fun on the sea and historical Port Arthur penal site. Book a guided tour to understand the background is a must and our driver Phil had done that.

Phenomenal Rock Formations along the best coastline in the World.

This trip was absolutely amazing. The fantastic rock formations along the coast were like nothing I have ever seen before. Totally out of this World! I also loved seeing the fur seal colonies and dolphins. The staff were very informative and highly competent. Our boat driver Lily was fantastic.

Good but need better organisation

Great experience but bad organisation. Guides on bus seemed to have no idea of what they were doing. Story telling by the book and with no enthusiasm, confused instructions and overall not very informative knowledge sharing. Beside them the boat guys were great and the ride is worth the money. Port Arthur would need a bit more time and recommend to do the guided tour only if there is still time to explore after (not the other way around as it is just an introduction to the site)

Highly recommend

The 3hr cruise was fantastic. The water was fairly choppy (a few passengers suffered from seasickness) but I felt completely safe with the crew. Damo, was so funny and an asset to the tour!

Could be so much better

Found the whole pick up and transfer exercise rather cumbersome with multiple options for pick up and drop off causing a logistics problem that someone at Tasman Cruises needs to get sorted out. Only one toilet at the first stop to have morning tea just didn’t work. At one point I counted 11 people in the queue, causing delays to the various pick ups and drop offs. The boat ride was good, with an expert helmsman who provided excellent commentary. However rather disappointed with the lack of wildlife other than a few fur seals and access to the rails for anyone not seated at the end of the rows was difficult. The boat was swung through 360 deg a number of times for all to see, but if you weren’t seated at a row end and were a photographer who didn’t want shots of railings and other passengers you were out of luck.. Port Arthur was OK, probably not helped by our Californian guide who just provided the wrong type of info in rather a shouty manner. Go and see the Strahan cruise to Sarah island to see how a prison visit should be commented upon. Food (muffin at morning tea and a nice filled roll and soup for lunch) was good.

Awesome experience

We had an absolutely amazing day. The boat ride was fabulous with very knowledgeable commentary and unique experiences on the day. I highly commend your staff, the boat crew (I am sorry I can’t remember their names) and the bus driver, Daniel, all of whom made the day very memorable with their knowledgeable commentary and entertaining presentation styles. A leopard seal and an elephant seal in one day! Thank you so much. Port Arthur was a different experience again, interesting, and moving with a very knowledgeable guide at the beginning as well as the possibility to stroll around at will. I truly thank you all for making this possible, it was a terrific day.

Boat trip is a must

The Tasman Island boat trip was spectacular and should be done by any visitor to Tassie. (Wouldn’t recommend for people with bad backs or mobility problems). Fantastic boats and crew and unique experience. Efficient pick up, good commentary in the coach and excellent lunch included. The afternoon at Port Arthur was too long for many.

Scenic, exciting and fun cruise ...

The cruise was exceptional, bouncy with excitement .... My 6 year old had lots of fun though she got a tiny bit sea sick part way but she still loved it ... I recently had a hand surgery and was initially worried about the bouncing boat ride but it worked out just fine ... The Cruise part was exceptional ... the Port Arthur tour was fine ,,,, wish the guided tour part took place earlier and could last longer ... the tour guide was great .... the self touring part could have been shorter and be replaced with the site tour guide ...

Great Boat Trip

The boat ride was amazing but unfortunately there was a tragedy on the road that prevented us going to Port Arthur. The guide was very knowledgeable and made sure everyone was well informed.

My son has thoroughly...

My son has thoroughly enjoyed the Tasman cruise. We were lucky to view dolphins . Thanks to the team.

Great experience! Highly recommend!

Highly recommend!!! We really enjoyed it and it became one of the highlight of our Tasmania tour. Here is the schedule which I think might be helpful for others thinking about joining: (1) 7:30am-9am = Bus from Hobart to the cruise company's office near Port Arthur, our driver Nat on the way shared a lot of interesting information about the area. (2) 9am-10am = Morning tea, coffee, muffins, bathroom breaks (3) 10am-1pm = Cruise tour from a pier near Eaglehawk neck down to Tasman island then to Port Arthur. This was definitely the highlight of the trip! We saw a lot of seals, dolphins, cormorant, and albatrosses, in addition to the amazing landscape around the coastline! We loved it so so much. The crews on our boat - Lily and Fletcher were super knowledgable and friendly, and like the other reviews it felt like they really love their jobs! They also shared that the route of the cruise and what animals you can see on the day highly depends on the weather, so keep in mind your experience might not be exactly the same. (4) 1pm-2pm = Lunch at Port Arthur visitor center - yummy simple lunch set of soup, sandwich, and a small sweet (5) 2pm-4pm = Free time to explore Port Arthur - we loved having 2 hours here whereas most other tours typically give you a lot less time. And it was barely enough! Port Arthur is such a well maintained historical site. We wish we had even more time to see everything. (6) 4pm-6pm = Bus ride back to Hobart On the bus there were others who had different schedule for (4) and (5) - some had lunch at lavender farm and some went to the unzoo to see Tasmanian devils.

Amazing full day.

Amazing full day. Beautiful trip on boat with a funny and lovely crew followed by lunch and visit in Porth Arthur.

Tasman Island- Excellent tour, worth to see and must visit.

This is the greatest place to visit. Tasman Island is so beautiful and worth seeing. We saw many seals and dolphins. During the 3 hours journey, we had a great boat ride with Michael and his team. They shared with us lots of information. Awesome!. Alan, the driver cum tour guide, is a friendly person and responsible tour guide. We had a smooth bus ride on this journey. Good work, Alan.

Excellent Tasman Island tour

Excellent tour, we saw some dolphins. Perricott Wilderness is doing a good job for the tour to Tasman Island. Highly recommended.

Excellent dsytrip

Excellent day, well managed and informative Would thoroughly recommend to everyone that wants to see the rugged beauty of Tasmania

Tasman Island cruiser

Beautiful coastal views and got to see an albatross, seals playing and swimming in their natural habitat. We we were lucky to see a pod of dolphins too. The rocks are amazing and Anna and Jordan were very knowledgeable and good drivers. Thank you

Cruises it was ok and suggest but not the same as picture presented on page

lovely tour with friendly guide both road and cruises. the view was great as well on the Cruises. However, didnt saw the view shows on the webpage, so it is ok but not as expected great. may be some part we didnt go to, dont know. BTW, sit by entry side will have much better experience and view compare to inner side.