How long do you need at Port Arthur?
Half a dayWhich is why every trip pairs it with something else.
About half a day inside the site itself — three to four hours. That covers the ruins, the guided walking tour and the harbour cruise, which are all in the ticket. It is why nothing runs as a Port Arthur-only day trip: every trip from Hobart pairs it with something else, because the drive down the Tasman Peninsula takes about ninety minutes each way and you would otherwise be back by lunchtime. From $165, with Hobart accommodation transfers included.
Checked on 6 October 2026.
Port Arthur is a convict settlement turned open-air museum on the Tasman Peninsula, about ninety minutes south-east of Hobart. The site itself is a half day, and that shapes every trip that goes there.
What the time inside covers
- The ruinsthe penitentiary, the church, the separate prison and the hospital, spread across a large waterside site.
- A guided walking tourincluded in the entry.
- A harbour cruisepast the Isle of the Dead, also included.
- The museum and the convict recordyou are given on arrival, which ties your visit to one individual transported there.
- Three to four hourscovers all of it at a reasonable pace. A full day only if you want to walk every building.
What each trip pairs it with
| Trip | Paired with | Effort | Group | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Day Port Arthur & Lavender Farm | — | — | Small group, up to 20 | $165 |
| 1 Day Port Arthur Tour | — | — | Small group, max 20 | $169 |
| 1 Day Port Arthur & Tasmania Devil | — | — | Small group, up to 20 | $189 |
All three include Hobart accommodation transfers and stop at Richmond, with its convict-built bridge, on the way. Groups cap at 20.
Which pairing to take
- Port Arthur and the Tasmanian devils, $189the Unzoo on the peninsula. This is the one to take with children, and devils are genuinely hard to see otherwise.
- Port Arthur and the lavender farm, $165the cheapest, and the gentlest. Effort 2 out of 5.
- Port Arthur and Richmond, $169the classic, taking in the Tasman Arch and the Devils Kitchen on the coast.
- All three include the Pirates Bay lookoutwhich is the view over the peninsula people remember as much as the site.
A few practical things
- No meals are includedon any of them. There is time for coffee at Richmond and a cafe at the lavender farm, both at your own cost.
- The site is large and outdoors.Comfortable shoes matter more than anything else you bring.
- It is a memorial as well as a ruin.The 1996 memorial garden is part of the site and is signed as a place of quiet.
- Entry is includedon these trips, so the ticket price is not an extra.
Over more than a day
The 3 Day Coast to Mountain covers Port Arthur alongside the Tasman Peninsula and runs between Hobart and Launceston, with national park and wildlife park fees included. The longer Tasmania loops take it in without it being a day of its own.
3 Day Coast to Mountainfrom $5393 days, 2 nights3 days — Hobart to Launceston via Port ArthurView trip
3 Day Best of Tasmania Tourfrom $4493 days, 2 nights3 days — the south, including Bruny IslandView trip
5 Day Tasmania Tourfrom $9395 days, 4 nightsMotel / Cabin5 days — the full Tasmania loopView tripPort Arthur or Bruny Island?
The two best days out of Hobart, and they are nothing alike. Port Arthur for the history and the peninsula coast; Bruny for the food and the gentlest day on the water. There is a fuller answer on our Bruny Island day trip page.
Where this comes from. What each trip includes, effort ratings, group sizes, pick-up arrangements and prices are that trip's own details as held on its page here, and prices update on their own. What the Port Arthur entry covers is the site's published inclusion.