Port Arthur & the Tasman Peninsula
Ninety minutes from Hobart, the Tasman Peninsula pairs Australia's most significant convict site with some of its most dramatic coast. The World Heritage-listed Port Arthur Historic Site tells a sombre, fascinating chapter of the nation's story, while towering sea cliffs, arches and walks surround it. Here's how to experience it.
Australia's best-preserved penal settlement
The Port Arthur Historic Site — part of the UNESCO Australian Convict Sites — spreads its ruins and restored buildings across a hauntingly beautiful harbour. Your ticket includes a guided walking tour and a harbour cruise past the Isle of the Dead, and you can explore the Penitentiary, the Separate Prison, the church and the gardens at your own pace. Atmospheric evening ghost tours add another dimension. It's a place of history and reflection — allow most of a day. See our Port Arthur travel guide.
Sea cliffs, arches & the Three Capes
The peninsula's coast is a wonder of its own. En route you'll pass the geometric Tessellated Pavement at Eaglehawk Neck, and nearby the Tasman Arch, Devil's Kitchen and Remarkable Cave — all carved by the Southern Ocean. Walkers tackle the celebrated multi-day Three Capes Track or shorter cliff-top trails beneath some of the highest sea cliffs in the southern hemisphere, and wildlife cruises head out to seals, dolphins and seabirds. Raw, elemental and spectacular.
Day trip or overnight
Port Arthur is an easy day trip from Hobart (about 90 minutes each way), and a day covers the historic site, tour and cruise. To add the coastal sights, a peninsula walk, a wildlife cruise or the evening ghost tour, stay overnight nearby. Book site tickets and ghost tours ahead in peak season, and allow time for the scenic drive out. See our getting around guide.
Port Arthur & the Tasman Peninsula: your questions
The Port Arthur Historic Site is Australia's best-preserved convict settlement and part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Australian Convict Sites. Set on a beautiful, sombre harbour on the Tasman Peninsula, its 30-plus buildings and ruins — the Penitentiary, Separate Prison, church and Commandant's house — tell the story of the 19th-century penal system. Entry includes a guided walking tour and a harbour cruise past the Isle of the Dead. Allow most of a day. See our Port Arthur travel guide.
Port Arthur is about a 90-minute drive (95 km) south-east of Hobart, on the Tasman Peninsula. It makes a very popular day trip from the city, though there's enough on the peninsula — the historic site, the coast and the walks — to justify an overnight. The scenic drive out passes the Tessellated Pavement and Eaglehawk Neck. See our getting around guide.
For many visitors, yes — the after-dark lantern-lit ghost tours are a long-running, atmospheric way to experience the site's history and eerie ruins, with guides recounting documented stories. They're popular and run most evenings; book ahead. The site is also a place of more recent tragedy and reflection, and is treated with care and respect. Whether by day or night, Port Arthur is a moving, memorable experience.
Beyond Port Arthur, the Tasman Peninsula has spectacular coastal scenery — the Tessellated Pavement, Tasman Arch, the Devil's Kitchen and Remarkable Cave, all dramatic sea-sculpted rock. Walkers tackle the multi-day Three Capes Track or shorter cliff-top trails with some of the highest sea cliffs in the southern hemisphere. Wildlife cruises head out to see seals, dolphins and seabirds beneath the towering coast. It's a peninsula of history and raw nature.
Yes — Port Arthur is one of the most popular day trips from Hobart (about 90 minutes each way), and a day allows time for the guided tour, the harbour cruise and a wander through the grounds. If you'd like to add the peninsula's coastal sights, walks or a wildlife cruise — or the evening ghost tour — consider staying overnight nearby. Either way, it's an essential part of a southern Tasmania itinerary.