About this experience
The UNESCO World Heritage-listed Port Arthur Historic Site brings Australia’s convict history to life. Admission includes self-guided audio, site talks, and harbor cruise. Tours available as options.
Highlights
- Engage with expert guides with free site talks daily
- Get out on the water with a harbor cruise around the Isle of the Dead
- Explore at your own pace with a self-guided audio experience
- Connect with historical characters through personalized stories
What's included
- General Admission to Port Arthur Historic Site (valid for two consecutive days)
- Self-guided audio experience (bring a charged smartphone)
- 20-minute harbor cruise
- Complimentary site talks by expert guides and specialist staff
- Access to more than 30 historic buildings, ruins, gardens, and restored houses on the site
- Courtesy shuttle service for people who may have restricted mobility
- Free wi-fi
- Additional tours, if selected in options
How to use
- Show Mobile Ticket
- At Redemption Counter
What to expect
Explore the award-winning iconic attraction, the Port Arthur Historic Site. Just a short 1.5 hour drive from nipaluna / Hobart in turrakana / the Tasman Peninsula, the Port Arthur Historic Site has over 30 buildings, ruins and restored period homes set in 40 hectares of landscaped grounds.
Allow plenty of time to fully experience all that Port Arthur has to offer. Site entry tickets are valid for daytime entry for two consecutive days and includes a harbor cruise, a self-guided audio experience, and complimentary site talks by expert guides throughout the site.
Start your experience in the Port Arthur Gallery where you can select a character card to connect with one of the convicts, soldiers, or free settlers that spent time in this secondary punishment station. Listen to personal histories of the people of Port Arthur and explore the collections of artifacts that have been uncovered there.
Stream the Port Arthur Experience as you venture through the convict ruins and lush gardens at your own pace. Wander through meticulously curated house museums and engage with expert guides with free presentations throughout the day.
A short harbor cruise will present the site to you as the convicts would have experienced back in the 1800s. Enjoy historical commentary as you cruise around the Isle of the Dead and past the Dockyards and Point Puer the site of the first Boys Prison in the British Empire.
Additional tours can be selected to be included in your ticket:
• The 45 min Essentials Tour is our most accessible guided tour providing the essential history and stories of Port Arthur.
• The 90 min Premium Tour delves deeper into the stories behind our iconic buildings and their fascinating past on this small group guided walk.
• For the 40 min Isle of the Dead tour, step off the harbour cruise for a guided walking tour around the final resting place for over 1,000 convicts, soldiers, and free settlers.
• On the 60 min Escapes tour, hear tales of the desperate convicts, determined to escape.
Things to note
- Credit card
- Disability card
- Comfortable shoes
- Weather-appropriate clothing
- ID card, copy accepted
Terms & conditions
• If you are sailing to Port Arthur via a cruise ship (and not travelling by bus from Hobart), your entry ticket has already been paid by the cruise ship company.