03
Hobart excursions, from the free waterfront to the full-day convict site
Each card answers one question: what does the tour add that a ferry ticket or a free bus wouldn’t?
In town, not much. Beyond the city limits, where the sights spread out and the buses thin, quite a lot.
Berth, terminal and transport detail lives on our Hobart cruise port guide. If your sailing also calls on the mainland, our Melbourne shore excursion guide covers the other side of Bass Strait.
Free · from the terminal
The waterfront, Salamanca Place and Battery Point, on foot
Start with the free part of Hobart. It also begins a short walk from the gangway, which on a port day counts for more than people expect.
It’s roughly 400 meters from the main berth to the cruise terminal on Hunter Street, and the waterfront opens up from there — Franklin Wharf, Constitution Dock, Brooke Street Pier.
Keep going and you reach Salamanca Place. On a Saturday the market runs its full length, from the silos end to the top of Davey Street, with more than 300 stalls.
Battery Point is right next to it. Walk up for the streets, then come back down to the water for lunch.
- Time commitment
- Two to three hours at an easy pace.
- Getting there
- On foot from the terminal. The CBD is within about 800 meters of the port.
- Suits
- First-timers, short calls, budget days, anyone in port on a Saturday.
- Ship or independent
- Independent. A guided walk exists if you want the convict-era story told properly — see the city card below.
Why it's worth considering
It costs nothing, and it bends around your timing — leave when you like, come back when you like.
On a Saturday you get a 300-stall market thrown in, a short stroll from your ship.
The catch
Miss Saturday and the market isn’t there. The organizers also skip Christmas Day and Anzac Day when they land on a Saturday.
Some stallholders are cash only — carry a little Australian currency, or use the mobile ATM by the information booth.
Verify before you book
- Your call day against the Saturday market
- Whether your ship is on No. 2/3 or the multiuser No. 4/5
- Weather — the market runs in rain, but you may not want to
MONA is the one Hobart day people plan a whole call around — and the ferry is half the experience.
Mona’s ferry leaves Brooke Street Pier on the waterfront. It’s about 30 minutes each way, fares start at $30, and a return costs the same as a one-way ticket.
Museum entry is a separate ticket, and we won’t guess at its price. Check it when you book the boat.
Princess sells this as MONA On Your Own: 3.5 hours, the fast ferry both ways, and about 1.5 hours inside. Its Posh Pit version starts at US$119.95.
- Time commitment
- About 3.5 hours on Princess. On your own, plan an hour of ferry time plus however long you want inside.
- Getting there
- Walk to Brooke Street Pier. Mona’s first sailing leaves at 9.15am.
- Suits
- Couples, art lovers, repeat visitors, rainy days.
- Ship or independent
- Either. The ferry runs on a public timetable, so the ship’s version mostly buys you a booked seat and a return the line keeps an eye on — convenience, not access.
Why it's worth considering
A 30-minute river ride each way, right from the waterfront, with no coach involved.
Booking direct with Mona gives you control over how long you stay.
The catch
The museum is closed Tuesday and Wednesday through June 2027. Land on either day and this card is off the table.
Peak and off-peak ferry timetables differ from December 3 to March 29 — read the one for your exact date.
Verify before you book
- That your call day is a Monday or Thursday to Sunday
- The ferry sailing back against your all-aboard
- Current museum entry price on mona.net.au
Bus or tour · 1,271 m up
kunanyi/Mount Wellington by the Explorer Bus
The mountain is the view of Hobart, and it starts from the same pier as the MONA boat.
Red Decker’s kunanyi/Mt Wellington Explorer Bus leaves from outside Brooke Street Pier. It runs about 2 hours 30 minutes, hop-on hop-off, with commentary.
It’s also the operator licensed to take visitors up when snow shuts the road to everyone else.
There’s a free option too. Metro buses run from Franklin Square to Fern Tree, where Pinnacle Road begins — but that drops you at the bottom of the mountain road, not at the lookout.
- Time commitment
- About 2.5 hours on the Explorer Bus.
- Getting there
- Walk to Brooke Street Pier for the Explorer Bus. Metro 448 (weekdays) or 449 (weekends) goes to Fern Tree only.
- Suits
- First-timers, photographers, anyone with a clear-weather morning.
- Ship or independent
- Independent. Several SEG combinations bundle the summit, if you’d rather add Richmond or MONA in the same outing.
Why it's worth considering
The whole city, the Derwent and the harbor from the top — the orientation Hobart doesn’t give you at sea level.
It’s short enough to pair with Salamanca or the waterfront on the same call, morning on the mountain and afternoon on foot.
The catch
Snow and ice can restrict the road at any time of year, and the park shuts entirely on Extreme or Catastrophic fire-danger days.
Departure times and the fare aren’t posted up front — get both from Red Decker before you plan the rest of the day around it.
Verify before you book
- Pinnacle Road status on the City of Hobart site
- Explorer Bus departure times for your date
- A warm layer — the summit is far colder than the wharf
This is the card for families, and for anyone who flew all this way partly to see a Tasmanian devil in person.
Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary is at Brighton, about 30 minutes north of Hobart, and opens 9am to 5pm every day.
Holland America’s version runs about 3½ hours from $99, moderate activity. Devils, wombats, kangaroos and wallabies are on the list.
Shore Excursions Group pairs the sanctuary with Richmond village and its old gaol in a 3-hour-45-minute tour, listed at US$124.99, or US$114.99 on sale.
- Time commitment
- About 3.5 to 3.75 hours across the Holland America and SEG listings.
- Getting there
- By coach or car. Don’t plan on a public bus.
- Suits
- Families, first-timers, wildlife lovers.
- Ship or independent
- Either. The sanctuary doesn’t require general-admission bookings, but without a car the transport is the hard part.
Why it's worth considering
Native animals up close, keeper talks included, in a half-day that still leaves the afternoon free for town.
SEG’s version adds Richmond’s gaol and village, so you get a heritage stop as well.
The catch
Holland America flags its tour as not wheelchair accessible, with slight inclines and dirt paths.
Bonorong doesn’t post admission prices online. Ask before you assume the DIY version is cheaper.
Verify before you book
- Whether entry is included in the tour price
- Wheelchair access with the shore excursions desk
- Pickup point — SEG says most of its tours collect at the cruise terminal
If you want three of the outer sights without three separate plans, this is the shape to buy.
SEG’s Hobart Wanderer runs 6 hours and covers kunanyi/Mount Wellington, Richmond and Bonorong, at US$218.99, or US$198.99 on sale.
Its Grand Hobart Tour stretches the same idea to 7 hours 45 minutes, adds Salamanca and Battery Point, and lists at US$166.99.
Yes, the longer one is cheaper. Read the stop list rather than the headline price before you choose.
- Time commitment
- About 6 to 7¾ hours.
- Getting there
- SEG’s FAQ says most of its Hobart tours pick up at the cruise terminal — confirm for yours.
- Suits
- First-timers with a long call, minimal-stress days.
- Ship or independent
- Either — neither Princess nor Holland America sells an exact match.
Why it's worth considering
The mountain, a heritage village and the devils, joined up by someone else’s driving — one booking, not three.
A terminal pickup keeps the start simple.
The catch
Nearly eight hours on the longer one. On a call with an early all-aboard, it may simply not fit.
A mountain stop on a cloudy day can come down to a view of fog — the weather sets the value here, not the operator.
Verify before you book
- Pickup location and return time against all-aboard
- Whether the mountain stop has a weather fallback
- What happens if the tour runs late — a third-party operator won’t hold the ship
Port Arthur is the name on most Tasmania wish lists — and from Hobart, it’s a long day.
The site says the drive takes about 90 minutes and suggests allowing at least half a day there. That’s the arithmetic behind every tour here running 8 hours or more.
Princess’s Port Arthur On Your Own runs 8 hours, from US$179.95. SEG’s Port Arthur Historic Site runs 9 hours 15 minutes at US$157.99, and a devils-plus-Port-Arthur version runs 8 hours 15.
At the gate, the 2026–28 price list puts adult entry at AUD 55 and children aged 7 to 17 at AUD 27.50. That covers a 20-minute harbor cruise and the self-guided audio.
- Time commitment
- About 8 to 9¼ hours, depending on the operator.
- Getting there
- By coach or rental car — roughly 90 minutes each way.
- Suits
- History-minded first-timers on a long call.
- Ship or independent
- Ship. With three hours of road time in the day, the line holding the ship for its own late coach is worth paying for.
Why it's worth considering
It’s a World Heritage penal site, and the gate ticket includes its own harbor cruise.
The entry ticket stays valid for two consecutive days, if you’re staying on in Tasmania before or after the cruise.
The catch
It uses most of the call. Hobart itself gets very little of your day — you see the peninsula, not the city.
On a third-party tour of 9 hours or more, a slow road back is your problem, not the ship’s.
Verify before you book
- Your call length — leave real margin past the tour’s listed hours
- Whether entry is in the tour price
- Lunch arrangements, since the day is long
If you want the history explained but not a whole day of it, this is the middle ground.
Princess lists a 2-hour Hobart Historic Walking Tour from US$54.95, rated moderate.
SEG’s Hobart Highlights takes 3 hours for US$51.99 and covers the Tasman Bridge, Cascade Gardens, Battery Point and Salamanca Place.
Either fits before a MONA ferry or after a morning on the mountain — a framing tour, not the main event.
- Time commitment
- About 2 to 3 hours.
- Getting there
- Ship tours meet at the berth. SEG says most of its tours collect at the terminal.
- Suits
- Short calls, budget days, minimal-stress first visits.
- Ship or independent
- Either — the prices on the two listings are within about three dollars of each other.
Why it's worth considering
Context for the streets you’d walk anyway, in a couple of hours.
SEG’s version adds Cascade Gardens and the Tasman Bridge to the waterfront.
The catch
Most of what the walking tour covers, you could see unguided for free — you’re paying for the story, not the route.
Neither operator spells out accessibility. Ask before you book.
Verify before you book
- Accessibility and walking distance with the operator
- Meeting point
- Whether the coach version stops or just drives past
04
Hobart with the ship or on your own
In town and on the river, go it alone
The waterfront, Salamanca and Battery Point need nothing but shoes. MONA runs its own public ferry from the waterfront with published fares.
The summit bus leaves from that same pier, so two of the big three outings start within a few steps of each other.
Out of town, the ship or a terminal pickup earns its fare
Bonorong sits about 30 minutes north, and Port Arthur about 90 minutes away by road. Without a car, a coach is the practical answer.
For Port Arthur, take the ship’s tour. It’s the longest drive on this page, and the line generally holds the ship for its own late tours — confirm that policy when you book.
Where the prices stop
Princess, Holland America and SEG all show “from” prices, and Port Arthur publishes its gate price in Australian dollars.
For MONA’s entry fee, Bonorong’s admission and any taxi fare, ask first — then compare.
How each option compares in Hobart
| Excursion | Lean ship excursion when… | Independent works when… |
|---|
| Waterfront, Salamanca, Battery Point | Only for a guided history walk | Almost always — it starts at the terminal |
|---|
| MONA | If you want the return handled | Yes, on a Monday or Thursday to Sunday |
|---|
| kunanyi/Mount Wellington | As part of a bundled tour | By Explorer Bus from Brooke Street Pier |
|---|
| Bonorong and Richmond | If you don’t want to arrange transport | With a rental car or a terminal-pickup tour |
|---|
| Port Arthur | Yes — the long drive makes the ship’s timing worth having | Only with a long call and a big margin |
|---|
| Short city highlights | Either works | Yes — SEG’s 3-hour version collects at the terminal |
|---|
Short answer
Walk the waterfront and Salamanca, then take the ferry to MONA if it’s open that day — that’s a strong first Hobart call, mostly self-run. Swap MONA for the Explorer Bus on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Book Bonorong for kids. Save Port Arthur for a long call, and buy it from the ship.
06
Hobart port logistics: the wharf, the pier and the paperwork
From the ship into town
Macquarie Wharf No. 2/3 is the main cruise berth, with No. 4/5 for a second ship. The terminal is roughly 400 meters from the berth.
Ship excursion coaches line up beside the ship, not at the terminal. Independent travelers head for the terminal on Hunter Street, which has visitor information and free Wi-Fi.
More berth detail is on our Hobart cruise port guide.
- Taxi rank right outside the terminal forecourt
- Franklin Wharf closes to through traffic on cruise days
- Up to two cruise ships in port at once
Brooke Street Pier
Both the MONA ferry and the kunanyi/Mount Wellington Explorer Bus start here, at Franklin Wharf.
Mona’s first sailing is at 9.15am, and a peak timetable applies from December 3, 2026 to March 29, 2027.
Prices and passes
Port Arthur’s adult entry is AUD 55 through mid-2028, harbor cruise included. Mona’s ferry starts from $30, return included at the same price.
Tasmania’s public transport is free until June 2027.
Safety and paperwork
Australia is Level 1, Exercise Normal Precautions, in the State Department’s August 18, 2026 advisory.
US passport holders need a visa or an approved ETA before arrival. Apply through Home Affairs’ AustralianETA app well before you fly.
