- Duration
- ~200 km return by car from Hobart, 10–11 hours (≈ 8 h 20 min: moving and stop time only)
- Who it suits
- Everyone
- Transport
- drive, walk
- Start
- Tessellated Pavement
- Finish
- Port Arthur Historic Site
- Pace
- moderate pace
- Best time
- Year-round, but Tasmans Arch and Devils Kitchen were closed for works until 17 October 2026: check Parks alerts before you go. Leave Hobart at 7:30am and time Tessellated Pavement for low tide
- Budget per adult
- ~A$120 per adult before food: Port Arthur A$55 (kids A$27.50), Unzoo A$65 (kids 4–16 A$38, family 2+4 A$160). National parks pass A$49.15 per car per day for Tasmans Arch. Lunch at 1830 and scones extra. Prices checked October 2026Prices as of: July 2026; transport and zoo prices October 2026
Getting there
Car only: from Hobart take the Tasman Highway (A3) through Sorell, then the Arthur Highway (A9) to Eaglehawk Neck, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Blowhole Road (C338) leads to Tasmans Arch; the last stretch is gravel with limited parking. Port Arthur has a large car park at the Visitor Centre
Stops in order
The text version of the route: stops, time at each and the legs between them. Times are estimates, without queues, traffic or swims.
1. Tessellated Pavement~30 min at the stop
A flat sea-level rock shelf cracked into neat tiles like a cobbled street. Salt and surf carved the joints in the siltstone; at low tide it looks like an ancient plaza.
Tip: Come at low tide: at high tide the tiles are underwater. About 10 minutes return from the Pirates Bay Drive car park, with roughly 50 steps down. The rock is slippery near the water.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 3 min · 1.2 km
2. Dog Line, Eaglehawk Neck~15 min at the stop
The narrow isthmus convicts had to cross to escape Port Arthur. A line of fierce dogs was once tethered across it; a dog sculpture marks the spot today.
Tip: Free, no tickets. The timber Officers' Quarters Museum is next door but opens irregularly, so plan on the sculpture walk only.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 10 min · 6 km
3. Tasmans Arch & Devils Kitchen~30 min at the stop
A natural stone arch above the sea and, next to it, the narrow Devils Kitchen chasm with surf churning below. Both lookouts are a few minutes from the car park on a flat path.
Worth knowing: The sea carved the arch and the chasm out of softer sandstones and mudstones that erode faster than the surrounding cliffs.
Tip: This is Tasman National Park: you need a Parks pass (A$49.15 per car per day, buy online). The site was closed for works from 15 April to 17 October 2026, so check the alerts.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 12 min · 11 km
- For kids
4. Tasmanian Devil Unzoo~1 h 45 min at the stop
The world's first 'Unzoo' with no boundary fence: Tasmanian devils in habitats, plus wild pademelons, echidnas and parrots that wander in on their own. Guides run feedings all day.
Tip: Opens daily at 9am. Devil feedings at 10am, 11am, 12:15pm and on through the day, kangaroo hand-feeding at 10:30am. Adults A$65, kids 4–16 A$38.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 7 min · 5.5 km
- Snack
5. Port Arthur Lavender~35 min at the stop
A family lavender farm on Long Bay: an ocean-view café, its own essential-oil distillery and a shop of lavender skincare, tea and sweets.
Tip: Easter to December 10am–4pm, January to Easter 9am–4pm, closed Christmas Day. Get the scones with lavender berry jam (A$14.90) or a lavender milkshake (A$11).
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 7 min · 5 km
- Lunch
6. 1830 Restaurant & Bar~1 h at the stop
The Port Arthur restaurant looking out to the Penitentiary: a seasonal menu of local produce, fresh abalone and grass-fed Tasmanian beef, plus Tasmanian wine and whisky.
Tip: Lunch daily 11:30am–2:30pm, bookings essential (online or 1800 659 101). Quicker and cheaper: Port Arthur Café in the Visitor Centre 9am–5pm or the Asylum Café 11:30am–3:30pm.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 6 min · 0.4 km
7. Port Arthur Historic Site~3 h at the stop
A former convict settlement from 1830 to 1877: the Penitentiary ruins, officers' houses, church, gardens and more than 30 buildings. Entry includes a 20-minute harbour cruise and short guide talks.
Worth knowing: The Penitentiary was first built as a flour mill and granary; when the water ran low, convicts drove the millstones on a treadmill. It was converted into a prison in 1854–57.
Tip: Daily 9am–5pm, closed only Christmas Day. Adults A$55, kids A$27.50. Book the next harbour cruise as soon as you arrive. If you stay for the evening Ghost Tour (A$35), you'll drive back to Hobart in the dark.
Open on the map ↗
Before you go
- Route times are estimates: walking, driving and a sensible pause at each stop. Add queues, traffic and swims yourself.
- Prices, timetables and trail status change. Check the venue's official site and the state transport app before you go.
- On beaches, swim only between the red and yellow flags. Use sun protection even when it is cloudy.