Port Arthur
Accommodation in Port Arthur
Port Arthur is a destination for anyone who wants to experience history beyond reading dates: the Port Arthur Historic Site is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List and can be explored at your own pace with an entry ticket. Between historic sites, a reconstructed garden and various tour formats, you can tailor your visit to leave enough room for the topics that interest your travel group most.
Historic sites with stories to tell
The Isle of the Dead is the final resting place of more than 1,000 people who lived and worked at the Port Arthur Historic Site between 1833 and 1877. This period alone gives your visit a clear historical context. As you learn about the site’s history, you’ll encounter more than just a name on a map: you’ll find a cemetery connected with the people who lived and worked at the site.
The Government Gardens also tell the story of how the site changed: they are a reconstruction of the original gardens. The Penitentiary, meanwhile, was converted from a flour mill and granary between 1854 and 1857. These details offer starting points for conversations about how the buildings were used and how the gardens were laid out. Before your visit, families can decide which of these stories they’d like to explore in more depth.
Explore independently or choose a tour
With a Port Arthur Entry ticket, visitors can explore the Port Arthur Historic Site at their own pace. In addition, 10- to 15-minute tours are offered to all day visitors with Port Arthur Entry or a tour. The short format can be a focus of its own within your visit, while the ticket also leaves room for independent exploration. If you’re travelling with children, you can decide together whether a short tour or exploring independently first fits your day better.
For a different perspective on the history, there’s a 90-minute Ghost Tour illuminated by lanterns. The Isle of the Dead Tour is a guided 60-minute experience that begins with a trip aboard the MV Marana. These options differ considerably in length and format: one is a longer evening activity, while the other combines a boat trip with a guided experience. When planning, consider which type of visit best suits your available time and interests.
Plan opening hours and your visit
The Port Arthur Historic Site is open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and is closed on Christmas Day. These hours help you plan your day; if you’re taking one of the longer tours, allow for its duration of 90 or 60 minutes. If you mainly want to explore the Historic Site at your own pace, you can structure your visit differently from someone who wants to make one of the guided tours the main focus.
When choosing a holiday rental in Port Arthur, the main consideration is the role you want historic experiences to play in your trip. If you’d like to make time for the site, its different locations and a tour format that suits you, Port Arthur could be the main focus of your accommodation search. Stewarts Bay is a beach in Port Arthur, offering a different local point of interest alongside the historic sites. As you plan your trip, you can weigh up whether your main interest is history, the beach or a combination of both.
Discover more destinations
If you’d like to include other destinations in your trip plans, you’ll find Ringarooma, Mole Creek, Little Swanport, Campbell Town, Seven Mile Beach, Low Head, Triabunna and Upper Blessington here.
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