A Port Arthur Day Trip from Hobart is one of Tasmania’s most unforgettable experiences. It is the perfect blend of coastal beauty, history, spookiness, colonialism and hardship. Once a small timber station in 1830, Port Arthur quickly became one of the British Empire’s harshest penal settlements, where even minor offenders endured brutal punishment under the guise of reform. Over time, it grew into a vast prison-industrial site with mills & shipyards. Though the prison shut in 1877 and later became a tourist destination, the trauma remains.
Thousands suffered and died here, and the ruins echo their pain—no wonder visitors report spooky encounters, shadowy figures, whispers in the corridors and other paranormal activities. The site has not only witnessed prison horrors but also mental illnesses, bushfires, and even mass shootings. So, here’s how you can experience a spooky day at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Port Arthur Historic site:
Your spooky itinerary begins
Port Arthur is open to the public everyday from 9am–5pm (except on Christmas Day). The general entry ticket (valid for 2 days) includes access to the Port Arthur gallery with interactive exhibits, complimentary guided talks, self-guided audio tours, a 20-min harbour cruise and entry to over 30 historic ruins, buildings, heritage gardens and houses. Walk through the decaying Penitentiary, feel the trauma that haunts the solitary cells of the Separate Prison (purpose-built for mental torture) and stroll through the remains of the Asylum where madness once prevailed.
Looking to make your Port Arthur visit more scenic and memorable? Then combine the trip with one of the Port Arthur Cruises, around Tasman Island or Cape Raoul, for a thrilling blend of nature, sea-adventure and haunting tales.
The Ghost Tour experience
If you are here for the full spooky experience, join the lantern-lit Ghost Tour at night, which runs for 90 mins (different departures between 6pm-9pm). For 1.5 hours, you’ll walk 2 kms through ruins and buildings where supernatural events and scary apparitions have been reported for generations.
These stories are not just folklore, they are documented paranormal sightings passed over since the 1870s. Locals, staff and tourists have also added to this with their own haunting stories. There are even discussions on Reddit groups about the spooky encounters during the Ghost Tour experience.
One Redditor shares: “We were visiting the sites when suddenly my parents' camera screwed up. Wouldn't take photos, kept jamming etc. My mum was super cross, went and got new film and it did the same thing. Got them developed, half the photos had a white mist on them. This camera even to this day has never had issues, only that one time.”
The Isle of the Dead
As an optional upgrade, you can book the Isle of the Dead Cemetery Tour, along with the general ticket. Aboard the MV Marana, you’ll cruise to a small island off Port Arthur— the final resting place of more than 1000 souls. At the southern end lie convicts buried in unmarked and unnamed graves, denied even the dignity of their existence. At the northern end lie the free people such as military officers, women and children—under the very headstones carved by the very convicts who laboured for nothing. It reminds us that even in death, the hierarchy still remains.
The cemetery tour runs daily (12.20pm, 1pm & 3pm), and lasts 40 mins, with 20 minutes of additional cruise time. Along the way, you’ll hear tales of loss, punishment and the uncanny events that still echo from beneath the soil.
So, are you ready to challenge your belief—or the lack of it— in ghosts? Then, Port Arthur is the perfect eerie and mysterious site to re-examine your whole belief system. It is also the ideal destination if you’re planning a day trip from Hobart. The place is not merely a history lesson, it is an unwordable experience into Australia’s past, filled with stories of hardship, resilience and the supernatural. So, come walk the ruins, listen closely and let the ghosts of history haunt thy soul!
Thousands suffered and died here, and the ruins echo their pain—no wonder visitors report spooky encounters, shadowy figures, whispers in the corridors and other paranormal activities. The site has not only witnessed prison horrors but also mental illnesses, bushfires, and even mass shootings. So, here’s how you can experience a spooky day at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Port Arthur Historic site:
Your spooky itinerary begins
Port Arthur is open to the public everyday from 9am–5pm (except on Christmas Day). The general entry ticket (valid for 2 days) includes access to the Port Arthur gallery with interactive exhibits, complimentary guided talks, self-guided audio tours, a 20-min harbour cruise and entry to over 30 historic ruins, buildings, heritage gardens and houses. Walk through the decaying Penitentiary, feel the trauma that haunts the solitary cells of the Separate Prison (purpose-built for mental torture) and stroll through the remains of the Asylum where madness once prevailed.
Looking to make your Port Arthur visit more scenic and memorable? Then combine the trip with one of the Port Arthur Cruises, around Tasman Island or Cape Raoul, for a thrilling blend of nature, sea-adventure and haunting tales.
The Ghost Tour experience
If you are here for the full spooky experience, join the lantern-lit Ghost Tour at night, which runs for 90 mins (different departures between 6pm-9pm). For 1.5 hours, you’ll walk 2 kms through ruins and buildings where supernatural events and scary apparitions have been reported for generations.
These stories are not just folklore, they are documented paranormal sightings passed over since the 1870s. Locals, staff and tourists have also added to this with their own haunting stories. There are even discussions on Reddit groups about the spooky encounters during the Ghost Tour experience.
One Redditor shares: “We were visiting the sites when suddenly my parents' camera screwed up. Wouldn't take photos, kept jamming etc. My mum was super cross, went and got new film and it did the same thing. Got them developed, half the photos had a white mist on them. This camera even to this day has never had issues, only that one time.”
The Isle of the Dead
As an optional upgrade, you can book the Isle of the Dead Cemetery Tour, along with the general ticket. Aboard the MV Marana, you’ll cruise to a small island off Port Arthur— the final resting place of more than 1000 souls. At the southern end lie convicts buried in unmarked and unnamed graves, denied even the dignity of their existence. At the northern end lie the free people such as military officers, women and children—under the very headstones carved by the very convicts who laboured for nothing. It reminds us that even in death, the hierarchy still remains.
The cemetery tour runs daily (12.20pm, 1pm & 3pm), and lasts 40 mins, with 20 minutes of additional cruise time. Along the way, you’ll hear tales of loss, punishment and the uncanny events that still echo from beneath the soil.
So, are you ready to challenge your belief—or the lack of it— in ghosts? Then, Port Arthur is the perfect eerie and mysterious site to re-examine your whole belief system. It is also the ideal destination if you’re planning a day trip from Hobart. The place is not merely a history lesson, it is an unwordable experience into Australia’s past, filled with stories of hardship, resilience and the supernatural. So, come walk the ruins, listen closely and let the ghosts of history haunt thy soul!
