Bruny Island Cruise
The Bruny Island wilderness cruise: 3 hours from Adventure Bay along the sea cliffs to the seals at the Friars, booked alone or as a full day from Hobart.
The Bruny Island cruise is Pennicott Wilderness Journeys’ 3-hour wilderness cruise from Adventure Bay on South Bruny, along some of Australia’s highest sea cliffs, into sea caves and out to the Friars, where fur seals haul out. From Hobart, the day that includes it is Hobart: Bruny Island Wilderness Coast Eco Cruise with Lunch, from US$204 a person (checked November 2026), with the coach, the ferry, morning tea and lunch; the cruise alone, from Adventure Bay, is from US$134.
The calendar above is Pennicott’s cruise day from Hobart, with 573 reviews (checked November 2026).
The short answer
Book the day from Hobart if you have no car or do not want to queue for the ferry: the coach, the crossing, morning tea and lunch are in the price, and the day is about 10 hours. Book the cruise alone if you are driving over or staying on the island: it leaves from Pennicott’s base at Adventure Bay, and you check in 30 minutes before departure. It is the same 3-hour cruise either way, in the same custom-built boats, and both versions carry free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
The two ways to book it, side by side
| Booking | What you get | From |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise day from Hobart (GetYourGuide) | Coach, ferry, morning tea, the cruise, lunch; about 10 hours | US$204 |
| Cruise day from Hobart (Viator) | The same day, sold on Viator; meets at Franklin Wharf | US$207 |
| Cruise from Adventure Bay or Hobart (GetYourGuide) | The 3-hour cruise; the coach from Hobart is an option | US$134 |
| Cruise from Adventure Bay (Viator) | The 3-hour cruise only; you get yourself to Adventure Bay | US$136 |
Prices per person from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026; Viator checked November 2026). On its own site Pennicott prices the cruise from Adventure Bay at A$190 an adult, the cruise with its bus from Oyster Cove Marina in Kettering at A$215, and the full day from Hobart at A$290 (November 2026).
What the cruise sees
The boats leave Adventure Bay and head south along the east coast of South Bruny, where the cliffs drop straight into the sea. The cruise passes through the narrow gap between the coast and the Monument, drifts up close to Breathing Rock, a blowhole, and noses into deep sea caves, then reaches the Friars, rocks off the southern tip where rare seabirds nest and thousands of fur seals haul out, where the Tasman Sea meets the Southern Ocean. Dolphins, migrating whales and seabirds are possible on any trip, not promised. The boats are custom-built yellow vessels with open-air tiered seating; full-length waterproof and windproof jackets are handed out before you board.
Pennicott sails every day except Christmas Day from its base at 1005 Adventure Bay Road: at 11 am all year, and also at 10 am and 1:30 pm from 1 December to 28 April. Check-in for the 11 am cruise is by 10:30 am, each boat takes up to 43 passengers, and bookings are essential. Pennicott does not guarantee wildlife sightings. On the map above, Grass Point and Penguin Island mark the mouth of Adventure Bay, Fluted Cape rises just south of it, and the Friars lie off Tasman Head at the island’s southern tip.
Who it suits, and the sea
The cruise listings set no minimum age, and the Adventure Bay listing has no minimum group size. The boat is open, the Southern Ocean is often lively, and the trip runs in all weather, so anyone who gets seasick should think twice; dress warmly even in summer. If seals and sea caves are the point, this is the trip. If you would rather spend the day on land, with the lighthouse and the food, one of the day tours on the homepage suits better.
Hobart: Bruny Island Wilderness Coast Eco Cruise with Lunch
The coach from Hobart, the ferry both ways, morning tea, the 3-hour cruise and lunch, about 10 hours.
Check dates →From Hobart/Adventure Bay: Bruny Island Wilderness Cruise
The 3-hour cruise from Pennicott's base at Adventure Bay; check in 30 minutes before. The coach from Hobart is an option on the same listing.
See the cruise from Adventure Bay →Full-Day Bruny Island Cruises Day Tour from Hobart
Pennicott's cruise day from Hobart on Viator, meeting at its booking office at Franklin Wharf, by the lifting bridge.
See it on Viator →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026; Viator checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
Getting to Adventure Bay
Adventure Bay is on the east coast of South Bruny, across The Neck from the ferry: 37 km by road from Roberts Point. Pennicott suggests reaching the ferry terminal at Kettering 30 minutes before the sailing you want. Its cruise-and-bus option meets at 8:30 am at Oyster Cove Marina in Kettering, for anyone who gets to Kettering but would rather not take a car across.
If you are choosing between this cruise and Pennicott’s Tasman Island cruise from Port Arthur, they are two different coastlines on two different days: the Bruny cruise works the cliffs of South Bruny from Adventure Bay, the other the Tasman Peninsula.
More Operators on the Island
Bruny Island Tours with Open Dates
Day tours from Hobart, cruises and lighthouse tours with live availability. Times, what is included and cancellation terms are on each listing.
The Sea Cliffs of South Bruny from the Water
Pennicott's cruise day from Hobart includes the coach, the ferry, morning tea and lunch; the cruise runs in most weather, with waterproof jackets supplied.
Check dates