Ile Des Phoques and Maria Island Cruise and Walk Day Tour with Lunch
Overview
Available languages
8 hours
Mobile ticket
Join our team to visit the most remarkable places in Tasmania, if not the World! Our expert team of marine scientists have been the only cruise to Ile Des Phoques and Maria Island since 2006.
Your cruise to the Ile Des Phoques (Island Of Seals) will capture the stunning views of Maria Island, including famous landmarks such as the Painted Cliffs and Fossil Cliffs, giant sea caves, mountain peaks and the stunning granite cliffs of Maria Island's east coast.
Award winning and only cruise and day tour to view seals, dolphins, wombats, kangaroos, eagles, wallabies, albatross and whales (during migration), famous geology and UNESCO convict history. Your tour will depart from Triabunna (approximately 1-hour and 15-minutes from Hobart). Includes a 4-hour scenic cruise of Maria Island with a 2-hour stay on the island.
Our shuttle bus service is available for guests who require transport from Hobart! Please choose the Tour + Bus option when booking.
Additional Info
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Please choose the Tour + Bus option if you do require the Hobart shuttle bus.
Designed and guided by professional scientists
Maria Island Cruises reserves the right to cancel departures at anytime and will refund the full amount of any monies paid by the customer.
Perfect for children
Seasickness tablets and wristbands provided to guests if required
The vessel is safe and comfortable and provides protection from the elements
The vessel has a comfortable on board toilet, which doubles as a change room for those wanting to swim
Small and personalised tour groups. Maximum 28 people for room to move about the boat!
Tours are perfect for children and families!
Tours are subject to weather and minimum numbers
Waterproof jackets and pants available onboard the boat
Our 5-star tour is catered with drinks and food/lunch onboard
*Note, if poor weather prevents the cruising to the Ile Des Phoques, the cruise will be changed to circumnavigate Maria Island.
Local wines (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc) and Tasmanian premium lager are also provided during lunch. A single serve is complimentary with your tour.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Guided walk of Darlington convict settlement
Alcoholic Beverages
Lunch
Landing and facility fees
Live commentary on board
Professional Guide
Coffee and/or Tea
Hobart shuttle bus transfers
2-hour stay on Maria Island
Seal viewing
Snacks
Dolphin and Whale watching
4-hour scenic cruise
Kangaroo and Wombat viewing
Hotel pickup. Shuttle Bus now departing from Brooke Street Pier Hobart
What To Expect
On the way to Ile Des Phoques you can see albatross, dolphins, Australian fur seals and whales (depending on the time of year) as well as majestic panoramic views of Maria Island and the Freycinet Peninsula. Once at Ile Des Phoques we will sit with the fur seals and learn about their home at Ile Des Phoques, their recovery from near extinction from commercial sealing and how they are now breeding at Ile Des Phoques again for the first time in over 200 years. We will enjoy morning tea, coffee and cakes with the seals and then explore the remarkable giant Rainbow Caves. These caves are the largest granite sea caves in Australia, possibly the World. Feel the emotion and beauty of nature as we venture deep inside the caves onboard the cruise boat.
Maria Island
After your time spent at Ile Des Phoques, we travel to Maria Island for a beautiful lunch with local wine onboard our cruise boat beside a stunning white sandy beach. After lunch we dock at the jetty and spend the afternoon on Maria Island for a guided walk exploring the history of the Darlington convict settlement and time spent with the resident wombats and kangaroos. *Note, if poor weather prevents the cruising to the Ile Des Phoques, the cruise will be changed to circumnavigate Maria Island. Lunch is provided on the tour from our cafe as a large healthy salad bowl. A variety of salad lunch options include; chicken breast in pesto aioli, smoked salmon, roast beef, leg ham or vegetarian/vegan. You can add a home made bacon & cheese quiche or pumpkin and feta quiche and switch to a half salad. You will also be provided a complimentary drink of tea, coffee, juice, soft drinks, local wines and Tasmanian premium larger.
Options
Tour Only (Meet at Triabunna)
Meet us in Triabunna (8:00am): Please select this option if you will drive yourself to Triabunna to meet at our cafe for checkin and boarding the cruise.
Tour + Bus (Pick up in Hobart)
Tour + Bus: Shuttle bus from Hobart. Meet at Brooke Street Pier 6:45am.
Pickup included
Reviews
216 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
SPECIAL DAY 22/11/25 Ile Des Phoques and Maria Island .
peterdcrosswell,
Nov 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Saturday 22nd November 2025 . Amazing experience and a day to remember ! We were blessed with great weather and then it got better ! Two whales breaching in front of us and then coming right up to the boat . Masses of dolphins leaping in and out of the boats wake , Captain Mike doing loops to encourage them further and on it continued for ages ! This was after our stop at Ilse Des Phoques , guaranteed seals but the experience of the smaller juveniles playing in the water and in and around the boat was great . The boat was comfortable with Captain Mike so competent & knowledgeable in commentary of the area. Offsider Xavier led the tour of Maria , knew his stuff , we took in the islands convict past and subsequent commercial activities , very interesting and my partner saw wombats ! which she keen on. Highly recommend the experience with this Company , everything from initial organisation , great lunch on board with refreshments . Great attention to detail about expected days activities which turned out above & beyond expectations ! . Mike & Xavier were blown away with the days encounters on the water , no reason why it couldn't happen again !
Unforgettable experience
Z7309ZFtracyw,
Nov 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Absolutely fabulous day out was had! Weather was perfect, we could not have asked for a better day. Michael and Xavier were welcoming, engaging and so enthusiastic in sharing their knowledge. Right off the bat we had a whale raise out of the ocean directly in front of us!!! The. The magnificent seals, amazing caves, the beautiful dolphins - so many dolphins, and seals swimming with them too! That was all before the tour on Maria Island! So grateful to have had this wonderful experience. Thank you Michael and Xavier :)
Great tour, great crew! Would do again
charlottegC6028OZ,
Nov 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Amazing experience with a great crew! We had the opportunity to see seals, dolphins, whales, eagles, pied oyster birds, wombats, padamelons, and more! Fantastic wildlife viewing experience and nothing felt rushed. I highly recommend this as you cannot reach the Island of Seals without a guided tour. About the crew: Michael, Xavier, and Ruby were all so kind and helpful throughout the entire trip and went above and beyond! I was sick on the boat and Michael made sure that I had a safe way of getting home. The staff drove me to my accommodation and checked in on me even afterwards. I highly recommend this company for tours. Tips to know: You spend a lot of time in the boat so make sure to take sea-sickness medication ahead of time! They have plenty of beverages on board and sick bags as well as towels and sunscreen. Make sure you pack light snacks as the tour is long and there are no shops or cafes on Maria island. If you are sensitive to smells or get migraines easily, make sure you sit at the top of the boat when going to the Island of Seals because the seals can be smelled from quite a distance LOL.
Fabulous Cruise
543barbr,
Nov 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00An absolutely marvellous cruise around Maria Island. Matthew the boat captain was wonderful, very knowledgeable, great boat driver, excellent commentary and very friendly. the craw were also great, helpful, knew a lot and were very happy to chat and share their experiences. Thank you everyone, we really, really enjoyed this cruise. 10/10
Very good excursion....
Julian C,
Nov 17, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Very good excursion. We saw seals, dolphins and wombats. We walk around Maria Island knowing its history.
Awesome! Best tour in TAS
Bob S,
Nov 15, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Seals, dolphins, colorful caves, painted cliffs, Darlington, wombats, pademelon. Delightful day!! Freya and skipper were awesome!!
Most incredible day!
diannehM8087IQ,
Nov 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This cruise lived up to everything we could have expected. The Ile des Phoques is the most incredible place we have ever been to. Michael and his crew made sure we had the best experience possible. We had perfect weather conditions allowing us to enter both sea caves at the Ile des Phoques (twice) and Also the stalagmite cave on Maria island. The penal settlement on Maria island dates back before Port Arthur and has an amazing history. A must do trip!
Maria Island Cruise
lyndapC6565GV,
Nov 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We have been travelling in Tasmania for 2 months and our cruise has been our best day. We were very lucky to have perfect weather which allowed us to go into the sea caves which are stunning. The crew were passionate about the area and gave an excellent commentary, including the Darlington tour with Molly. Lunch was a salad which was delicious and quite large. We oud highly recommend this tour.
Wow what an awesome day out!
juliarL2718LA,
Nov 4, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What a fabulous cruise! We got a great day to circumnavigate Maria Island - going inside a sea cave was awesome. Lots of wildlife was seen throughout the day. The crew were fabulous - nothing was any trouble and they were all very knowledgeable. Highly recommend 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Perfect weather and great day out!
mariasX1397NX,
Oct 31, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Tansen and Skipper Steve gave our group an unforgettable, enjoyable and informative day on this tour. Loved it all from beginning to end. Steve skilfully manoeuvred the boat into the colourful caves and close to seals for a close up encounter. Scientist/deckhand Tansen kept us well informed and answered questions while accommodating our every need. The food, scenery, wildlife and boat excursion (we had near perfect weather) was exceptional and exceeded all expectations! Totally recommend this one!
From A$295.00
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