Food and the lighthouse in one day, with nothing to arrange. You leave Hobart at 7am on a small bus and cross on the ferry. By mid-morning you are eating oysters and cheese on a beach. After that comes the part most days leave out: a guided climb inside the old lighthouse on the south cape. You are back in town by about 5:30pm.
Thirty minutes with a guide, and up the stairs to the balcony.
Freshly opened oysters, three island cheeses and bread, set out on the sand.
One course of island and Tasmanian produce, with gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options.
Chocolate and fudge in a private tasting, then honey and cheese.
The return ferry fares and the national park entry are in the fare.
The most-reviewed day to the island, with 20 seats on the bus.
You meet the bus at the Tasmanian Travel and Information Centre, on the corner of Davey and Elizabeth streets, and it leaves at 7am. Bruny Island Safaris also collects from more than 20 other stops across the CBD, North Hobart and Sandy Bay. If you pick one of those, your time may be earlier than 7am, and it is confirmed after you book.
From Hobart the road runs south to Kettering, about 40 minutes away, where you board the car ferry. Your return fares are in the fare, so you do nothing at the terminal. The crossing to Roberts Point takes 15 to 20 minutes. This is a road-and-ferry day on an air-conditioned bus. It is not a cruise, and you see the coast from the land. If the sea is why you came, look at Bruny Island boat tours. How the ferry works if you drive is on the getting to Bruny Island page.
Your first stop is Two Tree Point, a beach where the guide sets out morning tea on the sand. You get oysters from Get Shucked, opened that morning, three kinds of Bruny Island cheese, fresh bread, and tea or coffee. Gluten-free biscuits are there if you need them. Lesley D. put the oysters and cheese among the best parts of the day.
Next the bus passes Resolution Creek, tied to the island's early explorers, and in fair weather it takes the forest road over the slopes of Mount Mangana. At Adventure Bay your guide looks for the white wallaby, a pale form of Bennett's wallaby. Sightings are not guaranteed. Where they feed, and why the end of the day is better, is on the roads and wildlife page.
You spend about 30 minutes in South Bruny National Park, and your park entry is already paid. Then you drive out to the cape. Cape Bruny Lighthouse was built in 1836 and first lit in 1838, and it stands 114 m above the sea. You can walk the grounds on any visit. You can only go inside with a guided tour, and this day includes one.
The tour lasts 30 minutes. You climb 72 steps, with a handrail, to the balcony, and the view runs out over the Southern Ocean. Children under five cannot climb the stairs, but they can see inside the base with an adult. Gary L. found it very windy and cold at the lighthouse, so bring a warm layer even in summer. The story of the light station is on the lighthouse page.
Lunch is one course at Hotel Bruny, looking out over Sunset Beach, cooked from island and Tasmanian produce. Gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian dishes are on offer. Tell the operator about any dietary need or allergy when you book, not on the day.
Drinks with your meals are the one thing the fare leaves out. Water on the bus is free, and you can refill a bottle there all day. So bring a reusable bottle, and some cash or a card if you want a glass of wine or a cider with lunch.
The afternoon is for tasting. You get a chocolate and fudge tasting kept for your group alone, then honey tastings and time in the honey shop, then cheese tastings. Each stop is short, so decide early what you want to carry home. Lesley D. found the cheese shop crowded when every group arrived at once.
The last stop is The Neck, the thin strip of sand between North and South Bruny. You get three ways to see it: 279 stairs to Truganini Lookout, a lookout halfway up, or a flat boardwalk to the beach. Take the stairs if your legs allow. Then it is the ferry home. Every other food day is compared on Bruny Island food tours.
This is your first visit, you have one day and no car, and you would rather not count the extras. It suits food lovers, history lovers and families whose children are five or over, since under-fives cannot climb. You pay more than on a sightseeing day, and you get every meal, tasting and entry fee in return.
You want the sea cliffs and the seals from the water; the cruise day from Hobart costs $210 with lunch. If a long walk is the point, the hike to the Bruny Arch costs $120. For nature first at a lower fare, with food at your own cost, take the guided walking and sightseeing day.
The main meeting point is the Tasmanian Travel and Information Centre, 20 Davey Street, Hobart, on the corner of Elizabeth Street. Be there for a 7am departure. The day ends back in Hobart at your pickup point, at about 5 to 5:30pm.
The bus also stops at hotels and meeting points across the city, and one reviewer's tip is to board at the stop nearest your bed, because long-term parking in central Hobart is hard to find. If you are unsure which stop to pick, tell the operator where you are staying. Every meeting point is on the Bruny Island map.
★★★★★
The food day with the lighthouse climb
The oysters were the best part, with the cheese tasting close behind, and the guide knew the island's history well. This is one of the few ways to get up the lighthouse and hear its stories.
Dave M. · Couples · July 2026
★★★★★
The food day with the lighthouse climb
A long day, but it pays off: food and scenery in one. The commentary made the longer drives go quickly.
Claire T. · Family · September 2026
★★★★☆
The food day with the lighthouse climb
Good stories all day, and oysters with cheese for morning tea were a highlight. The cheese shop stop was chaotic with every group arriving at once; an organised tasting would have been better.
Lesley D. · March 2026
Check the dates still open for the all-inclusive day from Hobart, with the ferry, the parks pass, every meal and the lighthouse climb in the fare, and free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
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