15 Cradle Mountain Tours That Survive a Second Look

1.Gordon River Cruise departing from Strahan

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,577 reviews · from $111Our pick

Set out from Strahan at 8:00 am aboard Spirit of the Wild for a six-hour cruise through Macquarie Harbour and the Gordon River. You’ll pass Hells Gates, cruise quietly under electric power, visit Sarah Island with a guide, and enjoy a chef-prepared buffet lunch. Main Deck and Premier Upper Deck seating are available.

“I enjoyed the entire trip because I love nature. From the time The Spirit Of The Wild left the port to Gordon River to Sarah Island and back. The history of the places that the cruise took me is very interesting.”

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2.Morning World Heritage Cruise on the Gordon River from Strahan

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,193 reviews · from $111

Spend six hours cruising from Strahan through Macquarie Harbour and the Gordon River. You’ll pass Hell’s Gates, visit Sarah Island with a local guide, eat lunch aboard the catamaran, and walk through ancient rainforest in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. Guides such as Sarah and Kim bring the convict story to life.

“Upper deck window was very much worth the money. Such a great cruise very informative and enjoyable. Would highly recommend.”

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3.World Heritage Cruise on Gordon River with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,143 reviews · 6 hours · from $109

Spend six hours aboard a family-run catamaran from Strahan, visiting Hells Gates, Sarah Island, Heritage Landing rainforest, and Morrisons Huon Pine Sawmill. You’ll get live commentary, a guided convict-site walk, lunch made with Tasmanian produce, and time to move around the vessel. Upper-deck seats include morning tea and a drink.

“An excellent 6 hr trip in Macquaire harbour and down the Gordon River. We had an hours guided visit on Sarah Island the former penal colony which was very interesting .On the day we visited it was Remembrance Day and the Captain indicated a 1 minute silence with the ships hooter . Lunch was excellent and the commentary throughout informative. World Heritage Cruises has a.so been run by a local family for very many years . Highly recomended”

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4.Cradle Mountain: Day Trip from Launceston with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 540 reviews · 10 hours · from $138

Travel from Launceston to Cradle Mountain with an English-speaking guide such as Ben, Dale, David, or Steve. See Sheffield, Dove Lake, Glacier Rock, the Boat Shed, Waldheim Chalet, and cool-climate rainforest. Lunch, snacks, bottled water, transport, and the national park pass are included.

“Macca (David) was very helpful throughout the journey! We were fetched by a big bus which provided more space for all of us. The tour was not hurried and had stops - my favorite is sighting the cradle mountain and the chalet!”

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5.Gordon River Cruise with Lunch & Sarah Island Walk

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 382 reviews · 6 hours · from $109

Spend six hours cruising from Strahan through Macquarie Harbour and the Gordon River on the Spirit of the Wild. Expect a buffet lunch, character-led commentary, a rainforest walk at Heritage Landing, and a guided visit to Sarah Island. Choose main-deck seating or Premier Upper Deck benefits, including leather recliners, a private viewing deck, drinks, and canapés.

“Thoroughly enjoyed the day Lunch was welcomed and well organised The tour guide was awesome This is our 2nd time doing this day tour”

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6.Cradle Mountain Day Tour from Launceston Including Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 360 reviews · from $139

Travel from Launceston to Cradle Mountain with pickup, a driver-guide, national park entry, lunch, and time for Dove Lake, Waldheim Chalet, and Weindorfers Rainforest Walk. Guides such as Steve, David, Ben, and Dale bring local knowledge to the long day. Sheffield murals and local produce stops round out the trip.

“Great tour! 1h30 at the lake to go see two lookouts and have lunch! We had the chances to see wombats as well!”

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7.After Dark Tasmanian Devil Feeding Tour at Cradle Mountain

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 243 reviews · from $30

Meet at Devils@Cradle at 5:30 pm for a keeper-led evening walk through the sanctuary. Learn about Tasmanian Devils, Spotted-tailed Quolls, and Eastern Quolls, then watch several animals feed in their enclosures under low-impact lighting. Guides such as Sarah, Rory, and Pru have led past sessions. Dress warmly for the alpine night.

“Great tour. Can get cold at night, so make sure you have appropriate clothing. Very informative as the guide was well versed in the topic. Quolls were cute.”

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8.Active Day Trip to Cradle Mountain

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 164 reviews · 15 hours · from $184

Spend 15 hours travelling from Hobart to Cradle Mountain with guide Sam and a small group of up to 11. Enjoy breakfast in Deloraine, then choose between the Dove Lake Circuit or a harder walk to Marion’s Lookout and Ronny Creek. Park entry, shuttle tickets, maps, hotel transfers, and comfort stops are included.

“This was a long day, with a lot of driving, but our guide Sam had organised every detail extremely well and the whole day was a delight. Seeing wombats close up was the highlight. I cannot recommend this trip , and in particular Sam, strongly enough.”

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9.Cradle Mountain: After Dark Tasmanian Devil Feeding Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 161 reviews · 1h 30m · from $26

Visit Devils@Cradle before joining a 90-minute evening feeding tour led by an English-speaking keeper. Watch Tasmanian devils, spotted-tail quolls, and eastern quolls feed in their enclosures while your guide explains their behavior, biology, and conservation. Arrive early to explore the sanctuary, and bring warm, rainproof clothing for the chilly Cradle Mountain night.

“Our experience was terrrific. Our guide, Kay?, provided one of the best-informed and professionally-delivered presentations we have ever experienced. Highly recommended for both content and value.”

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10.Cradle Mountain – Active Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 151 reviews · from $115

Travel from Launceston to Cradle Mountain National Park with a small group of up to 20. Guides such as Graeme and Damien lead the walks, explain the bush, and help you choose between the 6-kilometre Dove Lake circuit and the steeper Marion’s Lookout hike. The day also includes Sheffield murals, Pencil Pine Falls, wombat sightings, and a stop for Tasmanian ice cream.

“I loved the trip. Graeme commentary along the way was very informative, he gave the trip some added flare. There was more than enough time to do what I wanted to do. Thanks so much.”

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11.Cradle Mountain OMG! Hobart to Cradle Active Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 134 reviews · from $186

Join Sam Bradley of The Derwent Experience for a 15-hour private day trip from Hobart to Cradle Mountain. Enjoy air-conditioned transport, national park entry, up to five hours around Dove Lake, optional hikes to Marion’s Lookout, stops in Ross and Deloraine, and time for wombat spotting. Meals are not included.

“If we could give this tour 10 stars out of 5, we would! Sam created the most incredible and memorable experience for us during our visit to Hobart. As the only provider of a Cradle Mountain tour from Hobart we were super impressed with the comfort and enjoyment of the Derwent Experience. Sam was knowledgeable and informative about the culture, history, environment and local communities visited throughout the day. It was certainly a looooong day (15 hours) but it was well worth the effort for the unforgettable visit to this special place of Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake. It was an honour to be among the visitors allowed to visit…”

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12.Cradle Mountain Adventure – Active Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 87 reviews · from $125

Travel from Launceston to Cradle Mountain with a small group of up to 19, choosing between the easy Dove Lake Circuit and the steeper Marion’s Lookout hike. Guides such as Graeme, Simon, Damien, and Rita add local context, while Sheffield murals, wombat sightings, Waldheim, and a raspberry farm stop fill out the long day.

“Second time there. There tour guide know the place down head to toe. Great experience. The vehicle can have a upgrade.”

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13.Wildlife Night Spotting at Cradle Mountain

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 84 reviews · from $89

Join McDermott’s Coaches at 8:30 pm for a two-hour wildlife search in Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park. Guides such as James, Belinda and Rita lead you by bus and torch through Ronny Creek, Cradle Valley and Waldheim, with good chances of seeing wombats, wallabies, possums, pademelons and possibly a quoll or Tasmanian Devil.

“Tour guide was very engaging and knowledgeable. Small group. We saw lots of wombats, wallabies, couple of quolls and a Tasmania Devil on the night we went out. Well worth it.”

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14.Day Keeper Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 67 reviews · from $17Best value

Join a Devils@Cradle keeper, such as Chris or Prue, for a relaxed walk among Tasmanian devils and quolls. You may see them sleeping, playing, basking, exploring, or feeding. The 45-minute tour runs in morning and afternoon, with sanctuary access around it, onsite parking, and child discounts.

“Chris was an exceptional guide! He was kind, professional, knowledgeable, and a fierce advocate for the vulnerable animals of Tasmania.”

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15.1-Hour Tasmanian Devil Feeding Day Tour at Cradle Mountain

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 65 reviews · from $29

At 1 p.m., join a keeper-led tour at Devils@Cradle for a close look at feeding Tasmanian devils in a behind-the-scenes enclosure. Your ticket also covers sanctuary entry for the day, including quolls and other animals. Expect outdoor walking on some uneven ground, with shelter available in wet weather.

“Excellent experience - learnt so much about the devils and the two types of quolls. Great to see them so close up - even the rain didnt spoil the time there.”

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