Suzanna

I'd appreciate some feedback from those who might have visited these places. Timing would be the end of September. Is this tour worth the charge?
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Port Arthur with Salamanca Mar

From 9.15am To 6.00pm
Salamanca Market - delight in a shopping experience at Hobart's
popular and colourful outdoor marketplace. Then join Port
Arthur Tour 774 and acquire a sense of our past convict era and
early Australian settlement. Cross the Tasman Bridge - Head out
on the Tasman Highway crossing Pitwater Causeway onto Forestier
Peninsula - Pristine Pirates Bay - Eaglehawk Neck - Skirt
Norfolf Bay on the Tasman Peninsula - Take a guided walking
tour of the historic convict site -Port Arthur with access to
over 30 restored buildings and ruins - See the Penitentiary, a
one time granary and flour mill, the separate prison, the
Commandant's House, the church and more - Take a cruise on
Carnarvon Bay around the 'Isle of the Dead' - Visit the
highlights of Tasman National Park - Wonder at the spectacle of
Tasman Arch - Superb views of the rugged coastline - Be amazed
at the magnitude of the Devil's Kitchen.
No Meals are included

longhorn55

This tour sounds extremely pricey to me. I have been to Hobart and have visited the Salamanca Market and toured Port Arthur (which, I think, should not be missed.)

The Salamanca Market is neat, but can easily be reached on your own at minimal cost. In fact, depending on the location of your accommodations, you could just walk over which is what we did. I would plan on spending at least an hour here--more if you really enjoy outdoor markets.

You can rent a Toyota Corolla (automatic transmission) for a day from Hertz for around AUD 82.00 (USD 85.00)

The tour description is the basic Bronze Package at Port Arthur which, according to their website, now costs AUD 30.00 (USD 31.00).

So, if you did this tour on your own by renting a car and driving, you would pay USD 116.00 plus the cost of gas. And, if you have more than one person traveling, the savings would be even greater because you'd be sharing the cost of the car.

Note: 1) If you decide to visit Port Arthur on your own, I would recommend that you do the optional tour of the Isle of the Dead. (The Bronze Package just takes a boat by the Isle and doesn't stop for a tour.) We found that tour fascinating. This tour can be purchased separately or is included, with lunch, in the Silver Package).
2) You might not want to do the Salamanca Market on the same day as your trip to Port Arthur, especially if you plan to do a lot of shopping. There's a lot to see and do just at Port Arthur and you might also want to stop along the way, either going there or returning, to see some of the natural sites along Pirates Bay such as the Tesselated Pavement and the Blowhole.

Suzanna

Thanks a lot for the detailed reply ans suggestions. The only issue is that we will not rent a car in Australia... What I might do is try to look for some other local tour companies (or potentially public transport to Port Arthur, the Isle of the Dead and other places nearby) that might be less expensive. It is silly to pay this much money for a tour that includes a market where one has more fun without a tour.

Melnq8

Is the tour worth the charge?

No way. We've done all of the above on our own for a fraction of the cost.

Why don't you want to rent a car? It will save you a bundle and provide all the flexibility a person could want.

longhorn55

Here's a website that lists a lot of different tour companies to Port Arthur. (I can vouch for neither the website nor the individual tour companies.) The rates for these tours are higher than what you would pay to drive yourself, but less than the original tour you described.

http://www.portarthurtours.com/sites/default.asp

Suzanna

Thanks, Longhorn.I appreciate the pointer.