MONA in Hobart: Ferry, Tickets and How Much Time to Allow
4 min read
If you want MONA as part of a full day, a bundled tour saves you the planning: both options below include museum entry and the return ferry from Brooke Street Pier, and the one you pick depends on whether you would rather see the city or the mountain in the morning. Check the date before you book, because MONA is closed on two days of the week.
| Tour | Length | From | Rating | Morning | At MONA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day trip to Mt Wellington and MONA with ferry ride | 7.5 hours | €88.59 | 4.6/5 from 152 reviews | Summit by coach, then Cascade Gardens | 3 hours, entry and ferry included |
| City sightseeing tour including MONA ticket | 8 hours | €93.59 | 4.5/5 from 180 reviews | 3-hour coach tour of the city | 3 hours, entry and ferry included |
When MONA is open, and how to get there
According to MONA’s own visitor page, the museum is open Thursday to Monday from 10am to 5pm and closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It lies about 11 kilometres north of Hobart. The page recommends the ferry from Brooke Street Pier, which takes around 30 minutes one way; by road it is about 20 minutes. MONA’s website lists the sailings, and says the timetable changes from 3 December 2026, so look at it before planning a self-guided visit.
Both tours below start and end at Brooke Street Pier. Pick a date from Thursday to Monday and confirm it when you check availability.
The mountain version
The Gray Line day trip starts with a 105-minute coach tour up to the summit of Mt Wellington and back down, with a short guided walk to the observatory, a 15-minute stop at Cascade Gardens in South Hobart, then the 30-minute ferry to MONA and 3 hours at the museum before the ferry back. The booking page warns that the itinerary can change with road and weather conditions. Snow can close the road; our Mount Wellington guide explains how closures work. Entry, the return ferry and a handheld touchscreen guide are included. Food and drink are not, and the page mentions the Source Restaurant, the Museum Cafe and the Wine Bar at your own expense.
The city version
The other Gray Line tour opens with a 3-hour coach tour of the city that stops at three locations. Sights named on the booking page include Sullivans Cove, Salamanca Place, Battery Point, Rosny Hill lookout and the remains of the Female Factory, and you walk to see the exterior of the Cascade Brewery; it is not a brewery visit. The itinerary also lists a 15-minute stop at Cascade Gardens and 50 minutes at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. Then comes the ferry, 3 hours at MONA with entry included, and the ferry back, arriving at about 5:30pm.
How much time MONA needs
Both tours allow three hours, which is a full afternoon, not a quick look. If you want to see the museum properly and eat there, plan around those three hours.
Recommendation
Choose the Mt Wellington and MONA day trip at €88.59 if you have one day and want both the mountain and the museum, and accept that weather can change the mountain stop. Choose the city and MONA tour at €93.59 if the weather is poor or you would rather get oriented in Hobart first. For the rest of a Hobart stay, the city tours fill in the other days.
