Gordon River Cruise departing from Strahan

Recommended by 96% of travelers

Strahan, Australia

High interest

Booked 2 times today.

6 hours (approx.)
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.8

· Debbie_B ·

Feb 2026

Great service from the friendly ladies in the ticket office/shop to the staff on board. Very comfortable seats. Wonderful food selection for lunch, chicken, smoked salmon, prawns, pasta, salads, rolls and all great quality. Great selection of Tasmanian alcohol and snacks (not included in your ticket price). We loved the whole trip it was SO informative and beautiful. Highly recommended trip.

· Deb_T ·

Mar 2026

Can not find a negative. A fantastic experience. Hosts were very friendly, boat comfy and clean. Food very good.Island experience very informative and entertaining.

Overview

Soak up the serene beauty of western Tasmania on a morning cruise on the Gordon River from Strahan. Pass by natural landmarks such as Hells Gates, which marks the entrance to Macquarie Harbour from the Southern Ocean. Explore a former penal colony on Sarah Island as you journey through the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Includes a delicious chef-prepared lunch onboard. Select a seating category when booking.

Enjoy the views through the boat's floor-to-ceiling windows
Select from three seating levels on the main deck or premier upper deck
Spirit of the Wild has a "quiet cruising" function with electric motors
Sail through the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Tasmanian Wilderness

What's Included

Chef Prepared Buffet lunch on the Morning Cruises
Dedicated on-board guides
Restroom on board
Quiet cruising under electric motors while on the Gordon River

Drinks, unless you travel on the Premier Upper Deck. Cash bar available on the Main Deck
Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

24 Esplanade, Strahan TAS 7468, Australia
We are located in the cruise terminal on the wharf

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.8:00 am

Itinerary

This tour takes place aboard Spirit of the Wild, a spacious catamaran specially designed to travel smoothly on the Gordon River and fitted with a unique hybrid propulsion system that allows you to cruise quietly.

Depart Strahan and pass by Hells Gates, a narrow opening where the Southern Ocean meets Macquarie Harbour. As you take in the small gap—just 240 feet (80 meters)—it’s not hard to see how it got its ominous name from early sailors. Then head across the harbor, making your way to the lower reaches of the Gordon River as you pass by trout and salmon farms and the waterfront rainforest landscape of the UNESCO–listed Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

Disembark at Sarah Island, a former penal colony from the 1820s and '30s, and watch a theatrical presentation to learn about its history, including how the island was once an important Australian shipyard where the boats were built by convicts.

Onboard the boat, you are welcome to visit the deck for fresh air and views and enjoy a delicious, chef-prepared buffet lunch. Your Gordon River catamaran experience ends when you return to Strahan at the cruise terminal.

Gordon River

3 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Sarah Island

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Gordon River Cruises

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Infants are free provided they do not occupy a seat
Tour is wheelchair accessible on the Main Deck only. Motor scooters are not permitted due to size limitations
Wheelchair accessible
About the boat: Spirit of the Wild features a unique hybrid propulsion system allowing you to cruise quietly on the Gordon River, as well as an environmentally designed hull to ensure minimal impact on the area’s pristine wilderness; inside, the vessel provides an optimal experience for passengers with interpretive facilities with maps, photographs and guidebooks, and plenty of deck space, including a 360° Viewing Deck at the top of the vessel.
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed

Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 190 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 3 days in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Vibhav_C

Incredible experience. Absolutely beautiful River Cruise with friendly staff and service. Guided walk and commentary helped learn about the history. Lunch was very good with vegetarian options available which suited us. Highly recommended for all. This is a must do. Totally worth the money.

Reviews

4.8

based on 1,618 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Kim A

Kim_A, May 2026

Beautiful weather .. lovely staff .. very informative.. fantastic day.. I highly recommend a trip .. Strahan is a beautiful little fishing town .. great place to stay unwind and relax

Gordon River Cruise is a must do.

John_H, May 2026

This was a stand out cruise. Highly recommended. Sarah Island was fantastic. Ensure you use the guide. Very informative .

Was a privilege to see...

ellamsy50, May 2026

Was a privilege to see one of the beautiful untouched wildernesses, great and informative cruise. Did a similar cruise 37 years ago, even better 2nd time.

Awesome

ANDREW_r, Apr 2026

Fantastic experience loved every minute, great guides and commentary. Spectacular scenery and amazing food.

Must do when in Tassie!

Quisha_P, Apr 2026

This was my second time experiencing the magic of Gordon River Cruises. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I had booked the Premium Upper Deck during both my experiences and I highly recommend you to do so too - it is absolutely worth it and would make a big difference to your day. The food, drinks, and snacks onboard were delicious and the staff were attentive; they made sure all guests were well fed. The stops at Heritage Landing and Sarah Island are beautiful to explore. The pace of the tour makes you feel extremely relaxed and at peace.

Absolutely amazing day trip

Craig_J, Mar 2026

Amazing trip. Wonderful, friendly staff on a beautifully appointed boat in a magical part of the World.

Awesome adventure.

Deb_T, Mar 2026

Can not find a negative. A fantastic experience. Hosts were very friendly, boat comfy and clean. Food very good.Island experience very informative and entertaining.

Informative and enjoyable Macquarie Harbour cruise

Karen_L, Mar 2026

This cruise is good value. It features a trip out the harbour heads, a cruise down the Gordon River with a short guided walk through the forest, a delicious lunch, and a guided walk on Sarah Island to learn about its history. Commentary on board was informative. The crew worked well together to ensure a very enjoyable experience.

The Gordon River Cruise...

Xin_L, Mar 2026

The Gordon River Cruise was one of our most memorable parts during the journey to Tassie. We were well fed while cruising along Macquire Harbour and Gordon River. There were two landing sites to get out and about. Knowledgable tour guides.

Excellence, educational and fun.

Philip_G, Mar 2026

Brilliant! Friendly and knowlegable crew made it in interesting and extremely pleasant experience. The catamaran ride was comfortable smooth. Everyone went out of their way to make it an enjoyable experience.

Reasonable, but they do...

Conrad_W, Mar 2026

Reasonable, but they do crap on about acknowledgement of first nations like programmed little puppets.

Excellent service very relaxing cruise

Rod_B, Feb 2026

Great cruise. Great views from all seats. Nice easy walk around Sarah Island. The lunch was fresh and plentiful

Wonderful Experience

Debbie_B, Feb 2026

World time forgot and a walk into history

raymond_f, Feb 2026

From the time we arrived and boarded the vessel, we treated very special, all staff were great, the food was exceptional and l couldn't fault anything except the weather, and that didn't even put a damper on the day

Not impressed

Steven_J, Feb 2026

Very boring and ran out of food for lunch , nothing to look at but trees and water …………………..won’t be back and too expensive

Very recomended

Yamin_b, Feb 2026

One of the best in tasmania . From one side the ocean , the other side the gordon river with the special nature of tasmania. Also the stuff and service on board are very good

Exceptional

Vibhav_C, Jan 2026

The day was perfect. ...

Amy_M, Jan 2026

The day was perfect. Staff were exceptional and so friendly. They knew what they were talking about. Lots of information. Boat was really tidy and very comfortable

Magic Macquarie Harbour

Danae_J, Jan 2026

Two short walking trips on 2 Islands were brilliant. One on Sarah Island, first convict penal settlement.

Great service from the...

Anjana_D, Dec 2025

Great service from the crew at Gordon river cruises. Make sure you carry a warm jacket if you are planning to spend time on the deck.

Visability from boat

Tom_B, Nov 2025

Could and should have been sooo much better if boat was equipped with any system that allowed vision from windows in inclemt weather [ which is normal situation at location. It need not be sophisticated, but zero vis. on a AU$ 200 / seat day is NOT acceptable. I would not recommend the experience in inclement weather, which is common in the area.

Tasmania at it’s best

Helen_C, Oct 2025

Fantastic experience with history and nature. Staff were wonderful and informative. A beautiful way to travel and immerse yourself in the World Heritage area of the Gordon River.

I lovely day out for the family.

Melinda_R, Oct 2025

This was a fantastic day cruise that would highly recommend to do. Stuff was fantastic and lunch was very nice.

Lovely experience on the...

Breanna_S, Oct 2025

Lovely experience on the water. Nice and relaxing trip along the river. Was nice looking at the views from outside

A boat trip with the royal treatment

Jennifer_B, Oct 2025

From boarding with friendly staff and allocated seats (no rush to get a good seat-all seats have a great view) to service on the boat the hostess were amazing. They gave us lots of informative information about the area and the islands. Food and drinks were awesome. A great trip all round.

Very organised. Staff all...

Barb_H, Oct 2025

Very organised. Staff all happy and a pleasure to be around. Lunch was nice variety. Loved seat allocations. Sarah Island tour leader very entertaining. Even booking office was pleasant experience.

Informative commentary...

I_M, Oct 2025

Informative commentary about the history and significance of the area, great interacting staff and top notch service

Its a must do activity....

djridings6, Sept 2025

Its a must do activity. There is so much to see and learn. The lunch provided was excellent and they moved all of the passengers through quickly.

Fantastic Tour

Carolyn_C, Sept 2025

Absolutely fantastic tour. The entire trip from start to finish was excellent. Couldn’t recommend more highly.

We have such a fabulous...

Emma_B, Aug 2025

We have such a fabulous experience on our cruise. Nothing to fault. From the location, the weather, the guides, the boat, the staff it was a totally memorable and enjoyable experience.