Kangaroo Island in a Day Tour from Adelaide
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Adelaide, Australia
- 16 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Travel from Adelaide to Kangaroo Island, one of Australia’s most popular wildlife destinations, on this activity-filled day trip by ferry and coach that takes care of all the logistics. Discover natural attractions from Seal Bay Conservation Park to the Remarkable Rocks. Then, discover wildlife ranging from wallabies and echidnas to fur seals and sea lions, and even get up close with koalas and kangaroos.
- Round-trip coach and ferry transit makes logistics simple
- Take a walk among sea lions, hand-feed kangaroos, and spot koalas
- Discover many of Kangaroo Island's top natural features in one day
- A 2-course lunch is included in the tour cost for your ease
What's Included
- Lunch2-course lunch
- Travel by air-conditioned coach with expert commentary by local driver/guide
- Seal Bay Guided Beach Walk
- Flinders Chase National Park including the iconic Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch
- Visit Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park
- Fuel surcharge$5 per person
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks, unless specified
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Adelaide Central Bus Station83 Franklin St, Adelaide SA 5000, Australia
Please arrive at 6.30am to meet your driver by the entrance to the bus bays inside the Adelaide Central Bus Station, 83-85 Franklin Street, Adelaide
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Join your coach in central Adelaide for the drive across the Fleurieu Peninsula to Cape Jervis, where you catch the ferry for a cruise across Backstairs Passage to Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island. Upon arrival, board another coach for your tour of the island.
Begin your Kangaroo Island experience at Seal Bay Conservation Park to witness Australian sea lions lazing on the beach; take a coastal walk with a National Parks ranger for an up-close look at the colony.
Next, visit Flinders Chase National Park on the rugged southwest coast of the island to walk among the granite boulders known as the Remarkable Rocks. See the rock archway known as Admirals Arch, admire Cape du Couedic, and watch long-nosed fur seals as they play and relax.
Cap off your stay at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park, where keepers will help you feed kangaroos, introduce you to koalas, and explain marsupial lifestyles and habits.
Live commentary from your driver/guide enhances your tour, which also includes a delicious 2-course lunch.
When your time on the island is up, head back to the ferry landing, watching for more kangaroos along the way, for your journey back to the mainland, where your coach brings you back to the pickup point.
Begin your Kangaroo Island experience at Seal Bay Conservation Park to witness Australian sea lions lazing on the beach; take a coastal walk with a National Parks ranger for an up-close look at the colony.
Next, visit Flinders Chase National Park on the rugged southwest coast of the island to walk among the granite boulders known as the Remarkable Rocks. See the rock archway known as Admirals Arch, admire Cape du Couedic, and watch long-nosed fur seals as they play and relax.
Cap off your stay at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park, where keepers will help you feed kangaroos, introduce you to koalas, and explain marsupial lifestyles and habits.
Live commentary from your driver/guide enhances your tour, which also includes a delicious 2-course lunch.
When your time on the island is up, head back to the ferry landing, watching for more kangaroos along the way, for your journey back to the mainland, where your coach brings you back to the pickup point.
1
Penneshaw
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Seal Bay Conservation Park
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Cape du Couedic Lighthouse (Pass By)
3
Admirals Arch
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
Remarkable Rocks
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
5
Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- Collapsible wheelchairs with removable wheels can be accommodated providing the passenger is accompanied by someone who can assist them board and disembark
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Please wear comfortable walking shoes
- Please bring light jacket and sun protection
- Selected Adelaide CBD Hotels pick up & drop off available on request
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 48 travelers
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Frequently Asked Questions (2)
Q:What is the pick up location?
A:We offer pick ups from most hotels. Let us know where you are staying in the 'Special Requirements' box in the Traveler Details section during checkout. Or you can let us know after booking by visiting 'Manage my Booking' and emailing us there.
Jul 2019
The answers provided are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Exceptional. I would re-book this tour again. It’s very long but worth it. Bring lots of snacks. The lunch was delicious. All personnel were helpful and extremely knowledgeable(a special thanks to our guide Joanne). The staff at the parks were helpful and kind. It is apparent the staff is committed to providing a better environment for the animal species on the island. Kangaroo Island was an incredible experience. Our only regret was we didn’t stay overnight!
Reviews
4.4
based on 806 reviews
Review summary
Last 12 months
143 reviews
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Travelers praise the tour’s knowledgeable guides and professional, safety-focused drivers who provide engaging commentary and clear communication. The well-prepared lunches accommodating dietary needs and close wildlife encounters, especially with koalas and seals, enhance the experience. Kangaroo Island’s diverse natural scenery receives strong appreciation. However, many find the 16-hour itinerary rushed, with limited time at key stops and few refreshment options, tempering overall satisfaction despite smooth logistics.
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guide was well informed. long day but the sights selected were worth seeing. good history of the island.
A long 16 hour day with alot of travelling in coaches & ferry. Stunning island & our coach driver Hamish was very knowledgeable & friendly. We saw lots of wildlife & stunning coastline. The only negative - constantly clock watching. Difficult to just enjoy the moment without moving on again.
Very little time at sites. Mostly driving around. Description didn't mention that there would be more time driving people to their hotels than actually touring sites
Excellent experience from the beginning to the end. A long day, but well worth it. Our tour guide was exceptional, she had a great knowledge of what she was showing to us and everything I between. We recommend this experience to all that wish to try.
Just to make it clear, this Viator tour is the same as the main SeaLink tour, which is operated daily by the ferry company. It is the same price as booking directly through SeaLink, but Viator offers a more generous cancellation policy.
* Travel time (~8.5 hours):
It is a very long day with transport taking up the bulk of it. Let's break it down:
- Adelaide CBD - Cape Jervis bus ride: About 1.5 hours and allowing some extra time for hotel pickups, it's approximately 1 hour 45 minutes each way, make it 3.5 hours return.
- Ferry ride: Takes 45 minutes each way, adding another 1.5 hours
- Bus travel on Kangaroo Island: The island itself is about 145km long, and you pretty much drive from one end to the other. So even at 100km/h all the way, it takes about 3.5 hours in total.
So that's about 8.5 hours spent traveling, leaving much less time for sightseeing than you might expect!
BTW you can eat and drink on the bus and ferry, as long as hot drinks are securely covered and avoid food with strong odours. So do bring some snacks, as you will need them for the long journeys.
The ferry ride can also be rough for those prone to motion sickness, even when the wind is mild. It's worth stocking up on travel sickness medication and bringing a Sea-Band wristband to be prepared.
* Hotel pickup:
This tour doesn't offer direct pickup from certain hotels such as the Ibis Adelaide, but they will provide a nearby hotel pickup point for collection.
* Lunch:
Lunch is at Vivonne Bay Bistro (Vivonne Bay General Store) but we don't get to choose from their regular menu, which includes their famous whiting burger.
Instead, unless you have special dietary requirements, everyone is served the same set menu. It consists of grilled chicken salad with warm bread slices to share at the table. For dessert, you get a slice of cake from a selection of three different flavours.
* Gifting:
This is no time during the tour to buy souvenirs, so I would suggest visiting Kangaroo Island (Stall 17) at Adelaide Central Market instead, or just get it online and pretended you bought it on the trip. You can pick up local specialties there, such as the famous Ligurian bee honey.
Also, keep in mind that you cannot bring honey back to WA!
* Optional side trip:
When you have some free time around dinner in Penneshaw, you can take a walk to the nearby Frenchman's Rock ( about 30 minutes return). Along the way, you can also see the old town well and contemplation seat.
It's great that there is a day tour to allow a quick glimpse of Kangaroo Island. The tour guides are courteous and the tour itself ran like clockwork. However I'm not sure I could justify the cost given how rushed the itinerary is. Overall, I would recommend booking this tour only if you absolutely cannot spare more time for Kangaroo Island.
The tour was great as well as our tour guide. Would recommend it to my friends. The scenery was stunning
The Amazing Rocks and Admirals Arch were stunning natural formations, mixed with nature's little and not so little creatures and beautiful countryside make for a fantastic day trip.
Great way to see the best bits of kangaroo Island.
Hamish our tour guide was amazing with so much knowledge of the island
Traveling by bus from Adelaide city, it is a very long day. The sights are great. Bring a daypac with snacks (i.e. fruit...). The lunch was very light and due to a rather tight schedule and distan e to cover, there is no chance to purchase morning tea unless you do so on the ferry. Regret booking through Viatour. Basicly paid for three people for the two of us. I would recomend the tour but with some caution.
Great tour, guide was funny and knowledgeable and kept everything on track. The wildlife sanctuary was a highlight.
This is a really excellent day trip. I gave it four stars rather than five mostly because of the way that it's presented. You need to wait inside the Adelaide bus terminal.. do not look for some small van to pick you up out front like most tours. This is a huge motor coach inside the bus terminal and don't be surprised when a lot of people are bringing luggage. The motor coach is separate from the day trip. There are people getting on that bus that are going to be on kangaroo Island for multiple days. The driver of that bus is not your guide for the day.... He simply drives you to the ferry. He will give you a ferry ticket and you get on the ferry. It can be rough on the ferry so sit near the back if you get motion sickness. Once you get off the ferry go out and look for the largest motor coach right as you exit. Again this is confusing because no direction is given to you. Just check with the driver of the big motor coach and hopefully your name is on his manifest. This is your guide and driver for the day. Our driver was excellent and we did get to go and see all the touristy spots of Kangaroo Island. There is plenty of time at each location so you never feel rushed. The lunch is very good. We had chicken with a salad and some bread but they had vegetarian options too. Bring warm clothes and a warm hat and pack snacks or a sack dinner. The driver does get you back to the ferry for the 7:30 ferry back over to catch the motor coach back to Adelaide. I'm not sure how often the ferry run but it seems like they could cut out some of the time in the day and maybe put an earlier ferry back because it is a very very long day and you're back at the bus depot late at night. But if you come prepared it's a great one day trip to kangaroo Island.
What a wonderful full day filled with nature and beauty! Scott, our guide, was amazing. Funny, patient, kind, and generous with his vast knowledge of everything Kangaroo Island. Our lunch was delicious as well. My favorite stop was Admiral’s Arch where we watched baby fur seals playing in the surf, but honestly all of it was incredible. And I got to fulfill my lifelong dream of holding a Koala!! If you’re heading on the tour from Adelaide, just know the ferry ride can be a bit rocky so if you’re prone to motion sickness, take meds and sit in the back area of the ferry. There are concessions and bathrooms available on the ferry and bathrooms at most stops as well. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone!
This is a very long day, but if you only have one day available, it’s a great way to see Kangaroo Island. A proper visit to the island really deserves several days, but our schedule didn’t allow for that, so this tour gave us the opportunity to experience many of the highlights in a limited amount of time.
The scenery is absolutely beautiful, and we enjoyed the stops, although we frequently wished we had more time at each one. Lunch was very good. Dinner, however, is on your own, so plan ahead. You can purchase something at a local grocery store or hope there is food available on the ferry ride back. It would also be a nice touch if the tour provided bottled water during such a long day.
As other reviewers have mentioned, the pickup process was confusing and could definitely be communicated more clearly. The bus seats are also quite small, which is worth knowing given how much time you spend on the bus.
At the wildlife center, I highly recommend paying extra for the koala experience if it’s available. It was a fun addition to the day.
A few practical tips: bring layers and a rain jacket if you’re visiting in the spring, and be prepared for a very long day with a lot of travel. If you have several days to explore Kangaroo Island, I would recommend doing that instead. But if you only have one day like we did, this tour is a good way to see a lot of this beautiful island in a short amount of time.
This is a trip to the nature at its best. Native wildlife and plants, beautiful scenery, and experience tour guide.
This tour took us to marvelous places and attractions in KI. The beach and the scenery at the lighthouse site were the best for me. We saw plenty of seals playing in multicoloured water. The driver was super friendly.
Can't believe I was seasick when I was on the ferry to KI and I vomited at the end🤢So highly recommend passengers take a pill before boarding😂
The tour leader on the island as well as the drivers were amazing. Kind, knowledgeable and organized.
I had a negative experience with the Viator platform with booking. I purchased the tour in June, but on the platform it did not show that I had an experience pending. It wasn’t until the night before the tour that I received a message from Viator and by that time it was too late to cancel. The message from Viator did not give me tickets or voucher information. The link to those items did not work. There was no way to get in contact with anyone. I spent over an hour with the digital help center.
Despite being a long day, it really didn't feel like it. Will, our guide was great and very informative. The stops at Seal Bay and remarkable rocks were awesome
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hi Brendan,
thank you for taking the time to share your wonderful review.
We understand that our One Day Kangaroo Island tour is a very long day and we love hearing that we managed to keep it exciting and informative throughout and you enjoyed the island's unique landscape as much as we do.
We hope to welcome you back for another adventure in the future.
All the best,
Mara from the Sealink Team
It's a huge day but well worth it if you're short on time in Adelaide/ South Australia.
Joanne the driver and guide is very knowledgeable and obviously loves Kangaroo Island. She is very professional when it comes to safety and care of the travellers.
I loved Remarkable Rocks and the Wildlife sanctuary. Kangaroo Island kangaroos are the cutest ever and being able to get so close to koalas and even pat them while they were in a tree was a treat.
Thank you!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hello Julie,
thank you for such a detailed and thoughtful review. We're glad Joanne's knowledge, professionalism and care for the group came through so clearly and that highlights like Remarkable Rocks and the Wildlife Sanctuary made the day worthwhile despite the early start and long day. Thank you again for sharing your experience with u us and we hope you're back for more soon.
All the best,
Mara from Sealink
Amazing, the coach/driver is so helpful and kind and we get to see the amazing cloud : ) much appreciated
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hello Freyja,
thank you for your kind feedback. We're glad our driver made your day enjoyable and that you had the chance to take in the island's scenery along the way.
We appreciate you sharing your experience and choosing to travel with us. Hope to welcome you on another tour in future.
Best regards,
Mara from Sealink
Great day trip for any nature lover. From a beach with seals, various rock formations, to an interactive nature reserve. This was a day worth spent.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hello Leo,
thank you for taking the time to share this feedback. We're delighted to hear you enjoyed such a varied day on Kangaroo Island, from the seal colony to the rock formations and the wildlife park.
We appreciate you sharing your experience and hope to welcome you on another tour in future.
All the best,
Mara from the Sealink Team
This was one of the highlights of our 3 week vacation in Australia. The scenery and the wildlife experiences exceeded my expectations. Our guide, Dani, provided so much interesting information and took great care of us. It was a very long day, but it was totally worth it.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, Krista! We're very happy to hear that your Kangaroo Island tour was one of the highlights of your Australian holiday.
Kangaroo Island really is a special place, and we're so pleased the stunning scenery and incredible wildlife exceeded your expectations. We'll be sure to pass your kind words on to Dani—she'll be delighted to hear that her knowledge and care helped make your day even more enjoyable.
It is a long day, but we're so glad you felt it was worth every minute. We hope to welcome you back for another adventure if you're ever in Australia again!
All the best,
Mara from Sealink
This is an awesome tour, where you'll see some incredible wildlife, both in their natural habitat and in a wildlife park. Dani, our guide, was brilliant, making sure we were everywhere in good time, had enough time at the various stops and provided a ton of local history and information on our way around the island. The provided lunch was very tasty too. The one thing I would say is prepare for a very long day - we left Adelaide at 6.45am and I was dropped back at my hotel at 10.15pm. The drive to Cape Jervis takes about 90-110 minutes and then the ferry crossing (which has toilets and a snack bar) takes about 45 minutes.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thanks so much for your great review, Gavin! We're so pleased you enjoyed the wildlife, lunch, and your day on Kangaroo Island.
We'll be sure to pass your lovely feedback on to Dani—she'll really appreciate it. Thanks as well for mentioning the length of the tour, as it helps future travellers know what to expect.
We hope to see you again on another adventure!
All the best,
Mara from Sealink
This tour involved a bus trip to the Cape Jervis Ferry Wharf (two hours south of Adelaide), apologies that we didn't catch the name of our first driver (on early shift 6th June), we really appreciated your wealth of knowledge of the Adelaide & surrounding areas, also for all your help explaining the next part of the journey, the ferry.
After the ferry, that's where we met Brad our tour guide, who drove us over the length of the 155 k's of the Island, we were surprised with how big the Island is & all the services available. Brad, being a resident, certainly knew his stuff, which was extremely impressive, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us.
Kangaroo Island is such a beautiful place, you'll love all the landscape highlights & the wildlife. The National Parks staff were also amazing, sharing their knowledge with us along the way as well.
The Wildlife Park at Seal Bay was also a beautiful experience, meeting up along the way with some rescue kangaroos & koalas, thank you to all the staff there.
Thank you to everyone at 'The Stranger' for lunch, a very much appreciated baked chicken/veggies.
We had the best day, thank you to all the ferry crew & Wayne who did the bus service & commentary the way back to Adelaide (apparently not your usual run, the company are lucky to have you), you all made for an exceptional day!!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hello Roslyn,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your wonderful feedback. We are delighted to hear that you had such an enjoyable experience exploring Kangaroo Island and that so many members of the team helped make your day memorable. We will be sure to pass on your kind comments to Athol (the morning driver), Brad and Wayne. They will be thrilled to know their knowledge, hospitality and passion for the region made such a positive impression. Kangaroo Island is indeed a remarkable destination and it is always rewarding to hear when guests appreciate not only its stunning landscapes and wildlife but also the people who help bring the experience to life. Thank you again for choosing to travel with us. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you on another adventure in the future.
All the best,
Mara from Sealink
Long day. Lots of travelling time, but well worth the effort. Spectacular views. Coach drivers were very informative about the history of the island.
Be prepared for a rough ferry crossing if the weather isn’t ideal.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hello Alexis,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. Kangaroo Island is quite large and we highly recommend a few days to get around to all the main attractions, whilst taking the time to relax. However for travellers who only have a day, the one day tour covers a lot of ground and visits most of the main attractions the island is so famous for, and we appreciate the travel time required to get to and from the island, given its distance from Adelaide, does make for a long day. We're delighted to hear that you found the journey to be well worth the effort and enjoyed the spectacular scenery that Kangaroo Island has to offer. It's also wonderful to know that our coach drivers helped enhance your experience with their informative commentary and insights into the island's history. Thank you again for your review. We hope to welcome you on another tour with us in the future.
All the best,
Mara from Sealink
It’s well organized and efficient. We were busy all 16 hours of the tour. Sightseeing is amazing. Lunch is great. Animal encounters are fun
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hello Irina,
Thank you for your wonderful review. We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tour and found it to be well organised and efficient. Kangaroo Island is an incredible destination and it's great to know that the sightseeing, delicious lunch and memorable wildlife encounters all contributed to a fantastic experience. Thank you again for your feedback and we hope to welcome you on another tour in the future.
Best regards,
Mara from Sealink
The tour guide was very good and was kept us well informed about the Island but the ferry can run late.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hello David,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're pleased to hear that you enjoyed your tour and that your guide helped make the experience informative and engaging with their knowledge of Kangaroo Island. While ferry services generally operate to schedule, delays can occasionally occur due to weather, sea conditions, or operational requirements. We understand that this can impact travel plans and appreciate your understanding. Thank you for travelling with us. We hope to welcome you on another tour in the future.
All the best,
Mara from Sealink
I had a great time from the moment I got on the 6:30 bus up until I got dropped off at 22:30. Such knowledgeable and enthousiastic local tour guides and bus drivers (shout out to Dani, who does weekend tours!). Even with the showers we had throughout the day, the locations we were taken to were beautiful and totally worth it. Lunch was very tasty and well-prepared. Because you do go to a couple of locations scattered on the surprisingly big island, there is a strict schedule and you’ll spend quite some time on the bus. However, I didn’t feel rushed whatsoever and all the stories you get on the bus make time fly by. 11/10 would recommend!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hi Anneke,
Thank you so much for your wonderful review and for spending the day exploring Kangaroo Island with us!
We’re so pleased to hear you had such a great experience from start to finish, even with a few showers along the way. Kangaroo Island certainly knows how to put on a show in all kinds of weather! We'll be sure to pass your feedback on to the team as well.
Thank you again for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back to South Australia again sometime soon!
Kind regards,
Mara
Time spent at each attractions too short compared to time spent to get to each location of a few hours
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hi Lisa,
thank you for your feedback. As Kangaroo Island is quite large and the tour covers a number of key highlights in a single day, there is naturally a fair amount of travel involved between locations. We understand that some guests would prefer more time at each stop, and we appreciate you sharing your perspective.
We’re glad you chose to visit Kangaroo Island with us and hope you still enjoyed the beautiful scenery and experiences throughout the day.
All the best,
Mara
Pick up area instructions need to be more clear and should have a tour organizer 's contact number. The street number differing on the bus station and also need to mention the waiting area, whether inside the station and where in the station .
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hi Peter,
thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear the pick-up instructions caused some confusion prior to departure. We understand how important clear meeting point information is, especially when travelling early in the morning.
Your comments regarding the bus station location details, waiting area instructions, and the inclusion of a contact number have been noted and shared with the team for review. Feedback like yours helps us improve the experience for future guests.
We appreciate you travelling with us and hope you still enjoyed your visit to Kangaroo Island.
All the best,
Mara from Sealink
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