Three Capes Track: book it, or walk Cape Hauy / Raoul instead
Unofficial decision tree for the Three Capes Track — 48 km, 4d/3n, Grade 3, max 48/day, 2026 prices to verify, what the fee includes, and when a Parks Pass day walk is the honest product.
By Ian Piggott · Farming Domains · Unofficial guide · ~11 min read
Updated · re-check Parks Tasmania before travel
Best for: People deciding whether the hut walk is the right product
Unofficial guide — always verify track conditions, closures, fees and safety with Parks Tasmania. Place photos are Wikimedia Commons / CC where credited — not official Parks Tasmania imagery and not live conditions.
Some stay, tour and gear links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Parks Pass fees, Fortescue Bay camping fees and official Three Capes / Parks Tasmania bookings are never affiliated.
Three Capes is not a trailhead you wander onto from Fortescue because the car park had space. It is a Parks Tasmania booked walk with a daily cap, hut nights, a boat start and a bus finish. If the calendar is empty, the peninsula is not “closed” — you still have Cape Hauy, Cape Raoul and the northern geology sites.
This guide is unofficial. Book only on parks.tas.gov.au. We never affiliate Three Capes fees, Parks Pass or Fortescue camping.
What you are buying
48 km, 4 days, 3 nights, Grade 3, maximum 48 walkers per day. Self-cater. Huts are the bed, not a hotel. Exposed dolerite clifftops are the scenery and the weather problem.
Published planning figures for 2026 (mark [VERIFY] on the official page before you pay): adult $650; concession/child $515; winter promotion $485 for new bookings 1 July–31 August 2026.
What is included vs separate
Included as published: parks pass for the walk duration plus one day either side; boat from Port Arthur Historic Site; bus from Fortescue at the finish.
Separate: Port Arthur Historic Site sightseeing ticket; Fortescue Bay camping if you add a vehicle night; ordinary daily Parks Pass if you are a Cape Hauy day visitor rather than a booked walker; any commercial tour or cruise.
When a day walk is the better product
You cannot get a date. You do not want to self-cater for four days. Your group’s fitness is “one big day,” not pack-on-Grade-3 for four. You only wanted the Totem Pole view — that is Cape Hauy from Fortescue.
Cape Raoul is the longer, rougher Grade 4 day from Stormlea. It is not a Three Capes substitute and not a consolation loop from Fortescue.
FAQ
Tap a question to expand the answer.
Does the Three Capes fee include Port Arthur Historic Site?
The walk uses a boat from the Historic Site and includes a parks pass for published dates. Sightseeing the convict precinct is a separate Historic Site ticket. Confirm inclusions on the official walk page.
Can I walk Three Capes without a booking?
No. If you cannot get a hut date, walk Cape Hauy or Cape Raoul on a Parks Pass. Do not trespass hut alignments.
Is Cape Hauy closed when Three Capes has its April maintenance window?
In 2026 Parks Tasmania published Three Capes closed 13–26 April and noted the Cape Hauy day walk was not affected that window. Always re-check alerts — windows move.
More articles
- Cape Hauy operator’s guide: steps, C344 and the reverse clock
How to walk Cape Hauy as a day trip from Hobart — 9.4 km return, Grade 3, Fortescue Bay, Parks Pass, unsealed C344, and what not to stack on the same day. Desk research, not walked.
- Dolerite cliffs: Tessellated Pavement, Tasmans Arch and the capes
How the Tasman Peninsula’s geology sites actually sit on a day plan — Pavement, Blowhole, Arch/Kitchen (2026 closure), Waterfall Bay Road, and why the capes are a different product.
- Fortescue Bay camping: two fee systems, C344 and fireplaces
How Fortescue Bay camping actually works — Parks Pass plus a separate camp fee, 2026 published prices to verify, book Oct–Apr / first-come May–Sep, fuel-stove rules, and why it is not Three Capes.
- Wildlife on the Arthur Highway, cliff wind and what to pack
Peninsula weather is not a Hobart CBD tile. Pack for wind on dolerite, slick steps, and a dusk wildlife buffer on A9 and C344. Unofficial packing notes — verify BOM and Parks Tasmania.
- Plan B — Tasmans Arch and Devils Kitchen closed (2026 works)
Tasmans Arch and Devils Kitchen visitor site is closed 15 April–29 September 2026. What still works: Tessellated Pavement, Blowhole, Waterfall Bay via Waterfall Bay Road — not a gate-hop and not an automatic Cape Hauy.
- Plan B — left Hobart too late for Cape Hauy
You left Hobart after 10am and Cape Hauy’s 4-hour return no longer fits a dusk wildlife buffer. Named failure, named Plan B: Eaglehawk Neck geology, not a compressed cape death-march.
- Port Arthur Historic Site is not a Parks Pass
Three tills on one peninsula: Tasmania Parks Pass, Fortescue camping, Three Capes booking — and a fourth ticket at Port Arthur Historic Site. Mixing them is how days and budgets break.
Free day-trip checklist
Printable packing, order of stops and official Parks Tasmania links — free direct download, no email required.
- Before-you-leave packing ticks
- Half-day Eaglehawk Neck geology vs Cape Hauy clock
- What to skip when Arch/Kitchen is closed or you left Hobart late
- Official Parks Tasmania links to verify conditions
Free direct download — no email required. Also available anytime from Maps & resources · Itineraries · Privacy.
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Stays after you plan
Optional only — after the guide and official resources. Park fees and official Parks Tasmania bookings are never affiliated.
Nearby stays
Port Arthur · Eaglehawk Neck · Hobart
- Stays at Port ArthurClosest to Remarkable Cave, Three Capes check-in and the Historic Site
- Eaglehawk NeckNorthern geology sites and the isthmus — still a drive to Fortescue
- HobartDay-trip base — about 90 minutes each way via Sorell and the Arthur Highway
All Booking.com links open in a new tab and may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Official Fortescue camping, Parks Pass and Three Capes bookings are never affiliated.
Some stay, tour and gear links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Parks Pass fees, Fortescue Bay camping fees and official Three Capes / Parks Tasmania bookings are never affiliated. Affiliate disclosure · Privacy