Kangaroo Island in a Day Tour from Adelaide

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.

Great day had lots of fun. Very long day though and be prepared to spend a lot of time in transit

We were a family group of five — three generations ranging from 23 to 81 — and really enjoyed seeing Kangaroo Island. The island itself is spectacular and absolutely a “must see” destination. The tour was true to the itinerary: Seal Bay (sea lions), Flinders Chase National Park, Remarkable Rocks, Admiral’s Arch (spectacular views and fur seals — my personal highlight), and the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park (feed kangaroos, see koalas up close, amongst others). The two-course lunch provided was tasty and filling. Be aware that that this is a very long day when travelling from Adelaide — a 6:30am start and return after 10:30pm. If you have time, consider staying overnight on Kangaroo Island. If you have a car, there is an option to drive to the Cape Jervis ferry terminal rather than taking the bus to & from Adelaide - this saved us $70 per person and got us back to Adelaide slightly earlier, plus flexibility if we wanted to stop for dinner. The island is really large, so although you visit many places, you do spend a fair amount of time on the bus. Fortunately, the itinerary includes four or five well timed stops that break up the travel nicely. It was a very large tour group on the day we visited - a full-sized coach with only one spare seat (around 50 passengers). We felt that this was too many people for this particular tour, especially given the tight timing at each stop. It created delays - 50 people getting on and off the bus at each stop, waiting for toilets, queuing for tea / coffee at lunch, and a higher chance of people returning late from stops - which we experienced and added time pressure toward the end of the day. Despite the large group size, our guide Brad was excellent: passionate, knowledgeable, and very pleasant. His easygoing manner helped keep the day relaxed, and he shared many interesting facts throughout the tour. While there is a bit of walking involved, it is not strenuous. However, there are some groups of stairs to reach Admiral’s Arch & view the fur seals at the Arch which may present a challenge for less mobile people (and especially with the time pressure to return to the coach on time). Despite being a long day and the large group size, it was still a rewarding day that covered the major sights of Kangaroo Island and with great wildlife experiences.

The trip was beautiful and the guides were really great. We learned some really interesting things from the guides throughout the entire trip. The only reason I’m giving 4 stars instead of 5 is the timing. We really wish we had had more time at the last stop in the wildlife park. It felt quite rushed, as we were only there for about 30 minutes. The itinerary and the time allocated for each stop also weren’t exactly as shown in the description. We also had to drop off some people who were staying there, which took some additional time. Lunch was good. We had chicken salad with bread, coffee and tea with cake. Overall, it was a beautiful trip and we really enjoyed it. Despite the timing being a little rushed at the end, we would definitely recommend this trip.

+6

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.

Thoroughly enjoyable day, our host and tour guide Jo-anne, has a wealth of knowledge which gave a great insight and appreciation of Kangaroo Island. The one day tour is a very long day but well worth it and recommend taking food snacks. Bus and ferry transfers very reliable and efficient.

This is a trip to the nature at its best. Native wildlife and plants, beautiful scenery, and experience tour guide.