Mona in summer

What is the Mona ferry timetable from 3 December 2026?

The peak timetable: 13 sailings each way, Thursday to Monday, from 3 December 2026 to 29 March 2027. From 30 March 2027 it drops to an off-peak timetable of 7 each way.

The first boat leaves Brooke Street Pier at 9.30am and the last at 5pm; the first back from Mona is 10am and the last 5.30pm. Through the middle of the morning and the afternoon they run every half hour, so you rarely wait long. The ride is about 30 minutes, and you can change your ferry time in the O with the “change times” button if there is room on the boat.

The museum's hours page still lists 10am to 5pm, so treat the late sailings as your ride home rather than extra gallery time. Fares stay from A$32, return the same as one way. Our Mona ferry guide covers the Standard and Posh Pit tickets and where to park near the pier.

Is Mona open over Christmas and New Year 2026-27?

Mona lists Thursday to Monday, 10am to 5pm, until 30 June 2027. It has not posted separate Christmas or public holiday hours, so check Mona's opening-hours page before you book a holiday date.

Christmas Day and New Year's Day both fall on a Friday this season and Boxing Day on a Saturday, all normal open days on the weekly pattern. Australia Day, 26 January 2027, is a Tuesday, when Mona is closed anyway. Mona says that if anything special is happening on a day, it shows up when you book that date.

One thing has gone from the summer calendar: Mona Foma, Mona's former summer festival, came to an end after 16 years. Summer at Mona now is the museum, the lawns and the long lunch.

What is the weather like in Hobart in summer?

Mild. The Bureau of Meteorology's Hobart averages give a top of 21.8°C in January and February and nights around 12°C, with February the driest month of the year.

January also has the most sun, about 8 hours a day on average. The museum itself is underground and the weather never reaches the galleries, which is why a hot or a wet day both suit Mona. Bring a layer anyway: the ferry's open deck catches the wind off the river.

If your tour goes up kunanyi / Mount Wellington first, pack a jacket. The summit sits at about 1,271 m, it is colder than the city, and Pinnacle Road can close in severe weather. The summit observation shelter opens 8am to 8pm in summer, per Wellington Park.

Should you book Mona entry early for summer?

Yes. Entry is by timed ticket, slots are limited, and Mona recommends booking ahead so you do not queue or miss out.

Pick your entry hour first, then the ferry that gets you there with time to spare: your ticket lets you in within the hour marked on it. No fixed plan? A wildcard ticket lets you turn up when you like and join the queue. Date changes are possible, subject to availability, through Mona's Bookings and Enquiries.

A tour takes the juggling away. On the Mt Wellington and Mona day trip the entry, the ferry and the O are already booked, and the summit comes first while the morning is clear. More ways to reach Berriedale, from the free Metro buses to the cycleway, are in our getting to Mona guide.

kunanyi / Mount Wellington with a guide, the Cascade Gardens, then the ferry and about 3 hours at Mona, entry included.

★ 4.6 · 7.5 hours · from $98

Explore the Mt Wellington and Mona day trip → Tour details

Which Mona tours run in summer, and what about Tuesdays and Wednesdays?

Plan the tours with Mona for Thursday to Monday, when the museum is open, and use Tuesday or Wednesday for the city, the river or Bruny Island.

The Hobart city tour with Mona fills the morning with Battery Point, Salamanca Place and the Rosny Hill lookout before Mona. Sarah (Mar 2025): “comfy transport, great guide, and fabulous ferry ride and trip to MONA. All round great day”. Mona like a rockstar is Mona's own long lunch on the 10.15am ferry, for adults.

For the closed days, the hop-on hop-off bus runs 7 days a week on a 90-minute loop with 20 stops, and the historic lunch cruise spends 1.5 hours under the Tasman Bridge. Julie (Mar 2026) on the cruise: “Having lunch on the river prior to going home was a lovely and relaxing thing to do.” For a full day out, the Bruny Island day tour leaves at 7am.

How do you spend a long summer day at Mona?

Go down first, eat late, and finish outside. The galleries suit the middle of the day; the lawns, the wine bar and the cellar door suit the afternoon.

Many visitors start at the bottom, on B3, and work up. Mona suggests three or four hours for the museum, or a whole day with lunch and wine. In summer the outdoor Heavy Metal Kitchen cooks over fire from 12pm to 3pm, Thursday to Monday, and the Moorilla Cellar Door pours from 11am to 5pm. James Turrell's Amarna, which Mona lists for sunrise and sunset, is free to visit Friday to Monday.

Remember Mona is cashless and does not allow BYO food or drink. Our guide to how long to spend at Mona has sample days for 3 hours and for a full day.

Frequently asked questions