Kangaroo Island Visitor Guide: Ferry, Park Entry and Getting Around

Hours, prices and access verified by the Kangaroo Island Tours team — last checked 2026-09-24.

You cannot buy a ticket to Kangaroo Island, because the island has no gate. What you pay for is the crossing, a tour or a hire car, and the parks inside it. If you are weighing up Kangaroo Island booking, start here with what each part costs and what your fare already covers.

No island ticket: what you actually pay for

Three costs make up a visit. First the crossing: the SeaLink ferry from Cape Jervis to Penneshaw takes 45 minutes, or you fly from Adelaide to Kingscote in about 30 minutes. Then the way you see the island, a tour or a hire car. Last, the parks: Flinders Chase charges an entry fee, and Seal Bay sells its tickets at its own visitor centre.

Most full-day and overnight tours already carry the park entries, so check your card before you pay for them twice. The ferry is a separate booking on almost every tour, and travellers have lost a tour day because the boat was full. Book the crossing first, then the tour.

What you pay for	What it costs	Good to know
The crossing	SeaLink’s own fare, or an airline’s	Ferry from Cape Jervis to Penneshaw, 45 minutes; or a 30-minute flight from Adelaide to Kingscote. Book it first.
A full-day tour	$154 to $884 per person	Park entry and lunch are in most full-day fares; the cruise days meet the tenders
A wildlife outing	$55 to $139 per person	Boats from Penneshaw, the koala walk, the night drives; no park to pay for
An overnight trip	$586 to $757 per person	Park fees in the fare; the ferry and the bed differ trip by trip
Flinders Chase entry	A$22.40 a person	Pay before you enter, online or at the visitor centre
Seal Bay entry	Pay at the Seal Bay Visitor Centre	No booking needed
Kangaroo Island Tour Pass	A$95.00 an adult	12 months, several parks; bought in person on the island

The Kangaroo Island Tour Pass (A$95.00 adult)

The Kangaroo Island Tour Pass is sold by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and lasts 12 months. It covers entry to Flinders Chase National Park, the Seal Bay guided tour and its boardwalk and lookout, the self-guided visit to the Cape Borda lightstation, the guided visit to the Cape Willoughby lightstation and the Kelly Hill Caves.

Pass holder	Price
Adult	A$95.00
Concession	A$76.50
Child	A$57.00
Family (2 adults and 2 children, or 1 adult and 3)	A$262.00

Is it worth it? Only if you drive yourself and plan to visit most of those parks. The pass is sold in person only, at the Cape Willoughby information centre, the Flinders Chase and Seal Bay visitor centres, or the park office in Kingscote. The parks service itself says single fees may cost less if you visit just a couple of parks. On a tour whose fare includes park entry, you need neither.

Single park entries: Flinders Chase and Seal Bay

Flinders Chase National Park, at the west end, is where Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch stand. Entry is A$22.40 a person, paid before you enter, online or at the Flinders Chase Visitor Centre, 8125 South Coast Road, Karatta SA 5223, 800 metres outside the park. Roads in the park can close after rain or in damaging winds, so check its alerts on the morning you drive.

Seal Bay Conservation Park is on the south coast, 45 minutes from Kingscote. You pay at the Seal Bay Visitor Centre, and no booking is needed. It is open 9am to 5pm daily except Christmas Day; last entry 4pm.

Seal Bay beach access is paused. On 24 September 2026 the parks service said access to the beach has been temporarily paused to protect the sea lion colony. Seal Bay stays open, and you see the sea lions from the 900-metre boardwalk with a roaming guide. Some tour listings still describe a walk on the beach; expect the boardwalk instead, and read the Seal Bay guide for what it shows you.

Park	Entry	Hours	Where you pay
Flinders Chase National Park	A$22.40 a person	Open daily; staff in the park from 9am	Online, or at the visitor centre
Seal Bay Conservation Park	Priced at the centre	9am to 5pm, last entry 4pm; closed Christmas Day	The Seal Bay Visitor Centre
Kelly Hill Caves, Cape Borda, Cape Willoughby	Covered by the Tour Pass	Set by each site	On site

Getting around without a car

The island is about 155 km long and up to 55 km wide, and there is no public transport, taxi or rideshare network on it. A shuttle meets the morning and evening ferry and runs to Kingscote, and that is the whole of the public service. So without a car, a tour with pickup is how you reach the parks.

Check where the pickup is before you book. Several full-day tours collect from Kingscote and American River hotels and not from the ferry. The quad, buggy, e-bike and koala outings at Vivonne Bay start at their bases, about 90 minutes’ drive from the Penneshaw ferry, and none runs a shuttle.

How you get around	Where it takes you	What to watch
A tour with pickup	The parks and sights, with the driving done for you	Most full days collect from Kingscote and American River hotels, not the ferry
A hire car	Anywhere, on your own clock	Long distances and some rough dirt roads; fuel up in the towns
The ferry shuttle	Penneshaw to Kingscote and back	Meets the morning and evening ferry only
Taxi or rideshare	Nowhere	There is no taxi or rideshare network on the island

No car on the island?

The full days pick you up at an island hotel and carry the park fees; the overnight trips start in Adelaide. Compare where each day starts and what the fare covers.

See the Kangaroo Island tours Compare every tour

Fuel, shops and phone signal

Fuel: 24-hour fuel at Kingscote, Penneshaw, American River and the Western KI Caravan Park, with more at Parndana and Vivonne Bay. Fill up before you head west.
Supermarkets: In Penneshaw, Kingscote and Parndana. Buy your picnic before a day in the far west.
Phone signal: Telstra has the widest coverage. Other networks drop out, and the west end has little or no signal, so download your maps before you drive.
Christmas Day: The ferry does not run, Seal Bay is closed, and the SeaLink coach day does not operate.

What you cannot bring to the island

Kangaroo Island guards its farms and its bees, and the rules apply on the ferry and the plane alike. Leave these on the mainland:

Bees, bee-keeping equipment and honey products
Unwashed potatoes
Rabbits and foxes
Declared weeds

If you want island honey, buy it on the island; the tastings days stop at producers for exactly that.

Accessibility on the island

Seal Bay

The 900-metre return boardwalk through the dunes to the viewing platforms is wheelchair accessible, and parking is free.

Remarkable Rocks

An accessible boardwalk leads out to the granite boulders on their dome above the sea.

Admirals Arch

The boardwalk down to the arch is steep, with steps at the end. Accessible toilets are at Cape du Couedic and Rocky River.

The tours

Almost every listing says it is not wheelchair accessible. The two that say it is are a dune buggy ride and an evening wildlife drive; ask the operator before you book.

Tour	What its listing says
3-Day Kangaroo Island Adventure Tour	Listed as not wheelchair accessible
Small Group Kangaroo Island Tour - Flinders Chase	Listed as not wheelchair accessible
Flinders Chase Private Luxury Tour	Listed as not wheelchair accessible
Kangaroo Island - Swim with Dolphins/Seals/Coastal Snorkel	Listed as not wheelchair accessible
Kangaroo Island 2-Day Wildlife Adventure Small Group tour	Listed as not wheelchair accessible
Koala Walking Tour in Kangaroo Island	Listed as not wheelchair accessible
Small Group Kangaroo Island Tour - Best of KI	Listed as not wheelchair accessible
After Hours Electric Fatbike Tour in Kangaroo Island	Listed as not wheelchair accessible
Full-Day Kangaroo Island Experience Departing from Kangaroo Island	Listed as not wheelchair accessible
Kangaroo Island Shore Excursion Scenic Trail Tour	Listed as not wheelchair accessible
Kangaroo Island Quad Bike (ATV) Tours	Listed as not wheelchair accessible
Kangaroo Island 75-Minute Coastal Safari	Listed as not wheelchair accessible
Small Group Kangaroo Island Tour - Best of KI in 2 Days	Listed as not wheelchair accessible
Small Group Kangaroo Island Tour - Seal Bay	Listed as not wheelchair accessible
Kangaroo Island Small‑Group Scenic & Wildlife Day Tour	Listed as not wheelchair accessible
Nocturnal Tour of Kangaroo Island	Listed as not wheelchair accessible
Kangaroo Island Shore Excursion Tasting Tour - For Cruise Ship Passengers Only	Listed as not wheelchair accessible
Small Group Kangaroo Island Evening and Night Tour	Listed as wheelchair accessible: confirm with the operator
Small-Group Buggy Tour at Little Sahara with Guide	Listed as wheelchair accessible: confirm with the operator
Electric Fat Bike Tour in Kangaroo Island	Listed as not wheelchair accessible

Visitor centre: name, address and hours

Seal Bay Visitor Centre

Seal Bay Road, Kangaroo Island SA 5221. Telephone (+61 8) 8553 4463. Open 9am to 5pm daily except Christmas Day; last entry 4pm. It sells Seal Bay entry and the Tour Pass, and it is where the roaming guide starts along the boardwalk.

Flinders Chase Visitor Centre

8125 South Coast Road, Karatta SA 5223, just outside the park. The parks office on the island answers on (+61 8) 8553 4444.

Asked before you go

Is there a Kangaroo Island entry ticket?

No. The island has no gate and no entry ticket: what you pay for is the crossing, a tour or a hire car, and the park entries. Most full-day and multi-day fares already carry the park entries, so check the card before you buy them separately.

What is the Kangaroo Island Tour Pass?

The Kangaroo Island Tour Pass is a National Parks pass, A$95.00 an adult, that covers Flinders Chase National Park, the Seal Bay tour, Kelly Hill Caves and the lightstations at Cape Borda and Cape Willoughby for 12 months. You buy it in person on the island, and it may cost more than single entries if you visit only a couple of parks.

How much does it cost to enter Flinders Chase?

A$22.40 a person, paid before you enter, online or at the visitor centre. The Tour Pass covers Flinders Chase too, and most full-day tours to the far west include the fee.

Can you still walk on the beach at Seal Bay?

Not at present. On 24 September 2026 the National Parks and Wildlife Service said access to the beach at Seal Bay is temporarily paused to protect the sea lion colony. The park stays open, and you see the colony from the 900-metre boardwalk with a roaming guide.

Are there taxis or Uber on Kangaroo Island?

No. There is no public transport, taxi or rideshare network on the island. A shuttle meets the morning and evening ferry and runs to Kingscote, and beyond that you need a car or a tour with pickup.

Is park entry included on day tours?

On every full-day and multi-day listing but one, the park fees are named in what the fare includes. The private Flinders Chase day flags admission in its itinerary only, so confirm it when you book.

Is there phone signal on the island?

Telstra has the widest coverage; other networks drop out, and the west end has little or none. Download your maps before you drive.

What can I not bring to the island?

Bees, bee equipment and honey products, unwashed potatoes, rabbits, foxes and declared weeds. The island keeps them out to protect its bees and farms.

Is Seal Bay wheelchair accessible?

The 900-metre return boardwalk at Seal Bay is wheelchair accessible and runs to viewing platforms over the colony. Parking is free.

Next: read the reviews for what a day on the island is like, check the full list in the FAQs, and compare every fare on Kangaroo Island Tours.