Summer-pattern timetable confirmed live via the operator's booking system for 22 September - 3 October 2026 · Representative services only — check the operator for today's full timetable
Departures 1–10 / 10
Departures 1–10 / 10
Crossing time
~30 min
Operator
Lake St Clair Lodge
Map – Lake St Clair Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult, one way (Cynthia Bay - Narcissus) | $60.00 |
| Child (under 12), one way (Cynthia Bay - Narcissus) | $30.00 |
| Adult, one way (Cynthia Bay - Echo Point) | $50.00 |
| Child (under 12), one way (Cynthia Bay - Echo Point) | $25.00 |
| Scenic Cruise, adult (round trip via Echo Point and Narcissus, no disembarking) | $80.00 |
| Scenic Cruise, child 12 and under (round trip) | $40.00 |
| Child under 5 years | Free |
| Minimum charge, winter on-demand sailing with fewer than 6 passengers | $330.00 |
This is not a scheduled public-transport ferry: it is a paid, operator-run boat service across Lake St Clair, and Lake St Clair Lodge strongly recommends pre-booking, particularly for Overland Track walkers relying on it for the final leg from Narcissus. Prices below are the one-way adult/child fares published on the operator's own site and matched against its live FareHarbor booking system on 22 September 2026. Walkers who board at Narcissus after pre-booking must still confirm their presence by UHF radio call from Narcissus Hut. In winter (on-demand) mode, a crossing for fewer than six passengers is charged at a flat minimum of $330 regardless of headcount, rather than the per-person fare. All fares in Australian dollars (AUD).
The Lake St Clair ferry is a passenger boat, not a vehicle service, run by Lake St Clair Lodge across Lake St Clair in Tasmania's Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. Its vessel, the Ida Clair, carries walkers and day visitors between Cynthia Bay at the lake's southern end - where the park's visitor centre and lodge sit - and Narcissus at the northern end, with a brief stop at Echo Point along the way. Lake St Clair is Australia's deepest lake, at around 160 metres, and the operator markets this as the highest-altitude ferry service in the country; the 30-minute, one-way crossing passes beneath dolerite peaks including Mt Hugel, Mt Olympus, Mt Orthys, Mt Byron and Mt Ida.
Most travellers use it for one specific reason: it is the fastest way off the northern end of the Overland Track. Walkers finishing the six-day, 65km walk at Narcissus Hut can book a seat back to Cynthia Bay rather than adding a further day's walk down the lake's eastern shore, and the lodge asks that pre-booked passengers still confirm their arrival by UHF radio call from the hut. Day visitors who just want to reach the Echo Point walking track can instead buy a one-way, Cynthia Bay-only ticket to Echo Point - it is not sold as a return, and there is no separate one-way product from Narcissus to Echo Point.
The ferry operates year-round, but not on one fixed timetable: the operator runs a published three-sailings-a-day pattern (from Cynthia Bay at 9am, 12:30pm and 3pm, returning from Narcissus at 9:30am, 1pm and 3:30pm) that its own live booking system showed already running through late September and into October 2026, while outside that period it switches to an on-demand winter service, with a flat $330 minimum charge for parties smaller than six. Every sailing, in any season, depends on the weather on the lake and can be delayed or cancelled at short notice, so this is a service to book and reconfirm rather than treat as a fixed public timetable. The Ida Clair is rated for 22 passengers, fewer when groups are carrying heavy overnight packs.
- Arrive at the terminal a few minutes before departure; vehicle boarding usually closes earlier.
- Check the operator's service alerts before travelling — weather, tides and river levels affect services.
- Confirm accepted payment methods and whether a booking is required for vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
Booking is strongly recommended, especially for Overland Track walkers finishing at Narcissus Hut - it guarantees your seat. Walk-ups may be possible if space allows, but in winter, sailings only run when a booking triggers them.
The operator runs it year-round, but the pattern changes: a fixed three-sailings-a-day summer timetable most of the year, and an on-demand winter service with no set departures otherwise. Check the operator's live booking calendar or call +61 3 6289 1137 for the current mode.
One way between Cynthia Bay and Narcissus is $60 for an adult and $30 for a child (under 12). A shorter one-way ticket to Echo Point is $50/$25. A round-trip Scenic Cruise that doesn't disembark is $80/$40. Children under 5 travel free.
About 30 minutes each way between Cynthia Bay and Narcissus, with a brief stop at Echo Point along the way.
Yes - many walkers finishing the Overland Track at Narcissus Hut book the ferry back to Cynthia Bay instead of walking the final lakeside leg. You still need to confirm your booking by radio from Narcissus Hut before the boat arrives.
All sailings depend on lake conditions and can be delayed, changed or cancelled for safety, in any season. Call the lodge or check for a radio update from Narcissus Hut before relying on a specific departure.
The vessel Ida Clair is rated for a maximum of 22 passengers, though the coxswain reduces that number for groups travelling with heavy overnight packs.
Yes, from Cynthia Bay you can buy a cheaper one-way ticket to Echo Point only. That ticket is only sold outbound from Cynthia Bay - there's no separate one-way fare from Narcissus or from Echo Point back to Cynthia Bay.