Three Capes Track cancellations: when to check

There is no waitlist for the Three Capes Track. When a departure is full, Parks Tasmania tells walkers to check the official availability page again. The useful detail is when: booking changes and cancellations are processed between 9am and 4:30pm, Monday to Friday, and availability may change during those hours.

That is more actionable than refreshing late at night. It also reflects how this trip is sold. A booking fixes your departure, boat transfer and three hut nights in one sequence, so a changed booking has to fit the whole itinerary.

What a Three Capes booking includes

The Three Capes Track is a four-day, three-night walk covering 48km. A maximum of 48 walkers departs each day. The standard route stays at Surveyors, Munro and Retakunna cabins in that order, with shared dorm rooms.

The current standard fare is $650 for an adult and $515 for either a child or concession holder. It includes:

• three nights in the track cabins
• the Port Arthur boat transfer at the start
• entry to Port Arthur Historic Site
• parking, lockers and the return bus
• guidebook and maps
• park entry for the walk and one day either side

Bookings are taken year-round, but Parks Tasmania does not publish a fixed 13-month rolling window. Use the live availability calendar for the dates actually on sale.

The track has an annual maintenance closure. The next published closure is 5 to 18 April 2027.

When cancelled places appear

Parks Tasmania processes changes and cancellations during its booking-team hours: 9am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday. A place may return to the calendar during that window.

It is not guaranteed to happen at 9am, and there is no reservation queue behind the scenes. Check the official calendar during business hours and be ready to finish the booking if a workable departure appears.

Schnerp monitors Three Capes Track availability for the dates you choose. When a matching departure returns, you get an alert, but the alert does not hold it. You can set up a Three Capes availability request and keep the official checkout details handy.

Cancellation and refund rules

Cancel at least 14 days before departure and Parks Tasmania refunds 75% of the booking. The other 25% is the cancellation fee. Cancel 13 days or fewer before departure, or fail to show, and the normal refund is zero.

The formal terms allow Parks Tasmania to consider a different outcome for an ill or injured walker with a medical certificate. That exception is discretionary and limited, so contact the booking team rather than assuming it applies to the whole group.

If Parks Tasmania cancels your trip before it starts, the published options are a full refund or a reschedule. A trip ended by Parks Tasmania after departure receives a 50% refund.

Changing to another date

You cannot change or cancel a Three Capes booking inside the web portal. Contact the booking team on 1300 827 727 during business hours or email threecapestrack@parks.tas.gov.au.

A date change depends on space being available. Apply at least three business days before departure and a successful change has no extra charge. Apply less than three days out and the terms require payment of 100% of the altered reservation's fee. A changed trip must be completed within two years of the original booking date.

Bookings are not transferable to another person unless Parks Tasmania approves the transfer at its discretion.

Before you take a cancellation

A returned date is useful only if the whole trip works. Before booking, check:

• which of the two daily boat services is attached to the departure
• transport to and from Port Arthur
• every walker's ability to cover 48km in four days
• the latest track alerts and annual closure dates
• the 14-day refund boundary for your new departure

For Tasmania's other tightly managed multi-day walk, see our Overland Track booking guide. Our state-by-state Australian booking guide explains how Parks Tasmania differs from mainland campground systems.

For a capped walk with no waitlist, where cancelled departures go straight back on the booking system, see our Jatbula Trail bookings guide for the NT.

Quick reference