Kangaroo Island Tours & Vacations

Trips from 1 January 2023 onwards

From 1 January 2023, Intrepid will no longer require travellers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (excluding all Polar trips and select adventure cruises).

However, we continue to strongly recommend that all Intrepid travellers and leaders get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.

Specific proof of testing or vaccination may still be required by your destination or airline. Please ensure you check travel and entry requirements carefully.

Kangaroo Island is located 14 kilometres (9 miles) off the South Australian coast. To get there, you'll need to take the ferry from Cape Jervis or fly from Adelaide.

You can fly to Kangaroo Island from Adelaide and several other cities in Australia (subject to seasonal demand), or catch a ferry to Penneshaw from Cape Jervis on the Fleurieu Peninsula. The ferry takes around 45 minutes.

There's no public transport on Kangaroo Island, so you'll need your own set of wheels. You can bring your car on the ferry, hire a car on the island or join a guided group tour.

Kangaroo Island is beautiful all year, with each season offers a unique perspective of the island.

Summer is generally hot and dry which is ideal for checking out the many beaches, while winter is great for seeing fur seals, adorable kangaroo and wallaby joeys and southern right whales.

Spring and autumn are perfect for bushwalking, fishing and seeing the island's native flowers in bloom.

Kangaroo Island is a casual place so you can leave your dressy clothes at home. Layered, breathable clothing is key, as while it can be chilly when you set off in the morning, it can warm up substantially throughout the day. You'll also need a pair of comfy walking shoes, sunscreen, sunglasses and a sunhat (even in winter). A raincoat or poncho is better than an umbrella as some areas can be very windy.

Most activities on Kangaroo Island involve the great outdoors, so there's no need to dress up. In the evening, smart casual is the typical dress code for the island's restaurants — think t-shirt and jeans. Evenings can be chilly, even during the summer months, so ensure you bring a couple of warm layers.

Telstra customers can get mobile data coverage in major tourist areas and along most of the island's sealed roads. There's limited signal available in more remote areas of the island, particularly when you're travelling off-road.

Customers with other network providers may have little or no coverage throughout the island, but most hotels and resorts offer wi-fi. Kangaroo Island ferries also offer free wi-fi.

Telstra customers usually have the best coverage on Kangaroo Island, particularly in more populated areas. If you're with another network provider you may have less or no coverage at all, however, most hotels offer free wi-fi so you can stay connected.

The 2020 bushfires were the biggest in the island's history. The fires burnt almost half of the island and had a devastating impact on the people, homes, businesses, wildlife, nature and tourism.

As catastrophic as the fires were, Kangaroo Island and other bushfire-affected regions in South Australia are bouncing back. Nature is flourishing again and wildlife has returned to native habitats. Amazingly, some species that were thought to have been wiped out have been spotted, including the Kangaroo Island Little Pygmy Possum.

Tourism has suffered a great deal since the bushfires, but as the island continues to recover, it's more important than ever.

We are committed to making travel widely accessible, regardless of ability or disability. We do our best to help you see the world, regardless of physical or mental limitations. 

We are always happy to talk to travellers with disabilities and see if we can help guide them toward the most suitable itinerary for their needs and, where possible, make reasonable adjustments to our itineraries.