Arthurs Seat Eagle - Base Station — Attraction in Melbourne

The gondolas are always famous with the tourists, and with residents who have brought their families from overseas. It's a great way to get dramatic, expansive views of Phillip Bay and the Mornington Peninsula on a clear, sunny day, with activities for the whole family at the look-out. If the cable car ride isn't your jam, you can always drive the way up there, but I noticed that parking can be a bit of a challenge on a busy day.

With the intention of finally trying out the gondolas, we arrived at Arthur's Seat Eagle Base Station on a sunny day and got lucky with parking. There is an extension parking lot in case the main parking area is full, which it usually is especially when a clear day presents itself. There are toilets just beside the car park. Though not the cleanest, there's running water, toilet paper, and unfortunately, no soap so bring your own disinfectant if possible. Up top at the Summit Station, there are toilets at the gondola facility as well as public toilets in the state park picnic areas.

The gondola ride itself was beautiful, and if you're lucky to get one with open windows, the pictures taken can be spectacular. The ride will stop at regular intervals, offering chances to simply enjoy the view. When we arrived at the look out, we did a short circuit walk through the picnic area and took pictures of the view from a few angles, before settling for a vanilla slice and scones with cream and not enough jam at the café. Coffees are $6 apiece, which we noticed was a tad expensive, but hey, you can get a good seat to look out at the view. Make sure to clean up after yourselves when you finish, as the birds will raid your leftovers!

All the personnel manning the gondolas as well as the Eagle café were very friendly. The lady managing the queue at the base station was not, but she managed to keep all of us in line and the queue moving. There's a 5% discount online for return tickets, but you can purchase tickets as your arrive. Note that there is no special queue for ticket-holders, so you'll be joining the line with everyone else.

A lot of cars do go up the hill to start their adventures from the top. There are a lot of noisy of motorcycles that really take away from the experience of chattering birds and nature's quiet, but this seems like a famous stop for anyone driving around the Peninsula. We didn't try out everything there was to do there but we'll definitely be back to experience more of...

We visited on Saturday 26 October 2024 and went on around 11.20am. I did not prepurchase tickets so we purchased on the day. It was not busy when we went but I have heard wait time can be up to 1 hour. There was no wait for the gondola (another couple before us) and it was not very busy at the base.

We parked easily it was nice to see the old chair lifts which you could sit in. We went as a family of 3 plus my 92 year old Grandma so it was nice for her to reminisce when she used to come. The gondolas are a good size and easy enough on get on and off. They get you to take the green screen photos at the base so be prepared.

We were lucky to have a clear day and lovely weather so the views were amazing and ate pristine. No smoke from fires so we had a great weather. This would be very different on another day, bad weather, you wouldn’t see anything really. You need to pick your date to visit if you want the views. The ride does not last very long at all – around 10 minutes and seemed much faster on the way down which it wouldn’t be but felt it.

As a family of 3 plus a concession it is not a cheap day out Return tickets cost $79.30 and if you bought family pack which is 2 adults and 2 kids it was $83 so saved $3.70 but without another child we kept the $3.00 Concession / pensioner was $28

Compared to the Geelong ferris wheel which is also 10 minutes that is $11 per person the price is on par but different experience, view, historical and it’s a break in between going up and down.

It was a belated birthday outing for my son & Grandma and it could be extended by eating at the coffee shop at the top or playing in the park area but not really much to do once you are up there. Café is very expensive as expected as was the gift shop. The photos are another add on which are very expensive too. No small price for a souvenir – you pay $$$ for memories unless you grab your own camera. We did not buy the photos.

It did not help that the staff were not overly friendly at either the base gift shop (2 young staff) or at the gift shop up top. Having said that the ride operators were lovely at both ends.

It was a nice day to share as a family with my Grandma but there is no need for us to go back again. Ill use the money on a longer lasting activity but as a do once tick off list it was worthwhile and he...

⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Eagle Arthur’s Seat Gondola

Pros: • The recent upgrade is impressive—everything feels modern and well-maintained. • Gondolas are completely silent and offer an incredibly smooth ride. • Feels super safe, with easy entry and exit. Accessibility is well thought out—prams, walkers, and wheelchairs can board comfortably. Staff can slow or even pause the gondolas if extra time is needed. • Great toilet facilities—clean and new. • Plenty of parking available. • The summit café is modern, spacious, and has plenty of seating options. • Amazing photo opportunities with Arthur’s Seat and the scenic lookout. • Kids’ colouring station and a gift shop add a little extra for families. • The business offers packages for birthdays, proposals, and special moments. • The food was fantastic—not a crumb left! • A massive improvement over the old chairlift. They even have examples of the old seats on display—hard to believe people used to ride them!

Cons: • Not much to do at the top unless you’re keen on exploring the national park. • Arthur’s Seat Adventure Park is nearby (for an extra cost), but we didn’t visit. • As expected for a tourist attraction, prices are on the higher side. • A missed opportunity for some nature play or climbing activities near Arthur’s Seat or outside the bistro—would have been great for kids while parents enjoyed a meal. • The ride itself is quite short for the price—you can just drive up the hill instead. Arthur’s Seat is only 300m high, so while the views are fantastic, the cost vs. ride time felt a little steep. • Worth it if you’re already in the area for other attractions, but a two-hour round trip from Melbourne just for this? Questionable.

Would I recommend it? If you’re already heading this way for other activities, it’s worth adding to your itinerary. But if this is your only destination, the value might not...