The perfect itinerary

Tasmania is one of the most incredible places in the world and definitely worth a visit when in Australia. The natural beauty of this island is just stunning and a reminder of how beautiful this world is. As Tasmania is pretty small, 14 days is an ideal amount of time to cover the best and most beautiful parts of this island.

How to get there

The quickest way to get to Tasmania is a short flight from Sydney, Melbourne or other cities in Australia. If you want to get there with your own vehicle (which will save you costs for renting one), you can get the ferry from Melbourne to Devonport, which takes around 9-11h. Vehicle fares start from $99 one way during low season and can get up to $229 during high season. You can book your ferry ticket here.

How to prepare

• Check the weather and season! The best time to visit Tasmania with the most comfortable temperatures is in summer between December and February, but everything is likely to be more expensive and crowded during this time. You should still pack warm clothes as some places in Tasmania can very get cold, even in summer.
  If you visit Tasmania in winter between June and August, be prepared for snow in some areas. It is the coldest and wettest season. However, if you are lucky, you can see the southern lights.
• If you don’t travel to Tasmania with your own vehicle, you’ll need to rent one when you get there as it is difficult to explore the island by public transport. If you plan to visit in summer, you should book your rental car well in advance. Check out our Driving Guide to find the best sites to book a rental car.
• Buy a national park pass. A daily pass costs $40 per vehicle. It is recommended to buy an annual pass for $90 per vehicle if you want to visit multiple parks during your trip.
• Accommodation: Book in advance if you travel during summer. If you have a camper van, you can find a list of all free and paid campsites in Tasmania here.

Itinerary

This itinerary will guide you all the way around Tasmania. You can follow it exactly or start your trip at any other place in Tasmania, travel clockwise or anticlockwise, extend or shorten your trip.

Day 1-3: Hobart

If you fly to Tasmania, you will most likely start your trip in Hobart, Tasmania’s capital city and Australia’s second oldest capital after Sydney.

Day 1:

If you are in Hobart on a Saturday, start the day at the Salamanca Market.

In the afternoon you can make your way to Battery Point, one of the prettiest suburbs in Hobart. Simply climb the historic Kelly Step’s from Salamanca Place and you get there in a few minutes. Get lost in the pretty streets that are filled with beautiful cottages, houses and gardens, and explore the city’s historic past.

In the evening, you can head back to Salamanca for drinks and dinner. Or, if you are brave, go on a ghost tour of Hobart and Battery Point.

Day 2:

Drive or jump on the ferry to visit MONA, a world-class art gallery. Museum entry is $30, but worth the price, no matter if you are an art enthusiast or not. However, if this is too pricy for you, you can visit the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery on the Hobart waterfront for free.

Spend your evening in North Hobart, which is an amazing place for foodies. You can find plenty of restaurants and bars there, which are vegan and gluten free friendly such as Pancho or VegBar and offer great cocktails.

Day 3:

If you want to have a spectacular view of Hobart, head to Mount Wellington today. It is only a 30 min drive from Hobart to the summit and the access to the park is free. The best times to visit are sunrise and sunset. There are many great walking trails, if you want to get active and spend the whole day here. Make sure to bring warm clothes, it can get really cold. Otherwise, head back to Hobart and walk around the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. In the evening, head to Kingston Beach where you can find many bars and restaurants to enjoy your last night in Hobart.

During the next days you will explore some other places and islands around Hobart. We recommend to spend the nights in Hobart until you drive to Freycinet National Park on day 8, simply because accommodation in Hobart is cheaper and easier to find.

Day 4: Bruny Island

Get up early today to explore one of the most beautiful places in Tasmania, Bruny Island, where you can discover lots of wildlife. 

To get there, drive to Kettering, which is 40 min south of Hobart and jump on the ferry to the island, which takes around 20 min. Passengers travel for free, however, if you want to take your car to the island, you need to pay $38 one way. The queue to get on the ferry can be very long, so it’s best to be there around 30 min before departure.

These are the top things to do in Bruny Island:

• Head to The Neck for spectacular 360° views.
• Walk to Cape Queen Elizabeth (3h/12km return).
• Visit Cape Bruny Lighthouse on the southernmost point of the island.
• Go hiking in South Bruny National Park.
• Spot one of the island’s famous white wallabies around Adventure Bay.

You can also book a half or full day tour around the island.

Day 5: Port Arthur

Port Arthur is an UNESCO World Heritage-listed historic site and former convict settlement, and a 90 min drive from Hobart. In 1996, Australia’s worst massacre happened here. The ticket to enter the site costs $45 and includes entry to the Port Arthur Gallery, a guided walking tour, a harbour cruise and access to over 30 historic buildings.

Day 6: Tasman Peninsula

The Tasman Peninsula is a 30 min drive from Port Arthur or 70 min drive from Hobart. It is surrounded by the ocean and stunning bays. 

Explore the convict coal mines in the northwest, enjoy a beautiful coastal scenery and amazing viewpoints in quirky Doo Town. You can also find many spectacular coastal rock formations such as the Blow Hole, Tasman Arch, Devil’s Kitchen, Tessellated Pavement, Remarkable Cave and Waterfall Bay, which are all easily accessible by car.

Day 7: Maria Island

Around 2h from the Tasman Peninsula or Hobart, you can find Maria Island. Maria Island is famous for turquoise water, amazing wildlife and history. Drive to Triabunna and take the ferry to Darlington, which takes around 30 min. A return ticket costs $45. You should arrive at the ferry terminal around 45 min before departure. There are many free parking spots near the ferry dock. At Triabunna Visitor Centre you can rent a mountain bike, which you can pick up in Darlington and gives you the opportunity to explore the best places of the island if you only spend 1 day (You can’t bring your car to the island). Otherwise, you can explore the island by foot. Start your trip at Darlington Probation Station, which is a World Heritage Australian convict site. Then head to the Painted Cliffs and explore the stunning coastline. Along the way you can see wallabies, pademelons and wombats. There are lots of long sandy beaches if you want to relax and many hiking trails if you want to be more active.

Day 8: Freycinet National Park

It’s a 1 ½h drive from Triabunna to Freycinet National Park, a truly magical and beautiful place, which you can’t miss during your visit in Tasmania. The first place to visit is Coles Bay, a cute beach town, located just on the fringe of the national park. Here you can visit some beaches, stock up your groceries or stop for a bite to eat. However, don’t spend too much time here, but keep driving to Wineglass Bay, which offers crystal-clear waters, one of the world’s best beaches and one of the best views in Tasmania. It is a 2h return walk from the carpark to Wineglass Bay lookout.

Day 9: Drive to the Bay of Fires

It’s a 2h drive from Freycinet National Park to the Bay of Fires. Get up early to explore Sleep Bay with its beautiful beaches in the morning. Then head towards the Bay of Fires and be prepared to make many stops along the way, as the drive leads you through an amazing scenery. Relax for the rest of the day at Binalong Bay, which is also one of Tasmania’s most beautiful and popular beaches.

Day 10: Bay of Fires

The Bay of Fires is famous for its white beaches, clear blue water and striking orange boulders. Enjoy the stunning coastline and beautiful beaches like the Gardens, Cosy Corner, Swimcart or Jeanneret. You can spend the whole day driving around and stopping at one of the many incredible places there.

Day 11: Drive to Launceston

Make your way to Launceston today, which is a 2 ½h drive if you are making no stops. However, we recommend pulling off the main road and stop at Little Blue Lake, which was originally a mine hole and definitely worth a visit. It is a great photo stop due to its milky-turquoise waters. It is not recommended to swim here.

Afterwards, you can also visit Bridestowe Lavender Estate, the famous lavender farm, especially if you are travelling in summer. It is a 1h drive from Little Blue Lake and one of the prettiest places in Tasmania.

Day 12: Launceston

Launceston is one of Australia’s oldest cities and home to great restaurants, hiking trails and waterfalls. The city has a Colonial and Victorian era charm. There are 4 walking trails starting from Cataract Gorge, a unique natural formation. If you’re not up for walking and want to escape the city life, it’s only a 25 min drive from the city centre to the beautiful vineyards of Tamar Valley.

Day 13: Cradle Mountain

You can’t miss Cradle Mountain when you travel to Tasmania as it is one of Tasmania’s most popular destinations and a hiking paradise for all abilities. It is a 2h drive from Launceston, so get up early in the morning.

Start your visit at Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre. From there you can take the shuttle bus to Dove Lake, where many walking trails start. If you want to have great views of Cradle Mountain, do the Dove Lake walk (6km/2 ½h). Otherwise, you can just take some stunning photos of Dove Lake.

Day 14:

Head back to Hobart to fly out. It is a 4h drive from Cradle Mountain. If you have some additional time, you can explore the historic village of Richmond. It is only a 25 min drive from Hobart and offers heritage listed landmarks, a gorgeous landscape and little vineyards.

You could spend many more weeks exploring this stunning island. However, with this itinerary you are able to see the best and most incredible places in Tasmania in 2 weeks. Have you ever been to Tasmania? Do you think we missed something?