Essential Tasmania Tour

Welcome to Hobart, the capital city of Tasmania and the perfect base for exploring many of Tasmania's highlights. The second-oldest capital city in Australia, Hobart is rich in history yet surrounded by beaches, bushland and mountains. Explore the galleries, theatres and restaurants along Salamanca Place and the unmissable Salamanca Market on Saturdays, or take a ferry up the river to visit the MONA for an out-of-this-world modern art experience.

On arrival, you will be met by a private driver outside baggage carousel and delivered to your Hobart accommodation.

Choose a car to best suit your needs from our fantastic rental car range or ask our team for a suggestion. From compact economy to prestige SUVs. First time driving in Australia? Check out this helpful guide.

Hobart is Australia's second-oldest state capital, founded in 1804. This city is teeming with inspired art and thriving markets has an exciting and dynamic food scene, and is surrounded by natural beauty. Head to MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) to get your art fix or if you're there on a weekend, head to Salamanca to immerse yourself in the markets, home to more than 300 stalls selling arts, crafts, homewares and produce. The beautiful sandstone warehouses that were once frequented by sailors, whalers, and workmen have morphed into one of the city's most vibrant cultural scenes.
If you fancy a taste of some local beverages, consider heading to one of the local distilleries or breweries. For some of the best views of the city, take a 30 minute drive out to Mount Wellington, which is even more amazing at sunset. With a coffee caravan and Australia's oldest brewery along the way up, it is the perfect activity no matter what the time of day! For those looking for a bit more activity, there are some fantastic walking tracks located below the summit at The Springs.

The Bonorong Night Tour is a group feeding tour with a guide just for your group. Group sizes are kept small to ensure you have plenty of opportunities to interact with the critters. You will enter the animals’ world and experience hand-feeding weird and wonderful creatures like eastern quolls, tawny frogmouths and ringtail possum and of course, feed our Tassie devils some tasty snacks.

In this exclusive tour, you will sample the finest local whisky, meet the distillers, get behind the scenes, and taste spirit direct from the stills and the cask. Join the team at Drink Tasmania for an incredible day visiting the estates, touring the distilleries, and tasting the finest whisky Tasmania has to offer.

Mona, the Museum of Old and New Art, is Australia’s largest privately-owned gallery and museum. Showcasing the diverse collection of its owner, Tasmanian gambler and maths nerd David Walsh, Mona exhibits everything from ancient Egyptian funerary objects and modernist masterpieces to a word waterfall and a machine that mimics the human digestive system. The Mona site—perched on the banks of the River Derwent, not far from Hobart—is also home to the Moorilla Winery, The Source restaurant, a bunch of other bars and restaurants, luxury accommodation pavilions, and
Tasmania’s biggest craft brewery (Moo Brew). The best way to visit is to jump on a Mona Roma fast ferry from Hobart’s city centre—just look for a giant camouflaged catamaran with fibreglass animals for seats.

Take a Full Day Tour and spend a day on the Tasman Peninsula, incorporating a return guided bus tour from Hobart, an award-winning Wilderness Cruise, morning tea, lunch, and a visit to the Tasmanian Devil Unzoo.

As you leave the city heading east, make your way over the River Derwent and onto Tasman Highway. Not long after starting your drive, you will reach the Pitt Water Nature Reserve. For those with a keen interest in birdwatching, this internationally recognised wetland is home to a number of Tasmanian shorebirds and seabirds including sooty oystercatchers, red-capped plover and Caspian terns. Hop back onto the Tasman Highway and follow signs to Forcett. Just before Forcett,  turn off towards Lewisham Beach and follow this road as you wind along the coastline, taking in the fantastic beaches along the way. Hop across the Carlton River and follow signs until you see the Arthur Highway.  As you head south towards Port Arthur, consider stopping off at the Tasman Blow Hole and Tasman Arch, unusual geological formations found in the Tasman National Park. Continuing south, you reach the historic village of Port Arthur. Sitting on the Tasman Peninsula, it was a 19th-century penal settlement and is now an open-air museum. Ruins include the huge penitentiary and the remaining shell of the Convict Church, which was built by inmates.

Port Arthur was the perfect place for a prison – it was remote and isolated by both the foreboding natural landscape and deep tempestuous seas. Despite the perilous odds, escape attempts were frequent and took many forms. Convicts went to extreme measures, men whose desire for freedom far outweighed any fear of consequences. They were not intimidated by authority and were more than willing to risk severe punishment and ultimately survival. Join a 60 minute tour to meet the convicts who risked everything to Escape Port Arthur.

The drive from Port Arthur to Coles Bay is a scenic trip along the east coastline of Tasmania, creating a picturesque journey. Just up the road is the Tasmanian devil UnZoo located right before the small town of Taranna, which is the first 'UnZoo' in the world where the wildlife are free to come and go in their natural habitat. Carrying on up the road is an award-winning winery, providing the perfect stop for lunch to break up the trip. The final stint of the drive is surrounded by coastal beaches and eucalyptus forests before reaching your destination of Coles Bay situated in Freycinet National Park a haven for wildlife.

The world famous Freycinet National Park is a place of wild beauty, occupying most of the Freycinet Peninsula on Tasmania's east coast. The park showcases pink granite peaks, secluded bays, white sand beaches and an abundance of native flora and fauna. Tasmania's most famous beach, Wineglass Bay, forms a perfect white curve bordering azure waters beneath the Hazards mountains - a natural feature of vivid contrasts. At the north-eastern end of the park you will find Cape Tourville lighthouse, an easy track and boardwalk to which will deliver amazing views over the bays and rock formations with opportunities to spot wildlife including sea eagles, whales and dolphins. The cheerily named Friendly Beaches to the north is a stretch of pristine white sand perfect for long walks and dipping into the crystal waters. Easily accessible from the town of Coles Bay, Freycinet is a must-do for all visiting the east coast of Tasmania whether you come to relax or explore.

The Freycinet Paddle is the perfect way to experience Freycinet National Park in 3 hours. On this relaxed guided tour of the Freycinet coastline, you’ll glide beneath pink granite mountains, past pristine sandy beaches and across waters so clear you feel you can touch the marine life below. You’ll experience Freycinet’s abundant wildlife as you weave along the coastline. Guides will share little known stories of the area and give you the chance to find out some fantastic facts.

Embark on an unforgettable culinary journey through the heart of Coles Bay and Freycinet. Your extra-long lunch begins with being collected from your accommodation to embark on a full-day journey. Visit up to 4 Vineyard Cellar Doors with picturesque views and decadent wines. Throughout the day, you will be immersed in Tasmania's rich history and culture. Most of the Vineyards are still owned by the original settlers that forged their way in the 1800’s. Visit Convict built cellar doors, see how the pioneers lived and learn how their descendants are making their own piece of history. Savor the region's renowned produce with a decadent lunch featuring fresh seafood and wood-fired pizza paired with two glasses of wine at the picturesque Devils Corner. Complete your experience with a tantalizing Tasmanian cheese platter. 

From Coles Bay you will head northwest towards Launceston roughly a 2 hour drive. You will head through Lake Leake which is the name of the small town aswell as the scenic body of water. We also recommend stopping to look at the historical "Red Bridge" situated in Campbell town built in 1838, a famous landmark being one the oldest standing brick arch's in Australia. Once you have Reached your final destination Launceston the riverside city that mixes city and country into one, if you are around for the weekend make sure you stop in at their well renowned Saturday farmers market or visit the Cataract Gorge to see the breath-taking views for yourself. 

One of Australia's oldest cities, Launceston is one of the best-preserved examples of elegant Colonial and Victorian architecture in Australia, coupled with its century-old parks strung along the banks of the River Tamar. As Tasmania's second largest city, it is also a vibrant hub for food and wine, and one of only two cities in Australia to be named as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery offers a remarkably diverse and constantly evolving collection of art and museum exhibits, while you can get your nature fix just 15 minutes walk out of the city at the 65 million year old Cataract Gorge. It offers beautiful gardens, 5 kilometers of forested river reserve and walking trails, a swimming pool and a delightfully slow retro chairlift ride that offers far-reaching views over the dramatic gorge.

Cruise past historical Kings Wharf, Seaport and Launceston’s delightful riverfront precinct. The highlight of the experience is cruising into Launceston’s spectacular Cataract Gorge, as the skipper engages the Lady Launceston’s unique silent electric drive. View the sheer cliffs from your comfortable seat, appreciate the unobstructed views on the multi award winning 1890s style vessel and enjoy the skippers captivating commentary on the history of this fascinating area.

Departing from Launceston, head out on a full day of exploring the stunning red granite rocks and picturesque crystal-clear water! Begin the day of adventure at the Bridestow lavender farm - a signature tourist spot! After a quick stop at Scottsdale to purchase a treat from the award-winning cottage bakery, next up is Legerwood. If time permits, here you will see the tree carvings as you embark on a short walk through the moss-covered trees in the Welborough Pass. Arriving at one of the most beautiful places - The Bay Of Fires, soak up the views and take some photos to capture the beauty of the area! Up next is a beach stop at remote beach, Binalong. Here you will have the chance to taste some of the most amazing oysters from the farm and Lease 65, before ending the day with a real fruit ice cream.

Depart Launce­s­ton and trav­el via Sheffield, the Town of Murals before trav­el­ling up into the moun­tains through gorges, rain for­est, and but­ton grass plains to reach the des­ti­na­tion of Cra­dle Moun­tain, one of Tasmania’s most recog­nis­able land­marks and one of Tasmania’s most vis­it­ed attractions. On this ful­ly guid­ed day tour you expe­ri­ence the unique flo­ra, fau­na and geo­graph­i­cal fea­tures of the World Her­itage list­ed Nation­al Park.

Drop your vehicle at the Launceston Airport depot as stipulated in your itinerary.