Tasmania Travel Guide
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Tasmania is different. The moment you step off the ferry or plane, you feel it — the air is cleaner, the landscapes are wilder, and everything moves just a little slower. Australia's island state sits 240 km south of the mainland and feels like a completely separate world. Ancient wilderness, world-class food and drink, fascinating convict history, and some of the best walking tracks on the planet. Tassie doesn't get the attention it deserves — which is exactly why it's worth going.
Hobart is Tasmania's capital and one of Australia's most characterful cities. It's small — just under 250,000 people but it punches well above its weight for culture, food, and atmosphere. The waterfront Salamanca Place is lined with sandstone warehouses converted into galleries, cafes, and bars. The Saturday Salamanca Market is one of the best outdoor markets in Australia. Above the city, Mount Wellington (kunanyi) rises to 1,271 metres and offers jaw-dropping views over Hobart and the Derwent River on a clear day.
MONA the Museum of Old and New Art deserves its own entry because it genuinely changed Tasmania. This extraordinary private museum sits on a peninsula 12km north of Hobart and houses one of the most provocative and fascinating art collections in the world. You arrive by ferry from Hobart's waterfront, which is half the experience. Whether you love art or have never set foot in a gallery, MONA will surprise you.
Freycinet is Tasmania's most iconic national park and home to Wineglass Bay consistently rated one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The pink granite peaks of the Hazards rise dramatically above the coastline, and the walking tracks here offer some of the best day hiking in Australia. The full Freycinet Peninsula Circuit takes three days and is genuinely spectacular. Even a two-hour walk to the Wineglass Bay Lookout is worth every step.
Cradle Mountain is Tasmania's most famous wilderness destination and the northern gateway to the Overland Track one of Australia's great multi-day hikes. The jagged dolerite peak reflected in Dove Lake is one of the most photographed images in Australian nature. Even if you're not doing the full Overland Track, the day walks around Cradle Mountain are outstanding the Dove Lake Circuit is stunning and manageable for most walkers.
Port Arthur on the Tasman Peninsula is Australia's most significant convict heritage site and one of the most visited destinations in Tasmania. The ruins of the penal colony built between the 1830s and 1870s are remarkably well preserved and genuinely moving to walk through. The historic ghost tours at night are brilliantly done and surprisingly atmospheric. Allow a full day here there's more to see than most people expect.
The Bay of Fires on Tasmania's north-east coast is one of those places that makes you question why you haven't been sooner. The beaches here are wild and largely deserted, the water is a brilliant turquoise, and the coastline is lined with dramatic orange-lichen covered boulders that glow in the afternoon light. It's remote and that's the point this is Tasmania at its most raw and beautiful.
Tasmania's second city sits at the northern end of the island and is a great base for exploring the Tamar Valley wine region and the Cataract Gorge a stunning natural gorge just a ten-minute walk from the city centre. Launceston has a brilliant food scene, a relaxed atmosphere, and a compact historic centre that's easy to explore on foot. It's often overlooked in favour of Hobart but, it's well worth a day or two.
Tasmania has four distinct seasons and is worth visiting year-round, though each season offers a very different experience.
Tasmania is an island, so you either fly or take the ferry. Both are good options depending on your travel style and budget.
Tasmania's food and drink scene has absolutely exploded over the past decade and is now one of the best reasons to visit. The combination of clean air, pure water, and a cool climate produces outstanding produce - and the chefs and producers here know exactly what to do with it.
Tasmania is generally more affordable than Sydney or Melbourne, and the quality of experiences relative to cost is excellent.
