What to see in Tasmania, Australia: 12 essential things to visit

If you are organizing your next trip and want to know what to see in Tasmania, we are going to give you all the details! This Australian island is a paradise for lovers of nature, adventure, history and gastronomy. Yes, what you read, gastronomy too. Furthermore, for now it is a less crowded destination, since Few travelers visiting Australia include this island in their itinerary. In this article, we will share the essential places to visit in Tasmania, one of the most surprising corners of Australia.

Below you can see the index with the contents that you will find throughout this post about Tasmania: what to see and do on your own.

How many days does it take to visit Tasmania?

If you want to have a complete experience, we recommend at least 5 days to explore the Tasmanian must-sees. This will allow you to explore its most important national parks, reach idyllic beaches, visit nearby islands and enjoy incredible experiences. Of course, if you have 6 or 7 days, even better!

12 essential places to see in Tasmania, Australia

Below, we share with you the itinerary that we did, we flew from Melbourne (an hour and a quarter) and we spent the first night in Hobart. My cousin was living here with his girlfriend and as soon as dawn broke we began our route through Tasmania by car. In our case we didn't have to rent because they had a car, but let us tell you that both at the airport and in Hobart you can rent a car without any problem. You can compare all rent a car, including local companies, at this page. This was the road trip through Tasmania that we did, being able to enjoy 5 full days on the island.

1. Hobart – Rydges Hobart
2. Cradle Mountain National Park - Cradle Mountain hotel
3. Freycinet National Park - BIG4 Iluka on Freycinet
4. Hobart with excursion to Bruny Island - Rydges Hobart
5. Hobart with excursion to Tasman National Park - Rydges Hobart
6. Hobart with excursion to Mt. Wellington and city tour - Rydges Hobart

1) Cradle Mountain National Park

Possibly the National Park of Cradle Mountain National Park be one of the essential things to see in Tasmania. Here you will have the opportunity to see animals like the wombat (koala family) and platypus in their natural habitat. Of course, also the walaby, the echidna hedgehog and, with luck, the demon of Tasmania. Furthermore, one of the trails to do in Tasmania is the circulation through the Dove Lake a Beautiful route suitable for all levels of about 6 kilometers.

Take into account two details. The chances of seeing active animals increase at dawn and dusk. We saw how 10 wombats. Then, We could easily see the platypus in Ronny Creek splashing around. There are tons of hiking trails in Tasmania, but if you only have one day like us, you'll have to choose. Accommodation at Cradle Mountain is limited, so we recommend booking in advance. We stay in the Cradle Mountain hotel. Highly recommended for its environment. In addition, the service, breakfast and dinner were spectacular.. Please note that there are no restaurants and supermarkets on Cradle Mountain.

2) Freycinet National Park and its Wineglass Bay, what to see and do in Tasmania

El Freycinet National Park It is famous for the incredible bay of Wineglass Bay. To get to Wineglass bay there is a trail of about 2 hours (one hour each way) known for its more than 1.000 steps. Once on the beachYou will be amazed by its crystal clear waters and white sand.. Halfway along the trail you can simply stay to appreciate the views of the bay without having to go down to the sand. It all depends on your available time and physical fitness. The first photo in this article is in the Wineglass beach, where we saw a mother wallaby and her baby. The next photo is from the viewpoint, before descending the stairs.

Inside Freycinet National Park, aim to visit Cape Tourville Lighthouse and Friendly Beaches. We stayed in Coles Bay, another beautiful beach to visit in Tasmania. Very close was the Honeymoon bay. By the way, the cabins where we stayed in Coles Bay were great, very affordable and central to get to the Freycinet Visitor Center in a few minutes by car. They were called BIG4 Iluka on Freycinet.

3) Bicheno and its Blowhole, Tasmania, tourist places to see

Very close to Freycinet you can make a stop to take a walk along Bicheno beach and visit its Blowhole. This beach is known because You can see penguins at nightfall, it is recommended to book a guided tour. The beach is beautiful, with white sand and you have several kilometers to walk. Just ahead is a small island. Its rocks have the characteristic orange spots that many blogs recommend visiting in Bay of Fires, but the reality is that you will see them in many areas of Tasmania. Finally, in Bicheno there is also its blowhole, a blowhole that expels sea water with force.

Between Bicheno and Freycinet, you can make a gastronomic stop in Devil's Corner Cellar. An winery to see in Tasmania and that also offers different tastings of local wines, seafood, etc.

4) Bruny Island, one of the best places to see in Tasmania

Bruny Island, just 15 minute boat ride from Tasmania, it is one of the tourist places that we fell most in love with in the entire world. Tasmanian road trip. And it has a lot to offer. We loved visiting the viewpoint of Bruny Island Neck, a super narrow isthmus that connects the north and south of the island. Right on the beach on the left (a beach by the way) there is Chances of seeing penguins at night. By the way, this viewpoint is recommended Visit at high tide if you want to see the sea on both sides.

We also did a boat tour along the coast where we had opportunity to see sea lions and enjoy views of its dreamlike coastal cliffs. During this route, you also have a chance of seeing dolphins and whales, something we weren't so lucky with. Still, as you can see in the video at the end, it's brutal!

What we did manage to do was see the white wallaby o albino and Bruny island is the only place in the world where you can see it.

Another essential stop in Bruny is the winery Bruny Island Premium Wines. Here we taste delicious Tasmanian cheeses, wild mushrooms, free-range chicken, among other delicacies such as local wine. Therefore, save this place to eat on the day you visit Bruny. If you go on the boat first thing in the morning and come back last thing, you will have time to do everything we talked about in one day. If not, you can look for accommodation in Bruny. We returned to our hotel in Hobart (highly recommended), where we established our base camp for the rest of the days of our trip to Tasmania.

5) Tasman National Park, Tasmania what to see near Hobart

El Tasman National Park It is another of the attractions of Tasmania. It is known for its coastal cliffs and unique rock formations. In addition, one of the national parks where you will have the possibility to see the demon of Tasmania. Although keep in mind that it is a nocturnal animal and moves very quickly, which is also difficult to see. In Tasman National Park you have to visit the Tessellated Pavement, the impressive Tasman Arch, the Devil's Kitchen and as, Eaglehawk Neck. Right in Eaglehawk is the famous bay and pirates bay beach, a whale passage area.

On the other hand, within the Tasman National Park the Three Capes Track, an intermediate-advanced hiking route that is usually done in four days (48 kilometers). We decided to take a shorter path with views of the Cape Raoul, one of the southernmost areas to see in Tasmania. Don't see how the cold of Antarctica is felt here. During the route we visited the viewpoint of Shipstern Bluff and Cape Raoul Lookout. Here you will have a chance of seeing wildlife such as some of the different species of wallabies and snakes that live in Tasmania. Remember that you are more likely to see them at dusk.

6) Port Arthur Historic Site Prison, a place of historical interest to see in Tasmania

Port Arthur Correctional Facility is a very special place What to visit in Tasmania and Australia. Formerly It was a prison where prisoners lived in very harsh conditions from 1833 to 1877. Now he is one of the Tasmanian must-sees because it teaches you what life was like in prisons in Australia. The ruins of the prison and the exhibitions help to understand how the way people are treated has changed and how human rights should be respected.

7) Port Arthur Lavander, places to see in Tasmania

Since you are in this area of ​​Tasmania, if you like gastronomy, be sure to visit the Port Arthur Lavander lavender farm. Whether to take a piece of your sweets made with lavender, like for lunch, like we did. We ate super delicious, delicious fish and chips, the typical "foot" Australian, vegetable puree, among other delicacies. In addition, its restaurant-shop-cafeteria has views of the long bay, filled with black swans. Finally, If you have never seen lavender fields, this is your chance.

8) Mount Wellington / The Kunanyi

Another things to do in Tasmania is to go up to Mount wellington for enjoy the best panoramic views of Hobart and its surroundings. It is a perfect place for lovers of hiking and mountain biking. It is also known as Kunanyi (indigenous language) and rises to 1.271 meters. This point or viewpoint is accessible by car, although we did it with a guided tour with the Kunanyi/Mt Wellington Explorer bus from Hobart. You can contract in the same port of the city or on the bus website.

The good thing about the bus is that you can get off at key stops to go hiking. We got off The Chalet and we did the descent trail to The Springs where we were "lucky" to see a snake. We also enjoyed beautiful views. We have been told that the drive through The Springs is also very good, although we only had time to do one.

9) Hobart, Tasmania tourist places

As we see it, Hobart It is not one of the essential things to see in Tasmania. Above all, taking into account all the national parks that have to be visited and the distances between them. However, if you have time, in a morning or afternoon you can see the most important thing. That is, the famous market Salamanca on Saturdays, Salamanca Street, a walk through the center and its port, as well as the MONA contemporary art museum. In short, we believe that it is not worth dedicating a whole day to the capital, but you can combine it with Mt. Wellington with the best panoramic views of the capital of Tasmania like we did.

10) Mount Field National Park and Russell Falls

Mount Field National Park, one of Australia's oldest national parks, offers a variety of ecosystems, from fern forests to alpine landscapes. The Russell falls are a stop that catches you more or less on the way to Cradle Mountain leaving from Hobart. We decided to take a detour and walk one of its shorter trails to see the waterfalls. However, we have not put it at the beginning of the guide, as we believe that It is not one of the most important places to see in Tasmania.

11) Marie Island, an island to see in Tasmania

Marie Island is a wildlife sanctuary and an ideal place for walking and cycling. We did not have the opportunity to visit it because we were running out of days on our itinerary through Tasmania. However, my cousin, who lived with the girlfriend in Tasmania, told us that it is very worth it and there is a lot of wildlife. Is a island to which only people can travel (not cars) and must be explored on foot or by bike. Apparently Marie Island is another of the places to see the Tasmanian devil in its natural habitat.

12) Bonorong Sanctuary to see the Tasmanian Devil

Finally, if you are left with the desire to see the Tasmanian devil, wallabies, wombats and kangaroos, because nature is what it is, in the Bonorong sanctuary you will have the opportunity. This refuge not only offers you the opportunity to see Australian animals (including koalas) up close, but also plays a crucial role in their conservation. Visit Bonorong is also an educational experience, ideal for better understanding Australia's commitment to protecting its native wildlife.. Plus, it's a perfect opportunity to take amazing photos with these animals!

These are just some of the Tasmania tourist places that you can't miss. We hope it will be helpful for your next route through Tasmania. If you are going to take a trip to Australia, don't miss our blog recommendations. If you still have questions, we will be happy to answer you in the comments.

• What to see in Australia
• What to see in Melbourne
• Great Ocean Road Route
• What to do in Airlie beach and Whitsunday Islands

Map of places to visit in Tasmania

Next, we share the map of our route through Tasmania recommended.

Video: what to see in Tasmania, Australia

Below we share the video of the route through Tasmania on your own what we did. We hope it is helpful to you and, if you are a traveler, we are sure that our Australia trip list, it will be great for organizing this and many other trips. You can subscribe to our channel here.

How to get to Tasmania

About Us We fly to Hobart from Melbourne on a comfortable flight with Jetstar of one hour and a quarter. As Melbourne was on our Australia itinerary, it was quite easy to organise. There's also direct flights to Hobart from other Australian cities such as Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane. You can also go by boat from Melbourne, arriving at the port of Launceston.

Where to stay in Tasmania

As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, We stayed for most of our stay in Tasmania in the city of Hobart, except for visiting Cradle Mountain and Freycinet national parks. Next, we share our Recommended hotels during the 6 nights we spent on the island. They were all a great success.

• Hotel in Hobart – Rydges Hobart
• Hotel at Cradle Mountain National Park - Cradle Mountain hotel
• Stay in cabins in Freycinet National Park - BIG4 Iluka on Freycinet
• Hotel in Hobart three nights in a row: Rydges Hobart. From here we took a day trip to Bruny Island, Tasman National Park y Mt Wellington.

IATI travel insurance

If you do not have travel insurance, we recommend you get one of the policies offered by IATI to travel to Australia. We specifically hire andl IATI Backpacker, as it covers adventure activities. Also, we have a 5% off for our readers. You can see all the prices of the different travel insurance you have to travel Australia in the previous link. As you can see, all of them have a 5% discount applied if you enter from our link.

Unlimited data with Holafly eSIM

Another of the Essential for this type of trip is having internet data on your mobile phone. We travel with Holafly throughout Australia. A basic for searching for restaurants, tourist attraction schedules and using maps. It is super easy to hire and activate, since it really is a virtual sim. That is to say, You just have to read the QR code they send you with your purchase confirmation (by email) and it will be activated as soon as you land in Australia. We also have a 5% discount for you with our code. In this case, the discount will be applied at the end of the purchase.

And here ends our Tasmania guide for traveling on your own. For more information on Australia and other destinations, visit localguidegrancanaria.com where you will find all the travel guides to the places in the world we have been. Plan your next adventure with us and live an experience like a local!

Ruth González

Hello! I am Ruth, Canarian with a traveling soul. With training and experience in the tourism and digital marketing sector. In this blog I tell you all the tips you need to get to know the most authentic side of Gran Canaria on your own. I also share my travel guides to all the places in the world that I am visiting so that you can discover the destinations like a local and save time planning. In addition to traveling, I love gastronomy and sports. I run and hike in the mountains with my “dog-children” (Silver and Plata). In all these adventures my partner accompanies me, Jorge, which you will also see a lot on this blog.