Things to Do in Tasmania
Explore Tasmania's Cradle Coast, East Coast & wilderness. 37 campsites, 1,671 trails, penguin colonies & cool-climate wine. Plan your island road trip.
5 regions
Photo: TG Crew
Lutruwita, by its Palawa (Tasmanian Aboriginal) name
An island state of seven regions, best explored by car, with a ferry from Geelong to Devonport.
Island state · 7 regions · TG Crew, checked 18 October 2026
Key fact: Tasmania is an island. Discover Tasmania says a car is the best way to explore its seven regions at your own pace, and the Spirit of Tasmania ferry sails between Geelong and Devonport.
Sources: Discover Tasmania (home and things-to-do pages); Spirit of Tasmania FAQs.
About Tasmania
Tasmania has been separated from the mainland for thousands of years and has plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth. It holds the three largest living marsupial predators: the Tasmanian devil, the spotted-tailed quoll and the eastern quoll. It is also a stronghold for mammals that are extinct, or close to it, on the mainland.
The devil is the world's largest surviving carnivorous marsupial, and a deadly facial tumour disease has destroyed 80 per cent of the devil population. Cradle Mountain has devils, quolls, platypus, echidna, wombats and the black currawong.
Sources: Discover Tasmania (things to do); parks service (land mammals, Tasmanian devil, Cradle Mountain, caring for wildlife).
Tours & Experiences
Selling fastTasman Peninsula Wilderness Cruise from Port Arthur
4.9(307)
Selling fastFull-Day Bruny Island Cruises Day Tour from Hobart
4.8(535)
Port Arthur Full-day Guided Tour with Harbour Cruise and Tasman National Park
4.7(689)
Full-Day Guided Bruny Island Tour from Hobart
4.8(1,480)
Morning World Heritage Cruise on the Gordon River from Strahan
4.8(1,261)
Bruny Island Wilderness Cruise from Adventure Bay, Bruny Island
4.9(318)
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Regions in Tasmania
Top things to do
Overland Track
Australia's premier alpine walk, according to the parks service: up to six days through a World Heritage Area. Bookings open the first Tuesday in July.
Port Arthur
A convict settlement open daily 9am to 5pm and closed only on Christmas Day, 90 minutes' drive from Hobart.
Convict history
Eleven Australian Convict Sites were World Heritage listed in 2010, and almost half are in Tasmania.
Mona
A museum in Hobart, 11 km north: about 30 minutes by ferry from Brooke Street Pier, or 20 minutes by road.
Salamanca Market
Hobart's market, on Discover Tasmania's list of must-see attractions.
kunanyi / Mount Wellington
On Discover Tasmania's list of top places. Cascade Brewery, at its foot since 1824, is the nation's oldest surviving brewery.
Food and drink
The island produces everything from wine to whisky, saffron to truffles, abalone to wasabi.
The new AFL team
The AFL's 19th team will be known as the Tasmania Devils, in a dark green jumper with a yellow map of the island.
Sources: parks service (Overland Track, Cradle Mountain); Port Arthur Historic Site; Australian Convict Sites history page; Mona; Discover Tasmania; Cascade Brewery on the beer trail page; AFL.
Regions
East coast, Hobart and south, Launceston and north, North west, West coast, King Island and Flinders Island.
Hobart and south
The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race began in 1945. It starts on Boxing Day on Sydney Harbour and finishes at Constitution Dock after 628 nautical miles, across Bass Strait and up the Derwent River.
Tasman National Park has Australia's highest sea cliffs, 300 m of dolerite. The Three Capes Track is 48 km over four days and three nights, starts with a boat trip from Port Arthur and needs a booking. The Cape Hauy walk (4 hours return, 9.4 km) looks down on the 65 m Totem Pole sea stack, and the Cape Raoul walk (5 hours, 14 km) has a side track down to Shipstern Bluff, a big-wave surf location.
Mount Field National Park is just over an hour from Hobart. Its Russell Falls is a three-tiered waterfall the parks service calls arguably one of the most impressive in Tasmania, on a wide, easy track of 25 minutes return that suits wheelchairs and strollers.
Sources: Sydney Hobart race organisers; Discover Tasmania (Tasman Peninsula, Tasman National Park); parks service (Tasman National Park, Mount Field); Mona visit page.
Launceston and north
Launceston was named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy in late 2021, one of only 36 world cities with the title. Harvest Market runs each Saturday morning in a city-centre car park, with about 50 producers and makers. The Pipers River area of the Tamar Valley is considered second only to France's Champagne region for the quality of its sparkling wine. Boag's beer has been brewed since 1881.
Sources: Discover Tasmania (Launceston City of Gastronomy, where to eat and drink in Launceston, Boag's).
East coast
Freycinet is best known for Wineglass Bay, which the parks service counts among Tasmania's most celebrated views. It is about 2.5 to 3 hours from Launceston or Hobart. Camping and caravan access are listed among the park's features.
Maria Island is reached only by passenger ferry from Triabunna, about 45 minutes, and has no vehicle access, so you walk or ride a bike. Ferry bookings are essential. Darlington Probation Station is the most intact convict probation station in Australia. There are no shops or cafes on the island, so bring food.
Sources: parks service (Freycinet, Maria Island).
West coast
Queenstown is 3 hours 30 minutes (260 km) from Hobart. Sarah Island, in the southern part of Macquarie Harbour, is Tasmania's oldest convict settlement and reputedly one of the severest penal establishments in the history of transportation. It housed up to 385 male convicts, and for a time its shipbuilding yard was the largest in the colonies. Cruise boats run there from Strahan each day of the year and operate guided tours of the island.
The West Coast Wilderness Railway runs 35 km through rainforest between Queenstown and Strahan, and was finished in 1899.
Sources: Discover Tasmania (Queenstown, West Coast Wilderness Railway); parks service (Sarah Island).
North west
The Nut at Stanley is the core of a long-extinct volcano, 143 m high, rising from Bass Strait above the town. Reach the top by the Zig Zag track, which is short and steep, or by the chairlift, which is privately run and open seven days a week, with closure dates that vary from late May to early September.
Little penguins come ashore at Godfrey's Beach, where a purpose-built platform with red lighting lets you watch them head for their burrows at night.
Sources: parks service (The Nut State Reserve); state penguin watching guidelines.
King Island
King Island has two golf courses on its coast, a restaurant with no food and a shipwreck site. Its lush pastures are the key ingredient in its renowned produce, and the winds add to the challenge of the golf.
[Crew to confirm: a tip for King Island, such as how to get there and where to stay.]
Sources: Discover Tasmania (home and regions pages).
Flinders Island
It has more than 120 beaches, and finding an empty one is easy. The water is clear enough to snorkel, a mountain rises straight from the sea and every driver waves. Seafood is served straight from the ocean, from Flinders Island to the deep south.
[Crew to confirm: a tip for Flinders Island, such as how to get there and where to stay.]
Sources: Discover Tasmania (home page, eating and drinking in Tasmania).
Getting there and around
- The Spirit of Tasmania takes approximately 9 to 11 hours to cross.
- From 31 October 2026 the new ships Spirit of Tasmania IV and V take over, and the schedule starts with night sailings only.
- They have much more space, especially for caravans, motorhomes and other large vehicles.
- Check-in opens 2.5 hours before departure and closes strictly 45 minutes before.
- Measure your total length and height, including towed items, roof racks and attachments, before you book.
- A motorhome or campervan is booked as a vehicle, a caravan under "towing a caravan or trailer".
- Fixed gas bottles can travel if turned off, and caravans and motorhomes may carry one additional bottle up to 25 kg.
- Fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, plant products, honey and soil cannot be brought into Tasmania.
- Nobody can go to the vehicle deck during the voyage, so take an overnight bag, and there is no charging for electric vehicles on board.
- Parking at the Devonport terminal is free.
On the island, renting a car or campervan is a popular choice for scenic routes, country roads and national parks. Buses are limited outside urban areas, and coach tours and regional flights link the major towns.
- Dove Lake Road, Cradle Valley: campervans, motorhomes, caravans and trailers are not permitted on it at any time. Park at the visitor centre and take the shuttle.
- Mount Field: the Lake Dobson road is gravel and not suitable for campervans or buses.
- National parks: a parks pass is required for entry, and campfires are not permitted in fuel stove only areas.
Sources: Spirit of Tasmania FAQs; Discover Tasmania home page; parks service (Cradle Mountain, Mount Field, caring for wildlife).
When to go
Discover Tasmania puts the best time to visit in the summer months, December to February, when the weather is warm and ideal for outdoor experiences. Tasmania has four distinct seasons, and the east coast is drier and the west coast wetter.
Spring
September to November: mild temperatures and blooming wildflowers, with changeable weather.
Summer
December to February: the warmest weather, with average temperatures of 17 to 23 degrees Celsius.
Autumn
March to May: colourful foliage, calm days and fewer crowds.
Winter
June to August: cold but often clear, with average temperatures of 3 to 11 degrees Celsius and heavier rainfall feeding waterfalls.
Sources: Discover Tasmania home page.
Itineraries
Discover Tasmania's popular itineraries:
- A lap around the island: 14 days
- Cliffs and convicts: 3 days
- Wine and wildlife: 4 days
- Mountain biking, vineyards and beach bliss: 3 days
Sources: Discover Tasmania home page.
Questions we get asked
How many days should I spend in Tasmania? Itineraries run from 3 days (Cliffs and convicts, or Mountain biking, vineyards and beach bliss) and 4 days (Wine and wildlife) up to 14 days for a lap around the island.
What are some unique experiences in Tasmania? Spotting the Tasmanian devil in wildlife sanctuaries, sampling cool-climate wines, exploring the coastline by kayak, hiking to signature landmarks and farm-to-table cuisine, plus the island's Palawa (Tasmanian Aboriginal) heritage and arts scene in regional galleries and festivals.
Where should first-timers go? The must-see attractions are Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Port Arthur, Salamanca Market, Freycinet with Wineglass Bay and the Bay of Fires.
What are some fun things to do in the north west? Volunteers run a free guided tour of the Burnie penguin colony, nightly from 1 October to 31 March. Walk the self-guided Stanley Heritage Walk, or step back to the 1830s at Highfield Historic Site. In Burnie you can also go on a platypus tour.
Sources: Discover Tasmania (home page, Stanley, visit the little penguins).
Warnings
- Keep two metres from native animals and do not feed them.
- Dusk to dawn: slow down, because devils are hard to see at night.
- Freycinet: the beaches are unpatrolled and the cliffs hazardous.
Sources: parks service (caring for wildlife, Freycinet).
People & Demographics
Cultural Diversity
Tasmania's population is primarily Anglo-Celtic, with growing communities from Eastern Europe, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. Recent migration patterns have enriched Hobart and Launceston with international cuisine and cultural festivals.
Indigenous Heritage
Tasmania is the ancestral home of the Palawa people, the First Nations inhabitants whose connection to this land spans over 45,000 years. Their cultural heritage, art, and traditional knowledge remain central to understanding Tasmania's identity and natural landscapes.
Economy & Industry
Tasmania's economy is built on natural advantages: clean water, cool climate, and pristine environment. While traditional forestry and farming remain important, the state has pivoted toward high-value, sustainable industries—aquaculture, premium agriculture, and tourism. This shift has positioned Tasmania as a destination for discerning travellers seeking authenticity and environmental stewardship, rather than mass-market tourism.
Key Industries
Major Exports
Local Specialties
Tasmania's cool climate produces world-class cool-climate wines, particularly around the Coal River and Tamar Valley regions. The state has also become a craft distillery hotspot, with premium whisky, gin, and vodka operations drawing international recognition and adding significantly to the value-add tourism economy.