Tasmania

Quick facts

Population

About 580,700 people in the state of Tasmania (Australian Bureau of Statistics estimate for 31 March 2026); 254,930 in Greater Hobart (ABS estimate for 2024).

Founded

Hobart was founded on 20 February 1804 at Sullivans Cove by David Collins, after a first military camp at Risdon Cove in 1803. The land belongs to the muwinina, who called it nipaluna.

Country and region

Australia, state of Tasmania, an island about 240 km south of the mainland, on the other side of Bass Strait.

Language

English. Several places have dual names in palawa kani, the language of the Tasmanian Aboriginal community: kunanyi/Mount Wellington, nipaluna/Hobart.

Currency

Australian dollar (AUD, A$).

Time zone

Australia/Hobart: UTC+10 in standard time (AEST) and UTC+11 in daylight saving time (AEDT).

Best time to visit

December to March; June brings Dark Mofo and the winter cold, and September to November is the low season.

Average daily cost

Budget around AUD107; mid-range around AUD238; comfortable around AUD493 per person per day, based on spending reported by travelers to Budget Your Trip (checked October 2026). Indicative figures, excluding travel to the destination. Hobart average.

What to see

01

Port Arthur Historic Site

EssentialTasmânia · Half a day or moreCheck tickets and reservations

The former prison on the Tasman Peninsula, 90 minutes by car from Hobart, received the colony's repeat-offender convicts from 1833 to 1877. The sandstone buildings made by the prisoners are spread across a park on the edge of the bay: the ruins of the penitentiary, the cross-shaped Separate Prison, where prisoners were hooded and kept silent, the guard tower, the church and the asylum. Across the water lie Point Puer, the boys' prison, and the Isle of the Dead cemetery. General admission lets you wander at your own pace and includes the free talks by the guides, which change time every day; guided tours, the boat to the Isle of the Dead and the evening lantern tour are paid separately. The Memorial Garden remembers the 35 victims of the 1996 massacre. Open every day from 9:00 to 17:00, except on Christmas Day; the site has been part of the World Heritage list since 2010.

Check access

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02

Museum of Old and New Art

EssentialCity of Glenorchy · Half a day or moreCheck tickets and reservations

MONA, the private museum of the collector David Walsh, is carved into the cliff of the Berriedale peninsula, upriver: you enter through a ground-level pavilion and descend a spiral staircase to three windowless floors, where antiquities sit alongside contemporary art centered on sex and death. The ferry ride, about 30 minutes from the Brooke Street pier, is part of the visit. It is open Thursday to Monday, from 10:00 to 17:00, with entry by timed ticket; Tasmanians do not pay but still need a ticket, and children under 12 do not pay. The museum does not accept cash, and some works are not suitable for children.

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03

kunanyi / Mount Wellington

EssentialCity of Hobart · One to two hours

The 1,271 m mountain that dominates Hobart has a paved road of about 22 km to the summit, opened in 1937, and an enclosed lookout with views of the city, the Derwent estuary and, on a clear day, the mountains of the west. From The Springs stop, at 720 m, walks leave for places such as the Organ Pipes, the wall of dolerite columns that can be seen from the city, which starts on the Pinnacle Track. Entry to Wellington Park is free, but the weather changes fast: it can snow at any time of year, the road closes when icy, and the park closes on days of extreme fire danger. Without a car, you can go up on the Explorer bus, which leaves in front of the Tasmanian Travel and Information Centre at 9:30, 11:00, 12:30 and 14:00, and also at 15:30 from October to April; the trip lasts 2.5 hours, with 30 minutes at the top.

Check access

Pinnacle Road closed to vehicles to the summit for annual maintenance; tracks open: 16 – 19 November 2026 (checked Oct 2026) source

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04

Salamanca Market

EssentialTasmânia · One to two hours · In the morning

The Saturday market fills Salamanca Place from 8:30 to 15:00, with more than 350 stalls selling crafts in Tasmanian wood, glass, ceramics, clothing, cheese, bread, wine, spirits and hot food. After a trial with six stalls in November 1971, the official opening was in January 1972, with twelve. It is run by the city council and draws between 25,000 and 40,000 people each Saturday, which makes it the most visited attraction on the island.

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05

Wineglass Bay

EssentialTasmânia · Half a day or more

The arc-shaped bay of white sand, on the ocean side of the Freycinet Peninsula, is the best-known image of the east coast. The lookout is 2.6 km round trip from the trailhead parking lot, 1 to 1.5 hours, along an uphill path among the pink granites of the Hazards; going down to the beach is another trail, 6 km and 2.5 to 3.5 hours round trip. The park is two and a half to three hours by car from Hobart and requires a park pass.

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06

Salamanca Place

Worth a visitHobart city center · Up to half an hour

On the other days of the week, the Georgian sandstone warehouses go back to being what the market hides: a row of galleries, cafés, bars and the Salamanca Arts Centre facing the port. The stone came from the Battery Point cliff, and Kelly's Steps, cut into the rock in 1839, connect the street to the neighborhood above.

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07

Battery Point

Worth a visitCity of Hobart · Up to half an hour

Hobart's oldest neighborhood preserves wooden cottages with picket fences, terraced townhouses and the small circular square of Arthur Circus, whose houses were built for garrison officers. It is worth climbing Kelly's Steps, passing St George's church, from 1838, and walking down to Princes Park, where the cannon battery that gave the place its name once stood.

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08

Bruny Island

Worth a visitKingborough Council · Half a day or more

The island south of Hobart has two halves joined by a narrow sandy isthmus, The Neck, and shelters colonies of shearwaters and little penguins. In the south are Adventure Bay, where Furneaux and Cook anchored, and South Bruny National Park, with dolerite cliffs above 200 m and the Cape Bruny lighthouse, lit in 1838, which offers guided tours; the park requires a pass, like every national park in Tasmania. Cheese, oyster and wine producers open their doors along the road. You get there by the Kettering ferry, which crosses in 20 minutes.

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09

Cascades Female Factory Historic Site

Worth a visitTasmânia · One to two hoursCheck tickets and reservations

From 1828 to 1856, this workhouse in South Hobart held convict women on damp, overcrowded ground, with a great deal of disease and death. Three of the five original yards remain, and the interpretation center, reopened in 2022, tells the story of the women who passed through. It is the only site of its kind with remains that let you understand how these prisons worked. Open every day from 9:30 to 16:30, except on Christmas Day; the visit is by paid ticket with a guided tour (the Convict Women's Tour leaves daily from 10:00), and booking is advisable.

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Nilo’s itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1 · Sullivans Cove, Salamanca Place, Battery Point and the Female Factory

   1. Constitution DockUp to half an hourIf there is time
   2. 6Salamanca PlaceUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   3. 4Salamanca MarketOne to two hoursEssential
   4. 7Battery PointUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   5. Tasmanian Museum and Art GalleryOne to two hoursWorth a visit

   1. Start at the waterfront of Sullivans Cove: Constitution Dock, Princes Wharf and the sandstone warehouses of Salamanca Place. If it's a Saturday, the morning belongs to Salamanca Market, from 8:30 to 15:00.

   2. Climb Kelly's Steps to Battery Point and wander the streets of cottages to Arthur Circus and St George's church; come down through Princes Park.

   3. Have fish for lunch at the restaurants around Constitution Dock.

   4. In the early afternoon, go by taxi, car or bus to the Cascades Female Factory, in South Hobart, and arrive in time for a guided tour: the site closes at 16:30.

   5. Back at the port, if there's time left, the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery is next to Constitution Dock; check the museum's website to see whether it is open that day.

   6. Have dinner on Salamanca Place or in North Hobart, on Elizabeth Street.

2. 2

   Day 2 · MONA by ferry and the top of kunanyi

   1. Choose a day from Thursday to Monday and book your MONA entry time; the museum opens at 10:00. Take the first ferry of the morning from the Brooke Street pier; the crossing takes about 30 minutes.

   2. Spend about two and a half hours in the museum and return on an early-afternoon ferry, in time for lunch in the center.

   3. At 14:00, take the Explorer bus to the top of kunanyi/Mount Wellington, in front of the Tasmanian Travel and Information Centre; from May to September it is the last departure of the day, and from October to April there is another at 15:30. Bring a jacket even in summer.

   4. With a car, the alternative is to spend the whole morning at MONA and drive up in the late afternoon, if the road is open.

3. 3

   Day 3 · Port Arthur and the Tasman Peninsula

   1. Leave Hobart early by car for Port Arthur, 90 minutes away; the site opens at 9:00.

   2. Take general admission with one of the guides' free talks, or pay for a guided tour; the Separate Prison, the penitentiary and the church need at least half a day.

   3. Stop by the Memorial Garden before leaving.

   4. On the way back, after Eaglehawk Neck, take Blowhole Road (C338), a dirt road with limited parking, to Tasmans Arch, Devils Kitchen and the Blowhole, formations carved by the sea a few steps from the car, inside Tasman National Park (a park pass is required). The park's highest cliffs can be seen by boat or on the Cape Hauy and Cape Raoul trails, which call for another day.

   5. Return to Hobart before dark, to avoid wildlife on the road.

If you stay longer

1. 4

   Day 4 · Bruny Island

   1. 8Bruny IslandHalf a day or moreWorth a visit

   Day trip

   1. Kettering is about 40 minutes by car south of Hobart, and the ferry crosses to the island in 20 minutes, with departures every 20 minutes from 6:10 to 19:00 (round trip from A$58.60 per vehicle). One day is enough for The Neck, Adventure Bay and the Cape Bruny lighthouse, at the far south, with stops at cheese and oyster producers. South Bruny National Park, where the lighthouse is, requires a park pass. The island is about 50 km long: leave early.

2. 5

   Day 5 · Freycinet National Park and Wineglass Bay

   1. 5Wineglass BayHalf a day or moreEssential

   Day trip

   1. Two and a half to three hours by car from Hobart, along the east coast and through Coles Bay. The Wineglass Bay lookout takes 1 to 1.5 hours round trip; the descent to the beach, 2.5 to 3.5 hours. With five to six hours on the road in total, it works better with an overnight stay in Coles Bay, or as a stop on the way to Launceston and the north.

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Food

Where to eat

• Constitution Dock and Sullivans Cove

  Fish and seafood on the waterfront, at restaurants supplied by the dock's fishing boats. Good for a lunch between the port and Salamanca.

• Salamanca Place

  On Saturdays, the market's stalls with hot food, cheeses, leatherwood honey, bread and spirits; on other days, cafés and bars in the sandstone warehouses, good for trying the island's wines and whiskies.

• North Hobart (Elizabeth Street)

  One of Hobart's main streets for restaurants, bars and nightlife, with varied cuisines. It is where the city eats out, away from the tourist circuit of the port.

• Bakeries in Hobart, Richmond and the Tasman Peninsula

  The scallop pie, a scallop and curry pie, is counter food at bakeries; look for the ones that say they use scallops from the island, which are sometimes unavailable out of season.

• Bruny Island

  Cheeses from local producers, oysters opened on the spot and wine, bought directly at the farm gates along the road. It works as the day's lunch on the island.

· 2026-10-19

Day trips

Where to begin

Sullivans Cove, Salamanca Place, Battery Point and the Female Factory

Start at the waterfront of Sullivans Cove: Constitution Dock, Princes Wharf and the sandstone warehouses of Salamanca Place. If it's a Saturday, the morning belongs to Salamanca Market, from 8:30 to 15:00.

• Salamanca Market
• Salamanca Place
• Battery Point
• Cascades Female Factory Historic Site

MONA by ferry and the top of kunanyi

Choose a day from Thursday to Monday and book your MONA entry time; the museum opens at 10:00. Take the first ferry of the morning from the Brooke Street pier; the crossing takes about 30 minutes.

• kunanyi / Mount Wellington

Port Arthur and the Tasman Peninsula

Leave Hobart early by car for Port Arthur, 90 minutes away; the site opens at 9:00.

• Port Arthur Historic Site

Money

Getting there and around

Safety

Etiquette tips

Mistakes to avoid

Useful phrases

Where to stay

• Sullivans Cove and central Hobart · Those traveling without a car, arriving by SkyBus and wanting to walk to the MONA ferry, Salamanca and the kunanyi buses.: It has hotels in every category near the port and the departure points for buses and tours. The drawback is limited parking in the center for those renting a car.
• Battery Point and Salamanca · Those who want to stay in a historic house or guesthouse, near the Salamanca restaurants and the Saturday market.: The streets are residential and quiet, a few minutes on foot from the port. The drawback is the hills and steep stairs between the neighborhood and the port.
• North Hobart · Those who put restaurants and bars first and don't mind walking or taking a bus to the port.: It is on Elizabeth Street, the downtown dining street. The port and the MONA ferry are a longer walk or a short bus ride away.
• Coles Bay (Freycinet) · Those going to Wineglass Bay who don't want to do the east coast in a single day.: It is the village at the park entrance, where the trails start early, before the crowds. In summer, I'd book well in advance.
• Cradle Mountain · Those extending the trip to the northwest to do Dove Lake and the alpine trails.: The lodgings are next to the visitor center, where the park bus leaves from. Beyond that there is no town: the locality had 66 residents in the 2016 census.

· 2026-10-19

Districts

Sullivans Cove

Hobart's original port, between Constitution Dock, the Brooke Street pier, where the MONA ferry leaves, and Princes Wharf. It has hotels, the visitor information center and the bus stops for the airport and kunanyi.

Salamanca Place

The row of Georgian sandstone warehouses facing the port, now home to galleries, cafés, bars and the arts center. On Saturdays, the whole street is taken over by Salamanca Market.

Battery Point

The residential promontory south of Salamanca, with wooden cottages, terraced townhouses, Arthur Circus square and St George's church. It is named for a cannon battery installed in 1818 and is reached on foot by Kelly's Steps, from 1839.

South Hobart

The Hobart Rivulet valley, at the foot of the mountain, with the Cascade Brewery and the Cascades Female Factory. It is more residential and serves as a route to kunanyi.

History

Geography and shape of the city

Culture

Festivals and events

Books and films

Frequently asked questions

Tasmania: how do you get to the island and from Hobart airport to the center?

Hobart International Airport (HBA) is in Cambridge, about 17 km northeast of the center, and is Tasmania's main airport. The SkyBus links the terminal to the center every 30 minutes; tickets can be bought only by credit card, on the website, in the app, at the kiosks or from the driver. The other gateway is the Spirit of Tasmania ferry, which crosses Bass Strait between Geelong, near Melbourne, and Devonport, in the north of the island, in 9 to 11 hours, usually overnight and with space for a car.

Tasmania: how many days should you stay?

I'd stay at least three days in Tasmania, based in Hobart: the first for Sullivans Cove, Salamanca Place, Battery Point and the Female Factory; the second for MONA, by ferry, and the top of kunanyi in the afternoon; and the whole third for Port Arthur, by car. With five days, I'd add a day on Bruny Island and finish at Wineglass Bay, sleeping in Coles Bay instead of returning to Hobart the same day. Cradle Mountain is more than four hours away by road and needs at least two more days, preferably as the final stop for those continuing north to the Devonport ferry.

Tasmania: which national parks pass should you buy?

Every national park requires a pass, sold online and at visitor centers. Going by the prices published on the official websites on 19 October 2026, the daily pass costs A$49.15 per vehicle carrying up to eight people, or A$24.55 per person on foot, by bicycle or by bus, and is valid for 24 hours; the Holiday Pass, valid for up to two months in all parks, costs A$98.35 per vehicle or A$49.20 per person. Two daily passes cost practically the same as the Holiday Pass, and from three park days I'd buy the two-month one; count South Bruny National Park and Tasman National Park too. Cradle Mountain has its own daily pass, A$30.70 per adult with the park bus included; those who hold the Holiday Pass pay for the bus separately, A$15.50 per adult for 72 hours. Park prices are adjusted every year for inflation.

Tasmania: how do you visit MONA?

MONA, the private museum of the collector David Walsh, is carved into the cliff of the Berriedale peninsula, upriver: you enter through a ground-level pavilion and descend a spiral staircase to three windowless floors, where antiquities sit alongside contemporary art centered on sex and death. The ferry ride, about 30 minutes from the Brooke Street pier, is part of the visit. It is open Thursday to Monday, from 10:00 to 17:00, with entry by timed ticket; Tasmanians do not pay but still need a ticket, and children under 12 do not pay. The museum does not accept cash, and some works are not suitable for children.

Tasmania: what is a visit to Port Arthur like?

Port Arthur Historic Site, the former prison on the Tasman Peninsula, 90 minutes by car from Hobart, received the colony's repeat-offender convicts from 1833 to 1877. The sandstone buildings made by the prisoners are spread across a park on the edge of the bay: the ruins of the penitentiary, the cross-shaped Separate Prison, where prisoners were hooded and kept silent, the guard tower, the church and the asylum. Across the water lie Point Puer, the boys' prison, and the Isle of the Dead cemetery. General admission lets you wander at your own pace and includes the free talks by the guides, which change time every day; guided tours, the boat to the Isle of the Dead and the evening lantern tour are paid separately. The Memorial Garden remembers the 35 victims of the 1996 massacre. Open every day from 9:00 to 17:00, except on Christmas Day; the site has been part of the World Heritage list since 2010.

Tasmania: how do you get up kunanyi/Mount Wellington?

Hobart's 1,271 m mountain, kunanyi/Mount Wellington, has a paved road of about 22 km to the summit, opened in 1937, and an enclosed lookout with views of the city, the Derwent estuary and, on a clear day, the mountains of the west. From The Springs stop, at 720 m, walks leave for places such as the Organ Pipes, the wall of dolerite columns that can be seen from the city, which starts on the Pinnacle Track. Entry to Wellington Park is free, but the weather changes fast: it can snow at any time of year, the road closes when icy, and the park closes on days of extreme fire danger. Without a car, you can go up on the Explorer bus, which leaves in front of the Tasmanian Travel and Information Centre at 9:30, 11:00, 12:30 and 14:00, and also at 15:30 from October to April; the trip lasts 2.5 hours, with 30 minutes at the top. I'd keep the climb for the clearest day of the stay and check whether the summit road is open. With low cloud, the lookout shows nothing.

Tasmania: how do you get to Bruny Island?

Bruny Island is reached by the Kettering ferry, about 40 minutes south of Hobart: the crossing takes 20 minutes, with departures every 20 minutes from 6:10 to 19:00. The ticket can be bought on the spot, at the terminal, and is valid for the next available ferry. The Bruny ferry costs from A$58.60 per vehicle, round trip. One day is enough for The Neck, Adventure Bay and the Cape Bruny lighthouse, at the far south, with stops at cheese and oyster producers. South Bruny National Park, where the lighthouse is, requires a park pass. The island is about 50 km long: leave early.

Tasmania: can you do Wineglass Bay as a day trip?

Wineglass Bay, in Freycinet National Park, is two and a half to three hours by car from Hobart, along the east coast and through Coles Bay. The Wineglass Bay lookout takes 1 to 1.5 hours round trip; the descent to the beach, 2.5 to 3.5 hours. With five to six hours on the road in total, it works better with an overnight stay in Coles Bay, or as a stop on the way to Launceston and the north. The park requires a park pass.

Tasmania: when is the best time to go?

The austral summer, from December to February, is the high season: long days, with 15.3 hours of daylight at the solstice, average highs of 21 °C to 23 °C in Hobart, trails open and a city full with the Sydney to Hobart race and Taste of Summer at New Year. March keeps average highs near 21 °C outside the two high seasons cited by Tourism Australia, and I'd choose it for walking in Freycinet and Cradle Mountain. Autumn, through May, cools quickly. Winter, from June to August, is also high season because of Dark Mofo: highs are near 13 °C, kunanyi usually has snow and the summit road can close with ice, and mountain trails call for cold-weather gear. Spring, from September to November, is the low season, with average highs from 15.7 °C in September to 19.1 °C in November. At any time of year, the top of kunanyi and Cradle Mountain can have snow.

Tasmania: what precautions should you take in nature and on the road?

The risks that most change a trip to Tasmania are in nature and on the road. On kunanyi and Cradle Mountain, the weather turns in minutes: bring a waterproof jacket and layers, check the forecast and turn back if visibility drops, as the park itself recommends. The kunanyi road closes with ice or snow, and Wellington Park closes entirely on days of extreme or catastrophic fire danger. The climb to the summit of Cradle Mountain is long, exposed and slippery in winter. Outside the cities, avoid driving at night, when wildlife is active and crosses the roads, and remember that you drive on the left.

Itineraries through here