Spectacular 10-Day Lap of Tasmania

Make it quick..

Tasmania Road Trip

We undoubtedly had the ultimate 10-day road trip, doing a lap of Tasmania! Tassie may be the smallest state in Australia but there are so many things to do in Tasmania! Definitely a fantastic state, full of so much natural beauty.

We always thought we’d like Tasmania but admittedly, it took us by surprise and we ended up loving it SO much! Mark our words, Tasmania is worth visiting! In fact, 10 days there makes the perfect getaway. Therefore, after our 10 days there, we’re sharing our itinerary to let you know all the best things to do during a Tasmania road trip.

We have no doubts that you will enjoy it just as much we did!

Tasmania Travel Guide
Quick List

We have lots to cover in this Tasmania travel guide so if you're short on time...

Here is a quick list of the main attractions to visit in Tasmania from Devonport

Day 1 - Arrive in Devonport. Head to Launceston via Sheffield & Railton

Day 2 - Launceston

Day 3 - Lilydale Waterfalls, Bridstowe Lavender Fields, Bay of Fires & Binalong Bay

Day 4 - Denison Beach, Bicheno & Freycinet National Park

Day 5 - Eaglecreek Neck & Port Arthur

Day 6 - Hobart & Bruny Island

Day 7 - Bruny Island, 99 Bends & Lake St Claire

Day 8 - Montezuma Falls & Cradle Mountain

Day 9 - Penguin & Tamar Valley

Where to stay: Domescapes (Treat yourself to a splurge!)

Day 10 - Back to Devonport via Cape Grim

Spirit of Tasmania

This is the ferry option and the one that we took. As a result, we were able to take our car over from the mainland and use it to get around Tasmania. In this instance, the ferry can be boarded from a port in Melbourne.

So you don’t end up with any problems before you can jump into all the things to do in Tasmania, it should be noted that fresh foods such as fruit and vegetables can’t be taken on board. As well as Jerry cans filled with petrol. However, butane gas is ok as long as you let security know about it before you board.

Alongside this, we would also suggest travel sickness pills, as the Bass Strait can get quite rough. In addition, a Tasmania road trip also involves a fair few twists and turns! With this in mind, we think the overnight ferry is best, as you can sleep through the rocking! Although, the day pass usually comes at a cheaper rate!

Flights

The other option to get to Tasmania is to fly. However, if you really want to see the best of the state, you will need a car to do a lap of Tasmania. Therefore, you’ll have to factor in a rental too. The main locations to fly into are the capital Hobart and the second-largest city, Launceston.

As we travelled by ferry, our Tasmania road trip guide will start in Devonport. However, we did a lap of Tasmania, so if you plan to start elsewhere, just follow on from that point instead.

Day 1 - Head to Launceston

(via Sheffield & Railton)

Sheffield

The first destination for your lap of Tasmania! Sheffield is also known as the town of murals. Interestingly, this town once had a huge boom of construction. However, once the construction finished, many of the builders moved on and left Sheffield in economic turmoil. In response to this, a plan was made to make Sheffield a tourist destination and boost the economy again. This plan was to cover the town in murals... and it worked!

Cool works of art can be found on almost every building on the main road through Sheffield! This unique town should not be missed on any Tasmania road trip!

Launceston City Gems

National Trust Old Umbrella Shop - this is a charming original umbrella shop from the early 1900s. This unique thing to do in Tasmania gives you a glimpse into one of the last surviving experiences of the state’s retail heritage. These days you can find souvenirs in the main shop but further in is a display of various original umbrellas from past eras. Definitely worth popping in to see!

Old Brisbane Arcade - Launceston is full of little hidden arcades along its city streets. An example of this is with Old Brisbane Arcade, which is set behind the face of Launceston’s first-ever hotel! We found a lovely shop named 'Inspire' here for some unique souvenirs.
Electric Botany Street Art Project - all around the city, you can find works of art on the city’s traffic control boxes. There are some really cool pieces! The trail hopes to connect you to Launceston’s eateries, boutiques, parks and galleries and ultimately hit the pavement and explore! Find out more details of the trail HERE.
City Park - A lovely park in itself but there is definitely something in particular that draws in the crowds to this park! Namely, Japanese Macaques monkeys! These were a gift from Launceston’s sister city in Japan, Ikeda. We could have stood here all day and watched them playing. The baby ones are so cute!

City Park is also a great spot for free parking in Launceston.

Cataract gorge - This is probably the most visited site in Launceston and for good reason! Cataract Gorge is beautiful and for us, was definitely a highlight of the things to do in Tasmania! Here you are able to go on a few walks around the gorge, where you are likely to see some wallabies and other wildlife. The suspension bridge is worth a visit and on a hot day, join the locals with a dip in the gorge or the free pool!
Our favourite part is the worlds longest single span cable car! Take a ride for only $13 one way/$16 return and you’ll get to sore right over the gorge. As you can imagine, the views are incredible! Without a doubt, cataract gorge is a must-see during your lap of Tasmania!

The Metz - if you fancy treating yourself whilst in the city, this is the place to go. We were drawn to The Metz due to its extensive vegan options and they did not disappoint! The creamy Malai Kofta with spiced potato and tofu was our favourite dish!

Mad Apple - fab breakfast or brunch option. All vegetarian but with plenty of vegan options too.

The Schnitty Bar - who doesn’t love a good schnitzel and chips? In addition, there are so many schnitzel toppings to choose from. For vegans, you can adapt any of the toppings with a vegan Schnitz!

Suggested free camp: Lilydale Camp

Bridstowe Lavender Fields

During December and January, one of the most popular things to do in Tassie is the Bridstowe Lavender Fields. In fact, this happens to be the largest privately-owned Lavender farm in the world!

Without a doubt, you’ll find plenty of people capturing their perfect Instagram shots here! Aside from the fields creating a beautiful backdrop, a guided tour is also included in the entry price.

One of the best parts of Bridstowe Lavender Fields is the cafe! Due to an array of delicious Lavender flavoured items on offer! For instance, you can get a scoop of purple Lavender ice cream and Lavender scones or even Lavender lemonade and chai!

In addition, you can also find a gift shop. As you can imagine, it’s full of Lavender products to remind you of this Tasmania road trip stop!

Something to note: we had read that the entry price was $10. However, when we arrived, we were told that the price was now $20 due to Covid. We just happened to mention that we thought it was a different price and were charged $10 instead!

Bay of Fires

The Bay of Fires is what can be found along a vast part of Tasmania’s East Coast and no Tasmania travel guide would be complete without it. Alongside the pristine white beaches, bright orange rocks can be found jutting out from the sands. These bright orange rocks are what is known as the Bay of Fires. Undoubtedly, the contrast of the orange against the bright white sand and turquoise waters makes for a very stunning sight.

We noticed the orange rocks along many parts of the East Coast. However, none of these spots seemed to compare to one that we just happened to stumble upon during our lap of Tasmania. We headed towards Eddystone Point, close to Eddystone Lighthouse, which is situated in the Mount Wellington National park.

Not long before the lighthouse, we noticed a small wooden sign pointing into a narrow path which read ‘Bay of Fires, 15 minutes’. We curiously decided to check it out and were pleasantly surprised by what emerged on the other side. Firstly, 15 minutes was actually only 5-10 minutes. Secondly, we ended up with the most beautiful beach all to ourselves! No exaggeration. Not a single other person was on this huge stretch of beach. Furthermore, there were so many of the orange rocks to gaze at!

We would definitely recommend heading here for a more unique experience of this popular tourist site! In fact, we’d deem it a must for this Tasmania road trip!

Binalong Bay

Binalong Bay is a lovely beachside town, which has a fab white sand beach to catch the sunset from. You’ll most likely find a few people who have pulled over to watch it from their cars!

Day 4 - Bicheno & Freycinet National Park

Suggested Free Camp: Dunalley Hotel

Denison Beach

The East Coast is full of amazing sunsets and sunrises to gaze at. In addition to the most gorgeous beaches, you’ll find during the lap of Tasmania. With this in mind, if indulging in some early beauty is a thing you’d like to do in Tasmania, we’d suggest checking out the sunrise at Denison Beach. In fact, you might even get lucky like us and end up with the beach and the views all to yourself!

Bicheno

Bicheno is a gateway town to the Tassie hotspot, Freycinet National Park. However, it has a few highlights of its own and definitely worth stopping at during a Tasmania road trip. With this in mind, we have highlighted a few of our favourites for this Tasmania travel guide.

Penguins - Bicheno is home to a colony of Fairy Penguins, which you can visit on the beach with a guided tour or self-guided. The best place to head to is Redbill beach and Waubs Beach. However, don’t worry if you don’t find the time here! There are a few places to catch penguins around the lap of Tasmania. For instance, on Bruny Island or in the actual town Penguin. In fact, Tasmania has the most amount of penguins in the whole of Australia!
Richardson Beach - One of Tassie’s beautiful beaches, if you fancy a chill or a picnic in Bicheno.
Bicheno Blowhole - an impressive blowhole can be found in Bicheno! If you arrive when the tide is high, the splashes are huge!

Here is a summary of the Freycinet National Park walks you can add to your Tasmania road trip:

Wineglass Bay Walk Options

Wineglass Bay Lookout - the most popular hike in the park is the one to the lookout for Wineglass Bay. Undoubtedly, the view is stunning! Which comes as quite a relief, as the walk up isn’t the easiest. The path is very steep and takes around 45 minutes to complete. Promise it’s worth it though!

Wineglass Bay - it’s not entirely known why it got the name Wineglass Bay. However, we agree with the suspicions that it’s because the shape of the bay looks very similar to the top of a wine glass! You can continue down to the bay from the lookout. However, be prepared for an extremely steep walk back!

Wineglass Bay Circuit - There is a walk that covers Wineglass Bay and the other beautiful attractions without the need for the steep walk back to the lookout. Unfortunately, we didn’t go down to the bay as we didn’t want to do the walk back. Additionally, we had read that continuing the walk on instead would take around 5/6 hours. However, we spoke to a couple that said it was an easy walk and only took around 3 hours!

If this really is the case or if you just have more time, it’s definitely worth it. With this, you’ll get to see a lot more of the park, including the gorgeous Hazards Beach.

Additional Sites to See

Honeymoon Bay - a charming little cove beach, worth a quick visit or the perfect spot for a picnic.

Sleepy Bay/Little Gravelly Beach - this bay provides fab views out to sea and the rugged coastline. A little further along, you’ll arrive at the aptly named Little Gravelly Beach. A unique beach made from the chips of granite broken off from the surrounding cliffs.
Cape Tourville - It has a quick walk, which gives you amazing views of the surrounding area, including the peak of Mount Freycinet. Additionally, you will learn about the impressive sizes of the local sea life. However, our highlight here was the friendly pademelon! The cutie let us get right up close to give it a stroke!

We noticed that the roads towards Port Arthur not far from here has loads of warning signs for Tasmanian Devil’s. With this in mind, it might be worth checking it out at night to see if you can spot one!

Eaglehawk Neck

Head here to check out the tessellated pavement and get a great view over Pirates Bay while you’re at it.

The tessellated pavement is a unique thing to do in Tasmania. Due to it being a rare natural phenomenon that creates a tiled-like appearance on the rocks by the sea. The tiled rocks formed around 300 million years ago! The way the rocks have formed isn’t incredibly uncommon. However, the presence of salt crystals and erosion has deepened the pattern, giving it a more dramatic appearance.

It’s really cool to see and is a photographer’s dream! Definitely, something to do a bit off the beaten path for your Tasmania road trip.

Port Arthur

We almost didn’t go to Port Arthur Historic Site but we’re so glad we did! There is a lot of interesting history in this part of Tasmania that is definitely worth delving into. For example, this town is where the worst mass murder event in post-colonial Australian history took place! Port Arthur is home to a prison that held many of the convicts sent over from Britain, along with a village that homed the prison staff, amongst others.

The prisoners endured extreme cases of torture, some as young as 10. The entry price includes a guided tour of the grounds, which goes into further detail about some of the shocking prison tales. Alongside this, a commentated boat tour is also included. This is most definitely one of the most impressive historical sites we’ve seen in the whole of Australia! 100% worth stopping at during your lap of Tasmania!

So glad we fit this into our Tasmania Road Trip, it is so worth adding to your Itinerary!

Iconic Sites in Hobart

Mount Wellington - when you see the dizzying heights of Mount Wellington at ground level, you won’t believe that’s where you’ll be driving up to! However, that is exactly what happens! The views from the top are undoubtedly stunning. You can literally see the whole of Hobart! Feel free to head up more than once, as we found that each visit gives a different experience. Without a doubt though, we would highly recommend a sunset/sunrise visit! Definitely one of our favourite things to do in Tasmania.

Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) - some people visit Tasmania not to do a lap of it but just to visit MONA! Therefore, no Tasmania travel guide would be complete without it! From the outside, MONA doesn’t look particularly huge. However, the interior sinks into the ground to create 3 levels that are carved into the side of cliffs! MONA isn’t your average museum, with the co-CEO stating they ‘like the experience to be of discovery and a bit of confusion’. Hence the tunnels, rooms within rooms, random intervals and much more to keep visitors on their toes!

You can drive to MONA but many people enjoy catching the ferry from Brooke Street Pier.

Cascade Female Factory - would definitely recommend adding this to your Tasmania road trip, especially if you miss out on Port Arthur. Here, you will have the opportunity to discover the untold stories of Australia’s female convicts.

Hobart Markets

Salamanca Market - we would definitely recommend being in Hobart on a Saturday so that you don’t miss out on Salamanca Market! A highlight of the city and any Tasmania road trip for sure! Here you will find a wide array of stalls, selling everything from nougat and gin to homemade jams and fudge. Additionally, there are a good few places to grab a bit to eat too. For instance, Top Nosh’s oliebollons are very popular and Spice Lotus is the place to be for any vegans!

Street Eats @ Franko Night Market - if you’re craving some more market action in Hobart, the night market is another great option. A much smaller affair than Salamanca’s and only serving food and drinks. This market is held in a small park so it makes for a fab picnic dinner option!

Salamanca square - aside from the market, Salamanca is also a lovely part of Hobart. Definitely take a look around and soak in the historic atmosphere as you browse the shops and cafes.

Drinks in Hobart

Cascade Brewery - if you like a good cider or wine, the famous Cascade Brewery is a must! Enjoy a drink in their stylish pub or beautiful gardens and add food if you feel like indulging! In addition, a fun trivia night is held on Wednesday’s if you fancy a challenge!

Voodoo bar - we absolutely loved this find! A speakeasy-style bar, specialising in rum cocktails. Expect fab flavours and fire!

Best Vegan Food in Hobart

Veg Bar - an excellent choice for anyone fancying some delicious plant-based foods. Aside from the food, the aesthetic is also very cool! There are plenty of options, such as a Korean Fried Chick’n burger, pulled jackfruit loaded fries or veggie bowls.

The Little Lotus - we would say this is the best spot for a vegan breakfast or brunch in Hobart! Honestly, the cutest cafe! The vibe here is so serene and the food is equally as great. Personally, we loved the Bahn mi!

Tasmania Cider Trail

If like us, you enjoy a good cider, we have a great addition to add to your lap of Tasmania. On your way to the Bruny Island ferry terminal, take a small road trip detour to enjoy three great Tasmanian cider distilleries! We thoroughly enjoyed all three for different reasons and each stop got a little bit better for us!

The ferry to Bruny Island departs regularly so it’s pretty to easy to organise your timings, check the ferry times here. It should be noted that Pagan Cider is a 30-minute drive from the ferry terminal.

Distilleries to Visit on the Tasmania Cider Trial

The Apple Shed
The largest and most popular of the three stops, The Apple Shed creates both ciders and some apple-based spirits. We opted to try a flight of the ciders in their lovely venue. All of the ciders we tried were traditional apple ciders, that varied in alcohol percentages.

Frank’s Cider House & Cafe
This is a smaller, family-run cider house, which felt a lot cosier with a wood fire burning and plenty of comfy sofas to fall into! The flight of six ciders here costs just $5 and features a delicious cherry pear cider. We particularly enjoy fruity ciders so this flight certainly appealed to us! Furthermore, the cafe also offers a delicious range of dishes and desserts, such as cider scones and trifles.
Pagan Cider
In terms of the cider itself, this was our favourite! There are so many different flavours to try, including some very unique ones. For instance, there is cherry and blueberry cider. Lovely but not exactly unique. How about apricot? It’s not very often you see apricot cider! Still not unique enough for you? Quince cider ought to do the trick!

Day 7 - Bruny Island

There are a few islands off the mainland worth branching off the lap of Tasmania for. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to head to them all during our Tasmania road trip so we had to decide which one to go for.

The choice for us was between Maria Island and Bruny Island. Amongst other things, Maria Island is known for having A LOT of wombats. However, we saw a wombat at Cradle Mountain. Albeit, just one... but we saw one! On the other hand, Bruny Island has white wallabies! These can only be found on this island too so we went for Bruny!

Firstly, the ferry over to Bruny Island (which you can take your car on) only takes around 15-20 minutes and costs $38 per vehicle. Additionally, there is only one free camp on the island but it’s a small island so should work out fine.

Now for the fun part and there is more than just the chance to see white wallabies! To help make the most of your adventure to Bruny Island...

Our Favourite Things to Do on Bruny Island

Quiet Corner - a little cove beach, that has a very private feel. The backdrop is towering rock and the beach is beautifully white!

Cape Bruny Lighthouse - unfortunately, the weather wasn’t great when we were on the island so we didn’t bother heading to the lighthouse. However, we hear the views are fab on a clear day. In fact, you can see all the way to Mount Wellington!

The Neck Lookout - the view from the top of this lookout is great! Here you will see where the North and South of the island meet and it definitely makes for a fab shot! In addition, if you head here at dusk, you’ll be able to see fairy penguins!

Indulge! - the island is bursting with foods and drinks to try. Some of the most popular spots are Bruny Island Cheese Co, Get Shucked Oyster Farm, Bruny Island Berry Farm, Bruny Island House of Whisky and Bruny Island Chocolate Co.

Hotel Bruny - this hotel is the only place that you can try the islands very own cider!

Black Devil Tasmania Cherries - when you’re in the queue for the ferry heading back, look out for a stall selling black cherries on the side. We missed out unfortunately but we’ve been told they’re the best cherries you’ll ever have! We've heard they're also stocked in Victoria so check their Facebook!
White wallabies - of course, the main stars of the show! There are plenty of white wallabies to see on the island, you just need to know where to look! We had the privilege of a local showing us all the best spots. Therefore, you’re lucky that we can now share these with you!

Where to find White Wallabies on Bruny Island...

Other searches reckon around the caravan park and down the road beside it is best but personally, we didn’t see any there. We saw a few up close by the seafood restaurant and LOADS by the resort. Additionally, we hear the entrance of the national park is good. So worth going to the island for, as they truly are so unique!

Top tip: if you can, head over to Bruny Island in the evening and stay the night. The wildlife is more active at dusk so you’ll have more chance of catching the white wallabies in action!

Now to continue your Tasmania road trip on the mainland! Head back to Hobart to finish up on anything you missed out on. Go on, head up Mount Wellington one more time!

Day 8: 99 Bends Road

99 Bends Road

This route makes your lap of Tasmania slightly longer but it is so, so worth it. The views during the whole Tasmania road trip are incredible so we thought they couldn’t get any better. We were so wrong! The views along 99 Bends are out of this world and will definitely be a part of the lap of Tasmania that you will not forget!

There are a few lakes along the way, if you fancy stopping and taking in the nature for a moment. In addition, there are also a few wineries you can pop into.

We passed an honesty box style raspberry stand and if you see it, please get some. Easily the best raspberries we’ve ever had!

99 Bends is on the Lyell Highway out of Queenstown (A10).

Lake St Claire

Of all the lakes you’ll pass during your Tasmania road trip, Lake St Claire is the most popular. There are a variety of walks available to do, ranging from 45 minutes long to ones spanning over multiple days!

Be sure to check out Pumphouse Point. The lavish hotel situated right at the end of a pier, above the lake!

Montezuma Falls

To help break up the drive on this Tasmania road trip, there is the opportunity to go check out one of Tasmania’s highest waterfalls. The waterfall is pretty impressive but the walk is also quite long, taking a total of 3 hours return. We wouldn’t say it one of the must things to do in Tasmania but it’s definitely something nice to see if you fancy stretching your legs.

There’s usually a suspension bridge to see along this route too but it was unfortunately closed when we visited. However, if you’re planning to see more of Victoria when you’re back on the mainland, definitely check out Corrigan Suspension Bridge.

Day 9 - Cradle Mountain

Another one of the most popular sites in Tasmania! We would definitely agree that Cradle Mountain is a must on a Tasmania road trip. The views are beautiful, with many different walks allowing you to enjoy it how you’d like most.

Dove Lake is the top spot, which has the opportunity for short walks or a walk around the entire edge. We didn’t have much time so we just did two of the short walks. One was to see glacier rock that has formed by the lake and the other took us to a boathouse, with views of the mountain. Both walks only took around 20 minutes return but the whole lake walk takes around 2-3 hours.

Additionally, there is the option to hike to the top of Cradle Mountain! Admittedly, we weren’t quite up for that task. However, we had a lovely time on the Enchanted Walk, which gifted us with a wombat at the end!

If you fancy some food or drinks around Cradle Mountain, Peppers is a hotspot, set in a ski lodge type building. It should be noted that it is quite pricey though, so it would be a treat!

Penguin

The name of this town alone was enough to entice us in. How can a place named Penguin not have a spot in our lap of Tasmania?! Turns out Penguin is actually a cool place to visit! Really embracing the name, penguins can be found all over this town in various forms! Expect penguin bollards, bins, playground equipment and cookies from the bakery! In addition, there’s also a sign that tells you how far other towns are, that are also named after birds!

And yes, you can see real penguins here too!

Tamar Valley

For the wine lovers, Tamar Valley is a must on a Tasmania road trip. The area is full of vineyards and delicious wines to try!

However, even if you’re not too fussed about the wine, there’s another reason you should definitely visit Tamar Valley! In fact, we purposely saved it for the end so that we could round up our trip to Tasmania perfectly.

WHAT'S WORTH THE SPLURGE?

A STAY AT DOMESCAPES

This is, without a doubt, our top ‘worth splurging on’ experience in Tasmania. Domescapes is a glamping experience, set amongst the vines of a working winery. The dome tents have been set up perfectly for the feeling of ‘glam’. This includes one clear side of the dome so that you have views right across the vineyard from your bed. As well as an outdoor bath to enjoy next to the fire!

Alongside Domescapes, is the winery Swinging Gate. Upon arrival, you’ll receive a bottle of one of their fabulous wines with your stay. Additionally, you can head up to the main building for a wine tasting or for one of their foodie evenings.

The wines at Swinging Gate are all fab! We loved the Pat Nat range and the abstract wines, which you’ll learn lots about! Additionally, the ‘cyders’ are great too! It should be noted that the stay also includes a voucher for a nearby cafe ‘The Cabin’, which we also loved!

We couldn’t recommend a stay here enough. It truly did soften the blow that the end of our time in Tasmania was upon us!

Day 10 - Back to Devonport!

There we have it, a lap of Tasmania complete! Unfortunately, it is time for the ferry back to Melbourne. We hope that Tasmania will touch your heart in the same way it did for us. Do keep in mind that heading back doesn’t have to be all bad! There’s plenty to discover in this full guide to Melbourne too!

Alternative Route: Cape Grim via Penguin

If you can make the time for it, it’s worth noting that Cape Grim in Tasmania is home to the cleanest air in the world! In fact, you can even buy bottles of it online! However, in comparison to the rest of the main sites on the lap of Tassie, it’s a bit out of the way.

If you do fancy taking a breath of the freshest air, it is possible to head to Cape Grim from Devonport before returning towards Launceston and continuing on from there.

This is, in fact, what we did. Marlie is a sucker for record-breaking attractions, so there was no way we were missing out on this during our Tasmania road trip! We went to Cape Grim, via Penguin. Following this, we actually stopped at Cradle Mountain before continuing onto Sheffield, Railton and Launceston.

Tour or Risk It?

It should be noted that when we were around 5 minutes from Cape Grim, we were hit with a private property sign. Although we saw nothing about this online, it seems you’re only supposed to be able to visit with a tour guide. However, we luckily ended up meeting the owner of the land, who told us to go ahead on our own! We’ll let you do what you wish with that information...

If you’d like to make more use of your time over on this side of Tasmania, you can also visit Edge of the World. Additionally, Glamp Sandridge is a really fab accommodation option if you want to add something special to your Tasmania road trip.

Tasmania Road Trip

Tasmania Travel Guide Quick List

Getting to Tasmania

Spirit of Tasmania

Flights

Before you arrive

National Park Pass fees

Now, let’s get on to the fun part...

All the Best Things to Do in Tasmania!