Tasmania Itinerary and Road-Trip:

Your guide to four nights, five days in Tasmania by car. The ultimate road-trip to adventure around Tassie!

I won’t beat around the bush, here is exactly how to spend your four nights in Tasmania with just enough detail:

Best for: Adventure and outdoor enthusiasts!

Itinerary Overview:

1. Freycinet National Park and Bicheno
2. Bay of Fires and Launceston
3. Cradle Mountain
4. Mount Wellington and Hobart
5. Hobart and Departure

DAY ONE: Tasmania Itinerary and Road-Trip

Morning

Arrive in Hobart and pick up the rental car from the airport. Stop for coffee and breakfast in Hobart.

Map directions to Freycinet National Park 

(3 hours north)​

• Optional stop along the way: Mayfield Beach for a photo-op and to breathe in that fresh Tasmanian air!

Early Afternoon

Arrive Freycinet National Park. Entry fee is $40 per car. Follow Freycinet Drive to the visitors center where your 1.8 mile return hike to the Wineglass Bay lookout will begin. Don’t forget to fill up your water bottle! ​

• Optional stops in Freycinet: Many options. I would recommend Sleepy Bay for a short walk to boulders, bright blue waters and views! Cole’s Bay is another popular stop.
• Be on the lookout for Wallabies in the park, they are usually friendly and adorable!

Late Afternoon 

Finish up in Freycinet Park. Drive 20 minutes north to Bicheno. Bicheno will have the most housing and dining options around. Stores and restaurants close EARLY! Don’t wait to eat! Check out Bicheno Blowhole if you are up for it.

DAY TWO: Tasmania Itinerary and Road-Trip

Morning

Grab some coffee and breakfast at a local café. Plug in Bay of Fires Beach to your map and drive 1.5 hours north of Bicheno. I recommend hopping out to see Bay of Fires beach, but know that there is a better spot. Here you will see the pretty blue water against the orange lined boulders and beach. 

Jump back in the car and follow Gardens Road north to Slope Reef Road. Take a right and follow this road to the end of the path. Using the maps, walk through the woods and brush to reach the best boulders! When I was there, there was not a marked trail. It may take some trial and error to reach them, but you will know when you have! 

Early Afternoon

Drive one hour west to Saint Columba Falls track 0.7 Mile return walk. This is a huge, beautiful waterfall with lush forest all around!​

Optional stop on the way is Priory Ridge Winery.

Late Afternoon

Make your way toward Launceston, which is another two hours from Saint Columba Falls. Launceston has nearby wineries, some of the best being Grey Sands, Josef Chromy and Winter Brook. There are also restaurants, bars, and walking areas to explore in town such as Cateract Gorge.

DAY THREE: Tasmania Itinerary and Road-Trip

Morning

Coffee and breakfast in Launceston. Map directions to Cradle Mountain (3 hours). Have jackets accessible for your hike, it can be chilly!

Early Afternoon

Arrive Cradle Mountain around lunchtime. Trail options include:​

• Dove Lake Circuit: 3.7 miles, around 1.5 to 2 hours to completion. This is a loop trail and has Cradle Mountain in the background! Map included in the Maps section.​
• Crater Lake, Marions Lookout, Lake Lilla and Dove Lake circuit 5.6 miles, around 3 hours completion. This is a loop and can be shortened or lengthened. Map included in Maps section. 

Late Afternoon

If you are up for it, have a visit at Devils @ Cradle sanctuary for some hands on experience with Tasmanian Devils! Check into your accommodations near Cradle Mountain.

DAY FOUR: Tasmania Itinerary and Road-Trip

Morning

Coffee and breakfast before the trek back to Hobart. ​ You may have to drive a while for breakfast options as Cradle Mountain is remote.

Optional stops along the route: ​

• Brickendon Estate or Woolmers Estate for a tour or lunch​
• Callington Mill in the Oatlands

Early Afternoon

Arrive in Hobart. There is lots to do around Hobart, including:​

• Museum of Modern Art. I usually suggest nature over museums, but this is one swanky museum! I would highly suggest a visit.​
• Mount Wellington. Drive up the mountain and catch views on the way, or have another hiking day if you are up for it! For an easy trail, try Organ Pipes Track. For a more moderate trail, try Myrtle Gully Trail. 

Late Afternoon

Grab some dinner in Hobart and make sure to catch the sunset! Prepare to search for the Southern Lights! See details NEXT!

FINDING AND CAPTURING THE SOUTHERN LIGHTS

It is important to note that the Southern Lights are not always able to be seen! Cloud cover deters you from seeing them, and a full moon can have a negative impact as well. ​

​

If you research where to best see the lights, the locations include:​

• Mount Wellington​
• Bruny Island (40 minute drive + 20 minute ferry)​
• Cockle Creek (southernmost tip of the island, 2 hours)

If you are up for it, you will have the best luck traveling to one of these locations.

I may have been lucky, but I drove just 15 minutes south to an area called Lauderdale and was able to capture the photo above. ​I kept driving toward a body of water so there wouldn’t be anything in my view. Here is where I was able to capture them:

I want to set some expectations though: The Southern Lights usually do not look like that photo to the naked eye! They are beams of light shooting up over and over again and are captured on camera by speeding up the shutter speed. An iPhone will not be able to capture this well, it will require something better. A tripod is also highly encouraged. The photo above was taken without a tripod, and that is why the photo is blurry.

DAY FIVE: Tasmania Itinerary and Road-Trip

Morning

Final morning! Let’s make the most of it! Coffee and breakfast in Hobart.

 Optional activities: ​

• Tessellated Pavements (1 hour drive). You can type this in to your maps and it will take you there!​
• Port Arthur (20 minutes from Tessellated Pavements). Tasman National Park is beautiful and offers steep, rugged cliffs lining the port waters. Be sure to visit Tasmans Arch and the Remarkable Cave!​ It is not very obvious that you can climb down into the Remarkable Cave, but you can. 
• If it is December-February, you will HAVE to stop at Port Arthur’s Lavender Farm.

Afternoon

Return the rental car and fly home. I hope you are flying back with the best memories!

I hope this Tasmania Itinerary and Road-Trip helped you plan your journey and provided you insight into what it would be like! Please leave your comments with any reviews or guidance that could help me better my input!

Overview of Route

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