Hobart

With four distinct seasons each with its own beauty, Hobart is a year round destination. December to February in summer are generally considered the best season to visit Hobart as the weather is warm, beaches are warm enough to swim. It is the peak holiday season in Hobart, so accommodation and car rental can be really expensive and difficult to book. If you go in summer, you should plan your trip well in advance. I booked all my accommodations about 5 months before our trip. 

Top things to do in Hobart

Hobart Travel Itinerary

How many days enough for Hobart?

3 to 4 days are about the right amount of time to visit all highlights of Hobart. Two days are to explore around the city, waterfront precinct,  brewery and winery, Salamanca market, botanic garden, Mount Wellington and museums. Day 3 or 4 are for one or two day trips to Bruny Island, Port Arthur and Tasman Peninsula. I have details of the itinerary to visit Hobart in the description below.  

Hobart top attractions

Heritage Horse Drawn Carriages

Heritage Horse Drawn Carriages operate horse tours of the Hobart waterfront and Battery Point. Tours are from $30 for adults and $5 for children. This is a great tour for families. 

Hop-on hop-off bus Red Decker

If you don’t have a car or can’t walk much, you can take the hop-on hop-off bus Red Decker to explore Hobart’s attractions and landmarks including Mt Wellington, the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, Cascade Brewery and the UNESCO listed Cascades Female Factory. You can choose a 24 hour or 48 hour ticket to go around the city and the main attractions of your choice.

Wharf Precinct

Wharf Precinct is a lovely waterfront area with shops, restaurants and especially floating shops. You can purchase your day tour tickets here. You should definitely try one of the best Tasmanian ice creams at this floating Creamery ice cream shop.

Hobart City walking tour

It is a great leisure walk around Hobart city and seeing many gorgeous Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian architecture and buildings. 

Mount Wellington

Mount Wellington is a must-see when you’re in Hobart. It is the best place to have spectacular views overlooking Hobart and its surroundings. There is a great indoor viewing platform to take in the view. It is about 17 km or 25 minutes easy drive from Hobart CBD. 

Salamanca Market

Salamanca Market is a street market in Salamanca Place, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It is one of Tasmania’s most visited tourist attractions. The market is located in historic Salamanca Place and opens from 8.30 am to 3 pm every Saturday with over 300 stallholders. 

You can find here the biggest selection of Tasmania’s locally made products, glass, timbers, clothes, jewelry, artworks, leather goods, food and drink, and local agriculture products. 

It is very crowded and it can be hard to find a parking spot. 

Cascade Brewery

Cascade Brewery is a brewery established in 1824 in South Hobart, and is the oldest continually operating brewery in Australia. There is a restaurant inside with beer tasting and beer produced right here. The garden is beautiful and relaxing. You can book a historic tour or Brewery Tours including a refreshing tasting paddle of four Cascade beers. 

The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens

The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens is Australia’s second-oldest established in 1818. These gardens are home to the largest collection of mature conifers in the Southern Hemisphere. There’s a Japanese garden, a cafe & a cute gift shop on site. It is a wonderful place to visit all year round. It is free to enter.

The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery

The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery is a great place for families to learn and have fun. It has excellent collections of old and new art, historical Tasmanian information, great Indigenous culture and history displays. This is free to enter. 

The Museum of Old and New Art MONA

The Museum of Old and New Art MONA is the largest privately funded art museum in the Southern Hemisphere. Opened in 2011, MONA houses ancient, modern, and contemporary art from the David Walsh collection. 

Day trips from Hobart

If time is available, you can do some interesting day trips to Port Arthur, Taman Peninsula or Bruny Island. 

Port Arthur Historic Site

Port Arthur Historic Site was a 19th-century penal settlement and is now an open-air museum. Ruins include the huge penitentiary and the remaining shell of the Convict Church. The site is a beautiful place with rich Australian history value and is an icon of Tasmania.  

The Tasman Peninsula

The Tasman Peninsula in the southeast of Tasmania is about a 1.5-hour drive from Hobart. It is home to the famous World Heritage-listed Port Arthur Historic Site. You can comfortably visit just Port Arthur on a day trip from Hobart. If you have time, I would suggest staying 2 or 3 days exploring this beautiful peninsula. Highlights of Tasman Peninsula are Port Arthur Historic Site, Tasman Arch, Devils Kitchen, Blowhole, Fossil Bay Lookout, Remarkable Cave, Tessellated Pavement, Tasmanian Devil Unzoo, Port Arthur Lavender, and Tasmanian Chocolate Foundry. 

Bruny Island

Bruny Island is just like a smaller version of Tasmania island. Bruny is accessed only by ferry. 

Bruny Island consists of two land masses North Bruny and South Bruny that are joined by a long, narrow, sandy isthmus, often referred to as “The Neck” with an amazing view. There are many activities here like white wallabies or penguin watching, trying the best Tasmanian oysters, local beer and cheese and free honey tasting.

Popular destinations