Five Day Tasmania Itinerary
Tasmania is an island state of Australia, located approximately 240 km off the coast of the mainland. Home to an abundance of unique wildlife, spectacular scenery and incredible locally-made produce, Tasmania is a tiny island that packs a lot in.
While we recommend spending at least a week or two driving around the island, if you’re short on time and want to see a few highlights, here is the perfect five day Tasmania itinerary for you.
Day 1 – Launceston
Bridestowe Lavender Farm
Start your morning with a drive to Bridestowe Lavender Estate. The fields of lavender run over 260 acres and is the world’s largest privately-owned lavender farm. With an estimated 650,000 plants, the lavender rows stretch for about 200 kilometres in total. The lavender is in peak bloom December to January so plan your visit accordingly if you want to capture photos with endless fields of purple.
Try lavender scones, tea or ice cream in the cafe and browse the gift shop for lavender products made from harvested farm lavender before you leave.
Platypus House – Monotreme Magic
Take the 45 minute tour at Platypus House to see live Tasmanian Platypuses and Echidnas up close. The monotremes are rescued, rehabilitated and released back into the wild where possible at this unique educational facility in the Tamar Valley.
The educational tour is suitable for all ages. Guests can watch the platypus and echidna actively feeding and playing. Book your tour well in advance especially in peak seasons.
Seahorse World
Seahorse World is located on the same pier as the Platypus House, and it’s easy to book tours at both attractions back-to-back. Seahorse World is a working seahorse farm that breeds these unique marine animals and ships them to aquariums around the world.
A 30 minute educational tour of the farm takes guests on a journey of seahorse life from the very beginning, with baby seahorses only a few hours old, through their first few months of life until they are sent to their new homes.
The tour ends with the opportunity to hold a seahorse in your hand.
Low Head Penguin Tour
Self drive or book a tour that includes transfer to Low Head, approximately 50 minutes drive from Launceston, to see the world’s smallest penguins, the Fairy or Little Penguins, return after sunset to their burrows within the Low Head Coastal Reserve.
This reserve has the largest penguin rookery in Tasmania, with penguins returning every night throughout the year. The fully guided tour takes guests down to the beach to watch the penguins swim ashore and preen themselves, before waddling up the beach.
The penguin viewing is fully guided and takes approximately 1 hour. Including transfers to/from Launceston, allow around 3.5 hours. Cameras are welcome (turn flashes off). It gets old at night even in summer, so wear warm clothes.
Stay: Change Hotel
We stayed at the Change Hotel in Launceston, which was centrally located and had a fantastic two bedroom, two bathroom unit with a full kitchen and dining area. Perfect for a family.
Day 2 – Launceston to Cradle Mountain
Stroll Launceston
Wake up earl and take a stroll around Launceston, It’s a beautiful, walkable city on the mouth of the Tamar river, and has beautiful historic buildings and gardens to wander through.
Queen Victoria Museum
The Queen Victorias Museum (QVMAG) includes two sites in Launceston: the Museum at Inveresk and Art Gallery at Royal Park.
The Museum at Inveresk contains a great (albeit somewhat depressing) section on the extinct Thylacine (Tasmania Tiger) and a planetarium.
Drive to Cradle Mountain
The drive to Cradle Mountain takes about 2 hours.
Devils @ Cradle
Devils @ Cradle is a wildlife conservation facility only a hundred metres or so from the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre, right in the heart of Cradle Mountain.
Whilst Devils @ Cradle concentrates primarily on the Tasmanian devil, the sanctuary is also home to the closely related Spotted-tail and Eastern quolls – Tasmania’s three largest carnivorous marsupials, which are all now threatened in the wild.
Visitors can wander through the sanctuary at leisure, or join a personalised guided tour which ensures a close up encounter with the animals.
Cradle Mountain National Park
Cradle Mountain, in the heart of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, is a spectacular place to visit in any season. There is abundant wildlife to spot, including Tasmanian devils, quolls, platypus, echidna, wombats and black currawongs.
Cradle Mountain offers walking tracks to suit all visitors, from the non-hikers to the serious walkers. There are a wide variety of walks on offer, from easy boardwalk strolls to the legendary Overland Track.
Start your journey at the Visitors Centre for information and a shuttle bus ticket (no cars allowed in the park during shuttle bus hours). Take the shuttle bus loop from the Visitors Centre to each of the drop off points to discover the various sites inside the park and set off on the designated walks.
parks.tas.gov.au/explore-our-parks/cradle-mountain
Stay: Cradle Mountain Lodge
We stayed at Cradle Mountain Lodge, the closest hotel to the Cradle Mountain National Park. Accommodation at Cradle Mountain Lodge consists of cosy cabins spread out around the central hotel building, which has cosy living room and dining areas, perfect for relaxing after a hike in the park.
Day 3 – Launceston to Hobart
Drive to Hobart
After a morning walk around Cradle Mountain, drive on to Hobart, which will take approximately 4.5 hours.
Hobart Waterfront & Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery
After arriving in Hobart, take a walk along the historic waterfront and step inside the Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery (TMAG), which is open daily 10am-4pm and has free entry.
The TMAG is the second oldest museum in Australia and has its origins in the collections of the country’s oldest scientific society, the Royal Society of Tasmania, which was established in 1843.
Stay: Movenpick Hotel
We stayed at the Movenpick Hotel, which is extremely centrally located and has large, comfortable, modern rooms.
The hotel also features daily “chocolate hour” with free chocolate pastries available in the lobby for guests to enjoy.
Day 4 – Hobart
Bruny Island
The perfect day trip from Hobart, Bruny Island is a 30 min drive (33km) to the ferry terminal in Kettering. followed by a 20 min ride on the car ferry. You will need your own car to drive around Bruny Island. If you do not have a car, you can take join a tour group departing Hobart.
Bruny Island is known for its natural produce, with local businesses specialising in oysters, cheese, honey, whisky and chocolate.
The businesses are well marked on the map, and we recommend driving to the southernmost point and working your way back and stopping off at each to sample the produce.
We tried and loved Bruny Island Raspberry Farm, Bruny Island Honey, Bruny Island Cheese Co. and Bruny Island Chocolate.
Bruny Island also has spectacular landscapes (take the short but steep walk up The Neck for the most famous view) and wildlife such as the white wallaby.
Day 5 – Hobart
MONA
The Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) is a remarkable art museum carved into a headland at Berriedale, 13km north of Hobart’s CBD. MONA opened in 2011 and has divided critics with its fresh, whimsical and at times confronting approach to art.
The MONA is, at heart, a place to immerse yourself in ideas and challenge your notion of what art can and should be. IMONA is fun, shocking, silly, irreverent and a truly great day out for the whole family.
Bring a picnic and enjoy the beautiful view from the grassed rooftop.
The best way to visit MONA is by ferry. Catch the MONA Roma ferry from Brooke Street Pier.
Salamanca Place
Salamanca Place is the historic docks area of Hobart, lined with a long row of 1830s Georgian sandstone warehouses.
Battery Point
From Salamanca Place, climb the colonial era Kelly’s steps and wander up up through the quaint streets of historic Battery Point
Stroll down Hampden Road, the main strip of Battery Point, which houses cafes, art and gift shops and an artisan bakery.
Additional Hobart Ideas
Maria Island
It’s a bit of a hike to get there, with a 1.5 hour drive from Hobart plus ferry, however Maria Island is home to some of the most visible and plentiful wildlife in Australia. Wombats, Forester kangaroos, Cape Barren geese and one of the healthiest populations of Tasmanian devils all call Maria Island home.
Walking and cycling are the only ways to get about on car-free Maria Island.
discovertasmania.com.au/regions/east-coast/maria-island-national-park/
Cascades Female Factory
The World Heritage-listed Cascades Female Factory Historic Site is the most significant site associated with female convicts in Australia. The Factory tells the story of the displacement, mistreatment and forced migration of convict women and girls, and their contribution to colonisation throughout the history of colonial Australia to the present day.
Cascades Brewery
home to the oldest operating brewery in Australia, Cascade Brewing Co. Book a table at the bar or a tour and tasting at the Mill.
Find more things to add to a five day Tasmania itinerary here. discovertasmania.com.au
