10 Best Places to Visit in Tasmania, Australia
Last Updated on May 8, 2023
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Written by Free Two Roam
Sitting one hundred and fifty miles south of the mainland, Tasmania is Australia’s smallest state, but also its largest island.
Most international visitors probably haven’t even heard of Tasmania, preferring to visit Australia’s more well-known destinations such as Sydney, the Gold Coast, and the Great Barrier Reef
In fact, many Australians themselves still haven’t made it down to their southern-most state, let alone seen some of the best places to visit in Tasmania!
But maybe that’s just because Australian passport holders have one of the most powerful passports and they would rather jet overseas?
Forty percent of Tasmania consists of national parks, world heritage sites, or nature reserves. This makes it pure heaven for nature lovers like us.
In this small state, you’ll find rugged coastlines, limestone caves, snow-capped mountains, rainforests, alpine plateaus, wild rivers and gorges, and magnificent white sandy beaches.
🧳 MUST-HAVE: Before you head out on your trip, make sure you have travel insurance. My #1 recommendation is SafetyWing!
Tasmania is also one of the best sites to see in Australia for unique wildlife such as wombats and wallabies – and let’s not forget the Tasmanian Devil!
It’s pretty much impossible to be bored in Tasmania! Everywhere you go in Tasmania you’ll be treated to breathtaking scenery.
But since there are many great attractions in Tasmania, I’ve put together a list of what to see in Tasmania Australia for a first-time visitor.
Below are all the must see places in Tasmania on your next visit to this amazing island. These Tasmania destinations will take your breath away!
Table of Contents
10 best places to visit in Tasmania
1. Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National park
The Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National park is one of Tasmania’s most visited national parks. It’s both one of the best places in Tasmania and one of the top places to visit in Australia overall.
Anyone working out what to do in Tasmania should put this on their itinerary!
As soon as you arrive there you’ll understand just why this is one of the best places to visit Tasmania has to offer for nature lovers.
The park offers a spectacular wilderness environment. You’ll find cascading rivers, rainforests, ancient pines, glacial lakes, wild alpine moorland, and rich vegetation.
If you like hiking you’re going to love this national park. It’s famous for its many walking trails. There are hikes to suit everyone’s ability, ranging from the easy to the difficult.
Our favourite experience during our visit to Cradle Mountain was tackling the iconic summit hike.
It was a real challenge and probably one of the hardest hikes we’ve done to date, but the views from the top made it totally worth the effort.
If you prefer multi-day hikes, try the world-famous Overland Track. For outdoor enthusiasts, it’s one of the best places to visit Australia has to offer.
🛌🏼 Click to check out the best accommodation in Lake St Clair here
2. Freycinet National Park
With its stunning coastline of pink granite mountains descending into white sandy beaches and its secluded bays with turquoise water, Freycinet National Park pretty much has it all.
The park is truly one of the most beautiful places in Tasmania!
It’s home to the iconic Wineglass Bay, the most famous beach in Tasmania and one of the top ten beaches in the world.
You can explore the park by either cruising one of its scenic drives or on foot by tackling one of its many hiking trails.
As you can imagine, Freycinet National Park is one of the most scenic places in Tasmania. If you enjoy a cooler atmosphere, hiking here is one of the best things to do in Tasmania in August!
You should absolutely do the walk to Wineglass Bay. The water in the bay is really cold but it’s so incredibly beautiful that you’ll struggle to resist taking a dip anyway.
Alternatively, take a walk along its fine white sandy beach and soak up the magnificent coastal scenery.
Many consider Freycinet National Park the best place to visit in Tasmania, and it’s easy to see why with all this natural beauty at your fingertips.
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3. Port Arthur Historic Site
If you’re wondering where to visit in Tasmania for history lovers, you can’t go wrong with a visit to the historic Port Arthur.
This is one of the best things to see in Tasmania for those interested in the history of the island.
Two centuries ago, many arrivals to Australia were convicts, and the worst place they could end up was at Tasmania’s convict settlement at Port Arthur.
Only a narrow strip of land called Eaglehawk Neck separated the prison from the mainland.
The way out was also heavily guarded by some rather grumpy canines, making an escape from Port Arthur practically impossible.
A visit to the Port Arthur Heritage Site is a highlight of any trip to Tasmania.
It’s now an open-air museum, and you can wander around the site to discover its history, visit the old penitentiary, hospital, church, insane asylum and much more.
Port Arthur is a fascinating place, and on a nice sunny day, it is hard to imagine just how miserable daily life would have been for the resident convicts and their minders.
If you’re adventurous and not easily spooked, you can even take a guided nighttime tour to see if you can spot one of the many ghosts that are said to haunt the grounds!
Night or day, Port Arthur is one of the most important and best places to visit in Tasmania!
🛌🏼 Click to check out the best accommodation near Port Arthur here
4. Bay of Fires
The Bay of Fires stretches fifty kilometres from Binalong Bay to Eddystone Point along the eastern coast of Tasmania.
A lot less popular than Freycinet National Park further south, the Bay of Fires is home to some of the most beautiful sandy beaches in Tasmania.
The sand is so white and the water is so blue that it’s just calling you to jump in. If only the water wasn’t so cold!
One highlight of the Bay of Fires is the stunning rock formations that are scattered around the bay.
They are covered in an orange lichen that provides a beautiful contrast of colours against the deep blue of the ocean and the bright white sand.
It’s a photographer’s paradise, and it looks especially good if you’re looking for things to do in Tasmania in September!
💡 PACKING TIP: Make sure you bring a good snorkel, water shoes and a fast-drying towel for all of the beach-going you’re about to do!
5. The Tamar Valley
Tasmania is a leading producer of premium cool climate wines and has seven different wine regions.
The Tamar Valley is one of them. It runs alongside the majestic Tamar River and stretches from Launceston to the Bass Strait.
The Tamar Valley is also Tasmania oldest wine growing region and with over thirty wineries to choose from, it won’t take long for you to find one to sample some great wine.
The region produces some gorgeous sparkling wines, along with pinot noir and sauvignon blanc.
Why not pair a glass or two with a delicious platter of local cheeses? It’s one of the best things to do in Tasmania in summer!
Driving through the Tamar Valley you’ll be treated to some incredibly beautiful scenery, ranging from well-manicured vineyards and orchards through to rugged native forests.
This is definitely one of the most unique places to visit in Tasmania!
🛌🏼 Click to check out the best accommodation in the Tamar Valley here
6. Cataract Gorge
Walk fifteen minutes outside of Launceston’s city centre and you’ll reach the unique natural formation of the Cataract Gorge, one of the best places to go in Tasmania.
It’s hard to believe that you can find such a peaceful wilderness area only minutes away from the city.
There’s plenty to keep you busy in the gorge; take a leisurely walk, try tackling one of the hiking trails. Swimming in its large open-air pool is one of the top things to do in Tasmania in April.
To get a fantastic view of the gorge from above, hop on the world’s longest single span chairlift.
When walking around the gorge, keep an eye out for the many wallabies and peacocks that can be found throughout the park.
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7. HObart
If you’re visiting Tasmania and looking for things to do, southern Tasmania can offer you plenty of Tasmania cultural attractions, starting with the port city of Hobart.
Hobart is the capital city of Tasmania and one of the oldest cities in Australia. It’s also a top place to visit in Tasmania for anyone on vacation.
It has a reputation for being a boring, sleepy town, but you can only say that if you’ve never been there!
In fact, it is everything but that and is actually one of the best areas in Tasmania to visit.
Set against the backdrop of Mount Wellington and with its beautiful natural harbour, Hobart is a fantastic city to walk around.
Hobart’s waterfront is a great place to hang out, with its harbour-side bars, bustling restaurants and quirky cafes.
On Saturday mornings, check out the Salamanca market with its three hundred stalls selling handmade Tasmanian craft goods, local delicacies and everything else in between.
Finally, if you’re an art lover, take a ferry to the incredibly popular Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). It will certainly make an impression on you!
Hobart is definitely the best place to go in Tasmania for a fun city break and to experience a bit of Tasmanian culture.
🛌🏼 Click to check out the best accommodation in Hobart here
8. The Tasman Peninsula
If you’re visiting Port Arthur, hang around and explore more of the Tasman Peninsula, which is one of the Tasmania main attractions.
It’s a real stunner with its rugged sea cliffs, abundant bird and marine life, and incredible coastal walks.
The Tasman Peninsula is home to a spectacular coastline and interesting rock formations such as Tessellated Pavement, the Blow Hole, Devil’s Kitchen, Tasman Arch, Remarkable Cave and Waterfall Bay.
These amazing Tasmania tourist attractions are all easily accessible by car.
If you’re a keen hiker there are some great hiking options available, such as the newly open multi-day Three Capes track which offers exhilarating cliff-top views.
If you prefer shorter hikes, the half-day Cape Hauy trail is a great alternative.
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9. Bruny Island
Wondering where to go in Tasmania for exciting wildlife? May we suggest Bruny Island!
Bruny Island is an easy day trip from Hobart and is accessible by ferry from the coastal town of Kettering.
The island is actually two islands that are connected by a narrow isthmus called the Neck.
Bruny Island is one of the best spots in Tasmania as it’s renowned for its delicious local produce and for its diversity of wildlife.
You’ll find all types of creatures here, including fur and elephant seals, penguins, echidnas, lots of seabirds and some unique species such as the Albino White Wallabies.
If you’re an animal lover, Bruny Island is definitely one of the best places to see in Tasmania!
🛌🏼 Click to check out the best accommodation on Bruny Island here
10. Strahan
Strahan is a small harbour-side town situated on the edge of the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, and it’s one of the best towns to visit in Tasmania.
As the last town on Tasmania’s west coast, it is one of the most isolated places on the planet. It’s the best place in Tasmania for a quiet holiday.
With its main street facing the majestic waters of Macquarie Harbour and with plenty of activities to do in the surrounding area (you’ve got to take a boat cruise!), Strahan is a real gem.
Sadly because of its distance from Tasmania’s main cities (it’s a four and a half hour drive from Hobart and over three and a half hours from Launceston), not many visitors to Tasmania make it to Strahan.
But we feel that making the journey out to Strahan is a must do in Tasmania.
🛌🏼 Click to check out the best accommodation in Strahan here
Check out Tassie!
Tasmania has so much to offer; there’s so much natural beauty and so many tourist attractions in Tasmania that it is one of the best places to visit in Australia.
Take our word for it and head there on your next trip down under. This little island may turn out to be the highlight of your holiday!
Author: I’m Cindy and I’m a travelholic. Simon is my husband and he’s married to a travelholic! We’re not currently traveling full time but we hope to be soon to tick places off our bucket list much faster.
In the meantime we spend our free time roaming the world. We hope you enjoy following along with us on our travel blog Free Two Roam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Freycinet National Park is probably the most visited site in Tasmania. However, Cradle Mountain and Hobart are also pretty popular Tasmania destinations.
Technically you can drive the circumference of Tasmania in less than 24 hours. But if you are hoping to see as many of the best places to visit in Tasmania as possible, you will want at least 5-7 days to fit it all in!
In Tasmania, you’ll find the cleanest air in the world, as well as a huge amount of diverse and unique wildlife!
Did we miss any of your favourite top places to visit in Tasmania? Tell me below which best places to visit in Tasmania you would pick! What do you think is the best place in Tasmania?
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