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Australia Travel Inspo
Tasmania
All you need to know about Tasmania
Tucked away at the bottom of the country, Tasmania (or Tassie if you’re Aussie) shouldn’t be missed. This island has everything from the beautiful beaches to stunning scenery akin to New Zealand. It’s a backpacker’s dream for adventure. The best way to explore Tassie is by camper with the freedom to take in all the wonder of the unique scenery. If you’re short on time, a guided tour will ensure you see all the best spots across the east and west coasts.
Plan Your Adventure
Not sure how to go about exploring this amazing state? Join us on our annual Welcome to Tasmania Community Tour or chat to our community team to plan your own epic personalised adventure.
Tasmania Destinations
Hobart
Bruny Island
Port Arthur
East Coast
West Coast
"Welcome to Travel helped give me the best experience in Tasmania. From its rugged coastlines, cultural towns, all within an incredible landscape. A place to not miss!"
Dan
Hobart
Key Characteristics
Tassie’s capital has a buzz, here you can find a city packed with history, culture and an excellent food and drink scene. Surrounded by both beaches 🏝️ and mountains ⛰️, you can start the day with a morning dip, take in an afternoon hiking and return to the waterfront for dinner. There’s plenty of culture in the city too, from the renewed MONA art gallery to an array of museums. Take advantage of the cheap domestic flights from Melbourne or Sydney to Tassie’s capital to start your adventure.
Type Of Traveller It Suits
Hobart has a bit of a European feel, it’s not just the architecture but the general feel of the city, it’s not your typical Australian town, but it’s also very Australian too (don’t ask how that makes sense, it just does!).
To feel it you need to experience it. And as the best place to fly into (hello Jetstar sale 🤪) this is how you’ll first experience this incredible state.
Backpacker Tips
Hobart’s also a bit weird 👀, and it won’t be offended we said that. All you need to do is spend an afternoon at MONA to see what we’re talking about. Don’t just stay in the city though, the beaches surrounding Hobart are pretty special too, check out Clifton Beach if you want a beach all to yourself or enjoy nearby Sandy Bay and Kingston Beach.
While you could happily spend a few days in Hobart itself, Hobart is the perfect starting point for your Tassie journey. Either stay in the YHA here and enjoy day trips around the island, or our recommendation would be to hire a camper or join a guided tour (you want at least 5 days to see the island) and explore all that the East and West Coast of Tasmania has to offer. Be warned, you may just fall in love 🫶 with this sometimes-forgotten-about state and you’ll start telling everyone you meet they have to go.
Visit Tasmania on These Tours
Welcome to Travel holds an annual Community Tour to Tasmania. Don’t miss booking on to our next one which will be held in 2025!
9 Days / 8 Nights
Bruny Island
Key Characteristics
What’s better than an island? An island off an island. And Tassie has just that, tucked south of Hobart, Bruny Island has it all, more stunning beaches, a wild coastline and plenty of wildlife. If you’re keen to get off the beaten track, this is the destination for you. While excellent food isn’t always part of the backpacker budget (hello pesto pasta), if you are a foodie Bruny has a pretty fantastic food and drink scene to indulge in that makes the most of local produce.
Backpacker Tips
To get to this more isolated destination, catch the ferry over from Kettering with your camper and plan to stay at least a few days exploring the north, south and Neck of Bruny Island. There’s so much to see to take in all the local wildlife and the stunning rugged beaches, so if you can bring your walking boots (or trainers, we know you’re limited on space!) and make the most of the many hiking paths dotted across the island.
Head to the Neck one sunset to watch the penguins 🐧 waddle to their homes in the dunes, and if you’re visiting in summer you’ll also be able to spot muttonbirds here too. That’s not all the wildlife on offer, on the very southern tip you may be lucky enough to spot seal colonies, and while you’re on the south of the island try to spy white wallabies on the walking trails around Labillardiere Peninsula.
Before you say a fond farewell to Bruny, make sure you grab a photo at a 📸 pretty cool optical illusion. Truganini Lookout has views over the Neck and Adventure Bay and the unique narrow, long isthmus makes it appear that the sea is lower on one side than the other. Isn’t nature amazing?
Port Arthur
Key Characteristics
Convicts, prisoners and escape stories. We love a bit of gritty history and Port Arthur is the place to learn it all. It’s also a pretty important one as it’s one of 11 sites that make up the UNESCO Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Property. You’ll need to buy a ticket to visit here, but with options including ghost stories and escape attempts this won’t be like any of your school trips.
Backpacker Tips
Let’s start with a little history lesson. Port Arthur started as a Penal Settlement in 1830, which is pretty old by modern-day Australian standards. It was an industrial prison until 1877 and the convicts’ labour created much of Port Arthur’s infrastructure. But you want to hear about the gritty tales here and there are plenty; from the expected crimes of murder and highway robbery to the relatively simple crime of stealing shirts, it seems like no crime was too small to be shipped across the world…
From Hobart, reaching Port Arthur is pretty easy. If you have a car or camper enjoy the 90 min drive to Port Arthur (top tip: fuel up before you arrive as the petrol stations nearby keep very chilled aka limited hours). Or visit on a tour where your transport will be included – easy peasy.
Even if history isn’t really your thing, you can still make the most of Port Arthur, your ticket includes a harbour cruise as well as your entry to the site, and if you join one of the ghost tours… well you may see more than you bargained for 👻
East Coast
Key Characteristics
To the east, Tassie’s coast is full of quaint seaside towns and stunning beaches. It’s stereotypical Australia, and we love it. This is where you’ll also find the delights of the Bay of Fires 🔥, home to clear blue water and the striking orange boulders that line the coast and give this bay its distinct name. Further south you’ll discover Bicheno, this fishing port isn’t just where you’ll find excellent seafood but also where you can spot penguins. Then don’t forget to take in the stunning Wineglass Bay for incredible views.
Type Of Traveller It Suits
There’s something for everyone on the east coast, beaches tick, nature tick, stunning views tick. If you’re ready to get out of the city and enjoy Australian beaches out of the peak heat, the East Coast is your dream destination. Take in the Bicheno Blow Holes, watch the penguins, stop off for the best seafood then spend the afternoon on the gorgeous beaches – which you’ll often have all to yourself.
Backpacker Tips
If you’re after a slightly more secret spot, make sure you include a trip down to Bruny Island, and if you can, spend the night camping here. The beach is as gorgeous as are the mountain views while you take a dip. But that’s not all, Tasmania has a real laid back approach and you’ll find a few honest boxes around here with freshly made treats from the locals.
If you’ve got a camper, take your time driving down the coast, starting in Launceston for the vineyards and local markets. Strop off at Bincoly Bay and the Bay of Fires before heading south to Bianco. Finish your East Coast adventure with a hike in Freycinet National Park then spend a night on Bruny Island.
West Coast
Key Characteristics
If you’re trying to picture Tasmania’s West Coast, think more about New Zealand’s scenery than your typical Australian beaches (which thankfully you’ll find on Tassie’s East Coast instead). This is where you’ll find the iconic Cradle Mountain, but that’s not all on offer, take in Mount Field National Park, learn about the convict history in Strachan, then hike around the snow-capped Cradle Mountain. There’s a lot to cover on the island and so many stunning hikes on here too (some can last days if you’re equipped with a tent too).
Type Of Traveller It Suits
Tassie is all about getting out and into nature and the West Coast is no exception. Get ready to hike because that’s how you’ll be experiencing the best that the West Coast has to offer. Be prepared for every type of weather here, on the West Coast you can experience sunshine and snow all in one day, with a chance of rain and wind too. But the weather is what has helped create this stunning landscape, and it’ll at least give any sunburn you got in Queensland a chance to fade.
Backpacker Tips
Starting from Hobart you have Mount Field National Park, which is where you’ll find the best waterfalls in Tassie, take in: Russel Falls, Horseshoe Falls and Lady Baron Falls. You could easily spend a few days in the Strahan area, which has a dark and fascinating convict past during the penal settlements. But that’s not all on offer, there’s lots of nature too. At nearby Hogarth Falls you can spot platypus (cute!) and hidden in the rainforest are the Henty Dunes, a desert escape that appears almost out of nowhere.
But it’s Cradle Mountain that you’ve really come to see. Hike around the waterfalls, lakes and make your way to the snow-capped top. Give yourself time to enjoy Lake St Clair too. Then after a full day of hiking, you’ll be ready for a well deserved rest.
Visit Tasmania on These Tours
Welcome to Travel holds an annual Community Tour to Tasmania. Don’t miss booking on to our next one which will be held in 2025!
9 Days / 8 Nights
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Want To Know More About Tasmania?
We love to hear from you and help you with your travel plans. If you have any questions at all then feel free to get in touch. Not only can you message us, we also offer free travel advice calls meaning you can have a real conversation with a real person that’s been in your shoes.
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