Tasmania in 10 Days

Southwest Wilderness Experience

This is the day that tends to redefine the trip. An eight-hour scenic flight and boat tour into Tasmania’s remote Southwest – a region most Australians will never see, let alone international travellers. The untouched southern coasts and waterways of this rugged area are genuinely hard to access any other way.

Clients land at Melaleuca Airport and take to the water, exploring the pristine waterways of the Port Davey Marine Reserve including Waterfall Bay and the Breaksea Islands. A gourmet lunch featuring Tasmanian produce is included. After lunch, they explore the Melaleuca Museum and the Needwonnee Walk – a monument to the rich Indigenous history of the area.

The return flight heads inland over the Arthur Range, arguably Tasmania’s most spectacular mountain range, taking in Mount Picton and the Huon Valley before a bird’s-eye view over Mount Wellington and returning to Cambridge.

Trade tip: This tour is weather-dependent and one of the real standouts in the itinerary. It’s the kind of experience that generates extraordinary photographs and stories. Lunch is included. For clients who are nervous about small aircraft, it’s worth reassuring them that the operators are highly experienced and the scenic payoff is enormous.

Bruny Island Traveller – Full Day Gourmet Tour

A full day tour from Hobart that combines food, wine, and wild scenery. Clients taste their way across Bruny Island visiting artisan producers on an all-inclusive gourmet wilderness adventure. Award-winning cheeses at Bruny Island Cheese Company, premium wines and beer, freshly shucked oysters from Get Shucked, handcrafted fudge from Bruny Island Chocolate Company, and local honey from Bruny Island Honey.

Lunch is at Pennicott’s beachside restaurant with sweeping views of Adventure Bay, accompanied by two glasses of quality Tasmanian wine, beer, cider or juice. Tasmanian fish, chips and salad are also available.

Departure is 7:45am from Hobart with return around 5:30pm to 6:00pm. Lunch is included.

Trade tip: Bruny Island is a strong sell for foodies and anyone who appreciates artisan producers. The combination of world-class oysters, cheese, and chocolate in a stunning island setting is hard to beat. It also gives clients a day without driving, which is a welcome break early in the trip.

Hobart to Launceston via the East Coast

A driving day, but one packed with stops that make the journey the destination. The route heads north along Tasmania’s East Coast through some of the state’s most photographed landscapes.

Richmond – A picture-perfect colonial town in the heart of the Coal River Valley wine region with more than 50 Georgian buildings, cafes, restaurants, galleries, and accommodation. The Richmond Bridge, built by convicts in the 1820s, is the oldest bridge in Australia. The grassy banks of the Coal River make a perfect picnic spot.

Spiky Bridge – Built by convicts in 1843 from field stones laid without mortar or cement, with vertically laid parapet stones giving it that distinctive spiky appearance. An odd little bridge that pops out of the landscape.

Wineglass Bay & Freycinet National Park – Located on Tasmania’s beautiful East Coast, Great Oyster Bay sits against the backdrop of Freycinet National Park. The three pink-granite peaks of the Hazards mountain range dominate the peninsula, with abundant birdlife and that iconic bay. Long and short walks are accessible to walkers of all abilities.

Devil’s Corner Winery – A free stop on the edge of Moulting Lagoon with an architecturally designed tower offering spectacular views across the lagoon to the Hazards at Coles Bay. Award-winning Devil’s Corner wines, Fishers Seafood serving oysters and mussels from the lagoon and local fish, plus Tombolo Cafe with wood-fired pizzas, freshly made gelato, and espresso coffee.

Accommodation in Launceston for two nights at Hotel Grand Chancellor, Country Club Tasmania, Mantra Charles Hotel, or similar.

Trade tip: This is a long driving day – advise clients to start early so they have time to linger at Wineglass Bay. The lookout walk takes about an hour return and is manageable for most fitness levels. If clients want to walk down to the beach itself, allow an extra hour each way.

Launceston Exploring

A day at a more relaxed pace in and around Tasmania’s northern city.

Platypus House – Nestled on the water in the Tamar Valley, offering live Tasmanian platypuses and echidnas in daylight conditions under cover. An unforgettable and educational tour suitable for all ages, with clients watching actively feeding and playing platypuses and echidnas, wandering through platypus ponds and echidna gardens. Photography is welcome. Both are monotremes – egg-laying mammals found nowhere else on earth.

Cataract Gorge Chairlift – Built in 1972, spanning 457 metres across the natural basin of the South Esk River with a central span of 308 metres, believed to be the longest single chairlift span in the world. The slow speed lets passengers appreciate and photograph the spectacular views of this ancient rock gorge properly.

Josef Chromy Wines – A state-of-the-art winery at the base of the vineyard at Relbia, just south of Launceston. Modern and minimalist exterior housing specialist equipment including a vibrating hopper for grape reception, peristaltic pump technology, and high-tech German press for juice extraction at low pressures. Small batch open top fermenters for all Pinot Noir. Head Chef Nick Raitt focuses on great local produce, and the warm, welcoming service rounds out the visit.

Tasmanian Gourmet Sauce Company – A production and tasting centre near Evandale, 17 km south of Launceston, surrounded by a renowned open garden and topiary nursery. Picnic areas with views overlooking the Eastern Highlands.

Trade tip: Launceston is often overlooked by international travellers focused on Hobart, but it delivers. Platypus House is a genuine bucket-list experience for many visitors, especially those from markets where platypuses are near-mythical creatures. Josef Chromy is an excellent lunch stop.

Launceston to Cradle Mountain via Mole Creek & Sheffield

The drive from Launceston to Cradle Mountain passes through some of Tasmania’s most characterful inland country.

Mole Creek Caves – Three different 45-minute cave tour options available. The caves are home to creatures like the Tasmanian Cave Spider that have evolved and adapted to living without light, many species unique to Mole Creek Caves and not found anywhere else in the world. Marakoopa Cave features glow-worms and an underground stream. King Solomons Cave is rich in formations and colour.

Sheffield – Located in the foothills of majestic Mount Roland, gateway to Cradle Mountain. A friendly, quirky rural town where history and art merge, with more than 140 murals forming Tasmania’s outdoor art gallery. Murals trace area history from Cradle Mountain pioneer Gustav Weindorfer to Tasmanian Tigers, with several galleries, studios and museums rounding out the picture.

Accommodation at Cradle Mountain Hotel or similar for one night.

Trade tip: Sheffield is a brief stop but it photographs well and gives clients a sense of rural Tasmania. The caves are excellent for families and anyone who enjoys geology. Mole Creek adds variety to a day that might otherwise feel like pure transit.

Cradle Mountain National Park & Drive to Strahan

The morning is spent at Cradle Mountain – part of Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park in Tasmania’s Central Highlands. One of five parks forming the UNESCO World Heritage Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, spanning over one million hectares. Many lakes, river gorges and waterfalls fill the landscape.

The Dove Lake Circuit is one of Tasmania’s premier nature walks. A two-hour boardwalk loop beneath the craggy spires of Cradle Mountain, family-friendly and suitable for most walkers. The unique shape of Cradle Mountain creates a dramatic vista reflected in the lake’s still waters. It’s the kind of photograph that sells itself.

After the walk, clients drive west to Strahan on Macquarie Harbour. Accommodation at Strahan Village Hilltop Executive Harbour View for three nights.

Trade tip: The Dove Lake Circuit is best tackled early morning when reflections are strongest and crowds are thinnest. Allow two hours for the walk plus time to soak it in. The drive to Strahan crosses wild country – remind clients there are limited fuel stops and food options along the way.

Gordon River Cruise – Main Deck Window Seating

An award-winning cruise aboard Spirit of the Wild into the heart of Tasmania’s World Heritage wilderness. The vessel uses electric motors for quiet cruising on the Gordon River, letting the tranquil surrounds speak for themselves.

Dedicated guides and character-based interpretation take clients through the history of this remarkable place as they cruise across Macquarie Harbour to Hells Gates – the notoriously narrow harbour entrance – and then on to the ancient Huon pines and mirror-still reflections of the Gordon River. The package includes a cold buffet lunch and two walking tours at Heritage Landing and Sarah Island, the latter being one of Australia’s harshest convict settlements.

Trade tip: Main deck window seating is included in this package and makes a real difference to the experience. The Gordon River section is genuinely one of the most serene waterways in Australia. Sarah Island’s convict history is confronting but fascinating – it puts Port Arthur into broader context. This is a full day tour, so clients can relax in the evening at Strahan.

West Coast Wilderness Railway – Queenstown Explorer

A full day steam train journey travelling the entire length of the West Coast Wilderness Railway in both directions, stopping at every station along the line. Clients travel through impenetrable rainforest, climb rugged mountains and pass deep gorges, hearing the stories of the resilient people and extraordinary events that brought the railway to life – connecting the region’s rich copper mines to the port at Strahan. The journey passes through camps, settlements, towns and farms that once thrived.

The Wilderness Carriage includes a welcoming glass of sparkling wine on boarding, canapes, morning tea, lunch at Tracks Cafe in Queenstown, a Tasmanian cheese selection, and complimentary tea and coffee throughout. There’s also access to the open balcony carriage for those wanting to get close to the rainforest and capture photographs.

Trade tip: The railway is a genuinely unique experience – part heritage, part wilderness immersion. The Wilderness Carriage is the premium option and worth it for the on-board hospitality alone. Clients who love trains will be in heaven, but even those who don’t will find the scenery and history compelling. It’s a relaxed day after the Gordon River cruise.

Drive to Hobart & Depart

After breakfast, clients drive the approximately four-hour trip from Strahan to Hobart Airport to connect with their onward flight. The route passes through the West Coast mining town of Queenstown and across the central highlands – a landscape that shifts from wild rainforest to open button-grass plains.

Trade tip: We recommend an afternoon or evening flight to allow a comfortable drive without rushing. For clients wanting to extend, an extra night in Hobart post-drive pairs well with MONA (Museum of Old and New Art), the Salamanca Market on Saturdays, or a kunanyi/Mount Wellington summit visit. This itinerary connects seamlessly with mainland Australian touring – we can arrange onward flights to Melbourne, Sydney, or any other Australian destination as part of a broader FIT package. This itinerary and other Tasmanian products can also be quoted and booked via our FIT/HELiO booking platform.