The 15 Best Things to do in Hobart

Mount Wellington looms 1,271 metres (4169 feet) above Hobart. The mountain provides a jaw-dropping lookout accessible by car and several bushwalks, including The Organ Pipes.

These column-shaped cliffs were formed in the Jurassic period when Tasmania was separating from Antarctica. Mount Wellington is also one of the best (and easiest) places to enjoy the snow.

Mount Wellington is only a half-hour drive from Hobart, and you can often see the snow-capped peaks from within the city. You can also check the snow-cam for a better idea of the conditions. Or take the dedicated bus that takes you straight there.

Pinnacle Road will take you to the peak; it is a windy but safe overall, and it’s accessible by caravans and motorhomes.

There is no need for a Parks Pass, and entry is always free.

The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens are the second oldest botanical gardens – the Sydney Botanic Gardens were founded two years earlier.

Popular features are the conservatory (built with sandstone walls), the Lily Pond and the Anniversary Arch.

Access to the gardens is free; however, you can book a fifty-minute guided tour. There’s also the Succulent Restaurant, showcasing Tasmanian wine.

The Iron Pot Lighthouse is the oldest original lighthouse in Australia. It sits alone on Betsy island, its sharp corners contrasting the surrounding rocks.

The Iron Pot Lighthouse Cruise will take you to Betsy Island and then along the isolated coast. Over the two-and-a-half-hour cruise, you’ll see hundreds of seabirds and maybe even a dolphin.

The cruise departs from Constitution Dock on Hobart’s waterfront. Along the way, you’ll pass the historic Battery Point and the Shot Tower.

MONA, where do I start? Maybe Tasmania’s most well known attraction. David Walsh, a multi-millionaire gambler, created the Museum of Old and New Art to (in his words) ‘bang above [his] weight’. MONA showcases Walsh’s $100 million private art collection and hosts some quirky events.

The building design is incredible; it is etched into the side of a cliff on the River Derwent.

MONA has several restaurants, a bar and a hotel. It is a wacky experience. Entry is free to Tasmanian residents, and there is a small cost for inter-staters/foreigners.

Mawson’s Huts Replica Museum is a replica of the wooden huts built in Cape Denison, East Antarctica. These huts were used from 1911 to 1914 by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, led by Douglas Mawson.

Heritage carpenters took hundreds of photos of the original hut. It was reconstructed faithfully and erected in Hobart, just 200 metres from the water where Mawson’s original expedition departed.

The replica museum is open to the public. It is near the waterfront, a five-minute walk from the CBD and close to Salamanca Market.

The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) is the second oldest museum in Australia. TMAG aims to preserve Tasmanian culture as a combined museum, art gallery, and herbarium.

One exhibition showcases a stuffed Thylacine – the now extinct marsupial, the Tasmanian Tiger. TMAG is accessible to all ages and offers free guided tours.

Salamanca Market is Tasmania’s most well-known marketplace, operating for over fifty years. You’ll find local produce, coffee and artisan products at over two hundred stalls. Held every Saturday morning, it’s a bustling atmosphere.

Salamanca is near Princes Wharf and easily accessible from the city centre on foot. It’s also close to Battery Point.

Mona Foma is an annual music and arts festival, curated by Brian Ritchie, the bass guitarist from the Violent Femmes. The festival is hosted in February of each year.

Initially established in 2008 by MONA (Museum of New and Old Art) this Summertime festival has welcomed big names – Gotye, Nick Cave, Bon Iver and Pavement. Mona Foma is paralleled by its Winter counterpart, Dark Mofo.

Formerly called ‘The Taste of Tasmania,‘ this Summer event is held on the Hobart Wharves.

It’s a festival to showcase the best of Tasmania’s food and drink scene – the largest of its kind. Think cheese, wine, beer, honey, butter, milk and farm-raised lamb.

It’s a bustling atmosphere and has plenty of spots to relax and enjoy performances from local musicians.

Tasmania’s first attempt at whisky was in 1822 when the Sorell Distillery opened on the banks of the Hobart Rivulet. Sixteen more distilleries opened soon after.

Tasmania is ideal for whisky producers. The state was a large producer of barley, intended to be used for bread to feed Sydney and the rest of the colonies.

However, in 1838 things changed. Lady Jane Franklin proclaimed that “I would prefer barley be fed to pigs than it be used to turn men into swine.” Her Husband, Governor John Franklin, quickly outlawed the distilling of spirits in Tasmania.

In 1992 Bill Lark began to inquire about obtaining a distillation license. This led to the antiquated distillation laws being amended, and Bill went on to open Lark Distillery.

Lark Cellar Door is in the city centre, near Franklin Wharf. It’s easy to walk to while exploring the city.

Cascade is the oldest operating brewery in Australia and produces Tasmania’s most popular beer, Cascade Draught. Just a ten-minute drive out of Hobart, Cascade Brewery offers several experiences for beer lovers.

Take a guided tour, learn about their brewing process, visit previously unseen areas, and then finish with a beer paddle. You can also stroll the lush gardens and settle in at Cascade Brewery Bar.

Cascade is easily accessible by bus from the city centre. Take the 446 from near the waterfront, and there’s a stop at the brewery.

Moorilla was one of Tasmania’s first wineries – opened in 1958 by Claudio Alcorso, an Italian immigrant who, “during WWII was incarcerated by the Australian government an alien enemy.”

In 1995, Moorilla was purchased by David Walsh, with the intent of using the grounds for an art warehouse.

He accomplished this vision when he opened The Museum of Modern & New Art, within the grounds of the Moorallia vineyard.

A visit to Moorilla is easily paired with a visit to MONA. You will need to book a separate ticket to both.

Coal River Farm produces two beloved dairy products; chocolate and cheese. This family-run farm invites you to visit and witness their chocolatiers and cheesemakers at work. Enjoy a meal at their restaurant, and even pick your own berries.

The Neck is a narrow strip of land connecting north and south Bruny Island. Climb the 279 steps to the Neck Lookout and witness the two bodies of water kept apart. Boardwalks and viewing platforms allow you to observe the wildlife, including penguins who return to their burrows at dusk.

Bruny Island might be Tasmania’s most popular island. Getting there isn’t simple; you’ll need to load your car onto the ferry at Kettering. Instead, let someone else worry about all that.

This highly regarded tour departs from Hobart and takes you to the best parts of Bruny Island. Enjoy morning tea on the beach, sample local cheeses and freshly shucked oysters.

Admire the scenic lookouts at Adventure Bay, The Neck and Cape Bruny. And meet the local wildlife, including echidnas, white wallabies and seabirds. And take a tour of the historic Cape Bruny Lighthouse.

It’s a perfect day trip from Hobart, making accessing Bruny Island much easier.