15 Days Roadtrip In Tasmania

After many separate posts about our epic Tasmanian adventure in February–March 2025, it’s finally time to reveal our full itinerary. We learned plenty along the way—and would probably do a few things differently had we known certain details in advance. That’s the beauty of traveling: you can research your heart out before a trip, but you’ll still make mistakes, and the weather will still surprise you with the occasional curveball.

If you need tips on renting a car and what it’s like to drive around Tasmania, check out our post here. Some tips and budget suggestions here. Enjoy!

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Day 1: Arrival in Tasmania

We flew from Melbourne to Hobart, picked up our rental car, and stopped in Sorell for groceries, water, and a cooler to keep in the car. Then we drove to the east coast and checked into the Orford Blue Waters Hotel. It’s a nice little hotel with a restaurant and gorgeous views over the water—straight across to our destination for the next day, Maria Island.

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Day 2: Maria Island (Full Day)

We got up early, made sandwiches, and packed everything we needed for a day on Maria Island. After checking in at the ferry terminal, we grabbed a coffee at the dock. Maria Island turned out to be an absolute must-visit—read more about our adventure here.

Back on the mainland, we treated ourselves to the best fish and chips at The Fish Van in Triabunna, before heading back to Orford for a second night.

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Day 3: Orford → Freycinet → Bicheno

Another early start! After coffee at Gray Café, we drove to Freycinet National Park to hike up to the famous Wineglass Bay Lookout—an incredible view (read about it here). Afterwards, we cooled off with a swim at Honeymoon Bay, then had a late lunch at Geographe Restaurant and Espresso Bar in Coles Bay.

We continued north to Bicheno and checked into Wintersun Gardens Motel, a charming little spot on the edge of town. Dinner at The Lobster Shack was a bit disappointing (read about that here), but overall, it was a long and awesome day.

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Day 4: East Coast Natureworld → St Helens Conservation Area → Beerbarrel Beach → St Helens

After a leisurely breakfast and coffee at Bicheno Brewing, we visited East Coast Natureworld, where we got to meet wombats and Tasmanian devils—read about holding Dottie the wombat here.

From there, we drove one of the most spectacular coastal roads in Tasmania, ending up at St Helens Conservation Area. We swam at Beerbarrel Beach before checking into the half-moon-shaped on Bayside Hotel in St Helens. Dinner at Easy Tiger was excellent!

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Day 5: Binalong Bay → Bay of Fires → Weldborough Pass → Scottsdale

This was one of the most epic days of the trip. First, we stopped at Binalong Bay, then continued north to The Gardens at the Bay of Fires—a surreal landscape (read about it here). Back in Binalong Bay, we swam at Skeleton Bay Reserve.

Since the forecast looked perfect for Cradle Mountain in two days, we adjusted our itinerary and drove via Weldborough Pass to stay in Scottsdale. The town was mostly closed (it was Sunday), but Anabel’s of Scottsdale saved the day with complimentary fresh eggs and bread, which we enjoyed in the hotel garden.

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Day 6: Cradle Mountain → Lemonthyme Lodge

We left before dawn, stopping for coffee in Sheffield, and were rewarded with a perfect sunny day at Cradle Mountain (read about it here). That night, we stayed nearby at Lemonthyme Lodge.

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Days 7–8: Waratah → Hellyer Gorge → Stanley → Boat Harbour Beach → Devonport → Latrobe

After Lemonthyme Lodge, we felt a little indecisive—we knew we wanted to be in Launceston for the weekend market, but had some time to fill. We stopped briefly in Waratah (not much going on), then Hellyer Gorge (also underwhelming), before reaching Stanley. It’s a lovely historic coastal town—read about our chairlift ride up The Nut here.

We booked two nights in Devonport to slow down a bit—being constantly on the move was starting to catch up with us. From there, we explored nearby Latrobe in search of platypuses. We spotted one in the distance, but it was still a bit of a letdown (through no fault of the platypus!).

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Day 9: Devonport → Narawntapu National Park → Exeter Bakery → Launceston

Narawntapu National Park was a cool stop with sand dunes and great hiking (read about it here). Afterwards, we made a beeline for the legendary Exeter Bakery. Their famed curry scallop pie lived up to the hype, and the muffins were large enough to feed a small Norwegian hamlet!

We passed countless wineries en route to Launceston, where we stayed two nights at the slightly run-down Quality Hotel Colonial. The perks? Free parking and walking distance to our new favorite brewery, Du Cane.

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Day 10: Launceston Harvest Market

Saturday was dedicated to the Harvest Market. It was good, no doubt, but if we’d known better, we wouldn’t have booked two nights just for it—we could’ve driven in and out in one day. Thankfully, Du Cane Brewery saved the evening. (Read more about our market experience here.)

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Day 11: Launceston → Deloraine → Highland Lakes Road → Mount Field National Park → New Norfolk

This was another epic road trip day. After breakfast at Mumma Buzz in Deloraine, we drove along the Highland Lakes Road, stopping for incredible vistas and a walk among the pines. Lunch was at The Possum Shed Café in Westerway.

Our main highlight was hiking in Mount Field National Park to Russell Falls and the Tall Trees Walk—one of the best hikes we’ve ever done (read more here). We finished the day in New Norfolk, staying at the quirky Old Colony Inn.

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Day 12: New Norfolk → Geeveston → Recherche Bay → Cockle Creek → Platypus Spotting

Our goal today was to drive as far south as the road would take us. We reached Cockle Creek, the southernmost point, and walked to the big whale sculpture (read about it here).

We spent the night at the historic Kermandie Hotel in Geeveston, a surprisingly lively spot run almost single-handedly by one woman. After jokingly asking her if she had any platypuses in her backyard, she actually showed us some—an unforgettable encounter! (Read more here.)

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Days 13–15: Bruny Island

From Geeveston we drove via Cygnet to the ferry at Kettering, which took us to Bruny Island—paradise! This island felt like Tasmania in a nutshell, and we were completely smitten. Albino wallabies, dolphins, cider, rough roads, and stunning beaches—it had it all (read more here).

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Days 15–17: Hobart

We wrapped up our trip with a weekend in Hobart. On the way, we drove up Mount Wellington, though the fog blocked the view.

Hobart itself was a gem: Salamanca Market was a highlight, as was Street Eats @ Franko. The city also had plenty of cool shops and cozy cafés (read more here).

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Final Thoughts

That concludes our visit to Tasmania—we absolutely loved it! If we ever get the chance to return to that magical island, we’ll grab the opportunity with both hands. Read about some random highlights here. Thank you Tassie, we love you!