Perfect Tasmania

Welcome to Hobart, the capital of Australia’s smallest state and the starting point for your adventure (flights to arrive prior to 3pm). Arriving at your hotel opposite Constitution Dock, you’ll soon see how this is the perfect base for your time in Hobart. Ease into the day with a stroll along the mighty Derwent River before it empties into Storm Bay and the Tasman Sea, or keep it close to the hotel with a walk around the docks, taking in the colourful collection of yachts, boats, and fishing trawlers. Also the finishing line for the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, its friendly, festive atmosphere is your warm ‘Tassie’ welcome. Tonight, set the scene for the rest of your Australia tour package and join your Travel Director and group for a dinner designed to treat you to the delicious flavours of Tasmania.

This morning your Hobart city tour will show you all the key sights. Enjoy a drive up to Mt. Nelson Lookout for panoramic views over the city. Stop for a photo at Cascade Brewery before visiting historical Battery Point - a maritime village built in 1804. Finish the tour with a stroll through the fragrant and beautifully maintained Royal Botanical Gardens, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Later it's a feast for the senses as you graze your way through the sights, sounds, and flavours of Hobart’s Salamanca Market, hearing about its history and discovering the best spots to sample cheeses, pickles, oysters, truffles, cider, and more. You’ll soon see how it’s more than just food as you meander the colourful stalls and potter through the historic sandstone warehouses discovering galleries and innovative Tasmanian arts and crafts. You’ll be ready to celebrate your first day of exploring so ask your Travel Director for some recommendations for somewhere to suit your taste and raise a glass to the end of your first day. Cheers!

Your first taste of the dramatic Tasmanian landscapes you’ve been dreaming of come to life today journeying west to Mt. Field National Park to see the magnificent, tiered cascade of Russell Falls. Then take the winding road to iconic Lake St. Clair, Australia’s deepest natural lake at 160 metres deep. Continuing along the rainforest bordered road of World Heritage protected Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, you’ll pass through the moonscape of the mining town of Queenstown before your final stop today at seaside Strahan. The magnificent Macquarie Harbour, seven times the size of Sydney Harbour, is your backdrop this evening from your hotel perched on the hillside. After a big day you can relax over dinner at Strahan Village’s View 42 Restaurant and Bar.

Heading to areas of untouched wilderness today, you’ll take in the landscapes from a different view cruising Gordon River with a Local Specialist. Gazing out the floor-to-ceiling windows, you’ll be awestruck by the dark waters, stained amber by Button-grass tannins. Dive Into Culture on Sarah Island - chosen as a site for a penal colony because of its isolated location - and gain insights into a relic of Tasmania’s convict history. Stroll among the 3,000-year-old pine used in shipbuilding learning about the flora and fauna from your expert guide. You’ll also see Hells Gates, the notoriously treacherous entrance to the harbour. Back on land, and heading to the highlands you'll soon arrive at one of one of Trafalgar's Stays With Stories accommodation nestled in the alpine forest of the sensational national park. End the day of your Tasmania tour with perhaps a tasting of local beer and wine, relax by the fire, stroll the wilderness boardwalk, or explore the hotel’s own gallery featuring Tasmanian artists showcasing the Cradle Mountain wilderness and Tasmanian stories.

You’ll want to rise early and make the most of every minute of this active full day discovering the inspiring beauty of Cradle Mountain National Park - one of Australia’s most famous national parks protecting this glaciated landscape’s flora and fauna. Visit the Waldheim Chalet for insights into the early history of the area, learning how after summiting the peak, Gustav Weindorfer and his wife Kate found the area so magnificent that they built the Waldheim (“home in the forest”) Chalet for tourists to stay and enjoy its beauty. Take a boardwalk stroll with your Travel Director on the shores of Dove Lake beneath the towering, jagged peaks of Cradle Mountain. On a clear day you may spot the dolerite peak, as well as Bennetts wallabies, echidnas, and pademelons grazing along the way. Not done yet? You could choose to end the day learning about some of the wilder residents like the iconic Tasmanian devil. Or, enjoy animal spotting at dusk on Cradle Mountain viewing nocturnal mammals and marsupials including wallabies, wombats, and possums in their native habitat.

Explore the Emu Valley Rhododendron Garden, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience lovingly created by volunteers. Set across 11 hectares, this peaceful haven is home to lakes, pavilions and one of the world’s most diverse collections of rhododendrons - and you might even spot a platypus. Stop in the coastal town of Penguin before heading inland to Mount Gnomon Farm, where farmer Guy Robertson hosts your Be My Guest experience. Sample orchard-brewed cider and enjoy a meal made with seasonal produce grown on his land. Continue to Sheffield, known as Tasmania’s ‘Town of Murals’, where vibrant street art tells stories of local life. End the day in Launceston, framed by the rolling hills of the Meander Valley.

Enjoy a tasty start to your day at the Tasmanian Gourmet Sauce Company. Sample sauces, jams and chutneys made with ingredients grown on site. Learn how local producers turn Tasmania’s cool climate and fertile soil into bold regional flavours. Taste award-winning wines at Josef Chromy Wines, set among rolling vineyards and lakeside views. Explore Cataract Gorge, where native bushland, towering cliffs and suspension bridges create one of Launceston’s most scenic pockets. Spend the afternoon at leisure in the city, it’s a chance to relax, revisit favourite spots or simply soak up the laid-back rhythm of Tasmanian life.