6 best day trips from Hobart

Day trips compared

The day trips

95 km · About 1.5 hours by car

1.Port Arthur Historic Site

The best-known of Australia's convict sites, with the ruined penitentiary, the separate prison and dozens of restored buildings on a harbourside lawn. Entry includes a walking tour and a short harbour cruise, and the Tasman Peninsula's sea cliffs, Tasman Arch and Devil's Kitchen are on the way.

Getting there

Car or organised tour

Best for

First-timers, Culture, Families

55 km · About 1 hour plus a 20-minute car ferry

2.Bruny Island

A long island joined by a narrow isthmus called the Neck, where a lookout and boardwalk overlook the beaches. Producers sell oysters, cheese, whisky and berries, and wilderness cruises from Adventure Bay explore the sea cliffs and seal colonies of the south coast.

Getting there

Car ferry from Kettering, or a guided tour

Best for

Food lovers, Couples, Quiet stays

25 km · About 25 minutes by car

3.Richmond

A Georgian village with Australia's oldest bridge still in use (built by convicts in 1823), an old gaol and St John's Church. Coal River Valley wineries surround the town.

Getting there

Car

Best for

Families, Couples, Culture

75 km · About 1 hour 15 minutes by car

4.Mount Field National Park

One of Tasmania's oldest national parks, with the tiered Russell Falls a short, easy walk through tall-tree forest from the visitor centre. Higher up, Lake Dobson and the Tarn Shelf have alpine walks and the deciduous fagus that turns gold in autumn.

Getting there

Car

Best for

Families, Quiet stays, Solo travellers

40 km · About 40 minutes by car

5.Huon Valley

Orchards, cider houses and riverside towns such as Huonville, Franklin and Cygnet. Further south, the Tahune Airwalk runs through the forest canopy and Hastings Caves has a thermal pool.

Getting there

Car

Best for

Food lovers, Families, Quiet stays

85 km · About 1 hour 15 minutes by car plus a 30-minute ferry

6.Maria Island

A car-free island national park with wombats grazing around the convict-era settlement of Darlington, plus the striped sandstone of the Painted Cliffs and the Fossil Cliffs. Bring food and water and walk or cycle.

Getting there

Car to Triabunna, then passenger ferry

Best for

Families, Quiet stays, Solo travellers

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• Services thin out in the evening and on Sundays; check the timetable before relying on a late bus.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask