Getting around · Hobart · Australia
Getting around Hobart
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Damien Ramon Naidoo, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Central Hobart, Salamanca and Battery Point are walkable, although hilly. Metro Tasmania buses reach the suburbs, ferries cross the Derwent, and a car is the practical way to see the rest of southern Tasmania. Not for the city itself, which you can cover on foot, by bus and ferry.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Walking
- Airports
- HBA
- Need a car?
- Sometimes
Ways to get around
Walking
The CBD, waterfront, Salamanca and Battery Point are all within about 15 minutes' walk of each other; expect steep streets around Battery Point.
Bus
Metro Tasmania runs buses from the Elizabeth Street and Franklin Square stops to Sandy Bay, North Hobart, the Eastern Shore and beyond.
Services thin out in the evening and on Sundays; check the timetable before relying on a late bus.
Ferry
The MONA ferry runs from Brooke Street Pier to the museum, and a commuter ferry links the city with Bellerive on the Eastern Shore.
Car
A hire car is the easiest way to reach Port Arthur, Mount Field, the Huon Valley and the Bruny Island ferry at Kettering.
Drive slowly at dawn and dusk on rural roads, when wildlife is most active.
Ride-hailing
Uber and local taxis operate in Hobart and are useful for the airport and evenings out.
From the airport
Hobart Airport is about 17 km east of the city, roughly 20 minutes by car via the Tasman Bridge. An airport shuttle bus links to central hotels, and taxis, rideshare and hire cars are available at the terminal.
Do you need a car?
Not for the city itself, which you can cover on foot, by bus and ferry. A car is strongly recommended for day trips; most of southern Tasmania's highlights have little or no public transport.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Port Arthur Historic Site | About 1.5 hours by car | Car or organised tour |
| Bruny Island | About 1 hour plus a 20-minute car ferry | Car ferry from Kettering, or a guided tour |
| Richmond | About 25 minutes by car | Car |
| Mount Field National Park | About 1 hour 15 minutes by car | Car |
| Huon Valley | About 40 minutes by car | Car |
| Maria Island | About 1 hour 15 minutes by car plus a 30-minute ferry | Car to Triabunna, then passenger ferry |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Hobart?
Not for the city itself, which you can cover on foot, by bus and ferry. A car is strongly recommended for day trips; most of southern Tasmania's highlights have little or no public transport.
+How do you get from the airport to Hobart?
Hobart Airport is about 17 km east of the city, roughly 20 minutes by car via the Tasman Bridge. An airport shuttle bus links to central hotels, and taxis, rideshare and hire cars are available at the terminal.
+What is the best way to get around Hobart?
Walking: The CBD, waterfront, Salamanca and Battery Point are all within about 15 minutes' walk of each other; expect steep streets around Battery Point.