Season guide · Hobart · Australia
Hobart in summer
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Warm, long days with highs around 21–22°C, yacht-race celebrations and festivals; the busiest and priciest season. Expect highs up to 22°C (72°F) and lows around 11°C (52°F), with about 25 rainy days across December–February. December–February are among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 11°C (52°F) to 22°C (72°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 25
- Sea
- 14°C (57°F) to 16°C (61°F)
- Crowds
- Very busy
- Hotel prices
- Highest
Weather in summer
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22°C (72°F) | 12°C (54°F) | 8 | 15 h | 5/5 |
| February | 22°C (72°F) | 12°C (54°F) | 7 | 13.8 h | 4/5 |
| December | 21°C (70°F) | 11°C (52°F) | 10 | 15.3 h | 5/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 22°C (72°F) against a yearly 17°C (63°F), and 25 of the year's roughly 119 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 5/5 and hotel prices 5/5 on average.
What's on in summer
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: Taste of Summer food festival on the waterfront (usually late December to early January)
- January: Hobart International tennis (usually early January)
- February: Royal Hobart Regatta (usually around the second Monday of February)
- February: Australian Wooden Boat Festival (biennial, February in odd-numbered years)
- December: Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race finish at Constitution Dock (from about 27–29 December)
- December: New Year's Eve fireworks over the Derwent (31 December)
Good choices for summer
Museum · Berriedale
MONA – Museum of Old and New Art
Built into a sandstone cliff on the Berriedale peninsula, David Walsh's private museum mixes ancient antiquities with provocative contemporary installations across three underground levels.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Iconic
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · Waterfront and CBD
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
Head first to the thylacine displays and the palawa gallery, then leave time for the colonial art upstairs.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Rainy day
- History
- Kids
- Art
Museum · Waterfront and CBD
Mawson's Huts Replica Museum
A full-size replica of the huts Douglas Mawson's 1911–14 Australasian Antarctic Expedition built at Cape Denison, furnished with bunks, stoves and equipment.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Architecture · Waterfront and CBD
Theatre Royal
Check the programme before you travel; even a modest touring show is worth it for the historic interior.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours with a show
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- After dark
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Day trips in summer
- Port Arthur Historic Site (About 1.5 hours by car) — The best-known of Australia's convict sites, with the ruined penitentiary, the separate prison and dozens of restored buildings on a harbourside lawn.
- Bruny Island (About 1 hour plus a 20-minute car ferry) — A long island joined by a narrow isthmus called the Neck, where a lookout and boardwalk overlook the beaches.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is summer a good time to visit Hobart?
Yes: December–February are among the best months. Warm, long days with highs around 21–22°C, yacht-race celebrations and festivals; the busiest and priciest season.
+What is the weather like in Hobart in summer?
Highs of up to 22°C (72°F) and lows around 11°C (52°F), with about 25 rainy days over the season.