Hobart, Australia Travel Guide
Hobart, Australia Travel Guide
Plan Your Trip
Planning a visit to Tasmania's capital?
This guide rounds up the best things to do in Hobart, from waterfront history to day trips into the surrounding wilderness, so you can build an itinerary that fits your time in town. Whether you've got half a day or a long weekend, Hobart rewards slow exploring—just bring a jacket, because the weather changes its mind more than once a day.
Top Things to Do
1. Walk Hobart's Second Acts Walking Tour
Our self-guided audio tour takes you from a replica Antarctic hut to a 200-year-old staircase, tracing the city's waterfront history at your own pace.
2. Explore Salamanca Market
Held every Saturday along Salamanca Place, this outdoor market is one of the biggest in Australia—expect local crafts, fresh produce, and street food.
3. Ride the ferry to MONA
The Museum of Old and New Art sits across the river in a sandstone cliff, and the ferry ride there is half the fun. Book ahead in peak season, as boats fill up.
4. Summit kunanyi/Mount Wellington
Whether you drive, bus, or hike, the summit delivers sweeping views over Hobart and the River Derwent—dress warmer than you think you need to.
5. Wander Battery Point
Hobart's oldest residential neighborhood is a maze of colonial cottages and narrow lanes, just a short walk from Salamanca Place.
6. Visit the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG)
Free to enter, TMAG covers everything from Tasmanian Aboriginal history to colonial-era art, right in the city center.
7. Stroll the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens
A free, sprawling garden along the Derwent, with a Japanese garden, a conservatory, and plenty of room to wander.
8. Take a day trip to Bruny Island
A short drive and ferry ride from Hobart, Bruny Island offers wildlife, beaches, and some of Tasmania's best food producers, if you have a spare day.
Download the Complete Travel Guide
Includes:
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✓ Complete travel guide
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✓ Printable map
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✓ One-day itinerary
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✓ Hidden gems
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✓ Travel tips
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✓ Offline access
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✓ Bonus recommendations not included on this page
Our Self Guided Tour
Want to see Hobart's waterfront the way a local would tell it?
Hobart's Second Acts Walking Tour is a self-guided audio tour that takes you from Mawson's Huts Replica Museum to Kelly's Steps, tracing the city's habit of giving old buildings, old names, and old wrongs a second chance. Download it, plug in your earbuds, and go at your own pace—pause anytime to shop, eat, or explore.
Free Things to Do
1. Franklin Square—See the statue of a colonial governor who vanished chasing the Arctic's Northwest Passage.
2. St. David's Park—Walk through Hobart's first cemetery, now a quiet green space full of colonial memorials.
3. Salamanca Place—Find the small memorial marking where 130 people were arrested in 1988's Yellow Line protest.
4. Salamanca Square—Admire the bronze ships of the "Journey to the Southland" fountain.
5. Kelly's Steps—Climb the staircase a ruined sea captain carved into the cliff in 1839.
6. Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG)—Browse Tasmanian Aboriginal and colonial history, free of charge.
7. Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens—Wander acres of gardens along the River Derwent at no cost.
8. Salamanca Market—Browse hundreds of stalls every Saturday, no ticket required.
THINGS WITH ADMISSION FEES:
1. Mawson's Huts Replica Museum—$15 AUD adult admission to step inside a full-size replica of an Antarctic expedition hut.
2. Maritime Museum Tasmania—$16 AUD adult admission for more than fifty thousand objects tracing the island's maritime history.
3. MONA (Museum of Old and New Art)—Admission fees apply and vary by season; check MONA's website for current pricing before you go.
Food!
Ball & Chain Grill, right on Salamanca Place, serves charcoal-grilled steaks and fresh Tasmanian seafood in a relaxed setting.
Birdsong Restaurant, inside the Salamanca Wharf Hotel, focuses on modern Australian dishes built around local Tasmanian produce.
Blue Eye Seafood is the pick for fresh, simply prepared seafood a short walk from the market.
Where to Stay
Budget
Travelodge Hotel Hobart—Simple, central rooms from around $59 AUD a night.
ibis Styles Hobart—A short walk from Salamanca Place, from around $84 AUD a night.
Moderate
Salamanca Wharf Hotel—Boutique apartments right in the Salamanca precinct, from around $150-200 AUD a night.
Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart—Waterfront views and family-friendly amenities, mid-range pricing.
Luxury
The Tasman, a Luxury Collection Hotel—Housed in restored 1840s Georgian buildings on the waterfront, from around $166 AUD a night.
Henry Jones Art Hotel—Australia's first dedicated art hotel, set inside a converted jam factory on the water—a nice real-life echo of the tour's own jam-factory-to-arts-center story.
1 Day Itinerary
1-DAY ITINERARY:
Morning: Start at Mawson's Huts Replica Museum and walk Hobart's Second Acts Walking Tour, ending at Kelly's Steps.
Afternoon: Browse Salamanca Market if it's a Saturday, or wander Salamanca Place's galleries and shops. Grab lunch at Ball & Chain Grill or Birdsong Restaurant.
Evening: Head to Battery Point for a quiet evening walk, then dinner at Blue Eye Seafood.
2-DAY ITINERARY:
Day 2: Ride the ferry to MONA for the morning, then spend the afternoon at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery or the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens.
Extra Time: If you have another day, drive or bus up to kunanyi/Mount Wellington for the views, or take the ferry across to Bruny Island for a full day of wildlife and food.
FAQ's
1. What's the best time of year to visit Hobart?
Spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) offer mild weather and smaller crowds. Summer (December to February) is warmest and busiest, especially around the Taste of Tasmania festival.
2. Do I need a car to get around Hobart?
Not for the city center—most of the waterfront, Salamanca Place, and Battery Point are walkable. A car helps for day trips to Mount Wellington, Richmond, or Bruny Island.
3. Where should I park near Salamanca Place and the waterfront?
There are several public car parks around Sullivans Cove and along the Salamanca waterfront within easy walking distance of the tour's starting point.
4. What's the weather like, and what should I pack?
Tasmania is famous for having every season in one day. Even summer rarely gets much above the low 20s Celsius, so pack a jacket and layers no matter when you visit.
5. Do I need to book tickets in advance for anything?
The MONA ferry is worth booking ahead in peak season since boats fill up. Mawson's Huts Replica Museum and Maritime Museum Tasmania don't require advance booking—just pay at the door.
6. Is Hobart expensive?
It's generally cheaper than Sydney or Melbourne, though accommodation in the Salamanca area runs higher than the city outskirts.
7. What currency is used, and can I use cards everywhere?
Australian dollars. Most cafes, restaurants, and shops accept cards, though it's worth carrying some cash for market stalls.
8. Is Salamanca Market only on Saturdays?
Yes—it runs every Saturday, rain or shine. If you're only in town on a weekday, you'll miss the market itself, though the shops and galleries around Salamanca Place are open all week.
9. Is Hobart safe for visitors?
Yes, Hobart is generally very safe to walk around, including at night in the central and waterfront areas.
10. Can I see everything in one day?
You can hit the highlights—the waterfront, Salamanca Place, and our walking tour—in a single day, but Hobart rewards at least two days if you want to add MONA or a day trip.
Recommended Tours
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