Photo: Jane6592 · CC BY-SA 4.0Tasmania Grand Loop
Link Hobart, the Tasman Peninsula, Freycinet, the northeast, Cradle Mountain and the west coast without turning every day into a long transfer.
- Allow
- 10–14 days
- Route
- 1,250 km
- Drive time
- 15 hr 44 min
- Stops
- 8
Tasmania compresses an extraordinary range of landscapes into road-trip scale, but the map still understates its bends, weather and walking stops. A satisfying loop pairs the bright east coast with the heavier forests, glacial country and mining history of the west.
Ten days works; two weeks is better. The route below favors two-night anchors and keeps the last day through Mount Field deliberately generous rather than treating Hobart airport as a finish-line sprint.
The road, in one glance
Pinch or scroll with Ctrl / ⌘ to zoom
Drawing the route…
The route earns
its distance
Each pin is selected as a place to do something—not merely proof that you passed through.
- 01Hobart
- 02Port Arthur & the Tasman Peninsula
- 03Freycinet & Wineglass Bay
- 04Bay of Fires
- 05Launceston & the Tamar Valley
- 06Cradle Mountain
- 07Strahan & the wild west
- 08Mount Field
Photo: File:Franklin Wharf 2015.jpg : Michael fromholtz derivative work: Georgfotoart · CC BY-SA 4.0Hobart
A harbour city with enough food, art and mountain weather to justify two nights before the keys even enter the ignition.
Hobart ( HOH-bart; Southeast Tasmanian: nipaluna) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly half of Tasmania's population, Hobart is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-smallest by population and area after Darwin if territories are taken into account.
Photo: Martybugs at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Port Arthur & the Tasman Peninsula
Layer dramatic sea cliffs and short coastal walks around a careful visit to the convict site; neither landscape nor history should be rushed.
Port Arthur is a town and former convict settlement on the Tasman Peninsula, in Tasmania, Australia. It is located approximately 97 kilometres (60 mi) southeast of the state capital, Hobart. The site forms part of the Australian Convict Sites, a World Heritage property consisting of 11 remnant penal sites originally built within the British Empire during the 18th and 19th centuries on fertile Australian coastal strips.
Photo: Jane6592 · CC BY-SA 4.0Freycinet & Wineglass Bay
Pink granite, white sand and sheltered water make this the east coast’s classic walking stop, especially before the main car parks fill.
Freycinet National Park is a national park on the east coast of Tasmania, Australia, 125 kilometres (78 mi) northeast of Hobart. It occupies a large part of the Freycinet Peninsula, named after French navigator Louis de Freycinet, and Schouten Island. Founded in 1916, it is Tasmania's oldest park, along with Mount Field National Park.
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0Bay of Fires
Orange-lichen boulders and clear coves extend along a whole coastline, inviting beach walks, small-town meals and an unstructured afternoon.
The Bay of Fires (palawa kani: larapuna) is a bay on the northeastern coast of Tasmania in Australia, extending from Binalong Bay to Eddystone Point. The bay was given its name in 1773 by Captain Tobias Furneaux in Adventure, who saw the fires of Aboriginal people on the beaches. Bay whaling activities were carried out in the area in the 1840s.
Photo: File:Launie (cropped).JPG : User: (WT-shared) Plug at wts wikivoyage derivative work: Georgfotoart · Public domainLaunceston & the Tamar Valley
Use the northern city for Cataract Gorge, produce and a slower transition between coast and alpine country.
Launceston ( LON-sess-tən) is a city in the north of Tasmania, Australia, at the confluence of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the River Tamar (kanamaluka). As of 2021, the Launceston urban area has a population of 90,953. Launceston is the second most populous city in Tasmania after the state capital, Hobart.
Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen · CC BY-SA 3.0Cradle Mountain
Glacial lakes, button-grass plains and abruptly changing skies provide the loop’s alpine counterpoint.
Cradle Mountain is a locality and mountain in the Central Highlands region of the Australian state of Tasmania. The mountain is situated in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. At 1,545 metres (5,069 ft) above sea level, it is the sixth-highest mountain in Tasmania.
Photo: M. Murphy · Public domainStrahan & the wild west
A small harbour faces Macquarie Harbour and the vast southwest, with river journeys and layered environmental history worth a full day.
Strahan ( STRAWN) is a small town and former port on the west coast of Tasmania. It is now a significant locality for tourism in the region. Strahan Harbour and Risby Cove form part of the north-east end of Long Bay on the northern end of Macquarie Harbour.
Photo: Noodle snacks · CC BY-SA 3.0Mount Field
Tall forest and tiered waterfalls make a restorative final stop before Hobart, with walks that scale easily to the time and weather left.
Mount Field National Park is a national park in Tasmania, Australia, 64 km northwest of Hobart. The landscape ranges from eucalyptus temperate rainforest to alpine moorland, rising to 1,434 metres (4,705 ft) at the summit of Mount Field West.
Drive the conditions,
not the itinerary.
Allow more time than mainland distance intuition suggests. Narrow roads, wildlife and fast-changing weather make daylight driving the sensible default.
Checked against
the people who run it
Distances and driving times are planning estimates. Conditions, closures, ferries, permits and park rules can change, so check the linked official guidance before setting out.