The BIG 3 Tasmania: 3 Days Launceston to Hobart via Cradle Mountain & Wineglass Bay

Tour Overview

Itinerary Highlights

Day 1: Launceston to Cradle Mountain National Park

Depart Launceston and drive through the fertile Meander Valley towards the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. First stop: Sheffield, known as the “Town of Murals” for its 60+ large-scale paintings depicting Tasmanian history, pioneers, and wildlife scattered across the town’s buildings. Enter Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. Morning walk to Pencil Pine Falls — a cascading waterfall surrounded by ancient rainforest, accessible via a short boardwalk through myrtle and sassafras forest. Continue to the Dove Lake Circuit (6km, moderate, 2-3 hours) — the walk circles the glacial lake beneath the jagged dolerite spires of Cradle Mountain. The track passes through the Ballroom Forest (ancient myrtle-beech forest with moss-covered trees), past the iconic boatshed, and offers ever-changing perspectives of the mountain and its reflection in the lake. For the more ambitious, the optional Marion’s Lookout hike climbs high above Dove Lake for panoramic views over the entire Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair plateau. Visit Weindorfer’s Chalet — the 1912 log cabin of Gustav Weindorfer, the Austrian-born naturalist whose vision and advocacy led to the creation of the national park. Optional stop at Van Diemen’s Ice Creamery and Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm for local treats. Return to Launceston. Overnight in Launceston (accommodation not included — book separately).

Day 2: Launceston to Hobart via Wineglass Bay & Freycinet

Depart Launceston for the east coast. Drive through the historic Midlands — Tasmania’s agricultural heartland — with a stop at Campbell Town to walk the Convict Brick Trail, where bricks inscribed with convict names, crimes, and sentences line the footpath, each telling a story of Tasmania’s penal colony origins. Continue to Freycinet National Park, a narrow peninsula of pink granite mountains fronting the Tasman Sea. Visit Cape Tourville Lighthouse — an easy 20-minute boardwalk circuit with breathtaking 360-degree views of the Freycinet coastline, the Hazards mountain range, and across the Tasman Sea. Then the highlight: the Wineglass Bay Lookout walk (45 minutes uphill) — arriving at the saddle between Mount Amos and Mount Mayson, the view opens onto a perfect crescent of white sand cupped between pink-granite mountains and turquoise water. This is the most photographed view in Tasmania and appears on every tourism brochure for good reason. For those with energy and time, descend to Wineglass Bay beach itself (adds 1.5 hours return) — a pristine 2km beach often near-empty, where you may spot dolphins in the bay. Optional: visit Honeymoon Bay (with guide), a sheltered cove of crystal-clear water between massive granite boulders. Continue via Devil’s Corner Winery — Tasmania’s east coast wine region produces exceptional cool-climate wines (wine and food at own expense). Arrive in Hobart by evening. Overnight in Hobart (accommodation not included).

Day 3: Hobart to Port Arthur & Tasman Peninsula — History, Devils & Coastal Drama

Depart Hobart and drive 90 minutes southeast to the Tasman Peninsula, a rugged promontory connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus at Eaglehawk Neck. First stop: Pirates Bay Lookout — dramatic views of 300-metre sea cliffs and the swirling Southern Ocean. Walk to Waterfall Bay — a spectacular cliff-face waterfall plunging directly into the sea. Continue to Tasman Arch — a natural bridge carved by the sea through thousands of years of wave action — and Devil’s Kitchen — a deep, sheer-sided chasm where the roof of a sea cave collapsed. Visit the Tasmanian Devil Unzoo — a unique wildlife experience where the animals roam in natural habitat and visitors walk through their enclosures. Watch a Tasmanian Devil feeding (these carnivorous marsupials can eat 40% of their body weight in 30 minutes) and the “Birds of the Bush” presentation. Hand-feed wallabies (optional extra). Afternoon: Port Arthur Historic Site — Australia’s most intact and evocative convict settlement, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site. Arrive with 2 hours to explore the 40-hectare site including the Penitentiary (originally a flour mill and granary before conversion to 480-cell prison), the Separate Prison (where a radical experiment in psychological control replaced physical punishment), and the broad, beautiful grounds that belie their dark history. Includes the Port Arthur Harbour Cruise passing the Isle of the Dead cemetery island and Point Puer boys’ prison. Final stop: Richmond historic village — Australia’s finest Georgian village with the 1825 Richmond Bridge (Australia’s oldest surviving bridge), craft shops, and sandstone cottages. Return to Hobart by early evening. Tour ends in Hobart.

What’s Included

• Expert guide throughout
• Transport in comfortable minibus
• National park entry fees (Cradle Mountain, Freycinet, Tasman Peninsula)
• Dove Lake Circuit walk
• Cape Tourville Lighthouse walk
• Wineglass Bay Lookout walk
• Tasmanian Devil Unzoo entry and feeding experience
• Port Arthur Historic Site entry, harbour cruise, site talks
• Pirates Bay, Waterfall Bay, Tasman Arch, Devil’s Kitchen visits
• Richmond historic village exploration

What’s NOT Included

• Accommodation (2 nights — book separately in Launceston and Hobart)
• Meals (own expense at cafes, wineries, and restaurants along the route)