Hobart destination guide
Hobart is the capital of Tasmania. Tourism Tasmania describes the city as framed by Kunanyi / Mount Wellington and the River Derwent, with wilderness just beyond the mountain, and calls it Australia's second-oldest city.
Tourism Tasmania's list of top places in and around Hobart names Mona, Kunanyi / Mount Wellington, Salamanca Market, Port Arthur and Bruny Island. It also places mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, rock climbing, abseiling and surfing within a 20-kilometre circle around the city.
What to see and do in Hobart
Kunanyi / Mount Wellington
Kunanyi / Mount Wellington is in Wellington Park, a reserve on Hobart's doorstep that stretches west from the 1271-metre summit, according to the Wellington Park Management Trust. The Trust says the pinnacle can be reached by shuttle bus, car, bike or on foot.
At The Springs, the Trust lists a lookout, coffee, picnic spots and short walks. Sphinx Rock Lookout is a short, level walk from The Springs, with views of the Organ Pipes, Hobart and the Derwent River, and the Organ Pipes walk, listed among Tasmania's Great Short Walks, starts on the Pinnacle Track from The Springs. The Trust also names Wellington Falls, and lists bushwalking, trail running and mountain biking, at the Glenorchy Mountain Bike Park and on the North-South Track, among things to do.
According to the Trust, the exposed tracks to the west and south of the mountain suit experienced and well-prepared walkers only. Drones need a permit, dogs stay on lead on approved tracks, campervans and motorhomes may not park overnight, and the Trust says camping is limited to rough bush camping in the Natural Zone, with no camping infrastructure in the park.
According to the City of Hobart, Pinnacle Road, the road to the summit, is the highest and busiest sealed alpine road in Tasmania, and it is narrow with steep embankments. For the trails, Metro Tasmania directs riders to its 448 or 449 bus to Stop 27 at Fern Tree, and says it does not run bus services up to the summit.
The Kunanyi / Mt Wellington Explorer Bus calls itself the official shuttle bus for the mountain. The operator says it runs daily from Hobart, from opposite the Tasmanian Travel and Information Centre, on a 2.5-hour return tour with 30 minutes at the summit, and that riders can hop on and off at stops in Wellington Park.
The operator also says its service is wheelchair accessible, that riders can bring mountain bikes, and that it is the only tour company with exclusive access to the mountain when Pinnacle Road is closed due to snow. The City of Hobart says the bus operates during road closures, if conditions allow.
Mona (Museum of Old and New Art)
The Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) is at Berriedale, eleven kilometres north of Hobart. Mona says it is open Thursday to Monday, 10am to 5pm, with limited timed entry slots, and recommends booking. The museum is cashless, and it says you could probably get through everything in three or four hours.
Mona puts the trip at about thirty minutes by ferry or twenty minutes by road, and calls the ferry the best way to get there: its catamarans sail between Brooke Street Pier and the museum. Parking at Mona is limited. Metro Tasmania's X20 bus (weekdays) and its 510, 520 and 522 buses (weekdays and weekends) run from the Hobart City Interchange to Stop 33 on Main Road, Berriedale.
Salamanca Market
The City of Hobart owns and runs Salamanca Market, which it calls Tasmania's most visited tourism attraction. The City says the market runs every Saturday from 8.30am to 3pm, "rain, hail or shine", along the full length of Salamanca Place, from the silos end to the top of Davey Street.
Other sights around Hobart
Tourism Tasmania says there is more to Hobart art than Mona, and points visitors to the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. Metro Tasmania's visitor page gives bus directions from the Hobart City Interchange to Cascade Brewery and the Cascade Female Factory in South Hobart, Mount Nelson Signal Station and the Shot Tower at Taroona. Metro says the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens have no direct service and are an uphill walk from the stop.
Seasons and weather in Hobart
Seasons in Hobart and Tasmania
The Bureau of Meteorology names Hobart as an example of Australia's temperate zone, with cold, short days in winter and warm, long days in summer. The Bureau's southern seasons run by calendar month: summer is December to February, autumn March to May, winter June to August and spring September to November.
Tourism Tasmania says Tasmania has four distinct seasons, that its warmest months are December, January, February and March, and that winter runs from May through August. It calls Hobart Australia's second-driest capital city after Adelaide, with an annual average of 569 millimetres, and advises being prepared for sudden changes in the weather, especially when bushwalking.
Dark Mofo in winter
A Tasmanian Government media release calls Dark Mofo a winter festival in Tasmania and placed the 2026 festival in June. The release named the Winter Feast, the Ogoh-Ogoh, Night Mass and the Nude Solstice Swim among the 2026 events.
Snow, ice and fire danger on the mountain
The City of Hobart says Pinnacle Road is closed to cars during snow and icy conditions, and can be closed at any time due to unsafe conditions or traffic congestion; you can still walk on the road when it is closed. Snow often melts fairly quickly on Pinnacle Road, but ice can linger in shady areas, and the City says the road can often be opened in stages. It points drivers to its webcams and to local radio on its Pinnacle Road status page.
The Wellington Park Management Trust says the park is closed to all users on days of Extreme or Catastrophic fire danger.
Getting to Hobart by air
Hobart Airport (HBA) is 17 kilometres, about a 15-minute drive, from the city on a dual-lane highway, according to the airport. The SkyBus Hobart Express meets major scheduled flights and stops in the city, including at Brooke Street Pier, and the airport says every arrival is met by taxis at the rank in front of the terminal.
The direct flights recorded from Hobart Airport include the places below, with the airlines recorded on each route. Schedules change, so check with the airline before planning around a route.
| Destination | Airlines recorded |
|---|---|
| Adelaide | Jetstar |
| Brisbane | Jetstar, Qantas, Virgin Australia |
| Canberra | Link Airways, Virgin Australia |
| Gold Coast | Jetstar |
| Melbourne | Jetstar, Qantas, Virgin Australia |
| Perth | Qantas, Virgin Australia |
| Sydney | Jetstar, Qantas, Virgin Australia |
Biosecurity on arrival in Tasmania
Biosecurity Tasmania lists fresh fruit and vegetables, including potatoes, fresh herbs, garlic, ginger and onion, as not permitted entry to Tasmania, and says its officer makes the final decision on any item that needs inspection. Hobart Airport says passengers leaving the aircraft are asked to dispose of or declare goods not permitted in Tasmania, using the biosecurity bins inside the terminal, and that a Biosecurity Tasmania officer and detector dog inspect all hand and checked luggage.
Getting around Hobart
Metro Tasmania runs bus services across the greater Hobart region, in and out of the city, and its visitor directions start from the Hobart City Interchange on Elizabeth Street.
Port Arthur Historic Site says there are regular transport services between Hobart and Port Arthur, and that a number of operators offer tours in the Port Arthur region.
Places beyond Hobart
Port Arthur and the Tasman Peninsula
Port Arthur Historic Site is almost 100 kilometres south-east of Hobart, a 90-minute drive by the Arthur Highway. The site calls itself Australia's largest and most intact convict settlement and part of the World Heritage-listed Australian Convict Sites, and it is open every day from 9am to 5pm, except Christmas Day.
The site has ruins, historic buildings and house museums, with guided talks, a harbour cruise and a self-guided audio experience. On the drive down, it suggests stops at the Tessellated Pavement at Eaglehawk Neck and the Blowhole.
Port Arthur advises filling the car with fuel before you set out, and says most service stations on the peninsula close before 6pm. It says card payments are preferred, with many terminals set up as card-only, and that its car park fills quickly in peak periods. Many roads on the peninsula are unsealed or rough, and the site says some hire car companies restrict where you can drive.
Three Capes Track
The Three Capes Track in Tasman National Park is a 48-kilometre, four-day, three-night hut-based walk, rated Grade 3 by the Parks and Wildlife Service. Bookings are essential, and the booking covers cabin accommodation, a cruise from Port Arthur and a bus transfer from Fortescue Bay back to Port Arthur.
Walkers check in at the Port Arthur Historic Site. The Parks and Wildlife Service says the track closes each year for maintenance and fuel reduction burns, and its proposed closure dates for 2027 are in April.
Bruny Island
The Island Connections Bruny Island ferry, run by SeaLink, crosses from Kettering, a 35-minute drive from Hobart, to Roberts Point on Bruny Island in 20 minutes. SeaLink says the ferry operates every day of the year, and that additional services may run in peak periods.
The ferry works on a queue: a ticket bought in advance is for the next available ferry, not for a set time, and SeaLink says you cannot book a specific ferry and time.
Maria Island
The Parks and Wildlife Service says Maria Island National Park can only be reached by ferry: a passenger ferry from Triabunna, off the Tasman Highway (A3), to Darlington, taking around 45 minutes. Bookings on the ferry are essential.
The Parks and Wildlife Service says the convict probation era at Darlington was recognised in 2010 by World Heritage listing, as part of the Australian Convict Sites. It also says access to the Painted Cliffs rock platform is safest within two hours of low tide, and that construction works at Darlington, with heavy machinery, noise and dust, are expected to finish in November 2026.
Hobart travel questions
How do I get to the top of Kunanyi / Mount Wellington from Hobart?
The Wellington Park Management Trust says the pinnacle can be reached by shuttle bus, car, bike or on foot. Pinnacle Road is closed to cars in snow and ice and can close at any time, and Metro Tasmania says it does not run buses up to the summit. The Kunanyi / Mt Wellington Explorer Bus, which the operator says runs daily from Hobart, calls itself the mountain's official shuttle bus.
When is Salamanca Market on in Hobart?
The City of Hobart says Salamanca Market runs every Saturday from 8.30am to 3pm, rain, hail or shine, along Salamanca Place.
How do I get from Hobart to Mona?
Mona calls the ferry from Brooke Street Pier the best way to get there, at about thirty minutes, and puts the drive at about twenty minutes, with limited parking at the museum. Metro Tasmania's X20 (weekdays) and 510, 520 and 522 buses run from the Hobart City Interchange to Berriedale. Mona is open Thursday to Monday and recommends booking, as timed entry slots are limited.
Can I bring fruit to Hobart on a domestic flight?
Biosecurity Tasmania lists fresh fruit and vegetables, including potatoes, fresh herbs, garlic, ginger and onion, as not permitted entry to Tasmania. Hobart Airport says passengers are asked to dispose of or declare goods not permitted in Tasmania, with bins inside the terminal, and that a Biosecurity Tasmania officer and detector dog inspect all hand and checked luggage.
Does Hobart have daylight saving?
Yes. Tasmania observes daylight saving, as do New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory; Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory do not.