Three-Week Tasmania Road Trip Itinerary
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Last Updated on February 11, 2024 by Sarah Puckett
Tasmania, Australia is one of those places I could return to again and again, which is why three weeks is the shortest itinerary I could write about this amazing island!
When Tim and I first visited Tasmania in 2014, people had one of two reactions. The first was, “Is that in Africa?” and the second was, “Why? There’s nothing to do there.” Now, four years later, the attitude towards Tasmania has changed dramatically! Australia’s island state (by the way, no, Tasmania is not in Africa) has become a hot destination for those who love hiking, wildlife, and locally sourced food.
While Tasmania has always had a lot to offer, the global travel community has only recently “discovered” the magic of this off-the-beaten-path destination. We loved Tasmania so much when we visited for a week in 2014, that we knew we would have to come back for a longer itinerary on our honeymoon trip around the world in 2018.
Below is the road trip itinerary we followed for this second visit. You can definitely cover this route in a shorter amount of time, but we wanted to take it slow. Alternatively, if you have 3 weeks or 21 days as we did but want to spend less time in each place, you can fit in a bit more, which I’ll highlight in my recommendations!
We recommend mixing and matching this Tasmania road trip itinerary to suit your needs. Whether you are building a 7-day itinerary, 14-day itinerary, 21-day itinerary, or even more, you can use our 21-day Tasmania itinerary as your base or take it as is!
Here’s what you’ll find in this three-week Tasmania itinerary.
Day-by-Day Tasmania Road Trip Itinerary
Days 1-4: Hobart
Hobart is the capital of Tasmania and is likely where you’ll be flying in and out of. This is also where you should plan to pick up and drop off your rental car for the duration of your time in Tasmania. We spent four nights in Hobart staying at an Airbnb, and I think this is a perfect amount of time for making the most of what the region offers.
>>> Click here to search for hotels in Hobart
Things to Do in Hobart
- Mount Wellington – You can drive up to the summit of Mount Wellington, or hike from midway up the mountain from the Organ Pipes trailhead, linking that trail with the Zig Zag Trail and Panorama Trail for a great 2-3 hour hike. You’ll be rewarded with amazing views of Hobart and its surroundings.
- Museum of Old and New Art – This museum is best known for its confronting and explicit exhibits, including a machine that makes actual poop.
Tours in Hobart:
Day Trips from Hobart
Hobart also makes a good base for several day trips in the southeastern region of the island.
- Maria Island – This island is accessible by ferry from a town about an hour and a half from Hobart. It’s a great place for short day walks to see unique Tasmania wildlife and geology, as well as learn a bit of history! My guide to a day trip to Maria Island from Hobart covers everything you need to know to plan your day!
- Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary – This is a fantastic sanctuary for getting up close with Tasmanian wildlife in an ethical way.
- The Tasman Peninsula and Port Arthur Historic Site – Port Arthur Penitentiary is a fascinating destination on the Tasman Peninsula, and on the way, you can visit the unique Tessellated Pavements. For more information, check out my guide and itinerary for a Port Arthur and Tasman Peninsula day trip.
- Mount Field National Park – This national park is a short drive from Hobart and is great for hiking, making it a perfect day road trip destination from Hobart!
- Southwest National Park – You can explore the remote wilderness on a day trip from Hobart, where you can see the national park (most of which is inaccessible by car) on a scenic flight, bush walk, and harbor cruise. Check tours on Viator.

Days 5-8: Bicheno
From Hobart, it’s a quick 2.5 hours drive to Bicheno. This was our second time visiting Bicheno, and we even stayed in the same Airbnb again.
Bicheno is a small coastal town with amazing seafood and adorable fairy penguins that come ashore to nest every evening.
>>> Click here to search for places to stay in Bicheno
Things to Do in Bicheno
Day 1 in Bicheno
- Visit the Bicheno Blowhole to watch the explosion of water that bursts from the rocks during high tide.
- Head over to a local fishmonger to buy some fresh catch and have them cook it for you or cook yourself back in your accommodation.
- Once it’s dark outside, grab a red-light flashlight and head to the rocky beach to try to spot the fairy penguins. Please be respectful of these wild animals by not blocking their path or getting too close. Note that white light hurts their eyes, so it is important to use a red-light torch instead.

Day 2 in Bicheno
Take a day trip to spend some time exploring Freycinet National Park, which is about a 45-minute drive from town. This is one of my favorite national parks. You can take the short hike up to the Wineglass Bay viewpoint, or continue on to Hazards Beach via picturesque coves for a full day of walking in the park. The spectacular aqua water and orange rocks are well worth the 6 hours hike! Bonus Tip: Don’t miss the Cape Tourville Lighthouse and Lookout!

Day 3 in Bicheno
- The Bay of Fires in the north is famous for the vibrant orange rocks that give the place its name, but to be honest, Tim and I didn’t think it was that impressive or different from what you see in Freycinet. That said, we also think we may have headed to the wrong place, and it was a cloudy day.
- Near the Bay of Fires, you can also head inland about an hour to St. Colomba Falls for a short hike to see the waterfalls.
- Visit the Pyengana Dairy Company and the historic Pub in the Paddock.

Days 9-11: Stanley
We headed straight to Stanley from Bicheno (about a 5-hour drive from the east coast to the northwest region of the island). Stanley is most famous for The Nut – an iconic lump of rock that looms over the city. What makes this landmark even more interesting is that it is the molten core of an ancient volcano!
>>> Search for hotels in Stanley
Things to Do in Stanley
- Visit The Nut, which you can access right from town via a chairlift or a short but steep climb. Once on top of The Nut, you can walk the 2km loop around it to see amazing cliff views and spot wildlife like wallabies.
- Visit Highfield Historic Site, which is a great example of homesteading in Tasmania in the 1800s. You can visit the inside of the buildings and have a great view of The Nut from there as well.

Day Trips from Stanley
- Rocky Cape National Park and Fern Glade Reserve – Driving east from Stanley, you can stop in Rocky Cape National Park and take a few short hikes to aboriginal caves. Heading east a little bit more, you can visit Fern Glade Reserve, which is a great place to reliably spot the elusive platypus. When we spoke with a woman who was very involved with the reserve, she said that if you stay for at least an hour, she can almost guarantee a sighting. The platypus uses the river as a highway in the early evening just before dusk so you have a good chance of seeing one swimming by!
- Tarkine Wilderness – South of Stanley, you can follow the tourist route around the Tarkine Wilderness to visit sinkholes, rivers, and viewpoints. My favorite stop was the Trowutta Arch. The route has two portions, which can be completed in one day if you don’t plan to do any of the hikes longer than an hour– a coastal portion and a rainforest portion. You can read more about the route here.

Alternative Route
You can amend this itinerary to stop in Launceston for a day or two from Hobart before getting to Stanley. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania and has a charming food and drink scene. When we visited in 2014, we stayed on a sheep farm Airbnb and saw an echidna (porcupine-like animal) while hiking at Cataract Gorge. From Launceston, you can then easily get to Stanley and sync back up with this itinerary. Bonus Tip: If you visit Launceston, drive a bit east to check out the stunning lavender fields at the Bristowe Lavender Estate!
>>> Search for hotels in Launceston
Days 12-16: Cradle Mountain National Park
It’s a short 2-hour drive from Stanley to Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. The alpine region offers a large range of accommodations from luxurious to budget-friendly. We stayed on the budget end at Discovery Parks and it was perfectly located directly across the street from the National Park visitor center.
>>> Click here to book a stay at Discovery Parks near Cradle Mountain National Park
You really only need a couple of days in Cradle Mountain National Park, but we stayed several nights to unwind and really relax. I recommend staying longer if you have a few more days to add to your Tasmania itinerary. The weather here can be very erratic, but if you’re lucky, you’ll get to see the unique spikes of Cradle Mountain over Dove Lake.

Things to Do in Cradle Mountain National Park
- There are many hiking options in Cradle Mountain, ranging from the relaxing and easy Dove Lake Circuit to the very challenging Summit Hike. You can get more information from the helpful team at the visitor center about the hiking opportunities in the region!
- If you are interested in Tassie wildlife (and who isn’t!?), Devils@Cradle is a great place to visit for a few hours. Tasmanian devils are at risk in the wild due to contagious face cancer. The breeding program at the sanctuary aims to create an “insurance population” with healthy genes that can resist the disease in the wild. They have a similar program for quolls, which look like bigger, spotted ferrets, kind of.
Alternative Route
You can head further down the west coast from Stanley to visit Strahan for 2 nights. This is another stop we made in 2014. We enjoyed visiting Hogarth Falls, Henty Sand Dunes and the quirky town production “The Ship that Never Was”. Many visitors also love visiting the Gordon River via a cruise. We never did this river cruise, but if we had known that you visit haunted places during it we would have been much more interested! From here you can then drive back east into Cradle Mountain.
>>> Click here to search for hotels in Strahan
Days 17-18: Bruny Island
From Cradle Mountain, we headed way south to Bruny Island, the last stop on this Tasmania itinerary. To get to Bruny Island, you must take a car ferry. You can buy your return ticket when you get to the ferry terminal (about $30 AUD). We only stayed 2 nights in Bruny Island but I wish we could have stayed longer! This idyllic region is full of big coastal views, unique wildlife like white wallabies (which are albino), and amazing farm-to-table food.
>>> Click here to search for hotels on Bruny Island
We stayed in Adventure Bay on the southern half of the island, right by the trailhead for the Fluted Cape walk. This 3-hour walk climbs up the coastal cliffs and offers amazing views of the crashing waves below.

After working up an appetite, I recommend heading to the northern part of the island to indulge in some food and drink. Enjoy beer and cheese tasting at the aptly named Bruny Island Beer and Cheese, followed by oysters at Get Shucked and ending with some honey at a little shack on the main road. If you still have some stamina, take the stairs up The Neck Lookout to get a view over both halves of the island and water surrounding either side.
Day 19: Fly out
From Bruny Island, it’s about 2 hours including the ferry ride back to Hobart to catch your departing flight!
Tasmania Road Trip Itinerary Map

Stuck in a packing quandary?
Check out our ultimate Road Trip packing list!
More Australia Travel Tips
Don’t forget that day trips from Hobart to Port Arthur and Maria Island also fit perfectly in my comprehensive three-week Tasmania itinerary. Make sure you check it out and bookmark it for later!
Also, when you head to Cradle Mountain, consider doing the summit hike for a challenging but rewarding day!
If you plan on an in-depth exploration of Western Australia, make sure you check out (and bookmark!) my super-detailed Perth to Darwin road trip itinerary.
And while you’re in Perth, make sure you visit Rottnest Island on a day trip and spot adorable quokkas!
If you want to snorkel with manta rays or whale sharks (or both!) the Ningaloo Reef is the place to do it. My guide on snorkeling with whale sharks and manta rays has all the details.
If you’re heading all the way to the northern region of Western Australia, I highly recommend visiting Purnululu National Park and splurging on a scenic flight over the Bungle Bungle Range. My guide covers everything you need to know to make this bucket-list-worthy adventure happen!
Have a specific question about this Tasmania itinerary or anything Australia? Leave a comment below or contact me!
I somehow never made it to Tassy when I lived in Australia for 2 years…it’s definitely top of my list for when I go back! Cradle Mountain looks epic for hiking and I’d love to go to the Tasmanian Devil sanctuary. You highlight some places I’d not heard of too, so I’m bookmarking this post for my next trip; looks like a fab itinerary.
Thanks so much for reading and I am glad you found it inspiring! It’s definitely a place I think we’ll keep coming back to 🙂
I would highly recommend going to Strahan and the surrounding areas. Stunning location, never been developed in many areas and well worth spending a few days in the associated towns.
Strahan is great!! Good recommendation!