Inside Tasmania's Most Beautiful Road Trip

If you’re ready for adventure, buckle up for the scenic, gourmet drive of your life…

Tasmania’s North East is the home of stunning coastline, eclectic wildlife, delightful wine, gourmet food and luxury stays. The region really comes to life during spring, and the only way to explore every corner is by car. Spirit of Tasmania offers you a unique sailing experience while giving you the ability to take your own vehicle to/from Tasmania. You’ll experience spectacular ocean views, on board dining and entertainment and comfortable accommodation, all while you anticipate the memorable road trip ahead. Your holiday starts when you step on board and then continues as you drive across the rich Tasmanian landscape.

We’ve mapped out the perfect North East Tasmania road trip to start from the moment you dock at Devonport, and end when you return to board Spirit of Tasmania home.

Devonport to Liawenee

Thousand Lakes Lodge. Image via Eugene Hyland.

Travel south towards Liawenee and experience a tasting adventure like never before. Stop at Ashgrove Cheese Factory, Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm, 41° South Tasmania Salmon Farm and taste over fifty types of honeys at Melita Honey Farm. These scrumptious destinations are all within forty-five minutes of each other and on the way to Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary. Spend the afternoon learning about the endangered Tasmanian Devil at the very sanctuary that houses the world’s largest heritage population. Hop back in the car and travel one and a half hours to the uniquely remote Thousand Lakes Lodge to spend the night.

Trowunna Wildlife. Image via Eugene Hyland.

Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm. Image via Eugene Hyland.

Liawenee to Coles Bay

Coastal Pavilions, Freycinet Lodge. Image via Eugene Hyland.

About an hour’s drive from Liawenee is Liffey Falls State Reserve. The reserve is home to four incredibly stunning waterfalls that will absolutely take your breath away. Explore them all to your adventurous heart’s desire and then get back on the road and travel east three and a half hours to the magnificent Coles Bay. Spend the night at the breathtaking Freycinet Lodge’s Coastal Pavilions. The pavilions are nestled among the trees of the Freycinet National Park and offer complete privacy and luxury.

Coles Bay to Bay of Fires

Wake up early to explore the surrounding area before you travel north up Tasmania’s East Coast. Make sure you take a dip at Wineglass Bay and make a quick stop at Cape Tourville Lighthouse. Order a fresh seafood lunch at Freycinet Marine Farm before you start to drive up north. It won’t be long before you pass Friendly Beaches, which consists of nine kilometres of pristine coastline. Pick a stop, take a dip and get back on the road. In two hours you will have arrived at Bay of Fires. Set on a hilltop with unrivalled views, The Bay of Fires Lodge should be your home for the night.

Freycinet Peninsula and Wineglass Bay from the air, Tasmania.

Bay of Fires to Mount Arthur

Extending from Binalong Bay to Eddystone Point, Bay of Fires is a region of Tasmania’s East Coast defined by its white beaches, blue water and lichen-covered granite boulders. Spend the day swimming, surfing, bird watching and relaxing before you start to head inland. Travel two and a half hours towards Bridestowe Lavender Farm to catch the lavender start to bloom in spring, but on the way make sure you stop by Willows Roadhouse for one of their famous scones! About thirty minutes away is the beautiful self-contained eco studio The Trig on Mount Arthur.

Mount Arthur to Tamar Valley

If you have the time in the morning, about a forty minute drive away is Hazelbrae House, a property housing over 5000 Hazelnut trees. Drive forty minutes up to the River Tamar to Moores Hill Estate. Send your tastebuds into meltdown as you visit a number of wineries in the region including Loira Vines, a small boutique vineyard. Make sure you finish your day at Tamar Ridge Cellar Door owned by the famous wine making company Brown Brothers. Stay the night at their apartments next door.

Lunch at Hazelbrae House. Image via Eugene Hyland.

Tamar Valley to the North Coast

It’s time to continue heading up to the stunning north coast. Travel thirty minutes to Wingtons Glamping at Clarence Point to leave your gear and explore the surrounding area. Fifteen minutes away is the beautiful Greens Beach. About forty minutes away is the gorgeous Narawntapu National Park. It’s one of the best places to view free-roaming wildlife in the state including Tasmanian Devils and has a twenty six-kilometre horse-riding trail. Once you’re done in the National Park, head back to Wingtons Glamping to fall asleep under the stars in a majestic golden safari tent.

Wingtons Glamping. Image via Eugene Hyland.

River Tamar to Devonport

Travel an hour west to the beautiful Hawley Beach to enjoy a surf and a swim along the lovely coastline. When you start to get hungry, pack up shop and drive fifteen minutes to Ghost Rock Tasmania for lunch and a wine at their world famous Cellar Door. Travel a further forty minutes west and, after a seven-day self-drive adventure, you’ll arrive back to the coastal town of Devonport where you’ll drive on board Spirit of Tasmania with a full car of Tasmanian produce. Reminisce about your road trip over a glass of Tasmanian Pinot Noir whilst sailing across Bass Strait back home again.

Hobart has quietly become our coolest capital, but the real wonder lies just beyond the city limits.

In the cool shade of Kunyani/ Mt Wellington, Hobart has earned a reputation. Home to culture-defining Dark MOFO, the city blends rugged, raw wilderness and rule-breaking galleries. But, step beyond the thrumming capital’s border and you’ll find a new perspective: historic towns, Jurassic-era cliffs and a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. With ALL Accor as your home away from home, fill your days with epicurean odysseys and wild scenery on the best day trips from Hobart.

Where to stay

Behind every good road trip is the perfect home base. Somewhere central to review your camera roll, make the most of Hobart’s dining scene and relax before setting off again.

For modern, Tasmanian-inspired design, book a stay at the Movenpick Hotel Hobart . Standing at the Salamanca Markets, look to the Hobart skyline and the award-winning hotel will catch your eye. As the third-tallest building in the CBD, the views across the harbour toward Antarctica are totally unique to your room. Here, end each day at the daily free chocolate hour (plus a free Movenpick ice cream for the little ones).

For a more budget-conscious option, head to the picture book, sandstone buildings of Macquarie Street. Nestled along the buzzing, historic streetscape, you’ll find Tasmania’s biggest hotel: the Ibis Styles . Return home each day to defrost in one of the hotel’s two saunas. Make use of the proximity to MONA, or take an easy stroll to the candy-coloured cottages of Battery Point between your adventures.

A stylish, Tasmanian-inspired bedroom at Mövenpick Hotel Hobart, your perfect base for relaxing after the best day trips from Hobart. — Elevate your Hobart stay with sleek style at Mövenpick.

1. Bruny Island

Craggy cliffs and tropical-hued, white sand beaches signal your arrival to Bruny Island/ Lunawanna-Alonnah.

Start your day trip at the island’s most iconic spot, the Neck Game Reserve. Scale the Trunganini steps to gaze out over the teensy stretch of land that juts through the sea connecting the two ends of the island.

Catch a rare glimpse of the white furred wallabies that call Bruny Island home at Adventure Bay. Then, for ocean-fresh oysters, pull into the drive-thru window at Get Shucked . Sample Bruny Island cheese at the cellar door before catching the ferry home with an esky full of local produce.

Bruny Island Neck is an isthmus of land connecting north and south Bruny Island. — Begin your adventure with a climb and a view. (Image: Elise Weaver)

2. Mount Wellington

At 1271 metres, Mount Wellington watches protectively over Hobart. Follow the winding road to climb through alpine forest and tufts of snow to reach the summit. Gaze down over Hobart and out to sea, or over your shoulder to the southwestern wilderness.

Reset your adrenaline with a mountain bike ride back down. Or, make like the locals and head into the mountain on foot. Try the hike to the Jurassic-period Organ Pipes which slips under the mountain’s magnificent dolerite cliffs (perfect for families thanks to the trail’s minimal incline).

For a view of Mount Wellington itself, hike nearby Cathedral Rock.

No matter where you are in Hobart you are never far away from the City's beloved mountain, Kunanyi / Mount Wellington — Climb through alpine forest to the summit. (Image: Paul Flemming)

2. Port Arthur

Constructed entirely by convicts, the manicured gardens and penal buildings of Port Arthur offer a day trip that practically hums with history.

The rugged, seagirt location was chosen for its difficult escape conditions. Now, you can cruise the coast below the towering, jagged cliffs of the Tasman National Park or wander the sloping fields of fragrant lavender.

Tickets to Port Arthur include a walking tour and harbour cruise. See the Isle of the Dead where 1000 men are buried in marked and unmarked graves. And Point Puer, Britain’s first prison for children.

The Port Arthur Historic Site is one of Australia's most important heritage sites and tourist destinations. Located on the scenic Turrakana / Tasman Peninsula in the south east of Tasmania, it offers a unique and essential experience for all visitors to the area. — Wander convict-built grounds and gardens. (Image: Dearna Bond)

3. Launceston

You’ll find Launceston at the confluence of three rivers after an easy 2.5-hour drive from Hobart. Launceston is a patchwork of old and new. Here, heritage streetscapes meet modern architecture.

Visit Cataract Gorge, the green, sun-dappled heart of the town and sacred meeting point for Tasmania’s indigenous communities. Pull up at roadside produce stalls that dot the Tamar Valley, or dine out. Launceston is, after all, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.

Should the local wine scene persuade you, simply extend your time in Launceston at Peppers Silo (but definitely at least stop by the onsite restaurant, Grain of the Silo , for a farm fresh menu) or Mercure Launceston before heading back to Hobart.

Walk the sunlit paths of Cataract Gorge. (Image: Nick H Visuals)

4. Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

Take a 35-minute drive from your hotel and you’ll find Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary . This social enterprise is run by a team of extremely passionate Tasmanians with a mission to look after critically endangered species who have found sanctuary here after facing extinction on the mainland.

Choose to wander the sanctuary at your own pace or join a guided tour (free with your ticket) to come face to face with Tassie’s most iconic species. Tasmanian Devils, wombats and echidnas are part of the free tour. You can book up close encounters with your favourite animals, too.

Bonorong is a Sanctuary for wildlife run by a passionate team of like-minded people. We're a social enterprise: a little business with a big heart. — Snap a cuddle-worthy encounter. (Image: Tourism Australia)

5. Richmond Village & Coal River Valley

Richmond is a town that belongs in a snow globe. Fifty colonial-era, Georgian buildings have been painstakingly restored and turned into cafes, cosy restaurants and galleries. Visit Richmond Gaol , said to be the home of a prisoner so vile he inspired Charles Dickens to pen Oliver Twist’s Fagin.

Then, follow the Coal River as it flows past grassy, duckling-dotted knolls and under the iconic Richmond Bridge, the oldest bridge in Australia. From the crest of the bridge, see the oldest Catholic Church in Australia. The river crawls past many cellar doors, perfect for a day of wine tasting.

Richmond is a picture-perfect town in the Coal River Valley wine region, offering a glimpse into early colonial life, one of the best day trips from Hobart. — Trace the river through history and wine country. (Image: Fin Matson)

Plan your trip to Hobart and beyond with ALL Accor at All.com .

The beautiful Tasmanian road trip you didn’t know existed