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Tasmania is an amazingly diverse landscape and offers so many awesome opportunities for adventure! I spent over 2 weeks exploring the island and was sooooo tempted to move there… it’s that incredible.
Based on my own real travels, I’ve created the ultimate 7-day east coast Tasmania road trip itinerary for all you adventure seekers like me! This is the perfect itinerary if you want to maximize adventure and minimize costs.
📌 Read the full article or jump around using the table of contents. Don’t miss day 5, it has my top, free local adventures and sights that took my breath away! 📌
I’m focusing on classic Tassis spots you won’t want to miss, along with some more obscure spots. I’ve designed road trips across New Zealand and Australia, so I know how to make this as stress free as possible so you can hit the ground running.
If you don’t have time to read the article in full, check out my “quick tips” in the next section. Let’s plan your ultimate Tasmanian adventure!
Quick Tips for Traveling in Tasmania
🚗 How to get around: Compare rental car prices here 🚗
🏖 Don’t miss: Binalong Bay in the Bay of Fires 🏖
⛰ My favorite hike in Tasmania: Cradle Mountain ⛰
🐾 The BEST Tasmanian Devils: Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary 🐾
Road Trip Itinerary + Map
Day 1: Arrive in Devonport via ferry or Launceston via plane
Day 2: Cradle Mountain
Day 3: Cradle Mountain or Bay of Fires
Day 4: Bay of Fires
Day 5: Friendly Beaches
Day 6: Port Arthur
Day 7: Hobart
How to Get to Tasmania
Well if you’ve started planning this trip but haven’t looked at a map yet, I’ve got news for you… Tasmania is an island. Which means there are only 2 ways to get to Tasmania, either via plane or boat!
We chose to take the Spirit of Tasmania ferry from Geelong (aka the Melbourne area) into Devonport. We paid a passenger fare of around $110 usd per person.
We decided to start our journey in the north and travel south. Taking the ferry was the best option for us (plus we love boat rides and this seemed like a cool opportunity!). You can also opt to fly into Launceston.
Regardless of how you get to Launceston or Devonport (the two towns are about a 1 hr drive apart) you will need to rent a car to really see Tasmania. Once you’ve driven yourself down to Hobart, you can fly back to a major airport like Sydney or Melbourne and be on your merry way!
What is the Best Way to Get Around Tasmania?
Renting a car is the BEST way to get around Tassie! Unfortunately there aren’t great hop on hop off bus options like there are in New Zealand, so a car or campervan is really your only option.
We opted to rent a car rather than a campervan for a few reasons. First off, renting a car was significantly cheaper than renting a campervan, so that just worked into our budget better. Secondly, Tasmania has a ton of free campgrounds and no restrictions on the type of vehicle that can stay at a campground. I.e. – you can totally sleep in your car or pitch a tent!
Most of the areas on this itinerary will have hotels nearby, so if you’re not planning to do a camping style road trip no sweat!
➡️ Compare Rental Car Prices Here to Find a Deal ⬅️
7-Day East Coast Tasmania Road Trip Itinerary
Day 1: Devonport
I chose to take the ferry into Devonport so that’s where this itinerary starts! You can of course fly into Launceston or fly into Hobart and do the itinerary backwards.
We arrived around 6pm so we explored the town of Devonport and stayed at the Formby hotel for the night. I am so glad I didn’t try to cram anything more into the day because by the time we got to the Formby we were so exhausted!
📌 Pro tip – the ferry drops you off in a more industrial part of town, the actual downtown is a 3 mile walk or a 30 minute bus ride. I wish someone would have told me that! We actually got super lucky and hitch hiked with a local over to our hotel – which was so kind of her! 📌
Day 2: Cradle Mountain
Drive time: 1.5 hours
Customize: I’ve added in a buffer day by giving you 2 days at the Bay of Fires. If you’re keen to explore more of the town of Launceston, spend more of today in town before heading out to Lake Rowallan or another campground. Staying at these campgrounds will give you an early morning start at Cradle Mountain on day 3.
Cradle Mountain is not on the east coast of Tassie but it would be a downright shame to miss it, so that’s why it’s our first stop with the rental car!
Cradle Mountain National Park is a beautiful region and there are so many amazing hikes within the park. You’ll first need to drive over to the National Park visitors center to park your car, all visitors must take a bus into the park.
From there you really can choose your own adventure! I recommend getting to the park early in the day so you can maximize your time hiking. The park rangers can give you a map and trail suggestions, but I highly recommend hiking Cradle Mountain.
This is a tough and technical mountain to summit, but even getting close and not fully summiting will be worth it too!
After your big day in the National Park, I recommend camping at either Lake Rowallan, Lake Kara or Lake Barrington. All 3 are beautiful free campgrounds but I preferred Lake Rowallan! If you’re not opting to camp, driving back to Launceston will give you the best hotel options!
Day 3: Bay of Fires
Drive Time: 4 hrs from Lake Rowallan campground
The Bay of Fires is truly beautiful and is the type of place in nature that looks like the pictures (but better of course!). Not only are the beaches nice and sandy (especially Binalong Bay) but the rocks are unique and have an iconic red lichen, giving the bay its name.
All the beaches are gorgeous but I fell in love with Binalong Bay! I would say it is truly a “don’t miss it” spot in Tasmania!
📌 TOP TIP! On your drive to the Bay of Fires, stop in at Trowunna Wildlife Tours for an unforgettable wildlife experience and a unique opportunity to see Tasmanian Devils feeding! 📌
Day 4: Bay of Fires
Drive Time: Nada or 1 hr to the Friendly Beaches
This is your build in buffer day! Loved Cradle Mountain? Spend 2 days there! Can’t get enough of Binalong? Spend a second day on the beach! Or spend the morning at the Bay of Fires and drive down to the Friendly Beaches (tomorrow’s destination) in the afternoon to get set up there.
Day 5: Friendly Beaches
Drive Time: 1 hr from the Bay of Fires
I had no expectations for the Friendly Beaches and they really blew me away! I loved the free campground at Friendly Beaches Campground, make sure you get there before noon in the summertime though! Spots fill up fast.
Not only are the Friendly Beaches gorgeous, but they are also in a prime location for a few fun free adventures.
First up – on your drive into the Friendly Beaches you’re going to pass the town of Bicheno. Bicheno is super cute (and your last chance to get groceries) and is definitely worth a stop… especially at low tide.
At low tide, Redbill Beach in Bicheno will connect Diamond Island to the mainland. It’s a beautiful sandy beach and such a fun walk out onto the island!
During your day exploring around the Friendly Beaches and Freycinet National Park don’t miss Cape Tourville lighthouse and lookout!
This was a magnificent spot and most people drive right by it on their way to Wineglass Bay. Honestly, I thought Wineglass Bay was pretty, but I thought Cape Tourville was jawdropping! Don’t miss it!
Day 6: Port Arthur
Drive Time: 2 hr 50 min
The end of our adventure brings us to Port Arthur on the Tasman Peninsula. This is an incredibly historic area for a number of reasons (mostly the prisons) and also home to a notable oceanographic phenomenon.
I was drawn to Port Arthur for Shipsterns Bluff, which is home to Shipstern Wave. I can’t even begin to describe how cool this wave looks… so here’s a video:
While you’re out at Port Arthur, I recommend hiking some of the trails out at Shipsterns Bluff and Cape Raoul. Don’t expect to the magic of the wave in full effect though, the “wave within a wave” phenomenon typically happens during the winter storms and is not present 24/7.
We camped at Lime Bay State Reserve, which was a paid campground and SO POPULAR. But honestly, almost everywhere we went we were able to find a spot just before dinner.
Day 7: Hobart
Drive Time: 1 hr 20 min
Hobart is a super fun city! Normally I’m pro “skip the city, stay in the woods” but I genuinely really liked Hobart! There’s the iconic Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) which is apparently worth the visit even if you’re not a museum person… and then there’s also so many local cafes, shops and hidden gems around the city.
We stumbled upon Jam Packed Cafe next to the Tasmanian Art Gallery. WOW, I’ve never loved a cafe experience more!
We were in Hobart on a Saturday and even got to enjoy the local farmers market!
Australia is a HUGE country, and while Tasmania is just one state (and the smallest at that) it is absolutely worth your time. So rent a car, buy some sleeping bags and get driving!
Ahoy! I’m Bree and I’ve started this blog to help you plan your next great outdoor adventure. With a background in marine science, I’ve got an aptitude for all things ocean, but you’ll find land based adventures here too! Everything you see here is based on my own travel experience and paid for myself. I hope you stick around!