What to expect
- Breathtaking National Parks
- Mouthwatering food
- Sample some of Australia’s best wine and whiskey
- Iconic Salamanca Markets
- An annual Hobart festival not for the faint of heart
Fast facts
- Time: 10 days
- Distance: 970 kilometres (603 miles)
- Transport: 4WD
- Price: $$$$
Tasmania is the southern most state of Australia and, in my opinion, is one of the most underrated places to travel for young couples or singles – yet it delivers some of the most epic adventures to be had in Australia.
Do you love the mountains and overnight hikes? No worries, check out Cradle Mountain. Want to do some serious hiking and bouldering? Freycinet National Park is calling you. Just want to chill out and take in some culture? Head on down to Hobart! Don’t know what it is you want to do but you just know you want to check it out? The state is small enough that you can travel around taking in some key locations in less than 2 weeks!
My husband and I had always said we wanted to go to Tasmania one day and decided that we would spend our honeymoon road tripping around the state. There is so much to see that we picked out 3 main things we needed to do (Cradle Mountain, Hobart and Freycinet National Park) and planned our honeymoon around driving to and spending time in those locations.
Are you ready to plan your ultimate 10 day trip to Tassie? Here’s our epic honeymoon road trip itinerary for some inspo.
Day 1- Devonport to Cradle Mountain
If you travelled on the Spirit of Tasmania overnight, you’ll arrive in the quiet port town of Devonport by roughly 6am. Before you can set off on your adventure you need to fuel up and drink real coffee (yeah, avoid the breakfast buffet on the Spirit of Tassie because there are some cute cafes to explore once you get to Devonport). I recommend heading out to Laneway café – its chic, boho vibes make for relaxing start to reclaiming your land legs after what may have been a rough night out on sea. The coffee is also amazing, boasting single origin coffee beans and the breakfast is out of this world. I had the bircher muesli but was eying off the Vegetarian delight as second breakfast.
Once you’re fuelled up its time to head off to Cradle Mountain. Be sure to check out the Lake Barrington- Devils Gate Dam, which isn’t too far out of Devonport, on your way to the mountain.
Day 2 – Cradle Mountain
No Tassie trip is complete without a trip to the iconic Cradle Mountain. This pea-cock tail like mountain is definitely one of the main attractions of Tasmania and boasts stunning hiking trails and a landscape that you only expect to see in a nature photographers wet dream.
Cradle Mountain Lodge is the bees knees when it comes to the ultimate tech free wilderness escape. Do not expect wifi or a tv in your cabins but rather expect a nice little nudge to be social at the main lodge or to head out and explore the nearby hiking tracks or have an educational afternoon at the Tassie Devil Sanctuary.
For more on info on what to do at Cradle Mountain, check out my blog post about our stay there.
Wine Tip: Treat yourself and grab a bottle (or 2) of the Clemens Hill Pinot Noir.
Day 3 – Cradle Mountain to Strahan
Not a lot of people know about the sleepy little town of Strahan – and when you get there you quickly discover that it is definitely worthwhile stopping over to break up the drive from Cradle Mountain to Hobart.
Things to do here include: stopping by at the coffee shack for the BEST coffee and Chai latte in Tasmania and a small lunch, checking out the Strahan beach, hiking up to see Hogarth Falls and having date night at Bushmans restaurant.
Note: Be sure to stock up on some snacks at the local IGA as there will be limited places to stop along the highway to Hobart for something to eat because no one likes to be driving with hangry in the passenger seat (sorry hubby!)
Day 4 – Strahan to Hobart
Be sure to leave early-ish to get to Hobart in time to take in some of the sights (if you’re heading off in winter maybe hold off until after 9am when there’s less risk of black ice on the roads).
By sure to check out the Horsetail Falls Walk near Queenstown. It’s just off the highway and is a really short walk.
Day 5 – Hobart
Hobart is a bustling hive of energy and action. Be sure to check out Salamanca Markets if you’re there on a weekend and score yourself some amazing local gins (or just enjoy the free gin tasting!) and some other goodies that are available. There are some really cool burger joints to check out – my fave being Jack Greene Bar with Burger Got Soul coming in a very close second.
Hobart is a great hub to also do some day trips if you’re there longer, but you can still squeeze in a quick trip to Port Arthur to check out the historical convict town or hike up Mount Wellington if the weather permits (definitely a must if it’s not snowed out). If you’re more into art and installations, MONA is definitely going to be your cup of tea.
If you’re interested in attending festivals or are a paegan at heart, visit Hobart during June and enjoy Dark Mofo. Hobart really becomes alive during this festival and several (if not all) restaurants and local distilleries get into the spirit (pun intended) of the festivities, creating themed meals and drinks specifically for it.
Day 6 – Hobart to Freycinet National Park
Freycinet is an easy 2.5 hour drive from Hobart, so if you’re itching to get onto a hiking track or just want to relax on the beach, head off from Hobart a little early to ensure you get the most out of your day.
I would recommend staying at Freycinet Lodge . You’re right in the middle of the National Park with waterfront views (and boy, those VIEWS are amazing!) and it’s a touch of luxury without denting your wallet. Also, if you’re staying for a special occasion, let them know. We were there for our honeymoon and we were surprised to walk into our room with chocolates and a card congratulating us then at dinner were treated to a delicious dessert congratulating us also! Those small touches really made our stay and we are definitely heading back to Freycinet Lodge in the future.
Day 7 – Freycinet National Park
Take in the zen and enjoy the serenity of nature! Start your day off with one of the many hikes around the park, keeping in mind your honest assessment of your fitness level and mountaineering and hiking abilities as there are some difficult tracks that should only be attempted by those who are pretty much Olympic level at mountaineering and hiking (a.k.a, don’t attempt it if you are not expert ninja level).
Definite must see’s are the Wineglass Bay via the cruise or if you like to be active hike up the Wineglass Bay trail where you will be rewarded with stunning views (if the weather isn’t bad, like it was for us! But still worth it), and walk along Hazards beach.
Day 8 – Freycinet National Park to Launceston
About a 3 hour drive, be sure to set your cruise control to “scenic route” and spend the day exploring the nearby areas as you meander through the luscious country backroads of Tassie.
Make time to stretch the legs in Bicheno, enjoy the sights along Elephants Pass and Fingal Way, and be take in the history at Evandale.
Day 9 – Launceston
While you’re in Launceston make sure you check out the Gorge walk, Ben Lomond National Park and head off to the wineries nearby – my personal favourite is Jansz.
If you do head off to Ben Lomond National Park and you or your adventure buddy is a keen 4wd enthusiast, you’d be delighted in knowing that one of Australia’s most dangerous roads is located in this national park – Jacobs Ladder. Now, if you’re like me and not a fan of roads that hug a cliff side just know that the 5 minutes of sheer and utter ‘shit yourself (not literally) and cry’ fear will totally be worth it when you reach the top and see the view.
If you’re not a vegetarian or vegan and are on the hunt for a good steak, The Black Cow is the best spot in town for all the carnivores.
Day 10 – Launceston to Devonport
The home stretch! Day 10 will see you head back to Devonport in time to catch the Spirit of Tasmania back to Melbourne. Make sure to grab some sea sickness tablets for the return trip home (or maybe that’s just me!)
Get out and stay inspired,
Lara x
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