10 Days in Tasmania
The classic Tasmania road trip for families — Hobart's MONA and Port Arthur, Freycinet's Wineglass Bay, Cradle Mountain's Dove Lake, and Launceston's Cataract Gorge. Ten nights, four bases, and every national park the island is famous for, in the only Australian state with four genuine seasons and a food scene that rivals the mainland capitals.
Plan to save
Your weekly savings target
A$315 / week
to save before you go · A$8,500 total · 27 weeks until you leave
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Your stop-by-stop itinerary
4 stops across 10 nights. Each one chosen so you experience a different side of Tasmania.
Stop
01
Hobart
3 nightsFly direct to Hobart (HBA) from Melbourne (1h 15m) or Sydney (1h 50m). Pick up a hire car at HBA — book an open-jaw rental returning at Launceston (LST) to save the drive back. Buy an 8-week Tasmanian Holiday Parks Pass ($93 per vehicle, covers every national park on the island).
Highlights
- MONA — Museum of Old and New Art via the MONA ROMA ferry
- Salamanca Market (Saturday morning only — plan around it)
- Port Arthur Historic Site day trip — 2 hrs south, full day
- Tasman Peninsula wildlife (Tasmanian Devil Unzoo, Tasman Arch)
- Mount Wellington summit drive for the city panorama
- Battery Point heritage walk and fish-and-chips on the wharf
Local tips
- Plan your Hobart stay around Saturday so you catch Salamanca Market — it's the best market in Australia and the kids actually enjoy it.
- MONA is free for under-18s. Some artworks are confronting — scan the family guide on mona.net.au before you go and skip the rooms that aren't age-appropriate.
- Port Arthur is a full-day trip — leave Hobart by 9am, and combine with the Tasmanian Devil Unzoo on the way home. Book the evening Ghost Tour only if your kids are 10+.
Suggested stay2-bedroom apartment near Salamanca or Battery Point
Stop
02
Coles Bay (Freycinet)
2 nightsDrive from Hobart (2h 45m up the Tasman Highway via Orford and Swansea — pack lunch from Salamanca, Spiky Bridge and Freycinet oyster farm along the way)
Highlights
- Wineglass Bay Lookout + Beach walk — the iconic Tasmania postcard
- Cape Tourville Lighthouse boardwalk (easy, sealed, pram-friendly)
- Friendly Beaches (10 min north) — empty white-sand beach, safer swim than Wineglass
- Freycinet Marine Farm oyster and mussel tasting
- Honeymoon Bay sunrise and short walks from the campground
Local tips
- Freycinet books out 3–4 months ahead in peak season — if you're travelling Dec/Jan or Easter, lock in accommodation before anything else in the trip.
- The Wineglass Bay Lookout walk is 1.5 hrs return with a steep climb — fine for 7+ year olds, too much for toddlers. The lookout itself has the view without the descent to the beach.
- Pack all food for lunches here — Coles Bay has one small shop and a pub. Supermarket restock happens in Swansea on the way in, not at the lodge.
Suggested stayFreycinet Lodge Mountain Terrace Family cabin or Edge of the Bay family villa
Stop
03
Cradle Mountain
2 nightsDrive from Freycinet (4 hrs signed, 5 realistic with stops via Campbell Town and Deloraine). Fill up in Campbell Town — fuel stops are sparse between there and Cradle.
Highlights
- Dove Lake Circuit walk (2 hrs, mostly flat boardwalk — pram-accessible for first half)
- Cradle Mountain Shuttle bus — compulsory inside the national park Oct–Apr, free with Parks Pass
- Enchanted Walk and Pencil Pine Falls — easy 20 min loops near the lodge
- Wildlife night walk — Tasmanian devils, wombats, pademelons from Peppers' car park
- Ronny Creek wombat spotting at dawn
Local tips
- Cradle Mountain is at 900m elevation and has its own weather — pack for 4°C even in January and for snow flurries in July. Fog can hide Dove Lake for days in winter.
- Do the Dove Lake Circuit on day one regardless of weather — if day two is clearer, repeat it. Never count on a single weather day at Cradle.
- Take the shuttle, don't drive. Visitor Centre car park → Dove Lake shuttle runs every 15 mins and private cars aren't allowed past Ronny Creek in peak season.
Suggested stayPeppers Cradle Mountain Lodge family cabin or Cradle Mountain Highlanders Cabins
Stop
04
Launceston
3 nightsDrive from Cradle Mountain (2h 30m via Deloraine — shortest drive of the trip). Return the hire car at Launceston Airport (LST) on the morning of departure.
Highlights
- Cataract Gorge — free reserve in the city, chairlift across the gorge, peacocks, swimming pool
- City Park Japanese Macaque enclosure — yes, real monkeys, free entry
- Tamar Valley self-drive (winery tastings optional, platypus spotting at Platypus House)
- Beaconsfield Mine and Heritage Centre (the 2006 rescue story)
- Low Head Penguin Tour (45 min north, dusk only, book ahead)
- Launceston Saturday morning produce market at Harvest
Local tips
- Cataract Gorge is the single best free attraction in Tasmania — allow a full morning. The chairlift is $18 pp, worth it once. The 1st Basin pool is free and safe for swimming in summer.
- Low Head Penguin Tour is dusk-only and sells out — book 2+ weeks ahead in peak season.
- Flying out from Launceston saves the 2.5-hour drive back to Hobart on your last day. Worth the $50 one-way car drop fee.
Suggested stayFamily apartment near City Park or the Tamar waterfront
Real cost estimates · calibrated 2026, not glossy estimates
What it costs
All-in for a family of 4.
Here’s what Tasmania costs across the four components SaveToRoam tracks. Flights are shoulder-season ex-Australia; travel insurance and personal extras vary.
| Component | Family of 4 |
|---|---|
Flights Return economy flights ex-AU (mid-shoulder estimate) A$400 per person | A$1,600 |
Accommodation 4 stops | A$3,040 |
Activities & local transport Activities & local transport (estimated) A$435 per person | A$1,740 |
Daily food & local transit 10 nights × family of 4 | A$2,120 |
Trip total Insurance & personal extras separate | A$8,500 |
What it covers
The ~A$8,500 estimate is all-in for a family of 4 — accommodation across 4 stops, shoulder-season flights from Australia, activities and local transport, and daily food. Travel insurance and personal extras vary, so we keep them separate.
What you get
When you use this template, SaveToRoam creates your trip with all 4 stops, every cost component pre-loaded, and a personalised savings plan with a weekly target. You choose your dates — we handle the maths.
Fully customisable
This itinerary is a starting point. Once it's your trip, add stops, swap hotels, adjust nights — your savings target updates automatically.
Read up on Tasmania
Cost guides and saving how-tos for this destination — written from the same research that calibrates this itinerary.
Cost GuidesHow Much Does a Family Trip to Tasmania Cost in 2026?
Four distinct regions, four nights each. Tasmania's clockwise loop from Hobart through Freycinet, Cradle Mountain, and Launceston — all-in costs for Australian families in 2026.
GuidesFirst Overseas Trip with Kids — The Complete Guide
An honest, end-to-end guide to planning a first overseas family trip from Australia. Picking the destination, working out the budget, booking the right way, and saving without stress.
GuidesHow Long Will It Take to Save for the Trip?
Honest timelines for saving for a family holiday from Australia. Real per-week numbers for Bali, Japan, Europe, New Zealand and more, across 6, 12, 18 and 24-month horizons.
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