HOBART TOURS EDGE OF THE WORLD

Australia's second-oldest city. An underground art museum that rewrites the rules. Convict sandstone still warm from centuries of hands. The most dramatic small city on the continent.

Explore Hobart Tours 🎨 MONA Museum Tours
150+
Tours &
Experiences
1804
Founded —
2nd oldest city
MONA
World-class
underground museum
1,271m
kunanyi summit
above the city
90min
Port Arthur
UNESCO site
Australia's Most Compelling Small City

HOBART TOURS —
WHERE EDGE
MEETS DEPTH

Hobart feels like nowhere else in Australia. Tucked between the dark dolerite cliffs of kunanyi/Mount Wellington and the Derwent River, Australia's second-oldest city carries its history lightly — convict-hewn sandstone buildings alive with galleries, restaurants and bars; a Saturday market that has run without interruption for over 50 years; and an underground art museum so confrontingly brilliant that it changed the way the entire world thinks about contemporary art in regional cities.

Hobart tours cover this remarkable range. In a single day, you can take the MONA ferry up the Derwent — the boat journey itself is half the experience — and lose four hours in an underground labyrinth of art, death, sex, time and Tasmanian wine. On another day, trace the 90-minute highway south to Port Arthur, where the ruins of one of the British Empire's most significant penal colonies stand hauntingly preserved in a landscape of extraordinary beauty. On Saturday morning, drift through Salamanca Market, where 300 stallholders fill the forecourt of Australia's finest Georgian sandstone warehouse row.

"Hobart is the only city in Australia where you feel like you might actually be somewhere else entirely."
— Lonely Planet, World's Best Cities 2025

Day trips extend the experience dramatically — to Bruny Island for wild oysters and raw coastline, to the Tasman Peninsula for sea cliffs and devil encounters, to the Huon Valley for orchards and cider and ancient Huon pine. Every drive from Hobart is a landscape revelation.

🏛️
MONA — Museum of Old and New Art
David Walsh's private underground museum — arguably the most remarkable art space in the southern hemisphere.
2011
⛓️
Port Arthur Historic Site
UNESCO World Heritage. 1,100 convicts, 30+ buildings, 40 hectares — one of Australia's most significant heritage sites.
1830
🛍️
Salamanca Market
300 stalls, every Saturday since 1972. The definitive Hobart experience — local produce, art, craft and community.
1972
⛰️
kunanyi / Mount Wellington
1,271m dolerite peak rising directly behind the city — the dramatic backdrop that defines Hobart's skyline and character.
50,000yr
Tasmania's Greatest Attraction

MONA — MUSEUM
OF OLD & NEW ART

David Walsh's private underground museum — built into the sandstone cliffs above the Derwent River — houses one of the most provocative, confronting and genuinely brilliant art collections in the world. MONA is not a normal museum. It has no labels, no chronology, no hierarchy. You navigate by smartphone, following your instincts and reactions through three levels of underground galleries cut directly into the Silurian dolomite.

3
Underground
gallery levels
$75M
Construction
cost
450K+
Annual
visitors
Book MONA Ferry & Entry
How to Visit MONA
⛵
MONA Roma Ferry
25 min · Brooke Street Pier · Museum + art installation ferry
$38
🚌
MONA Express Bus
20 min direct · Hobart CBD stop · Guided tours from $145
$20
🚴
Cycling the Derwent Trail
9km riverside trail · Bike hire from Hobart CBD
$25 hire
🍷
MONA + Moorilla Wine Tour
Museum entry + cellar door tasting at Moorilla Estate
$110
Curated by Our Editors

THE BEST HOBART TOURS
FOR 2026

Every tour independently reviewed for guide quality, historical depth and experience authenticity — from 90-minute city walks to full-day peninsula expeditions.

Hobart Essential Salamanca Place sandstone warehouses Hobart — guided walking tour
Heritage Walking Tour

Salamanca Place & Battery Point

Australia's finest Georgian sandstone warehouse row and the perfectly preserved maritime village behind it — together forming the most atmospheric square kilometre in Australian urban heritage. Expert guides lead small groups through Salamanca's 1830s convict-built warehouses (now galleries, bars and restaurants), into Battery Point's narrow cobblestone lanes and Arthur Circus ring of Georgian cottages, and along the Hobart Rivulet's historic working-class precinct. Saturday morning timing includes access to the full Salamanca Market before the tour begins.

From $55 pp 2 hrs Max 12 guests Sat: includes Market
Book Walking Tour
Summit Views kunanyi Mount Wellington summit panoramic view over Hobart
Mountain & Summit

kunanyi / Mount Wellington

The 1,271m dolerite peak that defines Hobart's skyline — accessible by guided bus, private transfer or a full-day hike. The summit reveals the entire Derwent estuary, D'Entrecasteaux Channel and, on clear days, the mountains of the southwest wilderness.

From $30 pp (bus) Half-day options Guided hikes available
Mountain Tours →
Since 1824 Cascade Brewery Hobart — Australia's oldest brewery tour and tasting
Historic Brewery Tour

Cascade Brewery Tour & Tasting

Australia's oldest continually operating brewery (1824) — set in a Victorian Gothic stone building at the foot of kunanyi. 60-minute guided brewery tours include tastings of Hobart's most iconic beer alongside local Tasmanian produce.

From $30 pp 1 hr guided Daily departures
Brewery Tours →
Foodie Hobart waterfront food tour Constitution Dock fresh Tasmanian seafood
Food & Waterfront Tour

Hobart Waterfront & Food Walking Tour

From Constitution Dock (the legendary Sydney to Hobart yacht race finish line) to the Henry Jones Art Hotel's converted jam factory, the waterfront strip is Hobart's living room. Guided food walks cover fresh scallop pies at Flippers, oysters from Bruny Island farms, Huon Valley smoked salmon, handmade fudge at The Candy Bar and craft spirits at Lark Distillery — the pioneer of the Tasmanian single malt whisky revolution. All tastings included.

From $95 pp 2.5 hrs All tastings included Tue–Sat mornings
Food Walking Tours →
Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary Tasmanian Devils near Hobart
Wildlife Experience

Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

Tasmania's most important wildlife sanctuary — 25 minutes from Hobart. Hand-feed kangaroos, encounter free-roaming wombats and wallabies, and witness live Tasmanian Devil feeding with keeper commentary. The sanctuary also runs a 24-hour wildlife rescue program.

From $35 pp (self-drive) Guided tours from $89
Bonorong Tours →
Convict Heritage Richmond Village historic bridge and Georgian buildings Tasmania
Heritage Village

Richmond Historic Village

Australia's oldest intact bridge (1823), oldest Catholic church and best preserved convict-era village — 30 minutes from Hobart. Often combined with Bonorong Wildlife and Huon Valley on a full-day tour.

30 min from Hobart From $89 pp (guided)
Richmond Tours →
Spirit Trail Tasmanian single malt whisky distillery tour Lark Hobart
Distillery Tours

Tasmanian Whisky & Spirits Trail

Lark Distillery pioneered Tasmanian single malt in 1992 — today Tasmania produces world-award-winning whiskies at Sullivans Cove, Nant, Redlands and 30+ distilleries. Hobart city tours cover the top three with guided tastings.

From $120 pp 3–4 hrs
Whisky Tours →
UNESCO World Heritage · Est. 1830

PORT ARTHUR
HISTORIC SITE

The most evocative and historically significant site in Tasmania — and one of the most moving in all of Australia. Set on the Tasman Peninsula 90 minutes from Hobart, Port Arthur was a British penal colony from 1830 to 1877, housing over 1,100 convicts at its peak. Today, 30+ buildings and haunting ruins occupy 40 hectares of landscaped grounds beside the glittering harbour.

1,100+ convicts at peak capacity, from 9 to over 70 years old
30+ historic buildings — some restored, some left as romantic ruins
Entry includes 40-min guided walking tour and 25-min harbour cruise
Ghost Tour available nightly — one of Australia's most acclaimed
UNESCO Australian Convict Sites World Heritage listing (2010)
Book Port Arthur Day Tour
What Port Arthur Tours Include
01
Guided Walking Tour
40 min · Expert convict history guide · Penitentiary, church ruins, model prison
02
Harbour Cruise
25 min · Isle of the Dead · Point Puer Boys Prison · By water
03
Tasman Peninsula Drive
Eaglehawk Neck · Tessellated Pavement · Tasman Arch · Devil's Kitchen
04
Optional: Ghost Tour
Nightly lantern-lit walks · Historic site after dark · Haunted Asylum
05
Tasmanian Devil Encounter
Devil Unzoo on return · Live devil feeding with keeper talk
Beyond the City

DAY TRIPS FROM HOBART

Hobart is the perfect base for some of Australia's most spectacular day trips — wild island coastlines, convict ruins, apple orchards and ancient Huon pine forests.

Bruny Island wild coastline oysters and wildlife Tasmania
🚢 60 min from Hobart · Ferry from Kettering
Bruny Island

Wild southern coastline, freshly shucked oysters straight from the lease, sea eagles and little penguins. The Neck lookout for migrating short-tailed shearwaters, and cheese from the island dairy. Tasmania distilled to its essence in a single day.

From $149 pp →
Port Arthur Historic Site and Tasman Peninsula day trip
🚌 90 min from Hobart · Tasman Peninsula
Port Arthur & Tasman Peninsula

UNESCO World Heritage convict ruins, Australia's highest sea cliffs at Cape Hauy, the geological wonders of Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmanian Devil encounters and the Port Arthur Ghost Tour after dark.

From $119 pp →
Huon Valley apple orchards cider and Huon pine Tasmania
🍎 40 min from Hobart · Huon Valley
Huon Valley Farm Gate Trail

The Huon Valley's famous apple orchards, artisan cider producers, Huon pine timber craftsmen and farm-gate food trail. The Willie Smith's Organic Apple Museum and Cider Bar is the highlight of this spectacular river valley.

From $89 pp →
Hobart's Greatest Festival

DARK MOFO —
WINTER SOLSTICE FESTIVAL

MONA's winter festival transforms Hobart into one of the world's most extraordinary arts events. Darkness, music, fire, feasting and confrontation — held across the winter solstice period each June.

Annual Winter Arts Festival

DARK MOFO
2026

David Walsh's winter festival — held around the June solstice — brings fire, darkness, large-scale public art, experimental music and communal feasting to Hobart's streets and waterfront. Dark Mofo is deliberately confrontational, deliberately Tasmanian, and like nothing else in Australia.

Jun 13–15 Free public installations and projections open
Jun 16–21 Full program — concerts, dark markets, feasting
Jun 22 Winter Solstice — Nude Solstice Swim, Ogoh-Ogoh burning
All dates Dark Mofo Night Market — Princes Wharf 1 · 5pm–late
Dark Mofo 2026 — Plan Your Visit →
Expert Guides

HOBART TRAVEL GUIDES
FOR 2026

Complete Hobart tours guide 2026
Essential Guide

The Complete Hobart Tours Guide 2026 — MONA, Port Arthur, Dark Mofo & Beyond

How long to spend in Hobart, when to go for Dark Mofo, how to fit Port Arthur and Bruny Island into a single day, and which Tasmanian whisky tour is worth the price.

Updated Apr 202616 min read
Port Arthur day trip guide from Hobart 2026
Day Trips

Port Arthur Day Trip from Hobart — Guided Tour vs Self-Drive 2026

We compare every Port Arthur tour option — guided coach, self-drive, private tour and the Ghost Tour — with honest advice on timing, what to see first and how to avoid the crowds.

Mar 202610 min read
Bruny Island day trip guide from Hobart 2026
Island Tours

Bruny Island Day Tour from Hobart — The Complete 2026 Guide

Everything you need for a Bruny Island day — ferry logistics from Kettering, the best oyster shack, what to see at the Neck and how to spot little penguins on the south island.

Feb 20269 min read
Questions Answered

HOBART TOURS —
FAQ 2026

Hobart is compact and genuinely manageable — but the depth of what's available rewards those who plan carefully. Here are the questions our Tasmanian travel team hears most often, with direct honest answers.

Tasmania's capital city tends to surprise visitors who expected something quiet and peripheral. Let us help you experience the real Hobart.

Tasmania Travel Specialists

Our Tasmanian travel team has taken the MONA ferry at dawn, walked the Port Arthur ruins at dusk, stood on the kunanyi summit in a snowstorm and eaten oysters in a shack on Bruny Island. Genuinely earned advice.

Talk to a Hobart Specialist →
Five essentials for a first Hobart visit: (1) MONA museum via the ferry — leave a full day and don't rush it; (2) a guided Salamanca Place and Battery Point walking tour, timed on a Saturday to catch the Market first; (3) a Port Arthur Historic Site day tour — the single most significant and moving experience in Tasmania; (4) the kunanyi Explorer Bus to the summit — the view of Hobart from 1,271 metres is extraordinary on a clear day; and (5) the Hobart Waterfront food walk with Tasmanian produce tastings and Lark Distillery. Three days covers all of this comfortably.
The MONA Roma ferry from Brooke Street Pier in the Hobart CBD is the most popular and atmospheric way to arrive — the 25-minute journey up the Derwent is itself an art experience, the vessel being a floating installation. Adult return costs $38. The MONA Express bus ($20) is faster and more frequent. Cycling the Derwent River Trail (9km, 40 minutes) is an excellent option in good weather — bike hire is available at several city locations. MONA entry (adults $35, children under 18 free) is purchased separately. The museum is open Wednesday through Monday; closed Tuesday.
Port Arthur is 95km southeast of Hobart — approximately 90 minutes each way by car or coach via the Arthur Highway. A guided coach day tour from Hobart typically departs at 8:30am and returns by 6–7pm, giving 4–5 hours at the site including the included guided walking tour and 25-minute harbour cruise. Self-driving allows stops at the Tessellated Pavement, Eaglehawk Neck and Tasman Arch en route. The Port Arthur Ghost Tour (highly recommended) departs nightly at 9:30pm — staying overnight in the area is required to experience it.
Salamanca Market runs every Saturday from 8:30am to 3pm, in all weather, at Salamanca Place on the Hobart waterfront — it has operated continuously since 1972, making it one of Australia's oldest continuous outdoor markets. Around 300 stallholders sell fresh produce, artisan food, handmade crafts, original art, jewellery and local music. Arriving before 10am gives the best experience before peak crowds develop. Many Hobart guided walking tours time their start to coincide with the Market — check tour departure times when booking.
Dark Mofo is MONA's annual winter arts festival held around the June solstice in Hobart. The 2026 festival runs June 13–22. It is deliberately dark, confrontational and Tasmanian — featuring large-scale fire and light installations on the waterfront, experimental music and performance, the Dark Mofo Night Market at Princes Wharf, winter feasting events and the extraordinary solstice Nude Swim in the Derwent River. Many events and all public installations are free; headline concert and event tickets sell out quickly. Book Hobart accommodation for Dark Mofo at least 3–6 months in advance as the city fills completely.
Hobart is genuinely excellent year-round. Summer (December–February) brings long days, warm temperatures (18–25°C), the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race finish (late December) and MONA FOMA festival (January). Autumn (March–May) delivers crisp clarity, harvest season in the Huon Valley and Coal River Valley wine country, and fewer tourists. Winter (June–August) is cold and atmospheric — Dark Mofo (June) is unmissable and transforms Hobart into a spectacular arts city. Spring (September–November) offers mild temperatures, wildflowers and the beginning of the tourist season. Salamanca Market runs every Saturday regardless of season.
Start Planning Your Hobart Visit

150+ TOURS.
ONE EDGE
OF THE WORLD.

Our Tasmanian travel specialists can help you design the perfect Hobart visit — from a 3-day cultural immersion combining MONA and Port Arthur to a week-long Tasmania circuit including the east coast, Cradle Mountain and Bruny Island.

Browse All Hobart Tours Talk to a Specialist