Hobart & MONA
Hobart is Australia's soulful southern capital — a harbour city of Georgian sandstone and working docks, framed by kunanyi/Mount Wellington, and reinvented as a cultural force by the audacious MONA. Compact, creative and food-loving, it's the natural start to a Tasmanian journey. Here's how to enjoy it.
Salamanca, the waterfront & the mountain
Hobart's heart is its waterfront — Constitution Dock, the fishing punts and the honey-coloured Georgian warehouses of Salamanca Place, which host a superb market every Saturday. Wander the cottage lanes of historic Battery Point, graze the city's excellent restaurants and small bars, and drive or ride to the summit of kunanyi/Mount Wellington for a sweeping (and often snow-dusted) view. It's walkable, characterful and easy to love. See our Hobart travel guide.
The museum that changed Hobart
No visit is complete without MONA — the Museum of Old and New Art, David Walsh's subterranean labyrinth at Berriedale that mixes ancient antiquities with confronting contemporary work in gleefully irreverent style. It's Australia's largest private museum and a genuine phenomenon, best reached by the MONA ferry up the Derwent from the waterfront. Allow at least half a day, check opening days, and prepare to be provoked, amused and amazed. See our things to do.
Bruny Island & the south
Hobart is a springboard, too. South lies Bruny Island, a foodie and wildlife haven of oysters, cheese, whisky and dramatic coast (an easy day trip by ferry). The Tasman Peninsula and convict Port Arthur are about 90 minutes east, and the east coast and wine and whisky trail unfurl to the north. Base in Hobart for a few days and radiate out.
Hobart & MONA: your questions
Plenty in Australia's characterful southern capital. Browse the Saturday Salamanca Market and its Georgian sandstone warehouses, wander historic Battery Point and the waterfront, ride to the summit of kunanyi/Mount Wellington for the view, and take the ferry upriver to the extraordinary MONA. Add superb food and small bars, whisky distilleries and day trips to Bruny Island. See our Hobart travel guide.
MONA — the Museum of Old and New Art — is Australia's largest private museum and one of the world's most provocative, carved into a sandstone peninsula at Berriedale on the Derwent. Owner David Walsh's subterranean galleries mix ancient antiquities with confronting contemporary art, all irreverent theatre. Reach it by the MONA ferry from Hobart's Brooke Street Pier. Allow at least half a day — it's unlike any museum you've visited.
The best way is the MONA ferry, which runs from Brooke Street Pier on the Hobart waterfront up the Derwent River to the museum (about 30 minutes) — a fun trip in itself, with quirky on-board options. You can also drive or take a bus to Berriedale, about 15 minutes north of the city. Check current opening days (MONA is typically closed some weekdays) and book ahead in peak periods. See our things to do.
kunanyi / Mount Wellington is the 1,271 m peak that towers over Hobart, and a summit road takes you to the top in about 30 minutes for a breathtaking view over the city, the Derwent and beyond — often with snow in winter. There are walking and mountain-bike trails on its slopes, and the Pinnacle boardwalk at the top. Dress warmly; it's much colder and windier up there than in the city. A must-do on a clear day.
Absolutely — Hobart is one of Australia's most atmospheric cities, blending Georgian sandstone heritage, a working harbour and a creative, food-loving spirit supercharged by MONA and the Dark Mofo festival. It's compact and walkable, framed by mountain and river, and the gateway to Bruny Island, the Tasman Peninsula and the south. Give it two or three days at the start or end of a Tasmania trip. See our Hobart guide.