Have limited time for a trip to Tasmania? Want to know how to get the most out of a 7-day Itinerary to Tasmania? Want to know how to get the most from your travel money? We flew three people one-way for less than the cost of going to see a movie. Read on to find out out to how to experience a 7 day itinerary to see Tasmania.

Tasmania has always been on my wish-list. For those seasoned international travellers, it felt a mix of England, Scotland, Ireland, New Zealand and parts of Europe all rolled into one.  No need to go anywhere outside of Australia really! Rich in history, stunning scenery and an enormous amount to explore for such a small state.  Nature, culture or adventure – it has it all.

Was 7 days enough time? 

No way! Not near enough for me anyway. I would like to think it was a Tassie taster – whetting our appetite to go back and discover more. 

We flew out on Boxing Day – a rare moment where we had the exact same time off work. We looked all over Australia to see firstly what borders were open (during that time we won’t mention anymore!)

There were some ridiculous prices being asked for destinations we would normally head to. We just couldn’t justify holidaying for the exorbitant costs over the Xmas season.  ($35,000 for last minute house accommodation at the Sunshine Coast – I kid you not!). I think some have been in lockdown for some time, so happy to pay that price just to escape the crazy period! 

Not frugal DeeLuxe!

So, I went into detective mode to find somewhere we could travel, somewhere new and exciting.   

How did I go about this?

Travel Tip: First a search of Booking.com to see what costs were for accommodation in the peak season in various locations and then what the flights cost would be to get there in peak season. You need to combine the two to work out the best deal.

The clear winner? Tasmania! 

Launceston, the second largest city in Tasmania (pronounced Lon-ces-ton – I never knew  - how Un-Australian is that!! I always pronounced ‘Lawn’ceston) 

Flights were cheap even for that time of year, accommodation reasonable and borders open – TICK and TICK!

This beautiful city is well known for its vibrant hub for food, wine, culture and nature.  Travel to Hobart would have been a big jump in accommodation costs at that time, primarily as the Sydney to Hobart yacht race would normally occur from Boxing Day onwards (unfortunately it was cancelled because of pandemic complexities – the story of all our lives at the time).

Launceston was to be our base.  Not one thing about our trip had been pre-planned, so everything you see here was off the cuff, exploring as we went, squeezing in as much as we could.  

DAY 1 – Brisbane to Launceston

Flying out on Boxing Day, we booked a late flight as was cheaper (and allowed us to get over Xmas!), touching down 9pm their time (the sun still shining). I just love that – a seemingly endless day of sunlight.  Even though the middle of summer, a little on the cool side during the night. About 13 km from the airport to the city. We settled in at Quality Hotel Colonial for our week ahead and were based out of Launceston most of the time.  

This hotel is Heritage listed, full of character and old-world charm, cosy and very inviting. The hotel restaurants were closed at the time for dinners, only opening up in the latter part of our stay, so do check ahead if you are booking. In terms of location, this hotel was in close proximity to many of the attractions of the city, so we could walk to most of it.  

Travel Tip: Phone the hotel direct rather than using Booking.com so you can compare accommodation prices. Sometimes the hotel may offer a better deal, so give the hotel an opportunity to see if they an offer anything better.

DAY 2 – Exploring Launceston, Tasmania

Heritage Walk

Launceston is one of the oldest cities in Australia. It is steeped in history. The Visitor centre was closed on our visit, so we just used the guide from the reception at the hotel and got our walking shoes on to explore.

The architecture is simply stunning – I have a love of grand buildings and structures. Was wonderful to see these historic buildings so well preserved and nurtured. The centre of Launceston is easy to explore on foot. 

Cataract Gorge

I have seen this on You Tube and must say no video footage does this place justice. A must see in person!

It is breathtaking. Abseillers navigating down the sheer cliff faces, an easy walk into the first basin, where you will find a large public swimming pool, café and the world’s longest single chairlift. Will look very different depending on the seasons. It looks this way from the flood waters carving into the rocks for thousands of years.

The northern side is named the Cliff Grounds, which has beautiful Victorian gardens with exotic plants, roaming peacocks and landscaped grounds. 

Travel Tip: Whilst it might be lovely to take a boat into the gorge and see the cliff face from that perspective, I really think it is better to walk in. Take the easiest walk - ‘Cataract walk’ (level) or if you are a hiker, take the Zig Zag track – both with such different perspectives (for different fitness levels too). We walked here from the heart of Launceston, along the edge of the Tamar river.

Penny Royal Adventures

Kids will love it here. Close to Cataract Gorge, it is free to get in, then you pay for the activities inside such as rock wall climbing, ziplining and other family activities.

We stopped here for lunch as a number of cafes and restaurants to choose from. There is also unique accommodation at Penny Royal. 

DAY 3- East Coast Discovery 

Lilydale Falls

A local suggested we take the Scottsdale tourist route on our way to Bay of Fires. First Stop – Lilydale Falls. A quick 6–10-minute walk in to the first falls that takes you to a steep staircase to the base of the falls.  There is something different about the falls in Tasmania – the landscape is incredibly lush with the deepest green foliage and huge ferns lining the creek beds.

An easy walk and a chance to breathe in the clean forest air.  

Driving Time from Launceston – 25 minutes

Bridestowe Lavender Estate

This was bucket list stuff. Bridestowe Estate is the world’s largest privately owned lavender fields.

It is a must in flowering season – rows and rows of wild lavender with bees humming in the background. 

Cost $20 per adult to enter during flowering season (2020).  Well worth the entry fee.

Set against the dramatic backdrop of the mountains. Grab yourself a lavender ice-cream or lavender scones or scour the store for all things lavender. Spend the entire day here if you can! Complete sensory overload – perfect! (they do allow drones – check their website)

Driving Time from Lilydale falls – 19 minutes 

St Helens 

Then to Binalong Bay (Bay of Fires – 14 mins from St Helens) – Long stretches of white-sandy beaches, lined by lichen-covered boulders glowing a fiery orange. An artist’s palette of colours set against the incredibly blue ocean in the background.

Get your camera ready, this is magnificent. A natural wonder. There is a 50km stretch along the Bay of Fires to discover, however we only had time to wander the bay on the day. 

Driving Time from Bridestowe – 1 hour and 47 mins (stop to see the quaint towns on the way and the roads lined with poppy fields)

Travel Tip: On the way to Lilydale, if you have time, stop at Hollybank Adventures (22mins from Launceston).  Ziplining, Segways, Tree ropes and mountain biking – great for adults and kids!

Travel Tip: On the way through you will pass Blue Derby – famed for its stunning and world class mountain bike trail network. If you are a rider, you can hire bikes here and hit the tracks. The entire town was bike central – everyone with a bike converges right here!

Driving time return to Launceston – 2 hours and 3 minutes Via St Mary’s and the Inland Highway.  

DAY 4 – A hint of the Great Western Tiers, Tasmania 

Grindelwald Village

A little in the wrong direction to start, however wanted to visit the Swiss-inspired village housed within the Tamar Valley Resort. Is a kid’s paradise with 18-hole mini golf course, paddle boats, canoeing and other activities.  

Is a mini replica of a Swiss village, with chocolate café, 10 hole golf course, pro-shop and quaint dining options.  Our son loved the mini golf! Worth the detour.

Driving Time from Launceston – 15 minutes

Wild Cave Tours, Mole Creek

Tip straight off the bat. These tours book out as limited to the numbers of people allowed inside. We had trouble getting hold of them and just visited on a whim. Not a great idea! All booked out and we weren’t the only ones there with the same idea. There are 2 caves within a short distance of each other.

Marakoopa

These are the wet caves with underground rivers and glow worms.

King Solomon Caves 

These are dry caves. An impressive visual wonder! (We did get to go back – keep reading on for more) 

Driving time from Launceston to Mole Creek – 54 minutes

Sheffield

The spectacular town of murals.

A local recommended that Sheffield was the gateway to enter into Cradle Mountain, so we headed this way thinking that we could easily access.

As a wannabe artist, Sheffield stole my heart. This quirky, arty town is home to over 140 street murals, nearly every blank wall painted with a large, scaled mural. Mount Roland makes an incredible backdrop to this rural township. 

Cradle Mountain eluded us – how does that happen! It was another hour’s drive from Sheffield and we were running out of time. One thing I noticed is that there doesn’t appear to be a lot of lookouts or specific scenic stops in Tasmania. Head to the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre to find out all you can do in this region.  We did head back on another trip to really explore this area.

Driving Time from Mole Creek to Sheffield – 30 minutes 

Deloraine 

Home of the Great Western Tiers Sculpture Trail. A busy little country town, we stopped in to see the public artworks on the banks of the Meander River.

This town reminds me a little of Cambridge in England. It had the same feel with all the historic buildings and the ducks flocking the banks of the river. A beautiful tranquil spot.  If you get a chance, head to Liffey Falls from here. (34 minutes) 

Driving time – Sheffield to Deloraine  - 36 minutes

DAY 5 – Launceston to Bicheno/Coles Bay (Freycinet) and Port Arthur  

My husband wanted to add Port Arthur to the must visit list for this trip. 

Enroute we stopped at Bicheno (glorious white sandy beaches, best known for its penguin sightings) and the Bicheno Blow Hole. A real sight to behold. 

Bicheno to Coles Bay (East Coast)

Time really didn’t allow us to explore within Freycinet National Park (though we did get back here another trip!). We stopped at Coles Bay which is a popular holiday town on the East Coast. Coles Bay is considered the gateway to Freycinet National Park, home to the famed Wineglass Bay. 

Driving Time - Bicheno to Coles Bay – 27 minutes

Travel Tip – Take a Wineglass Bay Boat tour from Coles Bay - at least half day needed

In hindsight, this was a real stretch but we did it anyway. We phoned ahead and booked Port Arthur Motor Inn, which the beauty of this modest accommodation, is that it is literally situated inside the grounds of the Port Arthur site.

The restaurant looks out over the Historic Site. A great spot - literally immersed in history. They also run ghost tours from there, which we have been told is haunting, however was booked 3 weeks in advance and only running certain nights. Book ahead!

Tip - Best to spend at least 3 days exploring this area. We only saw a snippet. 

DAY 6 – Port Arthur to Launceston 

The Port Arthur historic Site is weaved with a harsh, compelling and intriguing history.  The whole area is waiting for you to discover. One day was simply not enough.  

Our tickets included a harbour cruise with views over to the Isle of the Dead (cemetery). It also included an introductory tour where the guides passionately shared the stories and knowledge of the history.  You were free to wander the grounds, the gardens, ruins and buildings to discover. Even though in the middle of summer, it was quite cold. We were very rugged up for late December as opposed to the humid weather in Queensland. 

Travel Tip: there is a lot to do in the Tasman Peninsula.  You can take a short coastal walk to see Australia’s highest Sea Cliff faces and rock formations such as The Devil’s Kitchen and Tasman Arch.  There is also the Tessellated Pavement, a naturally formed pavement that is a favourite with photographers.  Or better still, take a boat tour out to see the sheer cliff faces and view from the water.  This area has some of the most dramatic landscapes in Australia.   

We are headed back there for sure. A lot to explore!

On the way back, there were a number of places we dropped into. 

Quite honestly, there were scenic points at every turn! If you have the time, explore at every opportunity.

Driving Time from Port Arthur to Launceston - 3 hours 9 minutes

DAY 7 – Launceston to Mole Creek 

This has to be the highlight of our trip – you must visit the Japanese Macaques Monkeys at the City Park Gardens.

This is all free to visit. Don’t leave Launceston without seeing them!! You could spend the entire day just watching their antics!

Take two - back to Mole Creek, this time we booked King Solomon Caves!  We finally got there.

I have been to the Jenolan Caves in New South Wales and really wanted to show our son the underground caves.  The sheer size of the caves and the formations is absolutely exhilarating – you really must see these caves. Our son was in awe of this experience.  That is saying something for a broody teen- Lol!  This is one tour you must put on your list.  Remember to book ahead on this one. 

That’s it - Day 7, mad dash for the airport and back to reality until the next adventure. We completely loved our trip to Tasmania. I could just keep on going back. You too can squeeze in a 7 day itinerary to see the highlights of Tasmania! Made very do-able with the low cost of flights.

How do we get cheap flights?

We rack up frequent flyer points with our daily spending and always look for deals on flights. A lot of the time we are looking for flight deals first, then we work out if we want to head to the destination. The price point will govern a lot as to where we end up! If you are short on time and love this 7-day itinerary of Tasmania, please share with others to enjoy.

Cheers to your adventure!

DeeLuxe

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