Stunning Six-Day Roadtrip Through the Tasmania National Parks
The biggest surprise about my trip to Australia was how epic Tasmania was. I hadn’t done a ton of research (that was my brother’s job), so once I saw the Tasmania National Parks and landscapes, I was hooked.
I’ve never been to New Zealand, but it gives off mini-NZ vibes that are well-warranted.
For six days, my brother and I explored Tasmani, hcecking off four national parks along the way. Our trip brough us from Hobart, up to Lake St. Clair, Cradle Mountain, and down to Freycinet National Parks. I’m biased, but I think our trip was incredible and the nly thing I wish is that we had had more time to explore some of the other nearby popular sites.
So, if you’re planning a trip to the Tasmania National Parks, here’s my six-day itinerary and hopefully the hikes and photos help to inspire and excite you!
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Six-Day Itinerary in the Tasmania National Parks
This is how our six-day itinerary in Tasmania went! Buckle up; we had an amazing time!
Land in Hobart, Drive to Lake St. Clair National Park – Day 1
Our flight left Sydney late in the morning, and we arrived in Hobart a little after noon. It was a super easy flight, and the Hobart Airport reminded me of a small metropolitan airport in the US.
After grabbing our rental car and loading up on groceries, we headed north. In the center of Tasmani lies Lake St. Clair, a 2.5 hour drive from the capital.
Shadow Lake Circuit
In the early afternoon, after getting settled, we set out to hike the Shadow Lake Circuit. AllTrails says it’s 8.5 miles but with the walk from our cabin to the trailhead, it turned into a 10+ mile day.
It’s a moderate trek that offers nice views, but nothing overly inspiring. It would have been cool, if we had had the time, to go summit one of nearby mountains, such as Mt. Rufus or Mt. Hugel.
We got to watch a glorious scene down at the lake in the presence of wallabies. After dropping our packs, we walked back to the Lodge for dinner and some celebratory brews.
Flight time from Syndey: A little under two hour flight time
Drive time: Hobart to Lake St. Clair – 2.5 hours
Lodging: Lake St. Clair Lodge
Food: Lake St. Clair Lodge
Main Activity: Shadow Lake Circuit Hike, 10 miles, 1,500 feet (500m) of gain
Lake St. Clair NP, Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers NP, Cradle Mountain NP – Day 2
This was sort of a hodgepodge day.
We packed up from Lake St. Clair and headed clockwise around the mountain range towards Cradle Mountain National Park. It rained almost the entire drive between the Tasmania National Parks, but we did stop at Nelson Falls for a quick mile walk to see the falls.
It’s a must-see and allowed us to stretch our legs.
A quick stop in Queenstown allowed us to resupply some food (we would be cooking meals the next two nights), and 90 minutes later, we were pulling into our hostel.
Animals at Cradle Mountain
With gloomy weather dampening the vibes, we hung out down below and found some wombats and wallabies to photograph. While we had seen wallabies in the Northern Territory, this was our first encounter with wombats. They’re a funky species but very cute!
Drive time: Lake St. Clair to Cradle Mountain – 3 hours
Lodging: Discovery Parks Economy Dorm
Food: Made food in the hostel kitchen
Main Activity: Nelson Falls Hike
Top Tours to Book While in Tasmania
7-Day Tour of Tasmania
World Heritage Cruise on Gordon River
All Tasmania Tours
Tasman Island Cruises and Port Arthur Historic Site Day Tour from Hobart
3-Hour Tasman Peninsula Wilderness Cruise from Port Arthur
Flightseeing over Tasman Cliffs
Cave Tour Near Hobart
Explore Cradle Mountain National Park – Day 3
My brother and I woke up to better, yet still gloomy weather at Cradle Mountain. Still, we had nothing else to do so we headed to the visitor center, hopped on the bus, and was at the trailhead in under 20 minutes. (Private vehicles cannot enter the park (past the gate) between 8am and 6pm during summer.)
Marion’s Lookout
Thanks to some rain, we wandered around the Dove Lake infocenter for a bit. Once the skies began to clear, we started our Marion’s Lookout Hike. Ideally, we wanted to go to the summit of Cradle Mountain, but with not being able to physically see the top at any point of the hike, we figured it wouldn’t be smart.
Our route went counter-clockwise past Lake Lilla and the Wombat Pool, before starting the most signicant elevation gain of the hike to Marion’s Lookout. That said, it is still very gradual and and the views were stunning.
Unfortunatley, once we reachd the top, we couldn’t see a thing. We had entered a cloud that just wouldn’t disappate. After 45 minutes or more, we called it and headed down to Dove Lake. This route was much steeper, but shortened the trip consierably. Once we were below the clouds, we soaked in the views.
An hour later we were at the Cradle Mountain Hotel warming up by the fire. I wouldn’t say it was the most exceptional day consiering our weather, but it was really cool to see one of the top national parks in Tasmania and get a sense of how incrdible the scenary is here.
Lodging: Discovery Park Economy Dorm, other options Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge or Cradle Mountain Hotel
Food: Made food in the hostel kitchen
Main Activity: Hiking Marion’s Lookout via this route, but counter-clockwise
Cradle Mountain to Freycinet National Park – Day 4
This was the longest drive of the trip. We went from a wet, mountainous landscape to the dry wine region on the western coast of Tasmania. It was pretty wild to see the stark difference, but also nice to get some warmth after a chilly two days in Cradle Mountain.
Once we arrived at Freycinet National Park, we popped into the Lodge to drop our gear, and headed up to summit Mt. Amos above Wineglass Bay.
Mt. Amos Hike
The Mt. Amos hike (same trailhead as Wineglass Bay) steep but quick. At 3 miles and 1,500 feet, it feels almost unrelenting on the ascent. I will note that doing this during a rainstorm would be dangers as most of the hike is on a rock slad which would get incredibly slippery.
The views from the top of Mt. Amos are some of the best within the Tasmania National Parks. You have 360-degree views and, of course, a brilliant view of Wineglass Bay below. We enjoyed the sunset up top before heading down with the day’s waning light.
Drive time: 4 hours
Lodging: Freycinet Lodge
Meal: Freycinet Lodge
Main Activity: Mt. Amos hike
Kayaking at Freycinet National Park, Hiking to Wineglass Bay, Drive to Hobart – Day 5
We enjoyed a delicous breakfast at the Freycinet Lodge and packed up before heading out onto the water for a kayaking adventure. It was a perfect day, hardly any wind, and the sun was shining. For fall in the Tasmania National Parks, it was perfect.
Kayaking
At 9am we met up with the group in at the docks in town. After going through a safety talk, we pushed the kayaks in, and headed into the bay and along the coastline.
For three hours we enjoyed time in the sun and on the water. In addition to birds, we saw a couple sea lions sunbathing on rocks. The kayaking was a great way to see the area and experience a new activity compared to our previous hiking days.
Wineglass Bay
Before we headed back to Hobart, we got in another hike! We didn’t know what else to do, so we figured we’d hike out to Wineglass Bay and see the sights from below on the white sand beach. I’m so glad we did!
There were only a few others there, so we mostly had the beach to ourselves. We also had a nice encounter with a wallaby who posed for us quite nicely on the beach.
Instead of hiking along the shore line, we stayed on the close end. So our roundtrip hike was only four miles with 1,400 feet of gain overall.
Drive time: 2.75 hours
Lodging: All Hotels in Hobart – The Tasman, a Luxury Collection Hotel – Crowne Plaza Hobart, an IHG Hotel – Doubletree By Hilton Hobart
Main Activity: Kayaking, Wineglass Bay hike
Morning in Hobart, Wellington Park, Flew out to Sydney – Day 6
After a busy week of hiking, kayaking, and driving, it was nice to have a slow day and see a little bit of Hobart. We enjoyed breakfast at Waffle On (which has now closed) and drove the 30 minutes up to Wellington Park, which overlooks the city of Hobart.
The views are incredible from up there, and you can drive the entire way. Just know that it is much colder up top. You gain about 4,000 feet in elevation, which is about 10 degrees cooler than in Hobart.
After enjoying the views and getting a little wet, we headed down and towards the airport for our light out.
Flight time: 2 hours
Lodging: Hotels in Sydney
Things to Know for Exploring Tasmania’s National Parks
How many days should you spend visiting Tasmania?
As you can see, we did six days. I wish we could have pushed it to eight or nine days. This would have allowed us to see Southwestern National Park as well as Tasman National Park. Seeing these two would have crossed off all the must-see spots we had listed.
When should I visit?
Well, we visited in mid-April, which is fall in Tasmania. For us, it worked out great as the weather was still decent (minus some clouds in Cradle Mountain), crowds were thin, and prices were down from their summer highs.
However, you also have shorter days, and if you want to do more strenuous hikes, you’ll probably want to do those during summer so you don’t run into bad weather and other risks. One thing to know is that as you get into fall, tours start to close up. We were looking into doing a helicopter tour along the Tasman Cliffs, but those were no longer running.
I can’t personally speak to spring or winter, but if you spend time on the eastern coast, it will be warmer and drier, offering maybe a nice break from less ideal conditions in other parts of Australia.
Driving on the left side of the road
This is obvious and not a secret, but a good reminder. If you’re coming from the US, you drive on the opposite side of the road. Please remember this, especially when you make turns, as those can be the most confusing.
I’ve heard some people wear a wristband on their left hand to signify driving on the left side of the road.
My brother had spent five months in New Zealand as a tour guide before our trip and was comfortable driving on the left side, so I let him do it.
Remote National Parks
The Tasmania National Parks in the middle of the island or the mountains are very remote. I was pretty surprised by how little was available, especially for lodging. The National Parks have amenities, but it’s pretty bare outside of that.
National Parks Pass
The Tasmania National Parks Pass is your ticket to explore the state’s beautiful national parks, from Freycinet to Cradle Mountain.
The pass is required for entry into most parks and supports park maintenance and conservation efforts. Options include 24-hour, holiday (up to 2 months), and annual passes, making it flexible for day visitors or extended stays. Passes cover vehicle access for up to eight people and can be purchased online or at visitor centers.
Most visitors should opt for the two-month option as it’s the only one that makes sense for tourists.
Average Weather Throughout the Year in Tasmania
Here’s what to expect for weather throughout the year for the National Parks in Tasmania
1. South (Hobart Area)
- Summer: 20-24°C (68-75°F), though it can occasionally reach 30°C (86°F).
- Winter: 4-12°C (39-54°F), with some frost in colder areas.
- Notable for: Mild, sunny days with colder, sometimes frosty nights in winter.
2. East Coast (Bicheno, St Helens)
- Summer: 22-26°C (72-79°F), with sunny days and minimal rainfall.
- Winter: 6-13°C (43-55°F), generally milder than inland regions.
- Notable for: Tasmania’s sunniest region, with less rainfall than the west.
3. North (Launceston Area)
- Summer: 22-27°C (72-81°F), often warmer than southern Tasmania.
- Winter: 2-13°C (36-55°F), with occasional fog and frost.
- Notable for: Warm summer days and cooler, misty winter mornings.
4. West Coast (Strahan, Queenstown)
- Summer: 16-22°C (61-72°F), generally cooler than the east coast.
- Winter: 5-10°C (41-50°F), often wet and chilly.
- Notable for: High rainfall year-round, with frequent storms.
5. Central Highlands (Cradle Mountain, Lake St Clair)
- Summer: 10-18°C (50-64°F), with cooler days and crisp nights.
- Winter: -2-8°C (28-46°F), often below freezing with snow.
- Notable for: Alpine conditions, including snow in winter and cooler temperatures year-round.
Picking Flight Options
We flew Qantas and Jetstar for our trip. And let me tell you, Jetstar is such a pain in the butt when it comes to how finicky they are. They literally weigh every single piece that you have, and if you are over, you either have to remove it or you’re charged extra.
It felt like I was in travler pre-school.
Now, Qantas was a gem, and I couldn’t recommend them more. It’s way nicer than Jetstar, with meals, TV, WiFi, and more available, all for free on the flight. Yes, it’s more expensive, but it’s worth it for the lack of headaches.
Rental Car Options
Our rental car experience was super smooth. East Coast Car Rentals picked us up at Hobart Airport, and we were there within a few minutes. We were in and out after signing a few things in less than 20 minutes.
About as good as you can hope for in my mind!
What National Parks in Tasmania did we not visit?
Tasmania has many National Parks! I originally was going to list all the ones I didn’t visit, but that’s going to be a long list. So, I’ll just say that my brother and I didn’t get to Tasman National Park, Southwest National Park, or Mount Field National Park, among others.
I look forward to returning and seeing these again, as well as others!
Professional Photos from the Tasmania National Parks
Enjoy more photos from my trip. If you wish to purchase pictures, click here.
Final Thoughts on Visiting the Tasmania National Parks
The Tasmania National Parks are absolutely epic, and I wish we had more time to explore more of them. But for the trip we had, we covered a lot of ground, saw beautiful sights, and learned more about Tasmania and its culture.
After visiting, I strongtly reccommend Tasmania as a bucket-list destination and believe you’ll have one heckuva trip here, too!
Until next time, adventurers, stay safe.
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