Can you hike Cradle Mountain in a day?
Yes, Dove LakeAbout 6km, around two hours, right under the mountain.
Yes. The walk most people mean, the Dove Lake circuit, is a day trip. It is about 6km, flat and mostly boardwalk, around two hours, with the mountain above you the whole way round, and every Cradle Mountain trip we sell is rated 2 out of 5 for effort. A day from Launceston is from $169, children $115. From Hobart, $260 gives you up to five hours inside the park with park entry and the shuttle bus included. The summit is a full day of its own, a steep boulder scramble, so for that stay a night near the park: two days from Hobart are from $435.
Checked on 28 October 2026.
Cradle Mountain is a jagged dolerite ridge above Dove Lake, in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Seeing it on foot in a day is easy. Standing on top of it is a bigger day, and the trip you pick decides which one you get.
Which walks fit a day
| Walk | What it is | On a day trip? |
|---|---|---|
| Dove Lake circuit | About 6km, flat, mostly boardwalk, right beneath the mountain. Around two hours, past Enys Glacial Rock and the boatshed. | Yes. This is what the day trips are built around |
| Shorter loops | Enchanted Walk, Pencil Pine Falls and Weindorfers Forest, 20 to 40 minutes each, in sheltered rainforest. | Yes, and easy to add to the circuit |
| Marions Lookout | A steep climb off the Dove Lake track, with chains near the top. | If you choose it and have the time |
| The summit | A steep boulder scramble, a full day, and weather dependent. | Stay a night near the park |
| The Overland Track | Six days to Lake St Clair, with booked huts. | A trip of its own |
Walk lengths and grades are Tasmania Parks and Wildlife's published track notes.
The trips, by time on the track
| Trip | Starts and finishes | Time at the mountain | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Day Cradle Mountain Tour | Launceston / Launceston | A day trip with a lunch break in the park | $169 |
| 1 Day Cradle Mountain Tour | Hobart / Hobart | Up to five hours in the park, entry and shuttle included | $260 |
| 2 Day Cradle Mountain & Wineglass Bay Tour | Hobart / Hobart | Around three hours, then Wineglass Bay the next day | $399 |
| 2 Day Cradle Mountain Tour | Hobart / Hobart | A night in a motel near the park: an evening and a morning | $435 |
All are rated 2 out of 5 for effort. Prices update on their own.
Which one suits your walk
- Dove Lake from Launceston, $169(children $115): the shortest drive and the lowest price, with accommodation pick-ups from 7am, a lunch break in the park, and Sheffield's murals on the way.
- The most walking in a day, $260 from Hobartup to five hours inside the park, time for the Dove Lake circuit and the rainforest loops as well. It leaves at 6am in an 11-seat bus with reclining seats, a maximum of 10 people.
- The summit, or a second go, $435 from Hobarttwo days with a night in a motel near the park, in a private room or a share room for two or three, so you have an evening and a morning at the mountain.
- Cradle and Wineglass Bay, $399around three hours at Cradle, then Tasmania's other famous view the next day. It runs on Wednesdays.
What to bring for the day
A warm layer, in any month. Cradle Mountain is highland country: nearby Liawenee averages 19°C by day in January and 6°C in July, and the weather can turn within the afternoon. February is the driest month at 38mm, and the boardwalk is beautiful in mist anyway, with the wombats around Ronny Creek easier to spot in grey weather. On the Hobart day trip there are no meals included, so bring a picnic lunch. There is the full year on our best time to visit Cradle Mountain page.
1 Day Cradle Mountain Tourfrom $1691 day1 day from Launceston, children $115View trip
1 Day Cradle Mountain Tourfrom $2601 day1 day from Hobart, up to five hours in the parkView trip
2 Day Cradle Mountain Tourfrom $4352 days, 1 nightMotel / Hostel2 days from Hobart, a night near the parkView trip
2 Day Cradle Mountain & Wineglass Bay Tourfrom $3992 days, 1 nightMotel / Hostel2 days, Cradle Mountain and Wineglass BayView tripPeople also ask
- How do you get to Cradle Mountain, and can you do it in a day?
- Is Cradle Mountain good for solo hikers, families and older visitors?
- Is Cradle Mountain worth it, and is four days too many?
- Is Cradle Mountain worth visiting in winter?
Where this comes from. Walk lengths and grades are Tasmania Parks and Wildlife's published track notes for Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. Time in the park, pick-ups, inclusions, where you sleep, effort ratings, child prices and prices are each trip's own details as held on its page here, and prices update on their own. Temperatures and rainfall are Bureau of Meteorology long-term monthly averages for Liawenee, station 096033, the nearest highland station, from 25 years of records.