How do you get to Tasmania?
Fly or ferryThe ferry only makes sense if you are bringing a vehicle.
Fly, unless you are bringing a vehicle. There are two airports — Hobart in the south and Launceston in the north — and flights from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane take about an hour to an hour and a half. The alternative is the overnight ferry from Melbourne to Devonport, which carries cars and campervans and takes around eleven hours. It costs more than a flight for a foot passenger, so it only makes sense if the vehicle is coming with you. Most trips here start and finish in Hobart.
Checked on 6 October 2026.
Tasmania is an island, which people know, and 240km off the mainland across the Bass Strait, which they tend not to. There are two ways over and they suit completely different trips.
Flying
- Hobartis the southern airport and the bigger one. Most trips here start and finish in Hobart, and it is the base for Port Arthur, Bruny Island and MONA.
- Launcestonis the northern airport, and it is much closer to Cradle Mountain — the day trip is $169 from here against $260 from Hobart.
- About an hour from Melbournean hour and a half from Sydney, a little over two from Brisbane.
- Flying into one and out of the other works welland there are one-way day trips between them so the transfer is itself a day out.
The ferry
- Melbourne to Devonporton the north coast, across the Bass Strait.
- Around eleven hoursusually overnight, with cabins and recliner seats.
- It carries vehiclescars, campervans, motorbikes and bikes. That is the whole reason to take it.
- It is not the cheap option on foot.For a foot passenger a flight is usually quicker and less expensive.
- The Bass Strait can be rough.If you are a poor sailor, this is worth knowing before you book the overnight crossing.
Which airport for what you want to see
| If you want | Land at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cradle Mountain | Launceston | Far closer, and the day trip is $169 rather than $260 |
| Port Arthur and Bruny Island | Hobart | Both are day trips from the city |
| Wineglass Bay | Either | It is on the east coast, roughly between the two |
| The west coast and Strahan | Hobart | The multi-day loops that reach it start here |
| All of it | Hobart | Twenty of the twenty-five trips we sell start and finish there |
Getting around once you are there
You do not need a car. Day trips from Hobart and Launceston pick up from your accommodation, and the multi-day loops do the driving for you. If you are bringing a vehicle on the ferry, the island is small enough to drive end to end in a day — but the roads are slower than the distances suggest.
| Trip | Length | Starts and finishes | Where you sleep | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Day Tasmania Tour | 5 days, 4 nights | Hobart / Hobart | 4 nights in motels or cabins — two nights at Strahan, then Launceston and Bicheno. Room upgrades are available. Rooms have ensuite facilities. | $939 |
| 10 Day Ultimate Tasmania Tour | 10 days, 9 nights | Hobart / Hobart | 9 nights in motels and hotels — Queenstown, Burnie, Smithton, Devonport, Launceston and Bicheno, then three nights at the Travelodge in Hobart. | $3210 |
| 2 Day Best of Tasmania Tour | 2 days, 1 night | Hobart / Hobart | Not included. Both days start and finish in Hobart, so you book your own night there. | $299 |
| 3 Day Best of Tasmania Tour | 3 days, 2 nights | Hobart / Hobart | Not included. All three days start and finish in Hobart, so you book your own nights there. | $449 |
Arriving in one city and leaving from the other
This is the clever way to do it. Take the transfer as a tour — a day trip runs between Hobart and Launceston in either direction, so you see the middle of the island instead of paying for a bus. The 3 day versions take in Cradle Mountain and the east coast on the way.
1 Day Launceston to Hobartfrom $2091 dayA day — Launceston down to HobartView trip
1 Day Hobart to Launcestonfrom $2091 dayA day — Hobart up to LauncestonView trip
3 Day Mountain to Coastfrom $5393 days, 2 nights3 days — Launceston to Hobart, the long wayView trip
3 Day Coast to Mountainfrom $5393 days, 2 nights3 days — the same run northboundView tripWhere this comes from. Trip lengths, start and finish points, where you sleep and prices are each trip's own details as held on its page here, and prices update on their own. Ferry route, crossing time and vehicle carriage are the published Bass Strait service.