What to do in Launceston with kids
Cradle Mountain, closer than from anywhereA mountain, a lake walk, wombats and an ice creamery, back by dinner.
Take them to Cradle Mountain for the day. It is far closer from Launceston than from Hobart, so the day is shorter and cheaper: $169 for adults and $115 for children, with transfers from your Launceston accommodation from 7am. The walk everyone comes for, the Dove Lake circuit, is about 6km of flat, mostly boardwalk track right under the mountain, and the park is where you look for wombats. The day takes in Sheffield, the Town of Murals, with over 100 paintings on its buildings, and on the way back stops at the ice creamery and the raspberry farm. Rated 2 out of 5 for effort. Moving on? The one-way day to Hobart has a child fare of $160.
Checked on 29 October 2026.
Launceston is the gateway to Tasmania's north, and its best family day is the one out to Cradle Mountain. From here the mountain is $169 against $260 from Hobart, with a far shorter drive, which matters more with children than the money does. You keep one base, need no car, and are back the same evening.
The days out with a child fare
| Trip | Adult | Child | Effort | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Day Cradle Mountain Tour | $169 | $115 | — | Small group |
| 1 Day Launceston to Hobart | $209 | $160 | — | Small group, up to 20 |
| 1 Day Hobart to Launceston | $209 | $150 | — | Small group, up to 20 |
Effort is out of 5. Prices are per person and update on their own.
Cradle Mountain: a lake walk, wombats and ice cream
- Collected from your Launceston accommodation from 7am, in an air-conditioned bus with a guide, in a small group.
- Sheffield, the Town of Murals. Over 100 paintings on its buildings, part of the day out.
- The Dove Lake circuitabout 6km of flat, mostly boardwalk track under the mountain, around two hours.
- Wombats. Cradle Mountain is where to look for them, and they are easier to spot in grey weather than in bright sun.
- The ice creamery and the raspberry farm on the drive back, at your own cost. Lunch is a break in the park, also at your own cost.
- $169 for adults, $115 for childrenrated 2 out of 5 for effort.
Moving on to Hobart?
Two one-way days carry a family between Launceston and Hobart with a child fare, hotel pick-up and one suitcase plus a day pack each, so the transfer becomes a day out. Launceston to Hobart is $209 for adults and $160 for children, with the Wineglass Bay lookout, a 45 minute walk uphill and one of Tasmania's Great Short Walks, and a lunch stop at Campbell Town. Coming the other way, Hobart to Launceston is $209 and $150, by Orford and Swansea on the coast road north. Groups are 20 at most.
Good in any month
Launceston averages 25°C by day in January and 12°C in July, and February is the driest month at 30mm. Summer is the long, warm days for the lake walk; winter is the quiet season, and the warm bus does the work between the stops. For more on Launceston as a base, see is Launceston a good base, and for the Hobart end of the trip, what to do in Hobart with kids.
People also ask
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Where this comes from. Pick-up times, stops, meals, luggage allowances, group sizes, effort ratings, child prices and prices are each trip's own details as held on its page here, and prices update on their own. The Dove Lake circuit length and the wombats are from our other Cradle Mountain pages. Temperatures and rainfall are Bureau of Meteorology long-term monthly averages for Launceston Airport, station 091311, from 22 years of records.