When is the best time to visit Tasmania?
December to March is the pick — long days, Hobart averaging 20 to 22°C, and the walking at its best. Autumn, April and May, is the quiet secret: the light turns and the crowds go. Winter is cold but it is when the island does Dark Mofo, the aurora and snow on the mountains.
Checked on 5 October 2026.
Tasmania is the one part of Australia with four proper seasons, and they are nothing like the mainland's. It is also wetter and cooler than most people expect, which matters if you are planning to walk. Here are the real numbers and what each stretch of the year is good for.
Tasmania month by month
| Month | Average top | Average overnight | Rain | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21.8°C | 12.1°C | 46.3 mm | The longest days of the year and the warmest water. |
| February | 21.8°C | 12.1°C | 38.8 mm | The driest month and just as warm. The pick of the year. |
| March | 20.3°C | 11.0°C | 44.1 mm | Still summer, fewer people, and the light starts to turn. |
| April | 17.4°C | 9.0°C | 49.4 mm | Autumn colour in the highlands, and the island almost to yourself. |
| May | 14.6°C | 7.0°C | 47.4 mm | Crisp and clear, with the best photography light of the year. |
| June | 12.1°C | 5.2°C | 53.6 mm | Dark Mofo in Hobart, and snow starting on the mountains. |
| July | 11.8°C | 4.6°C | 51.9 mm | Snow on Cradle Mountain, log fires, and the aurora if you are lucky. |
| August | 13.2°C | 5.3°C | 54.0 mm | Still wintry, and the quietest and cheapest time to travel. |
| September | 15.2°C | 6.5°C | 53.0 mm | Spring, with wildflowers and the first warm days. |
| October | 17.0°C | 7.8°C | 62.0 mm | Everything green, lambs in the fields, days getting long. |
| November | 18.8°C | 9.4°C | 54.0 mm | Warming fast and ahead of the summer crowds. |
| December | 20.4°C | 10.9°C | 56.6 mm | Summer proper, with daylight until nine at night. |
Bureau of Meteorology averages for Hobart (Ellerslie Road), over more than 130 years. Hobart is the mild end of the island — Cradle Mountain and the west coast are several degrees cooler and a good deal wetter.
What each season is for
Summer — December to March
- The best walking weather, and daylight until well past eight.
- February is the driest month of the year, which in Tasmania is worth planning around.
- Everything is open and everything runs, including the boats and the island ferries.
- Book earlier than you would otherwise — this is when everyone else goes too.
Autumn — April and May
- The island's quiet secret. Still mild, far fewer people, and the light photographers come for.
- Autumn colour in the highlands, which is rare anywhere in Australia.
- Days shorten quickly, so the itineraries work harder — the loops are built for it.
Winter — June to August
- Snow on Cradle Mountain, which is a genuinely different trip and an extraordinary one.
- Dark Mofo in Hobart in June, and the aurora australis on clear nights.
- The quietest and best-value time to travel, with the island to yourself.
- Pack properly — Hobart averages about 12°C and the highlands are colder.
So when would we book?
- February if you can pick freely — warm, the driest month, long days.
- April if you would rather have the place quiet and do not mind a jacket.
- December or January for the longest days and the warmest water.
- July if you want Cradle Mountain in snow, which almost nobody plans for and everybody who does raves about.
The trips, whichever month you pick
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Where this comes from. Temperature and rainfall are Bureau of Meteorology averages for Hobart (Ellerslie Road), station 094029. The trips and prices are as held on each trip's page here.