Overview
Tassie, glorious Tassie. This Aussie island has massively grown in popularity over the past few years, with travellers popping over for culinary delights, the long list of must-see natural sites and the thriving arts and culture scene.
Thankfully, you can experience all of this stuff in and around Hobart. The city is home to some of the country's greatest restaurants and bars and, of course, the one and only MONA. Not to mention the mountains, forests and world-famous beaches that surround the city just waiting to be explored.
To make it a little easier for you to experience all the best bits, we've teamed up with a bunch of local tour operators to curate these ten unique travel experiences. Head to Concrete Playground Trips to book your spot on a few of these tours, taking your Hobart holiday to the next level.
SEAFOOD SAILING TOUR
This luxury tour showcases some of the very best seafood that Tasmania has to offer, all from the comfort of a two-storey catamaran. Picture sailing past towering sea cliffs, sandy beaches only accessible by boat and sea life such as dolphins, whales and seals, all the while sampling the freshest wild seafood. The team's own local divers will harvest and prepare it all for you right on the boat. What's on the menu? Get ready for periwinkles, sea urchins, abalone, lobsters, oysters, salmon and mussels. If you consider yourself a seafood stan then you add this tour to your next Hobart holiday.
THREE-DAY ACTIVE ADVENTURE FROM LAUNCESTON TO HOBART
This trip explores some of Tassie's most scenic locations. Start your journey by exploring the amazing walks and scenery within Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, home to Cradle Mountain. You'll then continue onwards to Hobart via the Wineglass Bay lookout to enjoy the coastal scenery and potentially spot some local critters. Lastly, walk amongst the history at the World Heritage Port Arthur Historic Site and enjoy the action of a Tasmanian Devil feeding. It's an incredible way to experience Tasmania's vast natural landscape.
HOBART CRAFT DRINKS TOUR
This full-day tour is perfect for those seeking to try some of Tassie's award-winning craft brews. The Drink Tasmania Signature Tour will take you to five of southern Tasmania's best craft beverage experiences in the Huon and The Coal River Valley. You'll get to experience the finest of Tasmania's whisky, wine, beer and cider. If you'd prefer to focus on one kind of drink, try one of the specialised tours for gin, whisky, and craft beer.
TWILIGHT BRUNY ISLAND SAILING TRIP
Sail to Barnes Bay on Bruny Island as the sea, sky and landscape transform with the shifting angle of the sun. See shadows lengthen across rock faces on the shoreline as they are gradually silhouetted against a golden sky. The sailing trip shows off this part of Tasmania at its finest. And you get to see it in style, aboard a luxury yacht with local wines flowing throughout the journey — and a few obligatory cheese platters making the rounds.
William Hook (Unsplash)
BMX RIDE DOWN MOUNT WELLINGTON
On this adventure, you'll ride a mountain bike down the foothills of Mount Wellington past bushland and wildlife as you feel the wind rushing through your hair. At the end of the ride, you'll be invited to join the guide at a local Hobart pub for a few beers and enjoy the unique opportunity to drink from the famous (to locals, at least) handlebar that holds a glass of beer. Look it up.
THE ULTIMATE HOBART WINE TOUR
On this full-day wine tour, a small group will visit four of the best wine producers near Hobart. You'll have the opportunity to meet some of the winemakers and taste a range of award-winning, handcrafted, cool-climate wines. During vintage, you'll see grapes being processed and wines fermented, and throughout the rest of the year, you'll see grapes growing in the vineyard and wines maturing in barrel rooms. You may even be lucky enough to try wine direct from the tanks or the barrels, depending on the time of the year and what the winemaker is working on that day. Expect a day packed full of wine tasting, tours, conversations and even some local cheeses thrown in for good measure.
SAILING TRIP IN HOBART'S BAY AND THE DERWENT RIVER
During this experience, you'll be sailing in a Sydney to Hobart race maxi — really sailing. This isn't a champagne-and-sunset-dinner on a luxury yacht kind of experience. You'll be getting a workout as you cruise around Hobart's breathtakingly beautiful bay. You might see penguins, dolphins or seals (regular visitors) and sometimes even whales and orca. That is when you're not grinding the winches and taking a turn on the helm. End the experience with an altogether civilised afternoon tea in town.
SCENIC FLIGHT AND CRUISE ALONG TASMANIA'S SOUTHWEST
This exciting tour takes you on two separate scenic flights over Hobart and Southwest National Park — Tasmania's largest national park. You'll marvel at these sites from a bird's eye view before joining a small boat cruise out to Bathurst Harbour — a remote waterway three times the size of Sydney Harbour. You'll even get a special lunch made from Tassie produce, served with some local wine. This is one of the best ways to see this unique part of Australia.
KAYAK IN THE TASMAN PENINSULA
Get up close and personal with the southern hemisphere's highest sea cliffs and resident Australian fur seals. At sea level you'll truly appreciate its scale, gazing up at 200-metre-high fluted rock formations, peering into natural sea caves, photographing the towering Candlestick, and searching for climbers on the Totem Pole — a sheer column famed amongst thrill-seeking rock climbers.
Lochlainn Riordan (Unsplash)
FULL-DAY TOUR OF WINEGLASS BAY
We've teamed up with Wineglass Bay Tours, one of the original and most experienced tour operators in the region, to bring this beach and forest hiking experience. The local guide will take you up to mountaintops with sweeping views across the national park and down to the beach itself for lunch and wine tastings. This is great for those who are afraid of getting lost in the wilderness, but still want to get out in nature. There's no chance of getting lost with these expert guides. Plus, they'll even share some local stories and fun facts during the hike.
Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world.
Top image: Drinks Tasmania