The Tasman Peninsula may look small on a map, but there is a lot to do here. Speed boat cruises, ghost tours, hiking, touring one of Australia’s many penitentiaries, bird watching, whale watching, multi-day trekking…lots of great activities to choose from!
The Tasman Peninsula is located one hour away from Tasmania’s capital city, Hobart. We used this is our home base but you could also consider staying in Eaglehawk Neck or Port Arthur, if you plan on spending several days here. For us, it was an easy, scenic drive that we didn’t mind doing several times.
We spent several days exploring the Tasman Peninsula, and loved it. Here is a list of things to do to help you plan the perfect Tasmania holiday.
Table of Contents
5 Things to Do on the Tasman Peninsula
1. The Three Capes Track
The Three Capes Track is a four day/three night multi-day trek through the Tasman National Park. On this trek, you will hike along the coastline, for stunning views of Cape Hauy, Cape Pillar, and Fortescue Bay. At night, sleep in cabins and socialize with other hikers. This is an awesome way to experience the Tasman Peninsula. Learn more here.
2. Tasman Island Cruise
Looking for adventure? How about a scenic speed boat tour of the stunning coastline of the Tasman Peninsula? On this 3 hour tour, you have a chance to see whales, albatross, seals, and penguins. It can be a wild ride, depending on weather conditions. This was one of our favorite experiences while in Tasmania and highly recommend it.
3. Port Arthur Historic Site
In Australia, you can tour many historic penal sites, but one of the most important is the Port Arthur Historic Site, located on the Tasman Peninsula. Port Arthur, because of its coastal location, was an inescapable prison, similar to Alcatraz.
Touring this historic site is fascinating, but what we really came to Port Arthur for can only be seen when the sun goes down…
4. Port Arthur Ghost Tour
Labeled as Australia’s best ghost tour, we couldn’t miss this! The bigger question…could Tyler and Kara handle it?
For two and a half hours we were lead around Port Arthur with our guide. We walked on dark paths, through the old, abandoned and creepily illuminated church, and into other buildings of ghostly importance. All stories told were “true” and based on real events. Most of the stories were about people seeing ghosts in windows, hearing footsteps at night, sensing eerie things around them. For Tim and I, none of it was all that frightening, but the dark night, the stories, and our guide’s occasional blood curdling screams during story telling really worked to scare Tyler and Kara.
Towards the end of the tour, Kara was freaked out. She finished out the tour huddled close to Tim, never letting go of his hand. Tyler was much braver but he would not stand near a dark doorway (nor would anyone else!). We all thought that the tour was very well done…scary enough that Tyler and Kara were freaked out but not so much that it was terrifying.
5. Hike to Cape Raoul
There are many famous viewpoints on the Tasman Peninsula…the Tassellated Pavement, the Tasman Arch, the Blowhole, but none of them compare to Cape Raoul.
On the southern end of the peninsula is a promontory called Cape Raoul. This only can be reached by hiking, as no roads go here. It is a 14 km (8.7 miles) round trip hike, most of it through forests but some of it along the coastal cliffs. Once out on Cape Raoul, enjoy the views of Cape Pillar and then west to Hobart and Bruny Island. This is a gorgeous hike and another great way to experience the Tasman Peninsula coastline.
LEARN MORE: Our Experience Hiking Cape Raoul
Where We Stayed
We stayed in the Graham Apartments located in New Town, Hobart. This is a budget, nothing fancy hotel but we loved it. We had a two bedroom suite with one bathroom and a kitchenette. There is a laundry facility on site. This place was clean and quiet and perfect for our needs.
The Tasman Peninsula is not to be missed on a visit to Tasmania. There is something here for everyone, from historical sites, amazing scenery, exhilarating boat trips, and hiking trails.
Comment below if you have any questions or suggestions!
More Information about Australia
TASMANIA: In Tasmania, hike to Cape Raoul and Wineglass Bay, spend some time on Bruny Island, visit Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, and cruise to Tasman Island.
MELBOURNE: Melbourne is our favorite city in Australia. Learn about the Best Things to Do in Melbourne and get a recap of our experiences here.
GREAT OCEAN ROAD: Driving the Great Ocean Road is one of the most scenic drives in the world.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA: One of the best things to do in South Australia is to visit the wine regions near Adelaide. Plan your visit with our Guide to McLaren Vale, our Guide to Barossa Valley, and our Guide to Clare Valley.
SYDNEY: Get started with our Sydney Bucket List, which contains 40 of the best things to do in Sydney. We also have a guide to the Sydney Bridge Climb and the Coogee to Bondi Coastal Walk, with a lot more information coming soon.
Planning a trip to Australia? Read all of our articles in our Australia Travel Guide.
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Comments 6
I’ve been reading your articles for years and found them very useful, especially the itineraries.
Would you be able to provide itineraries for first time visitors of Australia for 2, 3, and 4 weeks?
Many thanks,
Author
Hello Liu. That is a really good suggestion and I’ll look into doing that. We don’t have any Australia itineraries on our website yet, despite Tyler just spending over 3 months in Sydney recently. I will put it on my to do list and try to get to it in the next few months. If you need some help sooner than that, let me know. It would be helpful to know what time of year you wanted to go and how long you would have, and I can make a suggestion for you. Cheers, Julie
The views from Cape Raoul look amazing! We are planning to spend a couple of days in the Tasman Peninsula and were tossing up whether to make the trip to Cape Raoul but we think you have cemented our decision to do it! Great post 😁
Julie + family, On your worldly travels, have you seen unusual + beautiful shells? I heard that in South Africa it is illegal to take shells. Thanks. I enjoy all your posts. The hobbit land was so cute. And your photography is so professional!
Also in Catonsville, we had a yard sale today. Of course bargaining is part of the buying but several people of other ethnic backgrounds were really obnoxious w/ the bargaining. I think I have more understanding of their behavior since you explained the bargaining in Southeast Asia.
Author
Hello,
No, we haven’t seen anything amazing when it comes to shells. At least nothing much different than one would find in the US. Even though we are not in Asia anymore, and bargaining isn’t commonplace in Australia or New Zealand (like the US) we still try, and sometimes it works! I just bargained the price down on something I bought today from an electronics store. Just one of the many skills we have picked up while traveling.
Yep, I’ve learned not to look when you guys go out on those high vantage points. It freaks me out. But glad the kids stayed back. NZ and Australia have been wonderful playgrounds for you. Thanks for giving us an adventure packed tour of those far away lands. I’ve learned a lot!