Top Tours in Tasmania
- Written by Alice Foster
Want to access some of Tassie's best-kept secrets? You don't have to go it alone - we've got local guides and tour groups on standby to help you access places and experiences you wouldn't be able to otherwise.
If you want to really explore that connection of paddock to plate, or on this island ocean to plate, then start with a food tour. Tarkine Fresh Oysters at Smithton on the North West coast offer a behind the scenes look at their oyster farm including tastings of their freshly shucked and delicately cooked oysters.
Exploring kunanyi/Mt Wellington should be on every visitor to Hobart's list and Walk On kunanyi will show you a different side of this incredible natural playground. If time isn't an issue and you're up for a challenge their Iconic Ascent is a full day walk that starts at the Derwent Estuary and ends at the 1271m later at the pinnacle of kunanyi/Mt Wellington. The Spring to the Summit and Mountain Gems walks will also give you spectacular views but can be done in less time and are a little easier on the quads.
Still down South, there's a lot to take in on Bruny Island and you can make the most of it with the Overnight Explorer tour. Run across two days, the tour heads out sightseeing across the island while stopping to taste all of its delicacies (it's heaven for cheese lovers for a start!). If you've got more time up your sleeve and want to book a longer tour, the three day Bruny Island Walk will get your legs moving all over the island. Group numbers are capped at eight, creating a group dynamic where you won't have to struggle to get the guide's attention or jostle for the best photo position.
Add water into the mix on an adrenaline-filled river adventure with River Sledding Tasmania such as The Mighty Meander River experience, which will send you downstream in a raft, soaking up the sights while tackling the rapids. You don't need to be a pro at whitewater rafting to give it a go. The rapids are grade one and grade two, fine for novices, and you'll be guided throughout the four-hour tour. Another rafting option is Tassie Bound Adventure's Kayak Tour, starting from Truffle Lodge in the Derwent Valley. The three-hour tour takes place on the picturesque Derwent River – the must do Australian off road caravan experience, and if you're lucky, you may even spot a platypus or two.
A drier way to feel the wind in your hair is being chauffeured around the northwest coast in a sidecar. Sidecar Tours Tasmania, based in Sheffield, offer specialty trips such as a produce tour and a winery tour. The sidecar has room for two, so snuggle in with your love (or your mate!) to keep warm now the cooler months are here. For a bigger set of wheels, try Roam Wild's Mountain Heights 4x4 adventure departing from Queenstown on Tasmania's wild west coast. It's an easy drive up the mountain, with amazing views of Cradle Mountain and the Franklin/Gordon Wild Rivers National Park.
