Hobart Accommodation

Tasmania’s capital Hobart is a picturesque and bustling small city, an outpost of creativity between the mountains and the sea at one of Tasmania’s most southern points. Once a penal colony, Hobart has developed into a city with a lot going on while retaining its heritage and peaceful setting. In the last ten years it’s proved to be an arts and dining hub, and a gateway to the natural wonders of the Tasmanian wilderness.

Hobart has some lovely holiday accommodation on offer from bed and breakfasts to stylish city apartments. A holiday house or other self catering accommodation could be a good option if you want to try cooking as much of the local produce as possible. A bed and breakfast or apartment in the centre of town would be more convenient if your visit is focused on the sights and bars of central Hobart.

Getting to Your Hobart Accommodation

Most visitors reach Tasmania via Hobart International Airport, 18km from the city centre. Shuttle buses depart from the airport with regular services daily, making reaching the CBD quick and easy. Tickets can be purchased in advance online, at the airport, or from the driver.

Catching a taxi can be a good local option for groups, families, and those travelling at night. Regular taxis do not need to be pre-booked. Uber also operates in Hobart. Hiring a car is an excellent way to discover Tasmania. Collect your car at the airport and make the short drive to the CBD.

If you're coming from Launceston in the north of the island, you can also get to your Hobart holiday house by hire car or bus. Shuttle buses provide service 6 days a week between Launceston and Hobart. If you arrive by ferry at Devonport from Melbourne, the same shuttle bus service provides transfers to Hobart.

Food and drink in Hobart

Hobart is a fabulous food and wine city, and many wineries sit just outside the city. In just half an hour from the city you can reach a number of excellent wineries known for their light wines.

Just half an hour south of Hobart is the Home Hill Estate in the Huon Valley. This winery not only produces award winning pinot noir and chardonnay but hosts a beautiful designed modern Australian restaurant. Adjacent to the MONA site, and only 15 minutes from the city is the Moorilla Estate Winery, who offer a tour and tastings of their premium wines in a beautiful setting overlooking the Derwent River.

As for the food - Hobart is blessed by the amazing produce of Tasmania and locals have not wasted the opportunity to become a foodie haven. At the Salamanca Markets and nearby deli Wursthaus, choose from the best of Tasmanian cheeses, cut meats and bread for an unforgettable picnic lunch.

Frank enjoys a fabulous waterside location and serves up coveted dishes of South American inspired cuisine. Reservations here are almost always required due to its popularity as one of the best lunch and dinners venues in the city. Another stylish waterside favourite is Peacock and Jones. This multiple award-winning restaurants uses fresh seasonal ingredients and has an excellent selection of local wines.

What to see on your holiday in Hobart

Once of the first landmarks you’ll notice upon arrival in Hobart is Mount Wellington. Looming over the city, this snow capped peak is visible from almost any part of Hobart and has long been a favourite recreational spot of locals. The drive to the top doesn’t take long and the magnificent view of Hobart, the ocean and the wineries and wilderness of southern Tasmania is a grand way to begin your trip and start planning where to head first.

Salamanca Place is a colonial era street of sandstone warehouses and cottages that has been repurposed into a shopping street with cafes, galleries and boutiques. On Saturdays a market is held in Salamanca Square off the main street, and is packed with both food and homeware goodies.

If you have a little time, a day trip to Port Arthur is a sombre but excellent exploration of Tasmania’s penal history. The site is extensive, and is one of the best known and preserved convict history sites in Australia. You can see the penitentiary, asylum building and commandant’s residence, and learn about the extreme difficulties faced by convicts. Port Arthur also has memorials dedicated to those who lost their lives in the Port Arthur massacre of 1996.

Explore Hobart's fascinating museums

Hobart has a wealth of cultural opportunities just waiting to be explored. The city's leap in popularity in recent years can partly be attributed to the opening of the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), a spectacular gallery built to house philanthropist David Walsh’s massive and outlandish art collection.

Catch a ferry from the centre of the city upstream on the Derwent River to the entrance of the gallery, built into the side of the cliffs. This vast, cavernous gallery is an immersive art experience and though it is fairly new to the art world, has been compared to great institutions of the world like the Guggenheim in New York or the Tate in London.

You don't have to walk very far in this city without stumbling across a kitsch artistic space or a new museum devoted to a facet of local culture. An excellent place to begin is the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. Famed for being the second oldest museum in the whole country, it exhibits a range of artefacts of scientific and archaeological significance. The Maritime Museum of Tasmania is another gem, documenting the islands nautical history and the influence it has had on people's lives across the centuries.

Holidays with kids in Hobart

Hobart's size and laid-back approach to life mean that it is the perfect city for exploring with children - large enough that there's plenty going on but not so hectic as to be overwhelming. Even the more traditional attractions and museums encapsulate more kid-friendly tropes making them more accessible.

Hike to the top of Mount Wellington and the whole family can enjoy stunning views over the city. For a family Saturday morning, the Salamanca Market is great for shopping as well as being the perfect opportunity to enjoy ice cream on the grassy boulevards which surround the waterfront.

Just a half an hour drive from the city centre the thrilling Richmond Maze offers the chance of spending the afternoon racing to the centre of the two mazes where a secret surprise awaits.

Day trips around Hobart

While Hobart is the main entry point for visitors to Tasmania and a fantastic destination in its own right, the rest of the island is blessed with thrilling adventure opportunities and majestic landscapes. Numerous tour operators organise hikes for all abilities to locations around Hobart but you can hire a car and explore the terrain alone.

One of the best hikes is the Three Capes trail. For canoeing and kayaking head to the Derwent Valley, with its rolling hills and rapid rivers, which are perfect for some serious water sports.

Cycling and mountain biking are also popular pastimes, and some of the best trails around Greater Hobart include the Gentle Annie Falls Circuit and the Cascade Walking Track. Scenic flights and cruises can also be arranged if you want to witness the glory of Tasmania from above from a hot air balloon or aeroplane.

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