Hobart 3 Day Itinerary: 12+ Fun Things To Do In Hobart

We have lived in Victoria for nearly five years now and recently ventured over the water for 10 days on Tasmania.

For the final part of the trip we spent three days exploring Hobart, and (after extensive research, and a little bit of luck) these are the best things we found to pack into a long weekend.

🚌 If you don’t have a car, book the ‘hop on, hop off’ bus for
$25 to get around Hobart

N.B. depending on what days you visit Hobart you may have to mix up the order of the days, as Salamanca Market only happens on a Saturday

Morning: Richmond

There is a small amount of irony that on the first day of our three-day Hobart itinerary, I’m encouraging you to leave the city, but go with me here.

Richmond is one of those country villages that lazy writers such as me describe as ‘charming’. It reminded me of being back at home in the UK, wandering through the Cotswolds. Old, stone buildings, local businesses and surrounded by countryside.

Richmond’s biggest draw is that it has the oldest bridge in Australia. Maybe not a draw for everyone, but for weird travel collectors like me, it was a must-see!

But there was more than just bridge photography to entertain, we enjoyed the model village of old Hobart (with its hidden games), the Pooseum was unexpected (and yes, it is exactly what it sounds like) and we also had some first-class gingerbread from a local shop. And we didn’t even go to the Gaol or local vineyards.

Richmond is definitely worth getting out to if you’re in Hobart for a few days.

🚌 Book the Richmond Village Shuttle to get to Richmond without a car

Afternoon: MONA

The Museum of Old and New Art is officially Tasmania’s most-visited place, and would be top of many people’s Tasmania must-visit list. In fact, it’s actually been voted in the top 20 best places ON EARTH by Lonely Planet writers.

You can spend an entire day here easily, with a winery on site, many places to eat and the huge gallery, dug into the rocky banks of the Derwent River stuffed full of curious installations, artwork and curios from around the world.

We spent around four hours at MONA and felt it was enough. We’re not really art buffs, and we had a toddler in tow, so maybe we’re not quite the target audience, but we felt we got to see most of the key attractions in this time.

🎫 Combine Your MONA visits with a tour of Hobart – this one is 5 star rated

Evening: Rosny Point

For something a little different at the end of the day, head up to Rosny Point.

I saw this place mentioned on a travel forum, and it didn’t disappoint. From the top, there are views back down to the old city of Hobart, with the sun setting behind Mount Wellington. It was a great way to finish the day.

Morning: Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary was the only place on our Hobart must-do list that we didn’t get to, and will be one of the first places we go when we come back.

Bonorong has a focus on Australian animals, with wombats, quoll, kangaroo and (of course) Tassie Devils all found here.

🎫 This Bonorong tour (which includes a trip to Richmond) gets nearly 50 5-star reviews

Afternoon: Mount Wellington

Mount Wellington is the backdrop to Hobart, looming large over the city (when it’s not lost in cloud).

Getting up the mountain is an absolute must. There is hiking, rock climbign and mountain biking on offer, but most people just head up for the views back over the city.

We caught Mount Wellington on a most typical day, blanketed in cloud and buffeted by strong winds, but even through the small windows in the mist we got some incredible views back down over the city.

⛰️ Take a 2 1/2 hour tour of Mount Wellington for $35 a person

Late Afternoon: Cascade Brewery

Tasmania is known for a lot of things, but one of them I hadn’t realised was that is had the oldest brewery in the whole of Australia.

Established in 1824 to quench the thirst of the European settlers, it’s still producing beer today, and offers some tasty bar food alongside the range of beers.

Tasmanian’s love their beer so much, that when the building was almost completely destroyed by bushfires in 1967, they had it rebuilt and running again in less than three months. That’s some serious commitment!

🎫 Take a private half day tour of Mount Wellington and Cascade Brewery

Morning: Salamanca Market & Battery Point

Salamanca Market is the Saturday showpiece of Hobart’s old town. It’s run since 1972, starting with just 10% of the 300 stalls now on offer.

We visited, and quickly then moved on. Maybe we caught it at a bad time, but it was so busy it felt almost impossible to stop and browse.

Where we had much more fun was browsing the old streets of Hobart, happening across places like The Kuldelka Shop (a quirky local art gallery with an obsession with currawong) and Plato’s Wonder (a great little kid’s shop). There is so much history here, it feels more like exploring Edinburgh even though it came hundreds of years later.

Take some time, if you have it, to walk through the docks and further out through Battery Point. Look out for the Castray Box, a nondescript shelter that is the finish point for one of the biggest boat races on earth, the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race.

Afternoon: Hobart Botanic Gardens

It doesn’t take much to tempt me to a Botanic Gardens, but Hobart’s definitely overdelivered.

The Japanese Gardens and veggie patch were a highlight, but getting lost in tranquillity after a busy morning in Salamanca Market was the lasting memory.

If you’re here, also take the time to walk a few hundred metres up the road to the site of the old Beaumaris Zoo, the place where the last captive Tasmanian Tiger died.

Evening: Enjoy the Nightlife

There is lots to do in Hobart after dark.

I’m a big fan of the Salamanca Whiskey Bar, but you could do everything from taking a ghost tour, to checking out a movie on a rooftop.

You could also check out the best and quirkiest bars in Hobart, there are a lot of very good ones.

Getting Around Hobart

Hobart is a fairly compact city, though some of the most talked-about sights such as Mount Wellington, Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary and Richmond are slightly further afield.

We hired a car for our time in Hobart, but don’t feel you have to.

There are hop on hop off buses which can be taken as well as tours you can book to get you to where you want to go, and this may well prove to be cheaper than the hire car cost.

Final Thoughts: A Few Days in Hobart