DAY ONE
MORNING
Hobart is defined by water and the presence of Kunanyi/Mt Wellington,so get to know both on your first day. Begin with a stroll along the waterfront,filled with yachts and fishing boats (and,in the days after Christmas,the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race fleet). Duck into the,aka TMAG,which incorporates Tasmania’s oldest surviving public building (the 1808-10 Commissariat Store). TMAG’s ningina tunapri gallery provides insight into the Tasmanian Aboriginal people and culture,while the thylacine gallery focuses on the plight of the Tasmanian tiger.
From TMAG,stroll past the converted sandstone warehouses (now galleries,bars and restaurants) of Salamanca Place and ascend historic Kelly’s Steps,built by whaler James Kelly in 1840,into the city’s prettiest suburb,Battery Point. Follow the for a peep into local history,or beeline for cute-as-a-button Arthur Circus,which might have been transplanted here from the home counties. Return to the docks for a seafood lunch at or from one of the floating fish punts beside it in Sullivans Cove.
AFTERNOON
Go from sea level to 1271 metres above on Kunanyi/Mt Wellington. If you don’t have wheels,take the,but either way,pause at The Springs,midway up the mountain,to walk the Organ Pipes Track,one of and the best look at the ribbed escarpment that dominates Hobart’s view west. Before setting out,get a warming brew at,a shipping-container cafe beside The Springs car park. Continue up to the summit,where a range of lookouts – including an indoor one for the frequent chilly days – offer a view of the city and well beyond.
EVENING
Return to earth in North Hobart (NoHo),which merges almost seamlessly into the CBD,though it has a character all its own – and Hobart’s best clutch of eateries and bars. Start at,a rollicking good pub with plenty of crafty choices,and perhaps even stay for dinner if burgers and wings (approach the spicy atomic sauce with caution) are your thing. Dining choices in NoHo are plentiful,whether it’s Mexican at (which has an encyclopaedic tequila menu and decor);local favourite for Vietnamese;or,a small,chic European-inspired bistro. Craft brewers and both have nearby taprooms to round out a fine first day in Hobart.
DAY TWO
MORNING
If it’s Saturday morning,it’d be wrong not to head to. Otherwise,get to know the city a little. Among the classically Hobart Georgian architecture,seek out St David’s Cathedral and the Hobart Synagogue with its connections to,said to have been the inspiration for the character Fagin in Charles Dickens’Oliver Twist. Wander down to the – Australia’s second-oldest botanic garden,founded in 1818 – and step into the chill of the Subantarctic Plant House to find rarely seen flora from subantarctic islands. Be sure to take a peek through the gates of the former Beaumaris Zoo as you leave the gardens – the last known Tasmanian tiger was kept here until its death in 1936. While on this side of town,you might want to indulge in a wine tasting at slick (book ahead),a one-time winner of the Jimmy Watson Trophy.
AFTERNOON
Catch the ferry,drive or and pedal the Intercity Cycleway to,Hobart’s celebrated subterranean art gallery. Lunch in style at Faro restaurant,or grab a burger at Dubsy’s on the gallery lawns,then immerse yourself in Mona’s irreverent and eclectic collection – see Sidney Nolan’sSnake,an artwork so large that Mona had to build a room specifically for it,watchCloaca Professional take its daily dump,and find antiquities such as Egyptian mummies and Roman coins. Plan to spend the whole afternoon here. When you need a break,settle in for an underground cocktail at the Void Bar or,with Mona on the grounds of one of Tasmania’s oldest vineyards (Moorilla Estate),ascend back to ground level for a wine tasting.
EVENING
For dinner,try what is arguably Hobart’s best pizza just a couple of kilometres from Mona at in Berridale,or return to the city and settle in at,a homely Italian restaurant named after the chef’s nonna. After-dinner cocktails are just a few steps away at,an intimate bar inside the sandstone walls of a 19th-century hospital,or step even further back in time with a nightcap from the 300-plus whiskies on offer at waterfront,surrounded by a collection of fossils – including a triceratops horn and a Russian cave-bear skeleton.
DAY THREE
MORNING
Salamanca has traditionally been Hobart’s dining precinct,and its appeal is enduring. Head to the rear of Salamanca Square to find Machine Laundry Cafe,with its long and imaginative breakfast menu,or simply grab and go at Parklane Espresso. Head to Errol Flynn Reserve – the swashbuckling actor was born in Hobart – to take to the water on a,paddling around the shores of Battery Point (and through the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race finish line) into Sullivans Cove,where you’ll raft up for a floating morning tea of fish and chips with the city and mountain arrayed before you.
AFTERNOON
Skip town for the Coal River Valley,just a 15-minute drive from the city centre,for an afternoon of wine tasting. Start with lunch at Frogmore Creek cellar door,where each dish comes with a recommended wine pairing,then seek out,set inside an 1830s convict-built mansion and named Australia’s winery of the year in the 2023 Halliday Wine Companion Awards. Other cellar doors worth seeking out include and duck-themed. Take a quick stop in Richmond,arguably Tasmania’s prettiest town,to view its convict-built sandstone bridge. Constructed in 1823,it’s the oldest standing stone arch bridge in Australia. As you return towards Hobart,make time for one more tasting,with a stop at in Cambridge. From this unprepossessing shed comes whisky that has been named the best in the world three times in the last decade.
EVENING
Finish your visit in style at one of Hobart’s holy trinity of restaurants:, and. Each one is small,cosy and intimate,and makes the finest use of Tasmania’s wonderful produce. After dinner,hop into the inevitable queue for ever-popular,a compact wine bar with cult following (or,if dining at Dier Makr,simply walk the few steps into its sister wine bar). Check ahead to see if there’s a performance at the,Australia’s oldest working theatre,or whether the is playing inside the tin can of the waterfront,Federation Concert Hall.