The 11 Best Attractions in Hobart (2026)

Updated November 2026 · 11 picks

The best attractions in Hobart in 2026 are MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art; Saturday's Salamanca Market; the drive up kunanyi/Mount Wellington; the convict history of Port Arthur and the Cascades Female Factory; and a wilderness cruise off Bruny Island.

Hobart is small and easy to get around: the waterfront, Salamanca Place and Battery Point are all walkable, and MONA is a 25-minute ferry ride up the Derwent. Bigger trips, such as Port Arthur and Bruny Island, need a full day. The weather changes fast, especially on the mountain, so carry a warm layer even in summer.

1. MONA – Museum of Old and New Art — Berriedale

Australia's most talked-about museum, dug into a cliff above the Derwent.

$$$ UpmarketBest for Couples · First-timers

MONA is a private museum of ancient and contemporary art built into the riverbank at Moorilla, north of the city. It is deliberately provocative and very different from a typical gallery, with art about sex, death and everything in between.

Arrive by the ferry from Brooke Street Pier, allow at least three hours and have lunch or a glass of wine at the estate. It is open on most days; check closures.

Good to know: Use the museum's app (The O) in place of labels; there are none on the walls.

655 Main Rd, Berriedale TAS 7011

Google Maps Website

2. Salamanca Market — Salamanca

Tasmania's best outdoor market, every Saturday on the waterfront.

$ BudgetBest for Families · Budget · First-timers

Salamanca Market fills Salamanca Place every Saturday with stalls selling Tasmanian produce, food, crafts, woodwork and clothes, in front of the old sandstone warehouses.

Go early for the produce and graze for breakfast and lunch. The warehouses behind hold galleries, pubs and restaurants that are open all week.

Good to know: Arrive before 10am, before the crowds and the cruise-ship visitors.

Salamanca Pl, Hobart TAS 7000

Google Maps Website

3. kunanyi/Mount Wellington — Wellington Park

The mountain above Hobart, with views over the city and the Derwent.

Best for First-timers · Couples · Families

kunanyi/Mount Wellington rises 1,271 metres directly behind Hobart. The summit lookout gives a sweeping view of the city, the river and the coast, and there are walking tracks of every length through Wellington Park.

Drive up Pinnacle Road or take the shuttle, and bring a warm jacket: it can be near freezing at the top when the city is mild.

Good to know: Check the summit webcam before you drive up; cloud often covers the top.

Pinnacle Rd, Wellington Park TAS 7054

Google Maps Website

4. Port Arthur Historic Site — Tasman Peninsula

Australia's best-known convict settlement, with World Heritage status.

$$ Mid-rangeBest for Families · First-timers

Port Arthur was a penal settlement from 1830 to 1877 and is now a large historic site with more than 30 buildings and ruins in parkland by the water. Entry includes a guided walking tour and a short harbour cruise.

Allow a full day, including the 90-minute drive from Hobart. The evening ghost tour is popular with older children.

Good to know: Stop at the Tasman Arch and Devils Kitchen on the way down.

6973 Arthur Hwy, Port Arthur TAS 7182

Google Maps Website

5. Bruny Island Cruises — Bruny Island

A three-hour wilderness cruise past sea cliffs, seals and seabirds.

$$$ UpmarketBest for Couples · Families

Pennicott Wilderness Journeys runs this three-hour cruise along the sea cliffs of South Bruny National Park, with fur seal colonies, sea caves and seabirds, and often dolphins and whales in season.

Cruises leave from Adventure Bay on Bruny Island. If you don't want to drive and catch the car ferry, book the full-day tour from Hobart, which includes the coach.

Good to know: Take a seasickness tablet before the cruise if you're prone; the Southern Ocean can be lively.

1005 Adventure Bay Rd, Adventure Bay TAS 7150

Google Maps Website

6. Battery Point — Battery Point

Hobart's prettiest old quarter, just above Salamanca.

Best for Couples · Budget

Battery Point is a village of 19th-century cottages and mansions on the hill above Salamanca Place. Arthur Circus, a ring of Georgian cottages around a small green, is the most photographed corner.

Climb Kelly's Steps from Salamanca, wander the lanes and stop at one of the cafés on Hampden Road.

Good to know: Walk it in the late afternoon for the light on the sandstone.

Arthur Circus, Battery Point TAS 7004

Google Maps

7. Cascades Female Factory — South Hobart

Moving tours of a World Heritage site for convict women.

$ BudgetBest for Families · First-timers

The Cascades Female Factory was a prison and workhouse for women convicts from 1828. It is part of the World Heritage–listed Australian Convict Sites, and guided tours and a short theatre piece tell the women's stories.

It is a short drive or bus ride from the city, near the Cascade Brewery, so you can do both in a morning.

Good to know: Book the dramatised 'Her Story' tour for the best introduction.

16 Degraves St, South Hobart TAS 7004

Google Maps Website

8. Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens — Queens Domain

Free historic gardens by the river, with a sub-Antarctic plant house.

Best for Families · Couples · Budget

The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, now branded Botanical Gardens Tasmania, have been on the Queens Domain since 1818. They include a Japanese garden, a Tasmanian native section and the Subantarctic Plant House, which recreates Macquarie Island.

Entry is free, and the gardens are a 20-minute walk from the city.

Good to know: Visit the Subantarctic Plant House; it's unique in the world.

Lower Domain Rd, Queens Domain, Hobart TAS 7000

Google Maps Website

9. Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary — Brighton

See Tasmanian devils and feed kangaroos at a rescue sanctuary.

$$ Mid-rangeBest for Families · First-timers

Bonorong is a wildlife sanctuary and rescue centre about 30 minutes north of Hobart. Guided tours introduce Tasmanian devils, wombats, quolls and echidnas, and you can feed free-roaming kangaroos.

Its night tours show the nocturnal animals at their most active.

Good to know: Join a scheduled guided tour; it's included in entry and the best way to see the devils.

593 Briggs Rd, Brighton TAS 7030

Google Maps Website

10. Cascade Brewery — South Hobart

Australia's oldest operating brewery, in a striking sandstone building.

$$ Mid-rangeBest for Couples

Cascade Brewery has brewed in South Hobart since 1824, in a sandstone building at the foot of kunanyi/Mount Wellington. The Brewery Bar and its gardens serve Cascade beers and food.

Check the brewery's site for tour availability, and pair it with the Female Factory down the road.

Good to know: Sit in the gardens on a sunny afternoon with the mountain behind you.

140 Cascade Rd, South Hobart TAS 7004

Google Maps Website

11. Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery — Hobart CBD

Free state museum covering Tasmania's history, wildlife and art.

Best for Families · Budget

TMAG on the waterfront covers Tasmanian Aboriginal history and culture, colonial history, natural science (including the thylacine) and art. General entry is free.

It is a good rainy-day stop between the waterfront and Salamanca.

Good to know: Find the thylacine display; it's the best place to learn about the lost Tasmanian tiger.

Dunn Pl, Hobart TAS 7000

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

How do you get to MONA from Hobart?

Take the MONA ferry from Brooke Street Pier on the waterfront; it takes about 25 minutes. You can also drive or take a bus to Berriedale. Book the ferry with your museum ticket.

When is Salamanca Market on?

Every Saturday morning to mid-afternoon, along Salamanca Place on the waterfront, with fresh produce, food and crafts from all over Tasmania.

Can you drive up Mount Wellington?

Yes. Pinnacle Road climbs to the summit of kunanyi/Mount Wellington, about 30 minutes from the city. It can close in snow or ice. A shuttle bus also runs from the city.

Is Port Arthur worth the day trip?

Yes. It is one of the most important convict sites in Australia and part of a World Heritage listing. It is about 90 minutes' drive from Hobart, and your ticket includes a walking tour and a harbour cruise.

What is there to do in Hobart in winter?

Dark Mofo, MONA's winter festival in June, brings art, music and the Winter Feast. Winter is also a good time for the museums, whisky distilleries and cosy restaurants.

1. MONA – Museum of Old and New Art — Berriedale

2. Salamanca Market — Salamanca

3. kunanyi/Mount Wellington — Wellington Park

4. Port Arthur Historic Site — Tasman Peninsula

5. Bruny Island Cruises — Bruny Island

6. Battery Point — Battery Point

7. Cascades Female Factory — South Hobart

8. Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens — Queens Domain

9. Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary — Brighton

10. Cascade Brewery — South Hobart

11. Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery — Hobart CBD

Frequently asked questions

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