SIGHTSEEING HIGHLIGHTS:
- Port Arthur Historic Sites tour guide tour
- Visit the quaint town of Richmond
- A Tasmanian winery visit including tastings and beautiful lunch
- A visit to the impressive ‘The Wall in the Wilderness’.
- Theatre performance of 'The Ship that Never Was', Strahan
- A highlight Gordon River Cruise, Gold Class seats including lunch and morning tea
- The premium Wilderness Carriage on board West Coast Wilderness Railway
- Relaxed touring of Strahan including a two night stay on the West Coast
- Two night stay in Tasmania's high country wilderness at Cradle Mountain
- Visit Devils @ Cradle, the conservation sanctuary for the endangered Tasmanian Devil
- A stop in Sheffield at the foothills of majestic Mount Roland
- An easy going walk and visit, Cataract Gorge, Launceston
PRE TOUR STAY
Consider arriving a day or more before the tour starting date. Some travellers like to include extra time visit MONA* (Museum of Old and New Art). The cost of the additional night/s of stay applies. Ask our travel team about this option, and the additional costs. *MONA is open Fridays to Mondays.
Pre Tour Stay
Consider arriving a day before the tour starting date. If you want to spend the day visiting the MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) we recommend travelling a day early. The cost of the additional night/s of stay applies. Ask our travel team about this option, and the additional costs.
DAY 1
Arrive to Hobart
Arrival in Hobart is by your own arrangement. Your holiday will commence with a leisurely three night stay in Hobart. This evening meet your fellow travellers for a pre dinner drink at the hotel before joining the group welcome dinner.
Meals: Dinner
SNAPSHOT – WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- Group pre dinner meet up arrangement
- Group welcome dinner
FREE TIME EXTRAS:
To make the most of this charming city, why not make plans to arrive in the morning? You can leave your luggage with the hotel concierge until check in and enjoy some time at leisure in Hobart.
SPECIAL NOTES:
Pre dinner drinks and dinner are not hosted unless the group is 16 or more travellers, and then a group escort will join. Drinks for the pre-dinner meet up and during the dinner meal are at your own expense.
Meals: Dinner
DAY 02
Hobart - Port Arthur - Hobart
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel. This morning you will travel from Hobart to the historic Port Arthur. The penal settlement at Port Arthur is a stark reminder of the harsh conditions endured by the earliest European inhabitants of this one-time island jail, where up to 12000 prisoners were kept in harsh conditions. Today, take a guided walking tour through the Penal Settlement. On the road from Hobart to the site, we make a photo stop at Tasman Arch and Devil’s Kitchen.
Port Arthur Tour Inclusions:
On this tour you will have access to more than thirty historic buildings, ruins, and gardens, as well as a guided walking tour. After the Port Arthur visit, the group is transferred back to Hobart. Tonight is at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast
SNAPSHOT – WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- Port Arthur Historic Site guided tour and free time
- Photo stop at Tasman Arch & Devil’s Kitchen
- Return transfers Hobart to Port Arthur
SPECIAL NOTES:
There is a café/restaurant at the Port Arthur site which is convenient for lunch. Take your umbrella and a warm jacket/wind sheeter for your Port Arthur visit
DAY 03
Visit Richmond. Local Winery Lunch
After breakfast at the hotel your coach captain will drive up to Mount Wellington for the opportunity to admire the superb views across Hobart and the Derwent River.
Today, we set off for a visit of Richmond, a historic and charming town not far out of Hobart. The town has a number of beautiful buildings and quaint shops and is enjoyable for leisurely walking and shopping. For lunch, enjoy a stunning setting at a local winery, starting with some Tasmanian wine tastings. On our return to Hobart there is the option to visit MONA (located not far from Hobart city centre) by your own arrangement.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
SNAPSHOT – WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- Drive up Mt Wellington
- Visit the quaint town of Richmond
- Visit a local winery with tastings
- Beautiful 3 course winery lunch
FREE TIME EXTRAS:
On the way back to Hobart, your coach captain will drop off any group members who would like to visit MONA (The Museum of Old and New Art) on the outskirts of Hobart. Travelling back to Hobart is easy with a ferry ride from the museum to the city. Entry to MONA and travel back to Hobart is by your own arrangement
SPECIAL NOTES:
Take warm clothes for the drive to Mt Wellington as it can get very chilly near the summit. This excursion will only be possible if the weather permits.
DAY 04
Drive to Strahan on the West Coast
After breakfast at the hotel, we depart Hobart for Strahan on the west coast, making some stops along the way. From Queenstown to Strahan, you will enjoy the spectacular scenery through the Franklin Gordon Wild Rivers National Park to arrive at our first stop near Derwent Bridge. Here you will view a fascinating attraction, The Wall in the Wilderness. The "Wall" is an art installation that is also a work in progress and will take more years to complete. However, already it’s remarkable. It comprises panels with intricate carved scenes; many with a historical background to commemorate those who helped to build Tasmania. When complete it will measure 100 metres in length.
Located 298 km west of Hobart and 41km from Queenstown, Strahan is a Tasmanian waterfront town located on the edge of the pretty Macquarie Harbour. Before dinner, enjoy a live theatre production called The Ship That Never Was. A story about The Frederick, the last ship built at the convict settlement of Sarah Island in Macquarie Harbour, is about to sail for the new prison at Port Arthur. Ten convict shipwrights have other ideas. So begins the story of an amazing escape, an extraordinary voyage and an intriguing twist in the tale of The Ship That Never Was.
This evening the group joins for dinner at the hotel restaurant.
Meals: Breakfast, Boxed Lunch, Dinner
SNAPSHOT – WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- Travel Hobart to Strahan
- A visit to the incredible Wall in the Wilderness
- A theatre production ‘The Ship That Never Was’
- Group dinner at the hotel
SPECIAL NOTES:
Bring drinks and snacks for touring day as it’s a reasonable driver between Hobart to Strahan, with stops along the way. Lunch is a simple packed lunch provided by our Hobart hotel. The west coast can have more harsh weather than other parts of Tasmania; come prepared with appropriate clothing, and an umbrella.
DAY 05
Gordon River Cruise, Gold Class
Breakfast at the hotel before the morning cruise departure of the Gordon River with World Heritage Cruises in gold class seats to the enjoy the ultimate wilderness cruise experience along the magnificent Gordon River.
On this tour you will get the chance to:
- See some of Australia’s oldest convict ruins on Sarah Island, a settlement which pre-dates Port Arthur by decades. Created to put the 'fear of God' into the convicts of Van Diemen’s Land, this tiny outpost of 18th century British penal history hides a fascinating tale of human triumph over adversity, brought vividly to life by expert guides.
- Hear the intriguing story of Macquarie Harbour and its settlement.
- Pass through Hell’s Gates, the narrow entrance to Macquarie Harbour named by the convicts on their way to Sarah Island.
- See high-tech aquaculture where hundreds of thousands of Tasmania’s famous Atlantic Salmon and Ocean Trout are farmed.
- Cruise past the majesty of the rugged mountain ranges in Tasmania’s World Heritage listed South West Wilderness National Park.
- Spend two hours in the serenity of the imposing Gordon River, complete with a stroll into the rainforest, which reclaimed the land after the last Great Ice Age.
- Enjoy a sumptuous buffet lunch freshly prepared on board which includes smoked salmon, cold meats, a selection of salads, fresh fruit, Tasmanian cheeses, and local bakery bread.
Our gold class seating includes a buffet lunch and morning tea, with beverages available for purchase.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
SNAPSHOT – WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- Gordon River Cruise Gold Class seats including morning tea and lunch
Day 06
Westcoast Wilderness Railway. Strahan to Cradle Mountain
This morning embark on the River & Rainforest experience with Westcoast Wilderness Railway.
This diesel journey takes you from the shores of Macquarie Harbour into the ancient rainforest and mountains of Tasmania’s rugged west coast for a magnificent round trip in the premium Wilderness Carriage. Your guide will share stories of the railway and the resilient people who lived and worked along its length.
After the you rail journey, travel from Strahan to Cradle Mountain for a two night stay. Tonight you will enjoy a fine dining experience at Altitude restaurant, at your Cradle Mountain hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
SNAPSHOT – WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- Wilderness Carriage, Westcoast Wilderness Railway including a welcoming glass or sparkling wine, light lunch and hot beverages, and access to the open balcony.
- Transfer from Strahan to Cradle Mountain
- A la carte 3 course dinner, Altitude restaurant
DAY 07
Cradle Mountain
In the morning enjoy breakfast at your hotel. Travel to nearby Cradle Mountain National Park for a guided tour that includes Dove Lake. The afternoon will be at your leisure. You may like to take the option to return to Dove Lake and enjoy some of the walking options or relax at the hotel. This evening our group visits Devils @ Cradle for an ‘After Dark’ tour at the conservation sanctuary for the Tasmanian Devil. Following our evening adventure, we return to the hotel for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
SNAPSHOT – WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- Visit Cradle Mountain National Park
- Visit Devils @ Cradle conservation sanctuary for the Tasmanian Devil
- Hotel dinner
FREE TIME EXTRAS:
- Return to Dove Lake; your driver will arrange a time to drop you off and pick you up with ample time to enjoy some of the walking trails by Dove Lake.
- Visit the Wilderness Gallery, one of the largest privately owned photographic galleries in Australia, showcasing ten rooms of works from internationally renowned nature photographers.
- See the fascinating Tasmanian Tiger Exhibition, part of the Wilderness Gallery which brings together a remarkable collection of artefacts, photographs, and film about the extinct Tasmanian tiger.
SPECIAL NOTES:
Bring suitable walking shoes for your visit to Dove Lake and surrounds at Cradle Mountain and be prepared with wet weather gear such as a rain jacket. The weather at Cradle Mountain can change quite rapidly from sun to cloud, to rain. Have warm clothes for the evening tour of the Tasmanian Devils Sanctuary
Day 08
Cradle Mountain
After breakfast at the hotel depart Cradle Mountain for our final night in Launceston. Not far from Cradle Mountain is the township of Sheffield which sits in the shadows of Mount Roland. The town is unique as there are many murals depicting the history of the area. There is a stop in Sheffield for time to take in some of the murals around town.
Lunch is enjoyed today with the group in Launceston with a visit of Launceston’s Cataract Gorge and a ride up the cable car to enjoy the sweeping view across the gorge. In the afternoon we check into our hotel, and the rest of the afternoon is free to make your own local discoveries. Tonight, enjoy a highlight farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Highlight Dinner
SNAPSHOT – WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- Transfer from Cradle Mountain to Launceston
- Visit the town of murals, Sheffield
- Group lunch
- Visit Cataract Gorge, Launceston
- Farewell dinner at a local restaurant
Day 09
Launceston
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the group hotel. Transfer to the airport today is by your own arrangement.
Meals: Breakfast
Itineraries may be subject to change, due to circumstances outside of our control. If there is any itinerary change prior to departure of significance we aim to inform you prior to travel. Itinerary changes while on tour will be informed by your tour leader/guide while on tour.
Note: where travel falls on a public holiday, excursions may not be available as described by the itinerary above and lunch & dinner may be changed for a hotel venue. Some excursions not available may take place the next morning (subject to availability).
