13 Days from $6,572*per person, twin share

Guided Holidays - First Choice | Hobart Return

Inclusions:

• Centrally located premium hotels
• Specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver Guide
• 24 Included meals
• Be My Guest Lunch and Cider Tasting with host Guy Robertson at Mt Gnomon Farm in Penguin

Highlights:

• Bridestowe Lavender Farm is blooming beautiful; take a backstage tour (and a scoop of purple ice-cream is a must!).
• The apples grown at Mount Gnomon are transformed into cider, which you’ll sip over a Be My Guest lunch with farmer Guy Robertson.
• Who better to reveal Port Arthur’s heritage than a resident historian, guiding you through Australia’s best-preserved convict site.
• Tassie has some of the county’s most immense wilderness areas; your holiday contributes to their growth by sponsoring planting projects.

Tour Code: THLH

Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome to Hobart

Welcome to Hobart! Enjoy a leisurely start to your tour by having a wander around the picturesque Constitution Dock at your doorstep or take a stroll along the Derwent River before meeting your Travel Director and fellow travellers this afternoon for a Welcome Reception followed by delicious meal at Tasman Restaurant.

Hotel: Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart, 2 nights
Included Meals: Dinner with Wine

Day 2: Salamanca Market and City Sights

Wake up today to the sights, sounds, flavours, colour and action of Salamanca Market. Explore the market stalls, wander through the historic sandstone warehouses discovering innovative Tasmanian arts and crafts as you delight in the taste and aroma of freshly baked goods and local produce, meeting the friendly people who make or grow what they sell. Take a moment to sit back and relax at one of Salamanca's cafes and watch the world pass you by with cooling ale or locally produced cider in hand. This afternoon it’s all aboard for a city sights tour of Tassie’s capital. Stroll through the Botanical Gardens, then visit historic Battery Point, and Cascade Brewery before driving up to Mt. Nelson Lookout for panoramic views over the city. 

Included Meals: Breakfast

Day 3: Hobart - Strahan

Journey west to magnificent Mt. Field National Park to see picturesque Russell Falls. Breath in the fresh moist air when you join your Travel Director for a stroll to the tiered falls through luscious green rainforest. Later take the winding journey to picturesque Lake St. Clair, Australia’s deepest lake. Continuing along the rainforest bordered road of World Heritage protected Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, you’ll pass through the moonscape of the mining town of Queenstown before your final stop today at the seaside township of Strahan. Enjoy views of magnificent Macquarie Harbour, seven times the size of Sydney Harbour, from your hotel perched on the hillside.

Hotel: Strahan Village
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Day 4: Strahan - Cradle Mountain

A highlight today is your cruise on the Gordon River. Be awestruck by the dark waters, stained amber by Button-grass tannins, which reflect the untouched wilderness. Stop at Sarah Island for an insight into a relic of Tasmania’s convict history, and see Hells Gates, the notoriously treacherous entrance to the harbour. This afternoon pass through the mining towns of Rosebery and Tullah as you travel to your hotel on the boundary of sensational Cradle Mountain National Park.

Hotel: Cradle Mountain Hotel, 2 nights
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner with Wine

Day 5: Cradle Mountain

This morning you’ll marvel at the inspiring beauty of Cradle Mountain National Park. Join your Travel Director for a visit to the Waldheim Chalet for insight into the early history of the Cradle Mountain area. Later, take a guided walk by Dove Lake. You may spot Bennett’s wallabies, echidnas and pademelons grazing along the way.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Day 6: Cradle Mountain - Launceston

After breakfast, take a walk with a local expert through the Hellyers Road Whisky Distillery in Burnie. You’ll then make your way east to Mount Gnomon Farm hidden high in the hills overlooking the picturesque township of Penguin.  Here you will enjoy a Be My Guest lunch by host and passionate farmer, Guy Robertson who will show you around his garden and property. Continue to quirky Sheffield, the ‘Town of Murals’, then call in at the award-winning Ashgrove Tasmanian Farm to try a selection of local cheeses before travelling through the Meander Valley to Launceston.

Hotel: Hotel Grand Chancellor Launceston, 2 nights
Included Meals: Breakfast, Be My Guest Lunch

Day 7: Launceston

Immerse yourself in Launceston’s magnificent Cataract Gorge with a Welcome to County ceremony conducted by members of the local Aboriginal community, followed by a guided walk where you’ll hear about the history of the area through their eyes. Later, take a scenic drive through rolling hills for a delicious lunch and wine-tasting at Josef Chromy Wines. This afternoon you may like to take an optional experience cruise on the beautiful Tamar River, or relax and explore this beautiful city at your own pace.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner with Wine

Day 8: Launceston - Freycinet

Visit the beautiful Bridestowe Lavender Estate this morning and treat yourself to its famous lavender ice cream. Later visit the unique Legerwood Carved Memorial Trees site. After your lunch at the seaside town of St Helens, follow the picturesque East Coast south to Freycinet National Park for your accommodation for the next two nights.

Hotel: Freycinet Lodge, 2 nights
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Day 9: Wineglass Bay Cruise

Start the day with a short drive through dry eucalypt forests to Cape Tourville for a walk that will allow you stunning views of brilliant blue water and golden beaches as far as the eye can see.  Then, experience a four-hour lunch cruise along the coast of the stunning Freycinet Peninsula. This cruise will take you from the gentle shores of Coles Bay past towering pink granite cliffs to the famous Wineglass Bay, a flawless crescent of dazzling white sand. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner with Wine

Day 10: Freycinet - Hobart

This morning you’ll journey west and down through the Midlands, stopping for morning tea in historic Ross, renowned for being both the finest nineteenth-century village in Australia, and for its Scallop Pies! Heading south, you’ll stop in picturesque Oatlands for a bite to eat before making your way back to Hobart where you’ll join in the AAT Kings Sustainability Programme that allows you to give back to the local community by helping volunteers pot native plants and count seeds at a local not for profit nursery. Later today, check into your hotel and enjoy an afternoon and evening at leisure.

Hotel: Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart (Harbour View Room), 3 nights
Included Meals: Breakfast

Day 11: Port Arthur

Explore Port Arthur Historic Site today. Cross Eaglehawk Neck to the Tasman Peninsula and enjoy a cruise around the Isle of the Dead and a fascinating guided walk of Port Arthur's infamous convict prison. See rugged sea cliffs from Pirate’s Bay Lookout and feast your eyes on the amazing vistas of Tasman’s Arch, Devil’s Kitchen and the Blowhole on the drive back to Hobart. Tonight is free for you to explore at leisure.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Day 12: Hobart Free Time

Today is your day so feel free to explore all that Australia’s most southern capital has to offer. Why not try one of our many optional tours or speak to your Tour Director about recommendations. This evening, celebrate your holiday with your fellow travellers at a Farewell Dinner in one of Hobart's popular restaurants.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Farewell Dinner

Day 13: Farewell from Hobart

This morning after breakfast, say farewell to your new friends when your indulgent holiday comes to an end. 

Included Meals: Breakfast

Please note: This itinerary may be subject to change.