Hobart packs an outsized cultural and natural punch for a city of 250,000. Its crown jewel is MONA, the largest privately funded museum in the Southern Hemisphere, built into a sandstone cliff on the Berriedale peninsula. But the city also delivers a world-class Saturday market, a 1,271-metre mountain with summit road access, Australia’s oldest brewery, and one of the country’s best-preserved colonial waterfronts. Most attractions sit within a 15-minute walk or drive of the CBD, making Hobart unusually easy to explore in 3-4 days. Here are the essential things to do in Hobart, with hours, prices, and practical details. For a complete overview, see our Hobart travel guide.
Art and Museums
Museum of Old and New Art (MONA)
MONA is the reason many travellers come to Hobart. Opened in 2011 by professional gambler David Walsh, it’s carved into the Triassic sandstone of the Berriedale peninsula 11km north of the CBD. The collection spans ancient Egyptian sarcophagi through to a machine that turns food into what it euphemistically calls brown sludge (Cloaca by Wim Delvoye). The building itself is disorienting by design: no windows, no wall labels (you use an iPod-like O device instead), and a deliberately confusing floorplan that starts underground and works upward. Entry costs AUD 38 for adults, AUD 32 for concessions, and AUD 15 for under-18s. Tasmanian residents enter free. The museum is open Friday-Monday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (closed Tuesday-Thursday). The best way to arrive is the MONA ferry from Brooke Street Pier (AUD 25 return, 25 minutes each way), which departs hourly and doubles as a sightseeing cruise past the Tasman Bridge. Allow 3-4 hours inside, plus time for the on-site Moorilla winery, Moo Brew brewery, and Source restaurant. Check our Hobart weather by month breakdown for more information.
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG)
TMAG on Dunn Place (adjacent to Constitution Dock) is Australia’s second-oldest museum, founded in 1846. It combines natural history, Aboriginal heritage (the palawa / pakana people have inhabited Tasmania for at least 40,000 years), colonial artifacts, and a strong collection of Tasmanian colonial and contemporary art. The standout is the thylacine (Tasmanian tiger) exhibit, including the famous 1933 footage of the last captive specimen. Entry is free. Open Tuesday-Sunday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, closed Mondays. Allow 90 minutes. Check our best time to visit Hobart guide for more information.
Outdoor and Nature
kunanyi / Mount Wellington
The mountain that dominates Hobart’s skyline rises to 1,271 metres (4,170 feet) and is accessible by a sealed 21km road from the CBD (Pinnacle Road via Huon Road, allow 30 minutes driving each way). The summit features an enclosed observation shelter (the Pinnacle), the hiking trailhead for the Organ Pipes Track, and a boardwalk to panoramic views spanning the Derwent estuary, Storm Bay, Bruny Island, and on clear days the Tasman Peninsula 80km away. The summit is typically 10°C cooler than the city with strong winds, so bring a jacket even in summer. The road is occasionally closed by snow or ice in winter, check the Hobart City Council website before driving up. Free entry, open 24 hours (road closes at dusk in winter for safety). For hikers, the Zig Zag Track climbs from The Springs (720m) to the summit in roughly 2 hours return. Metro bus 448 runs from Franklin Square to Fern Tree on weekdays, but you’ll need a car, taxi (AUD 45-55 from the CBD), or tour to reach the summit. Check our Hobart events and festivals calendar for more information.
Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens
Established in 1818, these are Australia’s second-oldest botanical gardens, occupying 14 hectares on the Queens Domain 2km from the city centre. Highlights include the Subantarctic Plant House (a refrigerated display of Macquarie Island flora), the Japanese Garden, and the Conservatory with seasonal floral displays. The gardens host the weekly Farmers Market on Sundays 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Entry is free (gold coin donation suggested). Open daily 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (6:30 PM in summer). The on-site Succulent Restaurant serves breakfast and lunch. Allow 1-2 hours. Walkable from the CBD via the Hobart Rivulet Track or bus 407 from the city. Check our Hobart neighborhoods overview for more information.
Bruny Island Day Trip
Bruny Island sits 40km south of Hobart (50 minutes by car plus a 20-minute vehicular ferry from Kettering, AUD 38 return per car). The island is actually two land masses (North and South Bruny) connected by a narrow isthmus called The Neck, where a timber staircase leads to a lookout with 360-degree views of Adventure Bay and the Tasman Sea. Key stops: Get Shucked oyster farm (fresh oysters from AUD 18/dozen), Bruny Island Cheese Company, Cape Bruny Lighthouse (AUD 15 for a tour), and the Pennicott Wilderness Journeys eco-cruise along the sea cliffs (AUD 155, 3 hours). Bruny Island Premium Wines runs tastings daily. The ferry operates 7 days, roughly every 30-60 minutes from 6:30 AM to 7:00 PM. Plan a full day. Check our where to stay in Hobart guide for more information.
Markets and Food
Salamanca Market
Every Saturday from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM, Salamanca Place transforms into Tasmania’s largest outdoor market with approximately 300 stalls stretching from the Salamanca Arts Centre to the silos end. Stalls sell Huon pine woodwork, leather goods, merino wool garments, local gin and whisky (sample McHenry Distillery and Lark Distillery), organic produce, and street food from Ethiopian to Malaysian. The market operates rain, hail, or shine, the sandstone warehouses provide some shelter in wet weather. Arrive before 10:00 AM to beat the crowds, especially in summer. Free entry. The market sits opposite the Constitution Dock fishing fleet, and directly alongside restaurants and galleries in the converted 1830s warehouses. Check our Hobart travel tips and FAQ for more information.
Cascade Brewery
Australia’s oldest continuously operating brewery (founded 1824) sits at the foot of Mount Wellington in South Hobart, a 10-minute drive or 40-minute walk from the CBD along the Hobart Rivulet Track. The sandstone Gothic Revival building is photogenic in its own right, set against the mountain backdrop. Brewery tours run daily at 10:30 AM, 12:00 PM, 1:30 PM and 3:00 PM and cost AUD 32 including four beer tastings. The tour covers the brewing process, the brewery’s convict-built foundations, and the Cascade story. The on-site Cascade Brewery Bar serves meals and beer paddles (AUD 15 for four tasters) from 11:00 AM to late. The Cascade gardens are a popular picnic spot. Book tours ahead in summer via the Cascade website.
History and Heritage
Battery Point
Hobart’s oldest neighbourhood sits on a headland overlooking the Derwent, named for the battery of guns placed here in 1818. The streets (Hampden Road, Arthur Circus, and St Georges Terrace) are lined with Georgian and Victorian cottages, many built by shipwrights and merchants between 1830 and 1860. Arthur Circus is a ring of workers’ cottages around a village green, one of the few surviving examples in Australia. Walk it yourself (free) or join the Battery Point Walk starting from Salamanca. Key stops: Narryna Heritage Museum (103 Hampden Road, AUD 10, Wednesday-Sunday 11:00 AM-4:00 PM), and the Shipwright’s Arms Hotel (The Shippie) at 29 Trumpeter Street, a classic pub with open fires and counter meals. Allow 1-2 hours for the walking loop.
Port Arthur Historic Site (Day Trip)
Australia’s most intact convict settlement sits on the Tasman Peninsula, 95km (90 minutes) southeast of Hobart. Port Arthur operated from 1830 to 1877 as a secondary punishment station for repeat offenders, with a brutal regime that included solitary confinement in the Separate Prison and hard labour. Today the UNESCO World Heritage site includes 30+ buildings and ruins spread across 40 hectares. Entry costs AUD 47 for adults, AUD 32 for children, and includes a guided walking tour (40 minutes) and a harbour cruise past the Isle of the Dead burial island. The site is open daily 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (until 7:00 PM in summer). Allow 4-5 hours minimum. Self-drive or take a coach tour from Hobart (AUD 125-150 including entry). On the way, stop at the Tasmanian Devil Unzoo at Taranna (AUD 39) and the Tessellated Pavement at Eaglehawk Neck.
