Launceston Tasmania is a thriving city and is a natural base to explore the surrounding region. Everything you need to have an amazing Tasmanian experience is on Launceston’s doorstep. In fact, the whole region is packed with city and country charm, gorgeous historical towns, excellent food, fantastic Tasmanian wineries and beautiful scenic highlights.
When you are looking at what to do in Launceston, the city offers, parks including the famous Cataract Gorge, museums, walks, great restaurants, cafes and coffee shops.
Thinking of things to do in Launceston? See our local tips below.
If you’re thinking about what to do whilst in the North of Tasmania, here are just a few of our favourite things to see in order to experience what Tasmania has to offer.
Cradle Mountain is a must visit destination offering a magical setting where you can leap off waterfalls, kayak to isolated myrtle forests, ride a horse through alpine wilderness or walk for while. You’re guaranteed to see wildlife including wombats, pademelons and currawongs, echidnas and quolls in the serenity and ancient alpine trees, a two hour drive from Launceston.
Barnbougle is a name that represents two iconic golf courses, The Dunes and Lost Farm, true golfing treasures for both the enthusiast, and social golfer. A little over an hour’s drive from Launceston, with fresh Tasmanian air and the omnipresent echo of crashing waves, Barnbougle is the perfect golfing getaway.
Just one and a half hour drive from Launceston, located in temperate rainforest in North-East Tasmania, the Blue Derby Mountain Bike trails encompass some of the most stunning landscapes in the state.
The trail network has now been completed with the opening of ‘Atlas’, the Black Diamond-standard trail ‘Black Dragon’, the much-anticipated ‘Big Chook’ and the unsurpassed brilliance of the Blue Tier descent.
Freycinet National Park is a peninsula of pink granite mountains, pure white beaches, coastal dunes and dry eucalypt forests on Tasmania’s east coast. The park is famous for Wineglass Bay, considered one of the top ten beaches in the world. Take the shorter drive of two hours via Campbell Town, or the East Coast drive taking two and a half hours.
Wine Tasmania will help visitors navigate their way around Tasmania’s fabulous wine regions. Tasmania enjoys a national and international reputation as a leading producer of some of Australia’s premium wines, with its Pinot Noir and sparkling wines in particular winning high praise and plenty of trophies from wine judges and critics alike.
If you are looking for things to do in Hobart or southern Tasmania (two and a half hour drive from Launceston), you might like to start with these top Tasmanian attractions.
Australia’s most exciting and controversial private museum, the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). Described by its owner as a “subversive adult Disneyland”, the collection includes modern art and antiquities, ranging from ancient Egyptian mummies to some of the world’s most infamous and thought-provoking contemporary art.
The towering natural backdrop to Hobart, Wellington Park contains a wealth of wilderness right on Hobart’s doorstep, just a 20-minute drive from the city centre. Some days you can view down to the city, harbour and coast beyond, other days you could feel like you have stepped into a mystical fog haze.
The iconic Salamanca Market is a celebration of Tasmania’s unique culture, creative artisans, talented musicians and diverse producers. The weekly outdoor market, held every Saturday, brings Hobart’s waterfront alive with the colours, sounds and smells of Tasmania.
This is a replica of the historic huts in Cape Denison, Antarctica, constructed in 1911 by the men of the Australian Antarctic Expedition, led by Dr Douglas Mawson. The Australasian Antarctic Expedition under Douglas Mawson, was the pre-eminent scientific expedition of its time to South Polar regions.
The Port Arthur Historic Site is one of Australia’s most important heritage sites and tourist destinations. Located on the scenic Tasman Peninsula in the south east of Tasmania, it offers a unique and essential experience for all visitors to the area
Bruny Island is home to fur seals, fairy penguins and white wallaby and provides excellent opportunities for birdwatching. On land, you can venture into the wilderness on one of the many Bruny Island bushwalks. On sea, you can join an eco-cruise exploring the stunning coastline of the island.
