If you’re looking for things to do in Hobart, Tasmania, then look no further than Hobart’s famous waterfront.

Modern Hobart history started at Macquarie Wharf – convicts and settlers landed at what was then known as Hunter Island. A causeway was built in 1820, and Hunter Street was born.

Hundreds of years of cultural history have been built back from Macquarie Wharf. The ‘fish punts’ and docks have been home to Tasmania’s world-renowned fishing industry, and that sea-faring history is reflected in the restaurants and museums of the waterfront.

Hobart has a wonderful art and food culture that welcomes guests from all over the world to be part of Tasmania’s story.

Indigenous Walking Tour: Blak Led Tours hosts several award-winning tours by indigenous guides around the Hobart CBD.

The Hobart City Architectural Walk is a list of 97 architecturally significant buildings you can peruse at your pleasure.

The Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery houses significant Tasmanian historic collections and is particularly family-friendly. Dunn Place, Hobart

Mawson’s Huts Foundation has a Replica Museum on the corner of Morrison and Argyle Streets, a site just 200m from where Mawson’s famous Antarctic expedition departed in 1911.

Tasmania’s famous Lark Distillery has a ‘cellar door’ where tourists and locals alike enjoy whisky-tasting flights and more. Located at 14 Davey Street, this venue is adjacent to the Tasmanian Visitor Information Centre.

Forty-Spotted Gin Bar is a stone’s throw from Lark at L1/30 Argyle Street. This gin bar isn’t just a bar, it’s an experience, where visitors are invited to understand and appreciate all aspects of gin creation and consumption.

The now infamous Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) is up the River Derwent from Hobart, and a dedicated MONA ferry leaves Brooke Street Pier at regular intervals Friday-Monday.

Theatre royal

The Theatre Royal, Hobart is one of Australia’s oldest theatres. Admire the architecture or catch a show within walking distance of dinner on Hunter Street.

MONA’s midwinter festival Dark Mofo takes over Hobart for two weeks every winter. This unique festival celebrates the dark through large-scale public art, music, fire, food, light and noise.

Hunter Street, Hobart 

Discover Hobart’s history on a Storytelling Tour! The following tours leave MACq 01 hotel reception each day and are only $20 for the public or free to guests of MACq 01 or The Henry Jones Art Hotel. 

Man on Hidden Hobart Tours takes photograph

  • Hidden Hobart: The Viewfinder Tour takes you from Hunter Street to Salamanca, using retro viewfinders to see a ‘then and now’ of Hobart history. 
  • The Sticky Stones and Secrets Tour takes you behind the scenes of The Henry Jones Art Hotel and its fascinating site history. 
  • 114 Doors: The People and Places of Hobart Tour takes you through the halls of MACq 01 Hotel and explores the fascinating stories of 114 Tasmanian Characters, old and new. 

Bookings are recommended for all tours, call 03 6210 7600.

The IXL Development in Hunter Street still appears as a group of original 19th-century factories on the outside but hosts a community of galleries and eateries inside. 

Most exciting here are the fine artworks and antiques – as each building has been redeveloped, many fine antiques have remained untouched, ready for curious collectors and appreciators of art to pick out extraordinary artefacts of Tasmanian life. Explore the IXL Tasmanian Art Gallery on Hunter Street – and that’s just the start. 

Visit The University of Tasmania’s School of Creative Arts galleries in the Hunter Street Precinct and see something surprising and discover or invest in a young Tasmanian artist after seeing their work at the Plimsoll Gallery and the Entrepot Gallery. 

Where to Wine and Dine in Hobart, Tasmania in Winter

If you’re seeking the best Tasmanian wine or a steak that you’ll talk about for years to come Landscape Restaurant & Grill is your venue. The heart of the Landscape kitchen is the Asado Grill which uses charred timbers to deliver a unique smoky flavour to your steak. Landscape is famous for its collection of award-winning landscape artworks, with a focus on John Glover and more recent works of art depicting Tasmania and/or by Tasmanians.

Head to MACq 01 Hotel for a taste of Tasmania right on the waterfront. MACq 01’s Old Wharf Restaurant dishes up classic Tasmanian dishes and crowd pleasers like Tasmanian cheeses, Bruny Island oysters, and delicious desserts. The Lounge in MACq 01 has an all-day menu with a focus on storytelling too, so when in doubt, choose this stunning venue on the waterfront and get a slice of Tasmanian history with your meal.

The Story Bar inside MACq 01 Hotel is a quiet waterfront bar, perfect for a pre-dinner tipple. Deluxe cocktails are a specialty at Story Bar, so it’s a place for the discerning alcohol consumer, and the ‘bar food’ is the high-end fare of the hotel’s Old Wharf Restaurant. The unique ‘storytelling’ theme flows throughout the bar, from historical newspaper headlines decorating the walls to drinks that tell stories of Tasmania’s past. Voted Australia’s Best Hotel Bar, you don’t want to miss this venue.

Evolve Spirits Bar, Hobart

Evolve Spirits Bar is for serious spirit connoisseurs and for the fine-spirit curious among us. Evolve has collected rare whiskies, rums, vodkas, gins and everything in between for your tasting pleasure. Explore their extraordinary collection of fossils dating back to the Cambrian period 550 years ago and warm the cockles of your heart with the world’s best tipples. 

Cascade Brewery, Tasmania

Step inside Australia’s oldest continually operating brewery, just ten minutes south of Hobart’s CBD. Located at the foot of kunanyi / Mount Wellington, Cascade Brewery is an architectural delight and home to Hobart’s famous brews, from Cascade Lager to Mercury Cider. This popular tourist attraction showcases a piece of Tasmanian history. Built by colonial prisoner Peter Degraves, the site was intended to be used as a sawmill before Degraves found fame as a brewer. Join a tour and learn more about brewing Hobart’s favourite beers.

A Taste of the Country, within a half hour from Hobart

Go for a wander around New Norfolk, a half-hour drive from Hobart. A collection of quaint shops including Flywheel, Miss Arthur, plus Black Swan Coffee & Bookstore make this small town a tourist’s delight.

The Agrarian Kitchen at New Norfolk (agrarian meaning relating to cultivated land) was born of the owners wanting to grow and cook authentic food via their connection to the earth. The kitchen itself is in New Norfolk’s Willow Court, which was originally a mental asylum (history tours are available, and paranormal tours for those so inclined!). Now you can settle into a dine-in lunch (bookings required), a reserved cooking class, or sit outside and enjoy a bite to eat from the kiosk.

Historic Richmond and the Coal River Valley in Hobart’s north are home to some of Tasmania’s finest produce, from fine wines to locally made cheese and chocolates. Richmond is a quaint town rich in history and architecture, with more than 50 historic buildings lining its streets. Visit the iconic sandstone Richmond Bridge, the oldest bridge in Australia that’s still in use, built by convicts in the 1820s. For wine lovers and foodies, explore the beautiful Coal River Valley regions including Frogmore Creek and Coal River Farm.

Frogmore Creek’s Cellar Door & Restaurant is the classic winery experience – taste, dine and stay a while. Sample Frogmore Creek’s acclaimed cool-climate wines, graze on great produce and just enjoy the scenery.

Coal River Farm is 15 minutes north of the Hobart CBD but this ‘little farm that could’ produces award-winning cheese, chocolate and condiments. Visit Coal River Farm’s popular restaurant (open seven days) and try their unique ‘High Cheese’ while soaking in stunning views of the valley.

Willie Smith’s Apple Shed is just 25 minutes south of Hobart in the picturesque Huon Valley. Run in the 21st century by the fourth generation of Smith men, Willie Smith’s Apple Shed and Orchard has evolved since 1888 from an apple tree planting, to a cider distillery, and now to a great attraction and destination of one of Tasmania’s biggest festivals. See ‘Big Willie Burning’ at the Mid-Winter Fest every year.

With the spectacular Hobart waterfront hotels MACq 01 or The Henry Jones Art Hotel as your base, we know you’ll have a wonderful stay in Hobart, Tasmania in Winter.