Things to do in Hobart without a Car

Are you planning a visit to Hobart and wondering how to make the most of your trip without a car? Hobart, Tasmania’s charming capital, is a city bursting with culture, history, and natural beauty. 

Hobart is a wonderful walking city, so we’ve compiled a list of the best things to do in Hobart without a car.

The below minor guide takes you past the sights of the following destinations:

• Hunter Street
• Mawson’s Hut
• Lark Distillery
• The Hobart Visitor Information Centre
• Salamanca Place (site of Salamanca Markets and Parliament House)
• Brooke Street Pier (MONA ferry departures)
• As well as several food establishments, including the Van Diemen’s Land Creamery.

Hobart Free Walking Tours are given by tourism operators who really are just in it for the love of the game. See Hobart in the friendliest way, like a knowledgeable cousin showing you around. Contact:  https://www.hfwt.com.au/

Hobart History

Hobart’s history comes alive through its well-preserved historic districts. This is one of the best things to do in Hobart without a car.

Battery Point

One of the best ways to explore them is by taking a walking tour. Battery Point, a charming neighbourhood filled with colonial-era homes and gardens, is an ideal place to begin. Stroll through its cobblestone streets, and you’ll be transported back in time.

Storytelling Tour

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

• 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. 
• The 114 Doors: The People and Places of Hobart Tour takes you through the halls of the MACq 01 Hotel and explores the fascinating stories of 114 great Tasmanians.

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

These tours, conducted by knowledgeable guides, provide a fascinating glimpse into the history and artistry that define this unique establishment.

Mawson’s Huts Replica Museum 

Hobart honours Hobart’s Antarctic Gateway status with a museum of Mawson’s Huts right there at Franklin Wharf, open 10-5 pm most days.

Parliament House Hobart Tours 

Between the harbourfront and Salamanca Market sits the grand Parliament House at 1 Salamanca Place, Hobart. Daily tours are 9.30am and 2.30pm on non-sitting days, but public tours aren’t held when large tour groups go through. Call 03 6212 2200 if you want to check if tours are on.

Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery

The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) is ‘a combined museum, art gallery and herbarium which safeguards the physical evidence of Tasmania’s natural and cultural heritage.’

From the TMAG website: 

“The TMAG precinct is one of Australia’s most historically significant sites.  Included in the precinct is Tasmania’s oldest surviving public building, the 1808-10 Commissariat Store; the Private Secretary’s Cottage, built prior to 1815 and originally adjacent to the old Government House; and Tasmania’s first federal building, the 1902 Custom House.”

The Maritime Museum of Tasmania has a significant permanent exhibition covering everything from indigenous watercraft to documents on whaling and global trade. There are also shipwrecks and documents of the Tasman Bridge disaster of 1975, when a bulk carrier took out the bridge, causing 12 deaths.

Sightseeing

Salamanca Market

One of the first stops you should make on your Hobart adventure is Salamanca Place. This historic area is famous for its vibrant atmosphere and rich cultural experiences.

Every Saturday, the Salamanca Market comes to life, offering an incredible variety of handcrafted goods, fresh produce, and local art. Wandering through the market, you can sample delicious Tasmanian food and admire the craftsmanship of local artisans.

Brooke Street Pier

Hobart’s Brooke Street Pier is the Derwent Ferry pier and the MONA Ferry stop, with a supporting small bar scene. You can also embark on premium winery and distillery tours, departing from Brooke Street Pier, offering a taste of Tasmania’s finest beverages from across the region.

Food Walking Tours

Multiple food walking tours are available via operators like Gourmania, and all offer to begin in the harbourfront/ arts precinct. The Visitor Information Centre (VIC) has everything a tourist needs – maps, brochures and personalised recommendations.

Mt Wellington

A Mt Wellington/ Kunanyi tour offers spectacular views (1271m high) and is capped in snow in winter. Always check if the road is open with a tour operator before booking travel up there! The Mt Wellington Explorer has several great options with several start times and route options, departing Brooke Street Pier.

Classic Red Decker Tours

For mindless floating about, Red Decker, The Official Sightseeing Tour Of Hobart, sells 24 and 48-hour tickets. This is one of the best things to do in Hobart without a car, a convenient way to see the sights.

Its cornerstone stop is conveniently located at the Visitor Information Centre/ Lark Distillery site at Davey Street, Hobart. One of the bus loops also passes the landmark Wrest Point Hotel & Casino in Sandy Bay. This is a 6-minute drive south along the bay from the harbour.

The Red Decker also does combination tickets that include tours to Zoodoo Zoo, for that all-important Tasmanian Devil sighting. 

Other optional Red Decker add-ons include trips up Mount Wellington and to Richmond, Tasmania to see the Richmond Bridge, heritage-registered as Australia’s oldest bridge.

Tour Providers

Wineglass Bay Discover Tours are run out of the Visitor Information Centre. Peruse day trips from Hobart, so you can see if the weather and timing work for you that day.

TassieTours.com pick you up from anywhere in the Hobart CBD and offers everything you’d want to see in Tasmania including: 

• The Hobart Highlights Tour, including Mt. Wellington lookout and Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary (see Tasmanian Devils) and Richmond
• The ONLY ‘Cradle Mountain in a day from Hobart’ tour, giving you 4.5 hours to explore (14 hours total)
• Port Arthur Shuttle 
• Cradle Mountain Tours
• Shore excursion tours (specifically catering to those who alight cruise ships)

Hobart Museums and Galleries

Hobart is steeped in history, and there’s no better way to discover it than by visiting the city’s numerous museums and galleries. 

MONA: The Museum of Old and New Art

Located up the River Derwent and its ferry departs from the Brooke Street Pier, a two-minute walk from Hunter Street.

IXL Tasmanian Art Gallery

Formerly Henry Jones Design, this gallery hosts a spectacular array of post-industrial items, especially furniture and décor. Located at 31 Hunter Street, Hobart Tasmania.

The Henry Jones Art Hotel Art and History Tours 

From 4 pm most days, tourists to Hobart and locals can get a great tour of the Henry Jones Art Hotel. Tickets are free for guests of the hotel, or $20 for the general public. 

The Henry Jones Art Hotel is also Tasmania’s 3rd largest art gallery, and Tasmania’s largest Tasmania only emerging artist gallery.

Restaurant & Bar Recommendations

Hobart and Tasmania have a plethora of fashionable establishments to suit every taste. 

Hobart’s development has been spurred on by a focus on local ingredients, local tourism-focused employment and of course – the love of fine wine and spirits.

Want to cut straight to the best?

Hobart’s best waterfront views are from MACq01’s Story Bar, Evolve Spirits Bar, The Lounge by Frogmore Creek and Old Wharf Restaurant. 

IXL Long Bar

Hobart’s best cocktails are at IXL Long Bar, where the bartenders use alchemy for spectacular creations. The wine list is impressive here too, with a focus on Tasmania.

Evolve Spirits Bar

Hobart’s best spirits are at Evolve Spirits Bar. Evolution is the theme of the bar, and the bar has many amazing fossils mounted, including the horn of a triceratops. Evolve prides itself on its collection of high-end spirits, including multiple subcategories of whiskies. Together with its waterfront location, Evolve attracts big names from Hobart’s business elite and represents an evolved view of humanity.

Lark Distillery Whiskey Bar

Hobarts best whiskey bar is one for the die-hards – Lark Distillery Whisky Bar (next door to the Davey St Visitor Information Centre.) Lark Distillery offers tasting flights, a seated outdoor area, and everything you’d expect from a cellar door, 14 Davey Street, Hobart (just behind Franklin Wharf). Evolve Spirits Bar also has a significant range of whiskies and tasting experiences.

Landscape Restaurant and Grill

Hobart’s best steaks in Hobart are at Landscape Restaurant and Grill. Steaks are cooked over the Asado Grill. The restaurant is called Landscape to honour John Glover, an international 19th-century artist who depicted idealised Tasmanian landscapes in Europe. Diners love the restaurant’s wood-fired Asado grill, and Glover’s invaluable The Beggar’s Oak hangs in Landscape’s Dining Room.

Hobart’s best wines are also at Landscape Restaurant and Grill. With 17 by the glass and a spectacular cellar, this world-renowned wine list never fails to impress. 

Story Bar

Hobart’s BEST WINE WITH A VIEW is at Story Bar, inside the MACq01 hotel. 

Hobart’s Best Retail Wine

9/11 Bottleshop is home to Tasmania’s finest wine, spirits and beer. With 21 stores across Tasmania, they are locals’ go-to destination for quality alcoholic beverages. The stores are celebrated for their great selection of Tasmanian products along with exclusive offers on popular beer, wine, and spirits, catering to a variety of tastes and preferences​. 9/11 Bottleshop’s range includes not only larger brands but also boutique and smaller producers that might not be available elsewhere outside Tasmania. This local focus helps support the state’s producers and offers customers a unique taste of Tasmania’s rich winemaking and distilling culture. Find your nearest store in Hobart.

Hobart’s Best Gourmet Retail

Mures have an extensive range of gourmet produce, from a full-size fishmonger, and their own line of products like Prawn Bisque and Smoky Fish Chowder meal bases to seafood-complementing sauces and preserved and fresh fish. You can’t visually miss the imposing Mures retail venue and the restaurant Upper Deck on Victoria Dock when staying on Hunter Street. 

The Henry Jones Art Hotel – Your Home in Hobart

Whether you are walking or catching transport, there are a number of things to do in Hobart without a car. Conveniently, a lot of these activities are in close proximity to the Henry Jones Art Hotel. 

Located at the heart of the Hobart waterfront, this boutique hotel is a fusion of history and modern luxury. The Henry Jones Art Hotel offers unique rooms and suites adorned with contemporary art.

If you would like to stay at the Henry Jones Art Hotel, make a booking today. We have many packages and offers available aimed at making your stay as comfortable as possible. 

So, why wait? Browse our suites and packages, and start planning your unforgettable Hobart journey with The Henry Jones Art Hotel. Your perfect Hobart adventure is just a click away.