This post is a continuation of my article about things to do in Southern Tasmania. These articles are designed to help you plan your own trip to Tasmania and work out which parts of the state you most want to visit.

In this article, I’m writing about the three other parts of the state – the West, North and East.

Things to do on the East Coast of Tasmania

The East coast is the place to go for beautiful beaches and warmer weather.  There are plenty of small towns that are good to base yourself for a beach break such as Bicheno (my personal favourite), St Helens or Scamander and many East coast Tasmania things to do.

Freycinet National Park and Wineglass Bay

The most popular things to do on Tasmania’s East Coast is to visit Freycinet National Park and Wineglass Bay. Wineglass Bay is often on lists of the most beautiful beaches of the world and rightly so.  It is just gorgeous.

Part of what makes Wineglass Bay so special is that it is located in Freycinet National Park.  It takes about an hour to hike to the beach via a lookout on a path that is quite steep at times, but it is well worth the effort.  This keeps the hordes away!!

Pub in a Paddock

For a quirky stop when loooking for things to do in North East Tasmania, you can’t go wrong with Priscilla the beer drinking pig in a pub in Pyengana.  For $2 you can buy thirsty Priscilla a special pig beer.

Things to do in North Tasmania

Launceston

I find Launceston (Tasmania’s second largest city) quite boring, but then I am from Hobart, so I am not allowed to like it!

Cataract Gorge is a lovely area though.  There is a gorge (obviously!), swimming pool, hiking trails and the world’s longest single span chair lift.

Gourlay’s lolly shop and factory have some of the yummiest lollies in the world (yes, I am supposedly distantly related but not closely enough for free lollies sorry!).

No visit to Launceston is complete, however,  without a trip to see the monkeys at City Park.

Tamar Valley

This area just outside of Launceston has lots of great wineries!!  It is definitely worth the effort to spend a day driving round this region if wineries are your thing. It’s also a good way to get to North East Tasmania attractions.

There is a cute swiss style village called Grindelwald 15 minutes out of Launceston.  It has some cute shops, a resort and a golf course and is worth a look for something different.

Read more about our list of things to do in Launceston and the Tamar Valley.

Cradle Mountain

The Cradle Mountain – Lake St Clair National Park is a popular attraction.  Its a beautiful area, and the overland track (80km) is well known to hikers.  For day trippers or people who like a bit of luxury with their wilderness, Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake are easily accessible, and there are a range of accommodation options at the entry to the park.

It is more popular than you might think.  We tried to visit Dove Lake one Easter, and it was so packed full of people that we gave up!  Thankfully we had better luck visiting right before Christmas although the shuttle buses which take you in and out of the park were quite full. If you want to take your own car in, you need to arrive early.

Things to do in North West of Tasmania

Many of the North Tasmania things to do are in this part of the state. There are many towns dotted along the NW Coast with some great beach towns.  Boat Harbour is particularly pretty.  There is a big penguin to visit in Penguin.  Wynyard and Boat Harbour are my favourite places for a family beach stop.

Stanley is famous for “The Nut” – a sheer sided bluff which is the remains of a volcanic plug. You can climb to the top or take a chair lift.  You can also do tours to see seals, penguins and other animals. There are also some amazing attractions nearby in the Tarkine (read more here). It’s also just a nice town to hang out in an a good place to use as a base.

Read more in our full guide to North West Tasmania.

Things to do in West Coast Tasmania

The West Coast is very scenic and definitely the place to head if you want to feel like you have escaped the world.  The drive in is through big forests and it’s quite a shock when you reach pretty Strahan village on the West coast of Tasmania.  It is a stunning location, but it is on the pricey side, so you do need to budget more for this part of Tasmania than others.  It is worth it though!! There are some fabulous West coast Tasmania attractions.

West Coast Wilderness Railway

This railway runs through some absolutely stunning scenery between Strahan and Queenstown, making stops along the way.  If you can afford to upgrade, I recommend upgrading to premier class which came with delicious local produce, cheeses and an open bar when we made the journey.

Gordan River Cruise

Strahan is situated on the Gordan River, and another highly recommended activity is to take a cruise along this river.  From the fancy boat, you can check out this stunning scenery and have time walking around the old penal settlement of Sarah Island.

For more things to do in West Coast Tasmania, read about our West Coast Wilderness experience.

Edge of the World

This scenic stop at Arthurs River  is called the Edge of the World because there is no land going West from this point until Argentina – which makes it the longest uninterrupted expanse of ocean on the globe.

When to go?

The best time to go is Summer.  The weather will be warm, hot at times, but mostly very nice.  I especially love the period over Christmas/New Years in Hobart.  They have a great festival called Taste of Tasmania with lots of local food and wine.  There is quite a party atmosphere and you can watch the boats finish the famous Sydney to Hobart yacht race.  Of course, this is also the peak time to visit the state, so you need to plan ahead and expect things to be more expensive.

Winter is cold, but often fine. If you are looking for things to do in Tasmania in winter, Hobart and the southern parts of the state can be especially good as there are many indoor attractions. In saying that, the often clear weather can mean that what to do in Tasmania in July is often the same as January – apart from when it comes to activities like swimming at beaches.

Food and accommodation

Tasmania markets itself as a foodie destination, and there is great food and wine to be found everywhere.

Accommodation is plentiful (except can be tricky in Hobart over new years so book ahead), and you can find accommodation to suit all budgets. I would recommend looking into caravan parks if you are on a tight budget. This can often be the most economical option and often awesome units are available.

Here are choices for accommodation in the North, West and East coast of Tasmania where I have stayed:

• Freycinet Lodge – Amazing accommodation by Freycinet National Park. Click here for the latest prices.
• Big 4 Iluka on Freycinet – Handy location in Coles Bay by Freycinet National Park. A variety of room/cabin types. Click here for the latest prices.
• Aspect Tamar Valley Resort – Set in the Swiss Village of Grindelwald this is a great place to stay with many facilities, activities and room types. Click here for the latest prices –Read our full review.
• Hotel Grand Chancellor – Handy, 4 star accommodation in the centre of Launceston. Click here for the latest prices.
• Discovery Park – Cradle Mountain – Nice cabins surrounded by bush opposite the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre. Click here for the latest prices.
• Stanley Hotel and Apartments – Great option in this scenic town with beautiful cottages. Click here for the latest prices.
• Sunrise Devonport – Convenient option near the Spirit of Tasmania perfect for your first or last night in the state. Click here for the latest prices.
• Kitty’s Place – Convenient, well priced option in Strahan. Click here for the latest prices.

Need more inspiration? Check out my guide to the top 25 things to see in Tasmania – the ultimate bucket list! And find all of my Tasmanian resources here.

So what have I missed?  What are other things to do in Tasmania? Feel free to add any other suggestions to the comments 🙂

Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. This means that if you make a booking after clicking on one that I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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