Tassie Getaway — Self-Launched: Launceston to Hobart on a Budget
7 days · Tasmania, Australia
AAT Kings charges £2,080
No-markup version: ~£605 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 7-day self-launched version of AAT Kings' "Tassie Getaway", doing the same loop — Launceston, Bridestowe lavender fields, Bicheno penguins, Freycinet and Wineglass Bay, Richmond's convict history, Port Arthur, and Hobart — on public buses, a couple of shared day tours and a hitch-free DIY hire car option. You book everything direct: TassieLink/Calows coaches between towns, GetYourGuide or direct-operator day trips for Wineglass Bay, Port Arthur and the penguins, and hostel/budget motel beds instead of coach-tour hotels. Expect roughly a fifth of the coach price, with all the same landscapes.
Day-by-day
Arrive Launceston — Cataract Gorge & Tamar River
Launceston
Fly or take the Spirit of Tasmania into Launceston and check into a central hostel or budget motel near the CBD (Batman Fawkner Inn and several Airbnbs are cheap and walkable). Spend the afternoon at Cataract Gorge Reserve — free entry, a 15-minute walk from the centre — and ride the scenic chairlift over the gorge (£10-12 one way). Do the short Duck Reach / First Basin cliff walk for bushland and Victorian garden views over the Tamar. Cook or eat at the Harvest Market / food trucks in the evening.
🚌Airport shuttle or local bus #2 from airport (~£5); all sightseeing on foot
🛏Hostel dorm or budget motel, Launceston CBD (~£25-35)
- →Cataract Gorge chairlift ride
- →Cataract Gorge cliff & basin walk
- →Harvest Market / Tamar riverside stroll
Launceston to Bicheno via Bridestowe Lavender & Legerwood
Bicheno
Take the early TassieLink/Calows coach from Launceston towards the East Coast. To reach Bridestowe Lavender Estate (peak bloom Dec–Jan) either hop off on the Sideling route and pre-book a taxi transfer, or — easier for solo travellers — book a half-day Bridestowe shuttle from Launceston before continuing. Sample lavender ice-cream and honey. Stop at the Legerwood Carved Memorial Trees (free, roadside, easy to reach on the coach route). Arrive Bicheno by late afternoon and join a self-booked Bicheno Penguin Tour at dusk (£25-30) to see little penguins return to their burrows.
🚌TassieLink/Calows coach Launceston–Bicheno (~£25-30); local taxi/shuttle to Bridestowe (~£15)
🛏Bicheno hostel/guesthouse or caravan-park cabin (~£30-40)
- →Bridestowe Lavender Estate visit
- →Lavender ice-cream & honey tasting
- →Legerwood Carved Memorial Trees
- →Bicheno little penguin evening tour
Freycinet National Park & Wineglass Bay
Coles Bay / Freycinet
Book a Freycinet day tour from Bicheno (GetYourGuide or direct with a local operator, £70-95) or, if you've picked up a hire car, drive the 40 minutes into Coles Bay and pay the park pass (~£20 per vehicle/day). Walk the Wineglass Bay Lookout track (1-1.5 hrs return, steep but short) and optionally descend to the beach. Add the Cape Tourville Lighthouse circuit for Hazards Range views. Swap the coach's lunch cruise for either the self-bookable Wineglass Bay cruise (£80-100) or a picnic on the sand — both give the same bay. Overnight back in Bicheno or push to Swansea.
🚌Operator day tour pickup, or DIY hire car (from ~£35-45/day plus fuel)
🛏Bicheno or Swansea hostel/cabin (~£30-40)
- →Wineglass Bay Lookout hike
- →Cape Tourville Lighthouse circuit
- →Optional Wineglass Bay lunch cruise
- →Hazards Range viewpoints
East Coast to Triabunna, Richmond & Sorell
Richmond / Sorell
Coach south to Triabunna (TassieLink), then connect to Sorell or Richmond via local bus (TassieLink/Calows, or the #1 Hobart bus from Sorell). In Richmond, explore the convict-built gaol and 1820s bridge (free), Old Hobart Town model village (£15), and the boutique craft shops. For the Indigenous cultural element, pre-book a palawa-hosted bushtucker or welcome-to-country experience in the Richmond/Sorell area (local operators list these on GetYourGuide, £40-60) — or join an Aboriginal cultural walk on the way. Stay at a farm-stay or budget cabin near Sorell/Iron Creek Bay and cook dinner yourself with local produce from the Sorell farmers market.
🚌TassieLink coach Bicheno–Triabunna (~£12); connecting bus to Sorell/Richmond (~£8)
🛏Farm-stay cabin or budget motel near Sorell/Iron Creek (~£35-45)
- →Richmond convict gaol & bridge
- →Old Hobart Town model village
- →Richmond boutique shopping
- →Optional palawa bushtucker / welcome to country experience
Port Arthur Historic Site & Tasman Peninsula
Port Arthur / Hobart
Take a self-booked Port Arthur day tour from Hobart or Sorell (GetYourGuide, £65-90 including entry and transport) — this covers the same historian-led site walk, the Isle of the Dead harbour cruise, Pirate's Bay Lookout, and stops at Tasman's Arch, Devils Kitchen and the Blowhole. Alternatively catch the 7:00am TassieLink bus from Hobart to Port Arthur and buy the site pass direct (£25, valid 2 days) plus the Isle of the Dead cruise (£22). Arrive back in Hobart in the evening; dinner at the Salamanca / North Hobart strip.
🚌Day tour pickup, or TassieLink Hobart–Port Arthur (~£18 each way)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Hobart CBD (~£30-40)
- →Port Arthur Historic Site entry & guided walk
- →Isle of the Dead cruise
- →Pirate's Bay Lookout
- →Tasman's Arch, Devils Kitchen & Blowhole
Hobart — Salamanca, MONA & Mount Wellington
Hobart
Free day in Hobart. Morning at Salamanca Market (Saturdays) and the waterfront, then the Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery (free). Take the MONA ferry and gallery (£30 ferry + £25 entry, or free entry for Tasmanian residents) — the standout art experience in town. Late afternoon, catch the public #33/#49 bus or a cheap Uber to the Mount Wellington (kunanyi) summit for alpine forest and River Derwent views (£4 bus, or join a £30 sunset tour). Optional: swap for a Bruny Island cruise day (GetYourGuide, £95-130) if you'd rather see fur seals and Australia's highest sea cliffs.
🚌Hobart public buses (~£4-6 day), MONA ferry (~£10)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Hobart CBD (~£30-40)
- →Salamanca Market & waterfront
- →Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery
- →MONA gallery & ferry
- →Mount Wellington summit sunset
Hobart — Departure
Hobart
Morning coffee on the Battery Point / Sandy Bay walk, a final look at Constitution Dock, then take the airport SkyBus (£12, every 30 mins) for your onward flight. If you have a late flight, squeeze in the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens (free) or the Hobart Rivulet track.
🚌SkyBus Hobart CBD–airport (~£12)
🛏—
- →Battery Point & Sandy Bay walk
- →Constitution Dock
- →Optional Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens
Self-launched vs. AAT Kings
| This itinerary (self-launched) | AAT Kings | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£605 | £2,080 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,475 per person (71%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more AAT Kings-style trips? Check them out here.~£605
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Tassie Getaway — Self-Launched: Launceston to Hobart on a Budget cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £605 per person for 7 days in Tasmania, Australia. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with AAT Kings?+
Yes — AAT Kings charges around £2,080 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £605 — a saving of roughly £1,475 (71%) per person.
How long is the Tasmania, Australia trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Tasmania, Australia.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, hiking trip through Tasmania, Australia, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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