Tassie's East Coast Highlights — Self-Launched
5 days · Tasmania, Australia
AAT Kings charges £1,240
No-markup version: ~£345 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of AAT Kings' 5-day Launceston-to-Hobart coach tour, done independently by public bus, self-drive hire car or a mix of both. You'll still hit Cataract Gorge, Bridestowe Lavender Estate, the Legerwood carved trees, Freycinet National Park and Wineglass Bay, historic Richmond, Port Arthur and Hobart — but on hostel/guesthouse budgets, with self-booked tours through GetYourGuide or direct with the operators. Note the original is really about 4 full touring days, so this version is paced the same way. Costs here assume backpacker accommodation in dorms or budget private rooms; Tasmania's public transport is thin outside Hobart, so the cheapest realistic options are TassieLink coaches plus a few small-group day tours.
Day-by-day
Arrive Launceston & Cataract Gorge
Launceston
Fly or bus into Launceston and check into a hostel in the CBD (Batman Fawkner or Launceston Backpackers area). Spend the afternoon walking the 15 minutes from the city centre to Cataract Gorge — free entry, with the Basin chairlift optional (~£9/A$18 one way) and peacocks wandering the lawns. Pick up groceries for breakfasts and confirm your TassieLink bus tickets for tomorrow. Evening: dinner at a pub on George Street or the food trucks at Harvest Market if it's a Saturday.
🚌Local bus or 20-min walk from Launceston CBD to Cataract Gorge; airport shuttle ~£10
🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room, Launceston CBD (~£22-28 pp)
- →Cataract Gorge walk and Basin
- →Optional chairlift ride
- →Harvest Market (Saturdays)
- →Launceston waterfront stroll
Launceston to Bicheno via Lavender Farm & Legerwood
Bicheno
Public transport doesn't cover Bridestowe or Legerwood well, so the practical budget option is a self-drive hire car (pick up in Launceston, ~£28-38/day) or a GetYourGuide/Klook small-group transfer-style tour. Drive northeast to Bridestowe Lavender Estate near Nabowla (entry ~£8-12, spectacular if you're there Dec-Jan; off-season the fields are green but the café and shop are open). Continue east to Legerwood to see the carved memorial trees, then down the coast to Bicheno. Check into a hostel or caravan-park cabin. In the evening, book the Bicheno penguin tour direct with Bicheno Penguin Tours (~£18-22) to watch little penguins come ashore — book ahead in peak season.
🚌Hire car from Launceston (~£30/day incl. fuel) OR tour + regional coach; Legerwood is a short detour off the Tasman Highway
🛏Hostel or caravan park cabin, Bicheno (~£25-35 pp)
- →Bridestowe Lavender Estate
- →Legerwood Carved Memorial Trees
- →Bicheno blowhole and foreshore
- →Evening little penguin tour
Freycinet National Park & on to Hobart via Richmond
Freycinet / Richmond / Hobart
Get to Freycinet early — from Bicheno it's a 40-minute drive to Coles Bay. Walk the Wineglass Bay Lookout track (1-1.5 hrs return, moderate climb) for the classic view of the pink granite Hazards and the bay; add the beach descent if you have time. National park entry is ~£20 per vehicle for 24 hrs, or buy a Holiday Pass. Drive south to Richmond (~2 hrs) for the Georgian village, convict-built bridge and Coal River Valley wineries, then into Hobart for two nights. If you're car-free, a Freycinet day tour or Wineglass Bay cruise from Coles Bay plus a TassieLink coach to Hobart works, but is pricier and slower.
🚌Self-drive ~3.5 hrs total driving; alternative: Freycinet day tour from Coles Bay + TassieLink coach to Hobart (~£22)
🛏Hostel in Hobart CBD or Battery Point (~£25-32 pp)
- →Wineglass Bay Lookout hike
- →Honeymoon Bay and Cape Tourville
- →Richmond historic village and bridge
- →Optional Coal River Valley winery stop
- →Hobart waterfront at night
Port Arthur Historic Site & Tasman Peninsula
Port Arthur / Hobart
Day trip to the Tasman Peninsula — about 1.5 hrs' drive from Hobart. Book your Port Arthur Historic Site entry online in advance (~£25-28, includes the site, a 40-minute guided walking tour and harbour cruise; skip the cruise if you're short on time — reviewers of the original tour complained it eats into site time). Stop at Tasman Arch and Devil's Kitchen on the way back, and optionally the Tessellated Pavement at Eaglehawk Neck. Without a car, use the Pennicott/Port Arthur shuttle or a GetYourGuide day tour from Hobart (~£60-80 incl. entry). Back in Hobart for dinner at the waterfront or Salamanca.
🚌Self-drive ~3 hrs round trip OR Hobart–Port Arthur shuttle/day tour (~£60-80)
🛏Hostel in Hobart CBD (~£25-32 pp)
- →Port Arthur Historic Site self-booked entry with guided walk
- →Tasman Arch and Devil's Kitchen
- →Tessellated Pavement
- →Optional Isle of the Dead tour
Hobart & Departure
Hobart
Morning at Salamanca Place — MONA is a 25-minute ferry up the Derwent (~£12 each way + ~£20 museum entry, book online) if you have a late flight, otherwise do the free Hobart waterfront walk, Battery Point's colonial streets and the Farm Gate Market (Sundays). Grab a final coffee and check out by 10am; airport bus runs from the CBD (~£10).
🚌Hobart airport SkyBus ~£10, or MONA ferry ~£12 each way
🛏—
- →MONA museum and ferry (optional)
- →Salamanca Market / Farm Gate Market
- →Battery Point walk
Self-launched vs. AAT Kings
| This itinerary (self-launched) | AAT Kings | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£345 | £1,240 |
| Duration | 5 days | 5 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £895 per person (72%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more AAT Kings-style trips? Check them out here.~£345
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's East Coast Highlights — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £345 per person for 5 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 £1,240 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £345 — a saving of roughly £895 (72%) per person.
How long is the Tasmania, Australia trip?+
This itinerary runs 5 days, covering 5 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 culture, hiking, foodie 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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