Explore the Apple Isle: Melbourne and Tasmania Holiday

Itinerary in brief:

• 3 nights Melbourne
• 2 nights Beauty Point
• 1 night Longford
• 2 nights Freycinet Peninsula
• 2 nights Hobart
• 2 night Tasman Peninsula
• 2 nights Melbourne

Day 1: Depart UK

Depart the UK from your chosen airport.

Included: International flight

Days 2 - 4: Melbourne

You’ll be met on arrival and taken to your accommodation, with three days to discover the cosmopolitan city of Melbourne. It’s a great destination to explore on foot or by tram, and there are some excellent walking tours where you’ll pick up on the insider knowledge of a local. We also recommend heading out to the beautiful Yarra Valley for a winery tour, or perhaps taking a day trip along the stunning Great Ocean Road – we can arrange these for you.

Included: Arrival transfer & hotel

Days 5 & 6: Fly to Launceston, drive to Beauty Point

You'll be taken to the airport for your flight to Tasmania. When you arrive at Launceston Airport, collect your rental car. Make your way to Beauty Point in northern Tasmania, about an hour's drive from the airport, on the doorstep of the Narawntapu National Park. This area is a haven for wildlife and birdlife, especially during dawn and dusk.

Here you can visit the historic town of Beaconsfield (famous for gold mining); see platypus at Platypus House and enjoy the spectacular landscapes of the northeast.

Included: Departure transfer, domestic flight, rental car & hotel

Day 6: Beauty Point to Longford (just over an hour's drive)

After breakfast, leave Beauty Point and head back down to Launceston to explore the city and visit Cataract Gorge. Known as the ‘wilderness in the heart of the city’, this is a great location to spot wallabies and Tasmanian Pademelons and take a ride on the longest single-span chairlift in the world (own expense).

Leave Launceston and drive 15 minutes to the historic town of Longford. Spend a night at the Brickendon colonial estate and farm stay which is adjacent to Woolmers Estate, also World Heritage Listed. Both have stunning gardens to explore, and Woolmers has the National Rose Garden. If you’re a history buff, between them, these two properties also house the best-kept convict records in Australia.

Included: Breakfast, car hire & hotel

Days 7 & 8: Longford to Freycinet Peninsula (approx. 2 hours’ drive time)

A two-hour drive south down the Midlands Highway brings you to one of Tasmania’s most iconic of national parks, the Freycinet Peninsula. Coles Bay is just a short walk from the most photographed of beaches, Wineglass Bay. This stunning peninsula will be your base for two nights.

Stay at Sheoaks on Freycinet, a B&B on Coles Bay. The owners are keen birders who will equip you with binoculars, a birding list and a gourmet picnic lunch for you to explore the Freycinet Peninsula including Wineglass Bay, Friendly Beaches and the Hazards Mountains. We’ve included a Wineglass Bay Cruise along the hidden bays and coves of this most iconic of Tasmanian wilderness landscapes, spotting albatross, sea eagles, dolphin, Australian fur seals and if you are lucky, whales.

Your host, Margaret is an accomplished cook, so dinner (by arrangement), is always a memorable experience and a fitting end to a day’s exploration.

Included: Breakfast, car hire, Wineglass Bay Cruise & hotel

Days 9 & 10: Freycinet Peninsula to Hobart (approx. 2 hours 30 mins drive)

Today, you'll leave Freycinet and drive two and a half hours south along the vineyard and olive grove-lined coastline. Enjoy coastal views and look out for dolphins and whales on your way to the Tasmanian state capital of Hobart. We recommend you make a stop at historic Swansea for cakes and ice cream at Kate’s Berry Farm.

Shortly before you arrive in Hobart, we recommend a stop at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, where we’ve included a chance for you to have an up-close and personal meeting with almost all Tasmania’s native animals including Tasmanian devils.

Bonorong is a rehabilitation centre, not a zoo, and all animals are rescued, rehabilitated and released if possible. As a special privilege, Travel Nation clients enjoy an upgrade from general entry to a personal tour (please confirm the arrival time in advance).

In Hobart, you’ll stay in either the waterfront, apartment-style Salamanca Wharf or the historic four-star, Lenna of Hobart - with views over Mt Wellington or Hobart’s harbour. You are a stone’s throw from Salamanca Market, where every Saturday you can buy delicious local produce to enjoy at your leisure in your apartment.

Included: Breakfast, car hire, VIP tour at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary & hotel

Days 11 & 12: Hobart to Tasman Peninsula (approx. 1 hour 30 mins drive)

Leave Hobart and drive the ninety-minute journey to the Tasman Peninsula, which is connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus, Eaglehawk Neck.

The Tasman Peninsula is home to Port Arthur Historic Site, one of Australia’s most feared of penal settlements as well as stunning landscapes and beaches and some of the best bushwalking in Tasmania.

We’ve included entry to the Port Arthur Historic Site and a Harbour Cruise and Guided Tour. You also have the option to add on the After Dark Pass which includes dinner in felon’s Bistro and the legendary Ghost Tour.

During your stay in Hobart, you can also take the included half-day Tasman Island Cruise beside the highest cliffs in the Southern Hemisphere to Tasman Island. You should see fur seal colonies, dolphin, Albatross, short Tailed Shearwaters and from June to November; you’re likely to spot whales as they migrate north.

Included: Breakfast, car hire & hotel

Day 13: Fly to Melbourne, drive to Mornington Peninsula

Enjoy a leisurely drive back to Hobart to drop off your rental car for your flight back to Melbourne. Here you'll pick up your hire car and drive down to the Mornington Peninsula. You'll be staying in the town of Sorrento - from here you can take a walk along the coast or through the national parks, partake in some water sports from scuba diving to sea kayaking. Another popular activity to indulge in is visiting one of the many wineries located in the region to enjoy sampling some of the region’s best grapes, along with lunch on the terraces overlooking the vines.

Included: Breakfast, domestic flight, arrival transfer & hotel

Day 14: Mornington Peninsula

Spend the morning enjoying a delicious lunch with a wine tasting in the Montalto Vineyard & Olive Grove. Start your day with a tour of the winery, learning about the winemaking philosophy and the cool climate of the Mornington Peninsula. You'll taste wine straight from the barrel as you hear about the differences between vineyards and the way the wines mature and age over time. After your time exploring the vines, sit down for a mouth-watering lunch with matched wines, feasting on estate-grown produce.

Finish your day with a wander through the Montalto Sculpture Trail, where you can enjoy the wetlands and the artwork around the route. Pick up your bottle of wine before you leave - we obviously recommend a taxi to and from this wonderful experience to enjoy it to the full! The rest of the afternoon is yours to continue exploring the beaches and towns of the peninsula or simply relax at your hotel after an indulgent morning.

Included: Car hire, Wine tasting tour with lunch, 4* hotel  

Day 15: Depart Melbourne 

Enjoy a leisurely morning before checking out of your hotel. We will arrange a transfer to take you to the airport for your onward flight.

Included: Car hire, international flights

Day 16: Arrive UK