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Voykit pocket guide · Australia
Hobart
Give Hobart 3 nights: 2 for the waterfront, Salamanca and MONA, 1 for a day trip; skip it as a pass-through if you have under 48 hours.
Hobart is Australia's second-oldest city, a small capital on the Derwent with a walkable waterfront core and MONA as its headline draw. Most visitors need 3 nights: two in the city and one for a day trip to Richmond, Port Arthur or Mount Wellington. It is also the main gateway to southern Tasmania and a staging point for Antarctic expeditions.
- Country
- Australia
- Best months
- Nov–Apr
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (cold, wet, short days)
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- AUD
- Money
- Currency is the Australian dollar (AUD, A$). Contactless cards and phones are accepted almost everywhere, including public transport in the big cities; some small cafes are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget A$90–150 excl. bed · Mid A$150–260 excl. bed · High A$260+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telstra has the widest outback coverage; Optus and Vodafone (TPG) are cheaper and fine in cities and along highways.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 000 · From mobiles 112
- Plugs
- Types I · 230 V · 50 Hz · Angled two- or three-pin Type I, shared with NZ, Fiji and China; sockets have their own switch — turn it on.
- Tipping
- Cafés and casual meals: Nothing; a tip jar is optional.; Restaurants: Not expected; 10% for very good service in a nice restaurant if you wish.; Taxi / rideshare: Round up or nothing.; Tours and guides: Optional; A$10–20 for a great day guide.; Surcharges: Weekend and public-holiday surcharges of 10–15% are legal if shown on the menu.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in cities and towns; in remote places use signed drinking taps. Carry plenty on any outback drive or walk.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets in parks, beaches, shopping centres and petrol stations (servos); the National Public Toilet Map app lists them.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | A$4–6 |
| Counter meal or pub lunch | A$18–30 |
| Beer: schooner in a pub / bottle shop | A$8–12 / A$4–7 |
| 5 km taxi or rideshare3.1 mi taxi or rideshare | A$18–25 |
| Metro bus ride | A$3–5 (check) |
| Museum or historic site entry | A$5–45 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | A$15–35 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HBA · Hobart International Airport
- 15 km northeast of the city; SkyBus shuttle meets arriving flights, taxi about 20–25 min9.3 mi northeast of the city; SkyBus shuttle meets arriving flights, taxi about 20–25 min
Typical fares
- Hobart Airport → city, SkyBus
- about A$22 one way, about 25 min (check)
- Hobart Airport → city, taxi
- about A$38–45, 20–25 min (check)
- MONA ferry from Brooke Street Pier
- about A$25 return, about 25 min (check)
Get around
The centre, Salamanca and the port are walkable. Metro buses run the city and suburbs from the Hobart Interchange on Elizabeth Street; Derwent Ferries link Brooke Street Pier to Bellerive (no Sunday service). A car is the practical option for day trips beyond the city.
See and do
Known for
- MONA (Museum of Old and New Art)
- Salamanca Place and Saturday markets
- Battery Point
- Mount Wellington (kunanyi)
- Convict history and Antarctic gateway
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond | Car or Red Decker bus, about 25 min | About 45 min |
| Port Arthur | Car or Tassielink coach, about 1 h 30 min | About 2 h |
| Mount Wellington (kunanyi) | Car or the Red Decker hop-on bus to the summit | About 45 min |
| Kingston and the Australian Antarctic Division | Metro bus or car south along the Channel Highway | About 40 min |
| Margate | Car south on the Channel Highway | About 35 min |
Sleep
- Salamanca and Battery Point
- Sandstone warehouses, galleries and the Saturday market on the doorstep; walkable to the waterfront.
- Hobart CBD
- Cheaper beds, the bus interchange and the GPO; 10–15 min walk to the harbour.
- Sandy Bay
- Quieter, near the university; a 30-min walk or short bus ride from the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thanks |
| Where is the bus stop? | Where's the bus stop? |
| Can I pay by card? | Card OK? |
| How much is it? | How much? |
| Where is the toilet? | Where's the loo? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake or 'G'day' / 'How are you going?'; first names from the start; avoid: Formal titles; long answers to 'how are you'
- Rounds: Buy your round ('shout') when drinking in a group; avoid: Leaving before your shout
- Queues: Queue patiently; sitting in the front seat of a taxi when alone is common; avoid: Pushing in — it is noticed
- Country: Listen to Welcomes and Acknowledgements; use local place names when offered; avoid: Touching artefacts or photographing ceremonies without permission
- Beach: Swim between the flags; respect lifesavers' instructions; avoid: Swimming at unpatrolled beaches alone
- Humour: Expect teasing and understatement; laugh along; avoid: Taking dry sarcasm literally or boasting
- Walking and driving: Keep left on footpaths and escalators; wave thanks to drivers who let you in; avoid: Stopping on the road to photograph kangaroos
Scams and watch-outs
- Salamanca Place closes to traffic on Saturdays for the market: don't plan to drive through.
- Mount Wellington is about 10 °C colder than the city and can be snowcapped in winter: take layers.
- Hobart has the fewest daily sunshine hours of any Australian capital; rain falls year-round, so pack a shell.
- Book MONA and Port Arthur tours ahead in summer; ferries and timed entries sell out.
Hobart is a low-crime city and safe to walk by day. The real risks are cold, wet and changeable weather, unlit waterfront paths at night, and wildlife on the road if you drive at dusk.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Hobart yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- MONA (Museum of Old and New Art)
- Salamanca Place and Saturday markets
- Battery Point
- Mount Wellington (kunanyi)
- Convict history and Antarctic gateway
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Discover Tasmania — Hobart and South: www.discovertasmania.com.au/about/regions-of-tasmania/hobart-and-south/hobart
- Hobart Airport: hobartairport.com.au
- Metro Tasmania: www.metrotas.com.au
- Derwent Ferries: derwentferries.com.au
- Wikivoyage: Hobart, revision 5322080 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5322080
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Hobart
Can you take me to this address, please?
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Hobart has no embassies; the nearest consulates-general are in Melbourne and Sydney. The US, UK, Canada and New Zealand maintain consulates in those cities.
Tipping is not expected in Australia; wages are high.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/hobart). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.