Best day trips from Kingston: how to get there and what to see

Kingston sits on the southern edge of Greater Hobart, on the Channel Highway, so almost everything worth a day out is either north towards the city or south along the D'Entrecasteaux Channel. The table below is the short version: pick by how much time you have and whether you are driving.

Hobart is the obvious first day out and the easiest. Drive or take a bus up the Channel Highway and you are in the city in under half an hour; from there the waterfront, Salamanca Place and the museums are walkable. MONA is the exception: it sits up the river and is usually reached by ferry from the Hobart waterfront or by car, so check times before you commit.

Richmond is the classic short drive: a small village with a convict-built bridge, old gaols and cottages, and enough cafés for lunch. It works as a half day, and pairs well with a loop back through the Coal River Valley wine area if you have a driver who is not tasting.

South of Kingston the Channel Highway runs through the Huon Valley. Cygnet is the usual stop, with orchards, cider makers and a slow village feel; further on, Huonville and the roads towards Geeveston open up forest and river country. This is a full day if you stop often, and a half day if you just drive to Cygnet and back.

Mount Field National Park is the reliable rainforest day: tall trees, waterfalls and short walks that suit most fitness levels. It is a longer drive and the weather can turn, so leave early and take a jacket. The Tasman Peninsula is the other full-day option, with Port Arthur and the coastal lookouts; it is a lot of driving for one day, so many travellers split it with an overnight.

Bruny Island needs a ferry and a car to do properly. The crossing is short but queues build in summer, and the island's food producers and the lookout at the neck are spread out. Treat it as a full day and check the ferry timetable before you go.

Most of the cost is fuel and entry fees rather than transport. A car gives you the most flexibility and splits well between two or more people; public buses cover Hobart but not the outlying trips. National park entry in Tasmania is by pass, sold per vehicle or per person, so check the current price before you rely on it.

Food is the other variable. Kingston has supermarkets and cafés, but small towns south and east often close early, especially outside summer. Carry water and a snack, and expect to pay city prices at the popular stops.

Drive on the left, watch for wildlife at dawn and dusk, and expect narrow, winding roads once you leave the highway. Mobile coverage thins out in the valleys and on the peninsula, so download offline maps before you leave Kingston.

Summer daylight is long, which makes two-stop days possible; winter daylight is short, so plan one main destination and get back before dark. Book popular attractions and the Bruny ferry ahead in January and during school holidays.