Stand on the sandstone edge of Salamanca Place on a Saturday morning and the row of 19th-century warehouses in front of you fills with stalls, while the masts of Constitution Dock show just beyond the rooflines. A short walk uphill puts you among the Georgian cottages of Battery Point, and on a clear day the bulk of kunanyi / Mount Wellington rises behind the whole city.
Hobart suits travellers who like their history walkable and their scenery close at hand: convict-era streets, a working harbour, and museums that range from maritime and military collections to the large private museum at MONA. It also rewards slow mornings and long lunches by the water.
This guide covers the sights and experiences in and around the city, with practical notes on when to go and what to pair with what. It draws on the places listed for Hobart, so everything named here is somewhere you can look up and plan around.
Top things to do in Hobart
1. Salamanca Place
This is the street of colonial sandstone warehouses built to serve the 19th-century whaling industry, now converted into a precinct of restaurants, bars, galleries and craft shops. The buildings give the area its character, and the waterfront is a few steps away.
Time your visit for a Saturday, when Salamanca Market takes over the area. Make sure you also venture behind the row of shops along Salamanca Place, as there is plenty more to explore around the back.
2. Museum of Old and New Art (MONA)
MONA is an eccentric museum of contemporary art and has become a Hobart icon. Reactions vary widely, from finding it spectacular to confronting, and the museum has a decidedly adult feel, so it may not suit young children. The building itself is worth a look, and there are views over the Derwent River, a cafe and Morilla Winery on site, plus some traditional pieces including mummies.
Book in advance, as entry is by timed booking and the museum is open Friday to Monday. Ferries run at least five times a day from Brooke St Pier and the journey along the Derwent is scenic; ferry bookings are required. You can also drive, though parking is limited, or take the bus.
3. Battery Point
Behind Salamanca Place, this area takes its name from a battery of guns placed on the point in 1818; the guns were eventually removed for fear the residential homes would come under fire in the event of an invasion. Thanks to a green ban in the 1970s, most of its original Georgian architecture remains intact, and it is still home to one of Australia's oldest subdivisions and a planned circus, Arthur Circus.
Venture deep into the neighbourhood and you may come upon Nanny Goat Lane, a steep laneway with superb views of the suburbs at the top and a whimsical sign to match its odd name.
4. Sullivan's Cove
This is Hobart's main waterfront area and the original landing point of European settlers in 1804. Locals come here to sit and relax, and to eat some of Tasmania's finest seafood when hunger strikes.
Constitution Dock, within the cove, is the finishing point of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, which is held from Boxing Day each year. Combine a walk here with Salamanca Place, which sits just above the waterfront.
5. Cascades Female Factory
This site operated as a female factory between 1828 and 1856, intended to reform female convicts and segregate them from the "temptations" of Hobart. The women here completed many chores, including needlework and laundry. It is now one of the penal sites that make up the Australian Convict Sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
A heritage tour runs several times daily, and an additional show, Her Story, runs daily at 11AM. It is open daily, and the site can be reached on Degraves Street.
6. Penitentiary Chapel
Built as a chapel for male convicts, with solitary confinement cells underneath the building, this site was later converted into a supreme criminal court and prison chapel, complete with gallows and an execution yard. It can only be visited on a tour.
Day tours run on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at set times, and a ghost tour runs at night on Monday and Friday by appointment. Check the tour times before you go, as the schedule varies by day.
7. Parliament House of Tasmania
Built as a customs house and opened in 1840, the building came to serve solely as the state's Parliament House in 1904. It comprises three levels with various areas including the House of Assembly, Legislative Council, Parliamentary Library and Parliamentary Museum.
Tours run on non-sitting days at 10AM or 2PM; check the website for non-sitting days. Another option is to sit in the public gallery during sitting days.
8. Maritime Museum of Tasmania
This museum houses the largest collection of maritime artefacts in Tasmania. Displays cover the early maritime history of Tasmania, the role of lighthouses, the whaling industry, maritime trade, boat building and shipping.
It is open daily and sits on Argyle Street, a short walk from the waterfront, so it pairs naturally with Sullivan's Cove and Salamanca Place.
9. Mawson's Huts Replica Museum
This museum is a replica of the base stations constructed for Douglas Mawson's Australasian Antarctic expedition of 1911. It features the amenities and conditions that would have been experienced by those who first lived inside the huts.
Opening hours shift with the seasons, so check before you go. It is on Morrison Street, close to the waterfront, making it easy to combine with Constitution Dock.
10. Shot Tower
Built in 1870 from sandstone, like many of Hobart's historic buildings, the Shot Tower is the first shot tower in Australia and the tallest in the southern hemisphere. You can climb the 259 wooden steps to the top, where the payoff is exceptional views over the Derwent Estuary and the surrounding countryside.
It is open daily, with shorter hours in winter. Allow time for the climb and check the seasonal closing time before setting out.
11. Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts
This is a collection of the family library, art and colonial furniture of an extinct local family. The public display includes a recreation of the Allport family's house, decorated in 16th- to 19th-century furnishings, plus a rotating exhibition of historic and contemporary works.
It is free to the public and sits inside the State Library building on Murray Street, with access through the back of the foyer. It works well as a short stop in the CBD.
12. Australian Army Museum Tasmania
Within the grounds of the historic Anglesea Barracks, established in 1811, this museum covers Tasmania's military history. The barracks remain an active Australian Defence Force base but are open to the public, and there are displays of weapons and several historically significant monuments, including the only war memorial erected by the many British Army units that undertook garrison duties in colonial Australia.
It is open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings, and a guided tour of the barracks is offered on Tuesday at 11AM. Check the days before you plan around it.
13. Kangaroo Bluff Historic Site
This historic site was built for Hobart's defence after Russian warships appeared in the harbour in 1873. It sits on Victoria Esplanade.
It is an outdoor site, so pair it with other stops rather than making it the whole outing, and go when the weather is settled.
14. Franklin Square
This oak-lined public space in Central Hobart is named after the explorer Sir John Franklin, who between voyages served as Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land from 1837 to 1843. The centrepiece is a statue of him, with an epitaph by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
It sits between the Hobart CBD and Sullivans Cove, on the Macquarie Street ridge, so it is an easy pause while walking between the two.
15. Government House
Adjacent to the Hobart Botanic Gardens, Government House is one of Australia's largest Gothic Revival residences, built in 1857 and still home to the Governor of Tasmania. It is visible from the highway and the Tasman Bridge.
Keep an eye out for one of the open days, as it is worth a visit to the vice-regal residence when access is available.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Salamanca Place, walking the row of sandstone warehouses and the surrounding lanes. If it is a Saturday, the market will be running. From there, walk up into Battery Point to see the Georgian streets and, if you go deep enough, Nanny Goat Lane.
Afternoon: Drop down to Sullivan's Cove and Constitution Dock for the waterfront, then choose one museum: the Maritime Museum of Tasmania on Argyle Street or Mawson's Huts Replica Museum on Morrison Street. If you would rather make MONA the centrepiece, take the ferry from Brooke St Pier instead and book ahead, since it is open Friday to Monday only.
Evening: Return to Salamanca Place for dinner among the restaurants and bars, then finish with a walk along Sullivan's Cove as the light goes.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Salamanca Place?
Saturday, when Salamanca Market runs along the street. The rest of the week the precinct is quieter, but the restaurants, bars, galleries and craft shops in the converted warehouses remain open to explore.
How do I get to MONA?
Ferries run at least five times a day from Brooke St Pier, and the journey along the Derwent River is scenic; bookings for the ferry are required. You can also drive, though parking is limited, or take the bus.
Which Hobart sights can I only see on a tour?
The Penitentiary Chapel can only be visited by tour, either a day tour or a ghost tour at night. Parliament House of Tasmania also offers tours on non-sitting days, with the alternative of sitting in the public gallery during sitting days.
Is MONA suitable for children?
The museum has a decidedly adult feel, so it may not be the ideal place for kids. If you go as an adult group, note that it is open Friday to Monday and that booking in advance is advised.
Pick the handful of stops that match your interests, check the seasonal hours and tour times, and start shaping your days around the waterfront.