Cradle Mountain: Hobart to Cradle Active Day Trip

from A$270

15 hours

Hobart

Leave Hobart at 6am in a small 11 seat bus and spend around five hours inside Cradle Mountain National Park, free to tackle Marions Lookout or lap the Dove Lake Circuit at your own pace. Your park pass and shuttle are sorted, with country stops in Ross and Deloraine and a dinner stop on the drive home.

Quick read before you book.

One of the few ways to see Cradle Mountain in a day from Hobart
Around five hours inside the national park
Pick your own trail, from Marions Lookout to the Dove Lake Circuit
Sunrise and sunset drives through the Tasmanian Midlands
Optional stargazing stop on clear nights
Small group of 11 at most

Included in this tour.

Pickup and drop off at your Hobart city accommodation, or as close as the bus can get
Return transport in an air conditioned 11 seat executive bus with reclining seats
USB charging on board (bring your own cable)
Cradle Mountain National Park day pass
Park shuttle bus ticket to Dove Lake
Group briefing at the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre
Driver host who stays with the group in the park, with basic first aid and communication backup
Coffee and bakery stop at Ross
Breakfast and dinner stops in Deloraine (meals at your own expense)

Commonly asked questions.

Pickup starts at 6am from your Hobart city hotel or accommodation, or the closest point the bus can reach. You are back in Hobart around 9pm.

You get around five hours inside the national park, with up to four hours of walking. Marions Lookout takes about three to three and a half hours and is challenging, while the Dove Lake Circuit takes two hours or more at a moderate pace.

No, you choose your own trail and walk at your own pace. Your driver is trained in basic first aid, walks with anyone who prefers a gentler pace, and everyone needs to be back at the agreed meeting time.

The tour runs in most conditions and switches to sheltered walks like King Billy, Dove Canyon or Waldheim when the weather turns. If it has to be cancelled for safety with no alternative, a partial refund is given with 20% withheld, and our guide to the best time to visit Tasmania helps you pick your season.

Cancel in writing and each request is reviewed case by case, with a reschedule or voucher often offered. Illness cancellations with a medical certificate get a full refund less 20%, while late cancellations may be non refundable and no shows get no refund.

Yes, well behaved children are welcome with adult supervision, and a child discount is available on request. Keep in mind it is a 15 hour day with a 6am start.

Your park pass and shuttle are included, but meals are not. Bring a picnic lunch for the park, and buy breakfast and dinner at the Deloraine stops.

Bring a day pack, lunch, a large water bottle, sturdy walking shoes, warm layers, a waterproof jacket and your phone charging cable. Cradle Mountain weather changes fast, so pack for cold and wet even in summer.

Let the operator know your access needs when you book so your driver can plan pickup, drop off and the day in the park. The Companion Card is accepted.

Yes, by staying up north. The Cradle Mountain and Wineglass Bay 2 day tour via Launceston splits the driving over two days.

More about this tour.

Most Cradle Mountain day tours leave from Launceston, which is no help if you are based in Hobart. The Derwent Experience is a small local outfit run by founder Sam that does the whole big loop in a day, from your Hobart accommodation to Dove Lake and back again. It is a long one, roughly 15 hours door to door, but the trade off is real time on the mountain: around five hours inside the national park, with the trail choice left entirely up to you.Your day starts with a 6am pickup and a sunrise run north through the Tasmanian Midlands. There is a coffee and bakery stop at Ross, then breakfast at Mamma Buzz Café in Deloraine before the climb into the high country. At the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre you get a quick group briefing, sign a waiver and jump on the park shuttle to Dove Lake.From there the day is yours. Keen walkers head up to Marions Lookout for the classic view over Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain, a challenging three hours or so, while the Dove Lake Circuit is a moderate two hours or more around the water. If the weather turns, there are shorter rainforest walks such as King Billy and Dove Canyon, or the old Waldheim Chalet and Weindorfers Forest. Your driver walks with anyone who prefers a gentler pace, and everyone meets back at a set time so the group heads home together. Our Hobart to Cradle Mountain day trip guide breaks down the drive, the walks and when to go.Bring a picnic lunch for the park. On the way back you stop for dinner at the Empire Hotel in Deloraine, and on a clear night there is an optional dark skies stop for stargazing before you roll into Hobart around 9pm. Staying up north instead? The Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake day tour from Launceston is the shorter option.Explore the walk options above, then check availability for your date.

Additional info.

Pickup starts from 6am at your Hobart city hotel or accommodation, and pickup points are sometimes combined. You are back in Hobart around 9pm, about 15 hours all up.Pack a day pack, a picnic lunch (fruit, muesli bars, cheese and crusty bread work well), a large water bottle, sturdy walking shoes, warm layers and a waterproof jacket, plus your phone cable for the USB chargers. Breakfast and dinner are at your own expense.This is a transport and host service rather than a guided hike. You choose your own walk, sign a waiver at the visitor centre and must be back at the meeting point by the agreed time. Let the operator know about any medical conditions when you book so the day can be adapted.Well behaved children are welcome under adult supervision, and a child discount is available on request. Access needs, including pickup and drop off requirements, can be passed on to your driver when you book, and the Companion Card is accepted.