Visiting Hobart with kids
Hobart with kids is a small city with a big mountain, river beaches and museums that suit all ages. Distances are short, so a day can take in kunanyi, the waterfront and a beach without much driving.
Pick a day
Each plan is five or six stops in a sensible order, with the photo, price, ages and hours pulled from the listing itself. Mix and match: a rainy-day stop fits any day.
Your first day
Your first day in Hobart with kids
A first day in Hobart with kids: Salamanca Market, Mawson's Huts Replica Museum, the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and the Train Park.
5 stops · starts at Salamanca Market
A rainy day
A rainy day in Hobart with kids
A rainy day in Hobart with kids: Maritime Museum Tasmania, TMAG, BOUNCE Inc Hobart, Rock It Climbing and Zone Bowling Moonah.
5 stops · starts at Maritime Museum Tasmania
A beach day
A beach day in Hobart with kids
A beach day in Hobart with kids: Long Beach, Kingston Beach, Opossum Bay Beach, Mount Nelson playground and Kingston Pool.
5 stops · starts at Long Beach
A free day out
A free day out in Hobart with kids
A free day in Hobart with kids: the Army Museum of Tasmania, Caldew Park (The Train Park), Long Beach and kunanyi / Mount Wellington.
4 stops · starts at Army Museum of Tasmania
With toddlers
Hobart with toddlers and under-5s
Hobart with toddlers: Fern Tree Park's nature playground, Clarence Aquatic Centre and sheltered Little Howrah Beach, with prices.
3 stops · starts at Fern Tree Park
With teenagers
Hobart with teenagers
Hobart with teenagers: Rock It Climbing, Zone 3 Laser Games, Hyperdrive Kart Racing in Kingston and the North Hobart skate park.
4 stops · starts at Cultural Park and North Hobart Skate Park
Hobart with kids at a glance
| Best for | Families with kids 6+ who like the outdoors, history and a small, walkable city |
|---|---|
| How long | 4 days (waterfront and museum day, mountain day, Tasman Peninsula day, Mount Field or the Huon day) |
| Best time | December to March for the warmest, longest days; autumn for still weather and colour; winter for snow on the mountain |
| Budget tip | The mountain, the gardens, Salamanca, the museum and the beaches are free; Mona, Port Arthur and a cruise are the paid days |
| Rainy day backup | Mona, the museum, the trampoline park, the aquatic centre |
| Getting around | A car for everything beyond the waterfront; the Mona ferry is the one boat you should take |
When to go: seasons and busy times in Hobart
The next school holidays run 19 Dec 2026 to 3 Feb 2027 (Tasmanian Department for Education, Children and Young People); that is when the big-name places are busiest and accommodation costs most.
| Season | Months | Best for | How busy | Parent tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Dec–Feb | Beaches on the calm days, kunanyi walks, long evenings outside | Busy | The warmest and busiest months. Water stays cold, so paddling and sandcastles over swimming for little ones. |
| Autumn | Mar–May | Forest walks, waterfalls, the gardens in colour | Steady | Still, clear days and the fagus turning gold on the mountain. The best walking season. |
| Winter | Jun–Aug | Free museums, snow on kunanyi, short sheltered walks | Quiet | Short days and real cold. One outdoor hour, then somewhere warm and free. |
| Spring | Sep–Nov | Botanical gardens, river foreshores, waterfalls running full | Quiet | Changeable but green. Layers, a raincoat, and the playgrounds mostly to yourselves. |
Worth the trip: what families rate highest in Hobart
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kunanyi / Mount Wellington (Wellington Park) Fern Tree
Wellington Park covers kunanyi / Mount Wellington above Hobart and is free to enter, with no parks pass needed.
★ 4.8 (9,131)
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Port Arthur Historic Site Port Arthur
Port Arthur Historic Site on the Tasman Peninsula is a UNESCO World Heritage-listed former convict settlement with more than 30 historic buildings, ruins, restored…
★ 4.6 (11,645)
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Salamanca Market Hobart
Salamanca Market is Hobart's Saturday street market, run along the full length of Salamanca Place beside the historic waterfront, from the top of Davey Street to the…
★ 4.5 (13,635)
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Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens Hobart
The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens on Lower Domain Road, Queens Domain are open every day with free entry.
★ 4.7 (7,478)
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Mona (Museum of Old and New Art) Berriedale
Mona, the Museum of Old and New Art at 655 Main Road, Berriedale, is a mostly underground art museum with old and new art, restaurants, bars and lawns.
★ 4.3 (13,226)
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Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery Hobart
The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) in Dunn Place, Hobart, has art, artefacts and natural history collections and free entry.
★ 4.5 (3,617)
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Pennicott Wilderness Journeys Hobart
Pennicott Wilderness Journeys runs boat cruises and tours from its booking centre in the Dock Head Building, Franklin Wharf, on the Hobart waterfront.
★ 4.9 (1,416)
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Mount Field National Park National Park
Mount Field National Park is one of Tasmania's oldest national parks and part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
★ 4.8 (1,489)
The free days
Six free places parents rate highest. All free things to do in Hobart.
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Cascades Track South Hobart
The Cascade Track is a bush walking track in South Hobart that starts at the Cascade Brewery next to the Hobart Rivulet.
★ 4.7 (136)
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New Town Falls Wellington Park
New Town Falls is a small waterfall on the Lenah Valley Track in Wellington Park, on the slopes of kunanyi / Mount Wellington.
★ 4.4 (47)
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Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens Hobart
The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens on Lower Domain Road, Queens Domain are open every day with free entry.
★ 4.7 (7,478)
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Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery Hobart
The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) in Dunn Place, Hobart, has art, artefacts and natural history collections and free entry.
★ 4.5 (3,617)
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Army Museum of Tasmania Hobart
The Army Museum of Tasmania is in the 1847 Military Gaol at Anglesea Barracks, Davey Street, Hobart.
★ 4.7 (169)
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Kingston Beach Kingston Beach
Kingston Beach, 15 km south of Hobart, is patrolled by Kingston Beach Surf Life Saving Club from the first Saturday in December to the last weekend in March; swim…
Patrolled First Saturday in December – last weekend in March · All-abilities access
If it rains
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Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery Hobart
The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) in Dunn Place, Hobart, has art, artefacts and natural history collections and free entry.
★ 4.5 (3,617)
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Coal River Farm Cambridge
Coal River Farm is a family-run farm at Cambridge, about 15 minutes from Hobart CBD on the road to Richmond, where cheese and chocolate are made on site.
★ 4.4 (1,315)
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Mawson's Huts Replica Museum Hobart
Mawson's Huts Replica Museum is a full-size replica of the huts at Cape Denison used as the main base of Douglas Mawson's 1911-14 Australasian Antarctic Expedition.
★ 4.7 (633)
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BOUNCE Inc Hobart Derwent Park
BOUNCE Hobart at 1 Linear Court, Derwent Park, is an indoor trampoline and adventure park with more than 50 interconnected trampolines, a Big Bag soft landing,…
★ 4.5 (707)
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Zone Bowling Moonah Moonah
Zone Bowling Moonah is a standalone tenpin bowling centre at 162 Main Road, Moonah, with 24 bowling lanes, an arcade with more than 25 games, a licensed cafe and a…
★ 4.3 (870)
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Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre Queens Domain
Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre is the City of Hobart's indoor aquatic centre at 1 Davies Avenue, Hobart.
★ 4.1 (1,065)
Where families stay
Holiday parks and resorts listed on this site, with the pools, playgrounds and jumping pillows that matter to kids.
| Place | Kind | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Club Wyndham Seven Mile Beach, Trademark Collection | Stay | Seven Mile Beach |
| BIG4 Hobart Airport Tourist Park | Holiday park | Cambridge |
| Discovery Parks - Hobart | Stay | Risdon Vale |
| Barilla Holiday Park | Holiday park | Cambridge |
Kids eat free in Hobart: which night, where
2 pubs, clubs and restaurants in Hobart give kids a free meal on set nights, each checked on the venue's own page. The full list is on the kids eat free in Hobart page.
| Night | Where | When and who | Deals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | Fern Tree Tavern (Fern Tree) | 5:30pm-6:30pm · Under 12 · dine in | 1 |
| Friday | Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania (Bistro) (Sandy Bay) | see listing | 1 |
Questions parents ask
- Where should a family stay in Hobart?
- The waterfront or Battery Point for walking to Salamanca and the museum; Sandy Bay for the beach and the ferry; a holiday park near the airport side for a pool and space.
- Is Port Arthur suitable for children?
- Yes for school-age kids: the site is big, outdoors and includes a harbour cruise, and the guides pitch the history for families. Under-5s will mostly enjoy the lawns and the boat.
- Can we swim?
- In summer, at the calm beaches at Kingston and Seven Mile; the water is cold all year, so most kids paddle. The aquatic centre has warm pools and a slide.
- How cold is it really?
- Winter days are often clear and around 10 degrees, with snow on the mountain some weeks. Pack layers and a waterproof, start the day indoors, and the mountain often clears after lunch.