Freycinet National Park sits on Tasmania's east coast, about 2.5 to 3 hours from both Hobart and Launceston. The park covers the Freycinet Peninsula — a rugged granite headland that juts into the Tasman Sea, surrounded by turquoise bays and white sand beaches. The Hazards, a range of pink granite peaks, dominates the skyline and frames nearly every view in the park.
It's one of Tasmania's most-visited parks and one of its oldest, having been reserved as a national park in 1916. Despite its popularity, the park is large enough that you can still find quieter spots, especially if you head beyond the main Wineglass Bay tracks.
The main gateway is the small township of Coles Bay, where most tour operators base their operations. The Freycinet Visitor Centre is just beyond the township, open daily from 9am to 4pm, and is a good first stop if you're self-driving.
Wineglass Bay is consistently rated among the world's top beaches. It's a near-perfect crescent of white sand backed by the Hazards range, with calm, clear water in a sheltered bay. From the water it looks like its name — a smooth arc with the mountains rising steeply on either side.
Most visitors see it from the Wineglass Bay Lookout, which is a 45-minute walk up from the car park. Those who want to get down to the beach keep walking from the lookout — it's a steeper descent on the other side and adds roughly another hour return. The beach itself is broad and peaceful, and there are no facilities, so bring everything you need.
You can also reach Wineglass Bay by boat via Freycinet Aqua Express, which drops guests at Hazards Beach for a gentle 2-kilometre walk along the Isthmus Track to the bay.
There are two main guided day tour options from Hobart to Freycinet National Park.
The Wineglass Bay & Freycinet Day Tour from Hobart is a full day tour that departs from central Hobart hotels and hostels around 7:00–7:30am, travels along the East Coast through Orford and Swansea, and spends 4–5 hours in the national park. The itinerary includes the Wineglass Bay Lookout walk, with the option to continue down to Wineglass Bay Beach. Those who take the shorter walking option visit additional spots including Honeymoon Bay, Sleepy Bay and the Cape Tourville Lighthouse Walk. The tour stops at the Freycinet Marine Farm on the way in, where guests can buy fresh local oysters and mussels. There's an afternoon stop at Devil's Corner Winery before heading back to Hobart, arriving around 6pm.
The Wineglass Bay Beach from Hobart tour focuses more on the full return hike to Wineglass Bay Beach — a 6km round trip that includes the lookout and the descent to the beach. The guide accompanies walkers and the day allows around 3.5–4 hours in the park, enough time for lunch on the beach and an optional walk toward the southern end of the bay. On the return journey there are stops at Spiky Bridge and a cafe on the East Coast. This tour suits anyone who specifically wants to spend time on the beach rather than just at the lookout.
Both tours operate daily, depart from central Hobart hotels and backpacker hostels (not Airbnb), and include the park entrance fee. Food is not included — guests either bring their own lunch or purchase a takeaway from a stop along the way. The minimum age for the Hobart-to-Launceston variant is 8 years.
The Wineglass Bay & Freycinet Day Tour from Launceston runs a similar structure, picking up from select Launceston hotels and travelling to Freycinet with stops at the Georgian heritage towns of Evandale and Campbell Town. There's a pause in Campbell Town at a local bakery where guests can buy lunch, plus a brief look at the Convict Brick Trail and Red Bridge. The tour includes the Wineglass Bay Lookout walk with the same two walking options — lookout only, or the longer return walk to the beach. An afternoon stop at Devil's Corner rounds out the day before returning to Launceston by around 6pm.
For travellers moving between cities, there's also a Hobart to Launceston via Wineglass Bay tour that operates as a one-way transfer — you're picked up in Hobart and dropped off in Launceston. It runs on selected days (Thursday and Saturday from October to November, adding Tuesday from December through April). This is a useful option if you're heading north and want to see Freycinet along the way without backtracking.
All day tours include the Freycinet National Park entrance fee. The walks are described as moderate and require a reasonable level of fitness.
Wineglass Bay Cruises is operated by Pennicott Wilderness Journeys and runs a 4.5-hour cruise from Coles Bay out to Wineglass Bay and back. The vessel is a Tasmanian-built 150-seat catamaran called Schouten Passage II. The route follows the Freycinet coastline, passing Cooks Beach and Bryans Beach (beaches otherwise only reachable by a full-day bushwalk), through the Schouten Island Passage, and along the Tasman Sea cliffs to Wineglass Bay.
Along the way you see the coastline from the water — sea caves, blowholes, waterfalls and sheer granite cliffs — and have a good chance of spotting wildlife including dolphins, Australian fur seals, sea eagles, cormorants, little penguins and shearwaters. During whale migration season (May to July and September to December) humpback and southern right whales may be seen.
The cruise departs daily (except Christmas Day) at 9:45am from 61 Jetty Road, Coles Bay, and returns around 2:30pm. There are two seating options:
Vista Lounge — enclosed, air-conditioned lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows, outdoor deck access, licensed bar and cafe. Families welcome. Tickets available with or without lunch (a ploughman's-style spread).
Sky Lounge — adults only, upper deck, banquette seating for up to 30 guests with direct access to the captain's bridge. Morning tea, lunch and beverages are included.
From Hobart, Coles Bay is about 185km (2.5 hours) via the Tasman Highway. From Launceston it's about 2 hours via National Highway 1 and the Lake Leake Highway.
Freycinet Aqua Express is also part of Pennicott Wilderness Journeys and operates a water taxi service from the Coles Bay Boat Ramp on Garnet Avenue. It's the most direct route to Wineglass Bay for visitors who want to avoid the steep stair climb, instead of hiking up and over the Wineglass Bay Lookout track (which involves over 1,300 stairs each way), you take a 30-minute boat ride to Hazards Beach, then walk a gentle 2km along the Isthmus Track to reach the bay in about an hour from Coles Bay.
Freycinet Aqua Express runs multiple daily departures to Hazards Beach (9:15am, 10:45am, 12:15pm, 1:45pm, 3:15pm) and two daily services to Cooks Beach (9:15am and 3:15pm). Transfers to Schouten Island can also be arranged on request. Schouten Island is a remote wilderness area with basic campsites, accessible only by boat.
You can book one-way transfers (drop off only, then walk back) or return transfers on the same day. Freycinet Lodge pick-up is available. Departure is from Coles Bay Boat Ramp — check in 15 minutes before your scheduled time.
A Parks Pass is required to access the national park and is the guest's responsibility to organise. Pre-booking is strongly recommended.
Freycinet offers a range of walks to suit different fitness levels and timeframes.
Wineglass Bay Lookout
The Wineglass Bay Lookout Walk is the park's most popular track. It's a 2.6km return walk (about 1 to 1.5 hours) that climbs steadily to a saddle between two of the Hazards peaks. The views over Wineglass Bay from the lookout are the defining image of Freycinet National Park. The track surface is mostly granite steps and gravel, and requires sturdy footwear. Rated Grade 3.
Wineglass Bay & Hazards Beach Circuit
For walkers who want more time in the park, the Wineglass Bay and Hazards Beach Circuit is an 11km loop graded Grade 4 and taking around 4 to 5 hours. It goes down from the lookout to Wineglass Bay Beach, crosses the Isthmus Track to Hazards Beach, then returns to the car park via a longer coastal route. The circuit takes in two quite different beaches — Wineglass Bay's sheltered white sand on one side of the peninsula and Hazards Beach's longer, more exposed stretch on the other.
Mount Amos
Mount Amos is a more challenging climb rated Grade 4, covering 3.6km return in about 3 hours. The summit sits at 454 metres and gives a panoramic view of Wineglass Bay that differs from the lookout view — wider, higher and less visited. The climb involves steep granite scrambling in sections and requires solid footwear with good grip. The rock surface becomes very slippery when wet, and parts of the route are exposed. It's not suitable for young children or anyone not confident with rock scrambling. Check conditions before heading up.
Cape Tourville Lighthouse Walk
The Cape Tourville Circuit is one of the easiest walks in the park — a 600-metre loop (about 20 minutes) on a mostly sealed path with coastal lookout points. The views stretch along the rugged coastline and out to sea, and on clear days you can spot seabirds and sometimes whales. It's wheelchair accessible with some assistance required on the moderate gradient. This walk is included in the guided day tours from both Hobart and Launceston for guests who take the shorter walking option at Wineglass Bay.
Other Walks and Spots
A valid Parks Pass is required for everyone entering Freycinet National Park. Passes can be purchased online at passes.parks.tas.gov.au, at the Freycinet Visitor Centre, or at various outlets. If you're visiting on a guided day tour, the park entry fee is typically included — check your booking confirmation.
The visitor centre is open daily from 9am to 4pm and has filtered/chilled drinking water available for refilling bottles. Water is scarce within the park itself, so fill up before heading to the trails.
For overnight walkers and campers, there are small campsites at Wineglass Bay, Hazards Beach and Cooks Beach. These are walk-in only sites — no bookings required and no fees charged, but sites are limited and operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Composting toilets are available at each site. The park is a fuel-stove-only area — no open fires at any time, and no stoves on Total Fire Ban days. Campers need to be fully self-sufficient with food, water, shelter and safety gear.
The main campgrounds at Richardsons Beach, Honeymoon Bay and Ranger Creek near the visitor centre are better equipped and bookable, with electric barbecues, picnic tables and showers. These suit campers arriving by car rather than on foot.
Cooks Beach is also accessible via Freycinet Aqua Express, which runs two transfers daily for walkers doing the Freycinet Peninsula Circuit or visiting for overnight camping. Be aware that weather and sea conditions can occasionally prevent the boat from landing, in which case walkers need to be prepared to walk out via Hazards Beach or the main car park.
