Take the scenic route on a Tassie winter road trip

The best way to experience Tasmania this Off Season? Drive yourself to this heart-shaped island’s most breathtaking corners. Down here, every route is the scenic route.

Drive to snowy new heights

The six switchbacks of Jacobs Ladder lead you ever higher to the snow-caked plateau of Ben Lomond National Park, where Ben Lomond Alpine Resort offers snow gear, s’mores and mulled wine. Drive slowly and safely, and away you go.

Short and sweet drive times

Where else can you drive from a panoramic mountain peak down to a blissful beach, then into a vibrant capital city, all within minutes? Take in 360-degree views (and perhaps some more snow) atop Kunanyi / Mount Wellington, then wind down to Sandy Bay Beach for a chilly dip, warming up by the fire at Hobart’s sizzling Dark Mofo Winter Feast (5–8, 12–15 June 2025).

The remote, rugged and remarkable west

The Western Wilds drive journey to Tasmania’s west coast is nothing short of jaw dropping. Weave amongst atmospheric rainforests, then cross epic Lake Burbury to see towering mountains. Follow the ‘99 bends’ into remote Queenstown, with its striking yellow-orange moonscape. Then swap your wheels for train tracks: the West Coast Wilderness Railway heritage steam engine awaits to whisk you into Queenstown and Strahan’s wild past.

Photogenic coastlines worth pulling over for

Pick a signposted drive journey anywhere in Tasmania and coastal views are sure to follow – that’s the perk of exploring an island with endless beaches. Follow the Northern Forage to Stanley and take a snap of the Nut; traverse the Great Eastern Drive until you reach the turquoise beaches of the Larapuna / Bay of Fires area; or soak up the drama at Ocean Beach on the island’s wild western edge.

Book your flight and hire a car or drive down on the Spirit of Tasmania to experience winter’s top tipples, seasonal seafood, snowy activities, woolly wildlife and other unexpected adventures.