Looking for a uniquely Tasmanian winter experience? Here are 10 adventures and stays to book now.
In Tasmania, winter brings out a different side of the island, when crowds thin and the season leans into experiences best enjoyed in the cold. Alongside cosy stays and fireside retreats, winter provides experiences you won’t find at any other time of year, from skiing in national parks to misty mornings in the bush, followed by thermal soaks in wild surrounds.
Watch the sun rise over one of Australia’s most dramatic cliff faces, kayak the still waters of Dove Lake beneath Cradle Mountain, or spend the evening stargazing from a luxury coastal lodge. Whether you’re travelling for adventure, great food or simply a change of pace, these 10 Tasmanian experiences deliver.
1. Forage seasonal ingredients for a bespoke six-course meal
Around 30 minutes from Hobart, Sirocco South offers a winter foraging experience led by owner Mic Giuliani, who brings decades of ‘paddock to plate’ expertise. Winter is peak foraging time, with the landscape at its most abundant, and a chance to spot wallabies, bandicoots and the occasional “turbo chook” along the way. Head into the forest near Dodges Ferry to fill a basket with seasonal wild mushrooms, coastal greens and native plants. Finally, return to the outdoor dining set-up beneath the pines, where the fire is crackling for a bespoke six-course feast designed around the morning’s harvest, paired with local proteins and Bream Creek wines.
2. Experience remote island whisky-making on windswept Flinders Island
It doesn’t get more elemental than Furneaux Distillery’s coastal farm on Flinders Island in the Bass Strait, where sea air, wild weather and peat-rich soils shape its single malt whisky from the ground up. In winter, the distillery offers a unique immersion tour into one of the most remote whisky operations in the country. It starts in the barley paddocks, where the team grows all its own grain, and moves into the distillery for a close-up look at production before a rare barrel tasting, sampling whisky at different stages of maturity, straight from the cask. The visit ends in the tasting room with local cheeses and charcuterie.
3. Feel transformed with a self-guided hot-cold winter ritual at Arden Bathhouse
In the Coal River Valley wilderness just outside historic Richmond, boutique accommodation Arden Retreat is home to the beautifully appointed two-bedroom cabin, The Croft. Separate to the accommodation is Arden Bathhouse, a new addition for 2026, featuring a relaxation pavilion, wood-fired sauna and cold plunge. In winter, small groups can take part in a self-guided, four-hour evening ritual (no overnight stay required), where the contrast between heat and cold is at its most powerful under a clear night sky. Move between the sauna’s warmth and the bracing plunge pool before sinking into the hot tub with a spicy Bloody Mary in hand. It’s simple, physical and restorative.
4. Pair a luxury west coast stay with a private mountain and mine tour
Recently refurbished, Risby Cove Boutique Hotel is bordered by UNESCO World Heritage wilderness on Tasmania’s west coast, with 12 luxurious suites and an in-house restaurant. Its winter-only “West Coast experience” is a chance to explore the high country of Mount Owen above Queenstown via a private 4WD journey through rainforest and old mining remains, where winter fog and low cloud lend the landscape an almost cinematic quality. Guests can explore rainforest trails, try gold panning, and descend into historic copper mine tunnels rarely open to the public, before finishing with a three-course miners’-style lunch served underground by lantern light.
5. Kayak the glassy waters of Dove Lake with Cradle Mountain Canyons
Cradle Mountain Canyons offers guided kayaking experiences of Dove Lake, with the iconic Cradle Mountain ranges as the backdrop. The two-hour winter tour is weather dependent and invites guests into handcrafted, two-person King Billy pine kayaks to paddle out onto the lake’s waters on still days, passing Glacier Rock, Honeymoon Island and the Ballroom Forest before stopping for a hot drink and a walk into the misty rainforest. With its mountain range blanketed in snow, Cradle Mountain feels even more atmospheric in winter.
6. Experience Tasmania’s wild beauty in complete comfort at Saffire Freycinet
Multi award-winning, all-inclusive luxury resort Saffire Freycinet, on Tasmania’s east coast, invites guests to slow down with its “Wonders of Winter” package. Designed to immerse visitors in the season’s beauty across three days, it’s a chance to explore Freycinet National Park and cruise its rugged coastline in search of migrating whales, then return for fireside stargazing with telescopes and local wine under some of the clearest skies in the country. Back at the lodge, the experience continues with seasonal menus at Palate restaurant and thoughtful touches connecting guests to the landscape, from its geology to its produce.
7. Visit Tasmania’s most reliable winter wonderland, Ben Lomond Base
At the foothills of Ben Lomond National Park, Tasmania’s premier winter playground, Ben Lomond Base is the ideal jump-off point for powder-filled days in the state’s only guaranteed snow destination. From mid-June to late September, the mountain transforms into a family-friendly alpine hub, with skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing and snow play all on offer. The Base makes it easy to gear up, with snow chain hire, equipment rentals and a cafe for coffee before you hit the slopes. After a day on the mountain, return for mulled wine by the fire or a relaxed bite to eat.
8. Forage for truffles and enjoy fireside treats at The Truffle Farm
A short drive from Launceston, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, The Truffle Farm in Deloraine offers a hands-on winter experience led by Anna Terry and her team of trained truffle dogs. Guests head into the orchard to hunt for prized winter truffles that grow beneath thousands of neatly planted trees, and learn how Anna’s father, Tim Terry, helped cultivate Australia’s first black truffle. The Winter Warmer Hunt ends by the firepit at the farm gate shop, where fresh truffle is shaved over handmade s’mores and paired with Tasmanian wine or beer.
9. Experience one of Australia’s most isolated landscapes by air and sea
Journey into Tasmania’s remote southwest on Par Avion’s “Night in the Wilderness” experience, a two-day, one-night adventure into the UNESCO-listed Southwest National Park. It begins with a scenic flight into Bathurst Harbour, passing Federation Peak, the Western Arthur Range, Precipitous Bluff and the rugged south coast. The tour continues by boat through the waterways of Port Davey Marine Reserve to the exclusive Southwest Wilderness Camp, a boutique eco-camp with hot showers and shared amenities. Fully guided throughout, days are spent exploring, while evenings bring hearty meals paired with Tasmanian wine in one of the world’s most isolated landscapes.
10. Hike Tasmania’s Three Capes Track on a guided coastal journey
Book in for the Tasmanian Walking Company’s winter walk on the stunning Three Capes Track without the crowds. The signature four-day walk includes a sunrise ascent to The Blade, one of Australia’s most dramatic cliff-edge viewpoints, where sea, sky and sheer rock meet the morning light. Guided days along vertiginous sea cliffs are balanced with restorative comfort, including seasonal meals, spa treatments and optional cold plunges, all from private lodges set within the national park. Bright, calm winter days and open horizons give the scenery a unique sense of space and scale.
*Plan your Tasmania adventure with House of Travel.