Hobart Hop on Hop off Bus Tours

Hobart offers many attractions and some of them are located far apart, so tour buses will save you time and also help you organise your sightseeing. Here are the options available.

Matías Rodríguez

Matías Rodríguez

9 min read

Hobart Hop on Hop off Bus Tours

Bus rojo en Hobart |©tunatownfc

If you're planning to visit Hobart and want an organised itinerary, the city's sightseeing buses are an ideal opportunity. With a tour that takes you around the main sights of Hobart, you can save time and money on transfers and also choose the options that best suit your travel plan, with full-day and two-day tickets and options that include a visit to the popular Mount Wellington.

Free hop-on-hop-off bus tours of the city allow you to hop on and off as many times as you like for the duration of your booking, and the explorer bus gives you access to an organised tour of Mount Wellington, which is located just outside the city. Whichever option you finally choose, you'll be able to enjoy one of the best things to do in Hobart.

What are the best tour buses in Hobart?

Hop On, Hop Off,|©Bernard Barnwell
Hop On, Hop Off,|©Bernard Barnwell

Hobart is the capital of Tasmania and also the most visited city on the island. In addition to its historic colonial architecture and diverse museums, it is also close to some of the state's best natural attractions, such as Mount Wellington and the Derwent River. All of these sites can be toured on Hobart's hop-on-hop-off sightseeing buses while saving you time and money.

Hop on-hop off sightseeing bus, the most popular alternative

By booking this hop on hop off tour you can:

  • Tour 18 stops at different locations around Hobart.
  • Use the hop on hop off stops for the duration of your ticket
  • Take the full non-stop tour which lasts 1.5 hours
  • Book for a full day or two days
  • Get discounts at some of the main attractions

Mount Wellington Explorer Bus, the most comprehensive option

By booking this explorer tour you will be able to:

  • Have a one-day pass to explore Mount Wellington
  • Enjoy 30 minutes of free touring time
  • Listen to the audio guide included on board
  • Use a hop on-hop off bus ticket from Hobart
  • Discover the 1,200 metre high lookout point on Mt Wellington

1. Hop-on-hop-off sightseeing bus ride in Hobart

red bus on the street|©Bernard Barnwell
red bus on the street|©Bernard Barnwell

If during your trip in Hobart you want to visit the best museums of the city or visit the main sites and do it in a comfortable and effective way, the hop on-hop off tourist bus could be the ideal alternative for you. These hop-on hop-off services, which can be booked for 24 or 48 hours from activation, allow you to use the 18 stops on the circuit in any way you see fit.

From the Old Town to South Hobart via the warehouse district of Salamanca Place, Battery Point and Victoria Dock, this bus will give you the opportunity to explore the city's busiest spots and combine this service with a ride on Hobart's best cruises or adventure tours, which are very popular in this destination.

Also, if you don't want to make stops or if you want to start with a complete tour of the city, you can use the end-to-end service for a sightseeing trip that lasts approximately 1.5 hours. Also, bear in mind that you can get on or off as many times as you like at any of the stops on the established itinerary. An audio guide in several languages is available on board the bus.

The daytime tour bus operates from 9am to 6pm every day of the week, so you can combine the transfer with a visit to the Tasmanian Maritime Museum or Cascade Brewery Bar, two of the most popular tourist attractions. Frequency in the summer is one bus every 30 minutes, while in the winter it's one bus every hour or so.

Stops included on the tour bus

  • Brooke Street Pier, Hobart's floating ferry terminal
  • Salamanca Place, the city's warehouse district
  • Princess Park, one of Hobart's most famous green lungs
  • Battery Point, the epicentre of the local town centre
  • St. George's Anglican Church, the most popular church in the city
  • St. Georges Terrace, Hobart's main thoroughfare
  • Wrest Point Hotel Casino, one of Hobart's most visited places of interest
  • Sandy Bay Road, the gateway to Hobart's waterfront road
  • Cascade Brewery, Tasmania's oldest and most traditional brewery
  • Cascades Female Factory, the women's penal colony housing a museum
  • South Hobart, one of the city's most popular suburbs
  • Village Cinemas Hobart, the city's entertainment epicentre
  • Hobart CBD, the business district of Tasmania's capital city
  • Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, one of Hobart's most popular museums
  • Hobart Convict Penitentiary, the city's most famous male penitentiary
  • Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre, Hobart's water sports centre
  • Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, Tasmania's largest botanical garden
  • Victoria Dock, Hobart's most popular and visited wharf

Details of interest

  • Price: From 27 euros per person, for the 24-hour free stop option.
  • Duration: The full tour, non-stop, will take you around 1.5 hours.
  • Advantages of these excursions: You will have at your disposal a comfortable and economical alternative to tour the main sites of the city in an organised circuit with free stops.
  • Disadvantages of these tours: The winter frequency of the services is about 1 hour between each bus.

Book tickets for the sightseeing bus

2. Scout bus tour of Mt Wellington in Hobart

yellow bus on the road|©Andrew Surgenor
yellow bus on the road|©Andrew Surgenor

One of the best things to do in Hobart is to visit Mount Wellington, a rock formation 1200 metres above sea level that is visible from different parts of the city and is the ultimate challenge for visitors looking for an adventure tour. While you can explore the site on your own or on a guided tour from Hobart, the explorer bus offers a very interesting alternative.

During this tour you can book a visit to Mount Wellington, which was called Kunanyi in the local Aboriginal language, and climb to the top to discover the sweeping views of the city. Once you reach the top you will have 30 minutes free to explore the area on your own and then you can return to the bus back to Hobart town centre.

Please note that you will not be assisted by a local guide on the Mount Wellington trek, but you will be provided with a printed map of the available hiking trails, which are very accessible to all, especially during the summer. However, with the printed information you will have the opportunity to enjoy this natural site and understand why this bush is one of the undisputed highlights of Hobart's best hikes.

In addition to the scout bus tour, these tours also include in combination a two-day hop on-hop off bus pass. This gives you access to two of the city's best experiences and also gives you the chance to get to know Hobart in depth, not only in its urban but also in its natural surroundings.

Details of interest

  • Price: Approximately €45 per person, which includes the explorer bus ride and also the two-day hop on-hop off city pass.
  • Duration: The scout bus tour lasts approximately 4-5 hours, including 30 minutes free for you to tour the top of Mount Wellington on your own.
  • Advantages of these options: They provide a complete overview of Hobart's urban and natural environment and will save you money by combining two popular options.
  • Disadvantages: They do not include the assistance of an expert local guide on the climb to the top of Mt Wellington, although you will be provided with a printed map showing the route of the available trails.

Buy tickets for the scout bus

What routes do Hobart's tour buses travel?

Battery Point, Hobart|©Brad Touesnard
Battery Point, Hobart|©Brad Touesnard

Hobart's hop-on-hop-off sightseeing bus runs from the Old Town to Victoria Dock, taking in most of Hobart's tourist sites. This includes the Salamanca Place Warehouse District, Battery Point, the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and South Point. Therefore, with this alternative you will have the best attractions of the city within immediate reach.

Also, as it's a free-stop bus that you can board anywhere, you can combine the itinerary with other typical Hobart activities, such as a kayak tour or a ride on Hobart's best boat tours, which is one of Hobart's most interesting attractions, as you get to see the historic harbour and the city's skyline from a different perspective.

If you opt for the explorer bus instead, you can discover Mount Wellington and the surrounding area of this mountain range, which is one of the highest in Tasmania and an omnipresent natural site in Hobart's skyline. This alternative is also combined with the city's hop on-hop off sightseeing bus service, so you'll also have the opportunity to experience the traditional route of this destination.

Join a Derwent River Cruise Tour

What are the benefits of using Hobart's sightseeing buses?

Tour bus|©Mike Steele
Tour bus|©Mike Steele

Whichever you choose, the tour buses will save you time and money on transfers. The hop on-hop off service will allow you to tour the city from end to end including 18 stops at some of Hobart's central sites, putting you in close proximity to Hobart's best museums, historic buildings and landmarks in the island's colonial capital.

It will also help you to organise your itinerary during your trip, as although it is advisable to start the tour from the beginning, you can get on at any part of the circuit and give priority to the attractions that are of most interest to you. You can also access real-time information while you visit each place, as the bus has an audio guide in several languages.

Also note that if you don't want to use any of the stops along the route, you can opt to do the whole route on the bus, which will take you approximately 1 hour and a half. At the end of the tour you can hop off or return to the starting point on the next bus.

Alternatively, the explorer bus is a great value for money tour to Mount Wellington and the same price also includes a hop on-hop off bus ticket for two full days, so you can complement an adventure tour with an urban itinerary.

Book a tour to Mount Wellington

What are the Hobart sightseeing bus timetables?

Bus in Hobart City|©Josh Boyd's Transport photos
Bus in Hobart City|©Josh Boyd's Transport photos

The Hobart hop on-hop off sightseeing bus operates a daytime service and can be used from 9am until 6pm. During these hours, and for the duration of your ticket, you can hop on and off as many times as you like at any of the 18 stops along the route. The frequency in summer is one bus every half hour, while in winter it is one bus every hour approximately.

The scout bus is also a daytime bus and generally runs from 07:00 to 16:00. Note that Mount Wellington is about a 30-minute drive from the centre of Hobart, but tours include the climb to the summit and also some free time at the 1200m lookout point to take in the panoramic views of the city, so the experience takes about 5 hours.

Hobart offers a pleasant climate all year round, although summer is a wet season and rainfall is very frequent. Either way, a morning tour is one of the best ways to see one of the best sides of Tasmania's capital city.

Book tickets for the sightseeing bus

How do Hobart's sightseeing buses operate?

On the city Explorer Bus, Hobart Tasmania|©adriannah
On the city Explorer Bus, Hobart Tasmania|©adriannah

The hop on-hop off sightseeing bus is quite simple to operate, as you simply purchase the option that best suits your tour and activate it. You'll be able to choose between the full-day or two-day alternatives, and once you've activated your ticket with the first use, it will be valid until the time limit expires. In the meantime, you can hop on and off at the stops along the route as many times as you like.

The hop on-hop off bus route can be used to hop on and off in any order along the route or as a classic sightseeing bus, travelling from end to end between the Brooke Street Pier and Victoria Dock stops. If you choose the latter option, the route will take approximately 1.5 hours to complete.

The explorer bus operates by reservation, so you'll need to choose the day you plan to visit Mt Wellington and report to the tour provider's office in central Hobart. While it does not include the assistance of an expert local guide, you will be provided with a printed map and free time to explore the summit viewpoint on your own. This tour also includes a hop on-hop off bus ticket.

Buy tickets for the explorer bus

So... Which alternative is the most convenient?

Hobart Red Tour Bus|©Simon_sees
Hobart Red Tour Bus|©Simon_sees

The answer will depend on the travel plan you decide to follow, but generally speaking the hop on-hop off tour bus will give you a quick, economical and efficient tour of the city's main sites and give you the opportunity to see the best attractions in less time. For this reason, it is the ideal alternative if you are planning a short stay in the Tasmanian capital.

If you want to see one of the natural sites that is usually included in Hobart's best tours, you can opt for the explorer bus, which in addition to visiting Mount Wellington will also give you access to a hop on-hop off bus ticket. This will allow you not only to combine two of the city's most interesting activities, but also to discover different profiles of this destination, which stands out for both the historic colonial legacy of its urban centre and its natural wonders.