Visited Tasmania last year and one of the attractions that I wanted to see was Mount Wellington…read more Public transportation wasn't an option since the buses won't take you to the top. They will drop you off at a lower level and you need to trek up.the mountain. My only options were to rent a car or book a tour. I decided on the latter since it was easier and saved me the trouble of driving in Australia. I looked through tours available on Viator and decided to book a package consisted of a tour of Mount Wellington and admission to Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. The Viator site doesn't specify the tour operator until you make your purchase and the tour is confirmed. After a couple days, I received a tour confirmation e-mail and learned the tour operator was Adventure Island Tours. I was given the start time of the tour and was picked up outside of my hotel. Adventure Island is a Tasmanian owned and operated tour business. They use 13 passenger tour vans so the number of people on the tour is smaller than if you book with a large company like Gray Line. They have a number of Hobart tours, but their most popular tours are the ones to Port Arthur. On my tour, it was just me and an Indonesian family so I learned plenty of tidbits about Tasmania. My tour guide was very knowledgeable about world affairs (ex. US election) which was impressive and even talked about his travels to Seattle. Mount Wellington was definitely worth the visit. My guide made stops at the summit as well as down the mountain, so I could get views of the area at different altitudes. After the visit to Mount Wellington, we headed over to Bonorong. The tour guide checked us in to the sanctuary and then picked us up to drive back to Hobart to conclude the tour. I would recommend this itinerary if you are interested. Though make sure to bring a jacket or windbreaker as it is cold on Mount Wellington, particularly during the winter. Also I would pack a lunch and bring some water since the tour is all day. My tour guide did make a pit stop so I could pick up a couple meat pies at a bakery for lunch on our way to Bonorong. For the price, I was very satisfied with the tour. Primarily attribute this to my tour guide who was very knowledgeable about the area. This is something that you wouldn't get if you decide to do the journey on your own.

The Tench guided tour is well worth a stroll for tourists and locals, alike. I fall somewhere in…read morethe middle there, being that I'm a local but have only been for the last five years, and I love learning about Hobart (although I don't really actively seek it out much these days). Sometimes working in the industry gives me perks like visits to tours like this for free, and sometimes people are slack and don't book these tours and I end up getting an almost-personal (there was one other lady) tour on a drizzly Saturday morning. The Penitentiary is owned by the National Trust, and enthusiastic volunteers run guided tours through the remains of the building, giving you a history lesson at the same time. It's close to the centre of town, which is a bit amazing when you learn about the history of the place. The Tench as it stands is the remains of what held the convicts that were brought to Hobart, before becoming Hobart's gaol, before finally being closed down in the 1960s. Only bits of the original Penitentiary remain, and only bits of those bits remain (the Chapel building is the most remarkable and it's had certain bits and pieces pulled/knocked down, as people did a lot before realising how important it can be to preserve history). You get to hear about the full evolution of the space over the years, with a rather grim ending at the hanging corner. It was an hour absolutely well spent and if you're taking the time to visit Port Arthur on an historic bender then you'd best look after yourself and add a visit to the Tench as well.

We did the Bruny Island Traveller tour which was wonderful!! Our guide Alan was knowledgeable,…read morepersonal and could drive the bus like no one else!! Got to see and experience things we wouldn't have on a lone exploration of the island. We are not big bus tour folks at all, but this one was wonderful!! They even took care of dietary needs for lunch! My dairy free fish and chips was amazing! Highly recommend! Even if you're not usually keen on tours this one is great!

The overall sense I had was that this was the sort of place where you pay your money and everything…read moreis taken care of. The particular trip I did involved taking a bus down from this location in Hobart to nearby Bruny Island, and a boat to see the rugged south side of the island. Getting to the island was a hassle, as there is a ferry with limited capacity. I rather wish there had just been a boat from the city down to the island, which I imagine would take some doing but would be great. The waits were a pain. Once there, however, the tour had a lot to offer. They did morning tea beforehand and lunch after, both of which were simple but pretty good. I've seen tours skimp on food before but at least they put some effort in. Their pumpkin soup was pretty tasty, and the vegetarian sandwich included feta and a nice variety of things. The tour boat was a pretty prime watercraft, speedy and able to handle the rough waters. The tour was pretty well run, including some advance ginger tablets to ward off seasickness (which worked for me but not for everyone) and they included gloves, hats, and waterproof smocks for those of us who don't pack for the arctic breeze, and the climate did change markedly over the trip. The rock features on the island were well worth seeing, and the seal colony at the end fairly entertaining. Other wildlife included albatross and some fellow traveler dolphins on the way back; of course sightings will vary. The company's slickly produced video advertisements don't oversell the thing by a whole lot; the whole area is really quite spectacular. This trip didn't allow one to see the island itself except in passing, but the company offers plenty of different trips to this island and elsewhere. The guides were very much salt-of-the-earth locals, retired from other jobs, and the business overall struck me as being professionally and responsibly run. You'll pay a lot of money, but you'll get an experience.

Amazing tour with great prices! Paul was so knowledgeable and made us feel like a local. Not only…read moredid he take us to some really unique and fun destinations but he provided tips to maximize our experience and would follow up to make sure we had a great time. I highly recommend that you leverage a full 7 hour tour with him and provide some conceptual ideas of what you want to see. Paul will take care of the rest. At one point Paul walked us into the animal reserve, checked the pricing to make sure we got a group deal, and then gave us the lay of the land before we started our walking tour. He was so kind and helpful. Also, make sure you don't miss the mountain. It's worth the trip up and the pictures are fantastic! We bonded with Paul by the end of our time together and from both his perspective and ours, it was the best experience of our trip and of his season. He was such a pleasure! FYI the prices were more than fair, especially compared to the other vendors. We came in on a cruise and this was 1/3 the price for half the tour.

One of the most relaxing and engaging tours I've been on! The price was great. The experience was…read moreamazing. The tour guide, Paul M...I can't say enough about. The banter, information, and kindness Paul shared sets him apart. An all around delightful and truly amazing person. The story...if you're so inclined: A group of us (about 17) were embarking on a 12 day cruise. Hobart was port three of five and about eight days into our journey. We had just spent three days at sea due to Cyclone Gita interrupting our final port call (Christchurch) in New Zealand. In case you haven't been on a cruise, three days in mild to rough seas will leave you irritable and exhausted. I got off the ship early, breezed through customs, and began searching for a tour guide. I noticed a sole gentleman, Paul, setting up for the morning and approached him. He was kind, inviting, and extremely knowledgeable. We quickly worked out a deal that would include a private guide (Paul) and van accommodating up to ten to anywhere we would like to go. We could leave immediately (8:30/9am) and would be back by 3:30pm...just in time to be back on board by 4:30pm. The van was clean, well maintained, comfortable, and spacious. Bless. Eight of us joined the excursion with promise to also cover the remaining two slots (so worth it). Paul waited patiently with me while our crew gathered themselves and made it off the ship. At this point, other tour guides were setting up as well. I realized how fortunate I was to have met Paul as I overheard insane price gouging and confusing tour schedules being offered to my fellow cruise members...almost double the price for half the excursion! Booking through the cruise was near triple the cost! The tour began. First stop, breakfast. Paul took us to a lovely bakery in town. Gorgeous food and friendly staff...most welcome after three days of the buffet line. Second stop, Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. A five star experience and the chance to feed/pet numerous kangaroos! Third stop, a quick pint and nosh at a local pub. Fourth stop, Festa Italia in North Hobart. An Italian food and wine street festival set in quaint part of town. Fifth stop, breathtaking views of the bay and surrounding area atop Mount Wellington. We made it back on time, without issue, and feeling very relaxed. We are a boisterous but prompt and compliant group. =) Thank you again to Paul and the Let's Show You Tasmania tour company. You guys were awesome! Cheers!

Great tour company. Took their tour to Bonorong, Mt Wellington, Richmond and Mt Field National…read morePark. Really a great day spent exploring. Our guide Simon was really friendly, talkative and very knowledgeable. We throughly enjoyed this tour and felt the cost was well worth it.

I was hosting some friends from New Zealand and they wanted to visit Tasmania, I used iWander as my…read moretour guides because they were affordable and I found them super easy to communicate with. The tour itself was amazing, visited some beautiful scenery, and then an hour later was sitting in a nice family owned restaurant tasting some beautiful local seafood. My favourite place was Mt. Field and Russell Falls. The Tasmanian devils were really interesting as well. The guides were lovely. Jarrod was incredibly knowledgable and proud to show of his home town, and knew all the interesting off-the-track local spots. Our plans changed a little bit and the guides went out of their way to accomodate the changes. Overall, what you see is what you get. Amazing scenery, beautiful wine and food, interesting wildlife, friendly guides, at an affordable cost. Thank you Jarrod.

Local artists have tables set up & they are selling beautiful, unique Australian crafts. We…read morepurchased handcrafted pens & jewelry here as gifts. There was an information counter with maps, discounts & volunteers providing directions & information. Outside were vendors selling land & sea tour packages. From here we were able to walk around downtown. Some lined up for a hop on and off bus while others boarded a city bus for Mt. Wellington.

Segways Tours Awesome experience a must do in Hobart…read moreFriendly first class service Fun Easy Worth every cent

Tasmania is a small island, an unless you're planning on doing some seriously epic trekking, the…read morebest way to see it is by renting *sorry, hiring* a car. While I don't have any particular allegiance to one rental car company, I must say, the experience at Budget was top notch. Hobart's airport is tiny, so it made the entire process painfully simple: grab your luggage, walk across the street, get your keys from the desk, grab your car from the lot, and you're on your way. It couldn't have been more than 10 minutes from when we landed to when we were driving off the lot, and there are few things I love more than ease of travel. So the star-deducting issues? It did seem that our car had been previously driven quite hard. While everything was fine cosmetically, the shocks were a bit squeaky, and the hub cab continually fell off. (Luckily it was the only one of the original four left, so when we finally lost it for good, we weren't too upset.) $100 for 3-days through Tassie was totally worth it. Plus, I felt dead sexy in my bright blue Nissan Pulsar 1.6. Yeow!