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.

Unless you're a really great swimmer, you don't have much choice other than to get the ferry when…read moreyou want to visit Bruny Island. Luckily, it's reasonably priced, efficient and actually pretty fun! A return trip in a small car will cost $30. Drive to the Kettering dock, where you will line up in lanes waiting for the ferry to arrive. Once cars are offloaded, you drive on up and shortly thereafter you are on your way, 15 minutes by water, to one of the most serene and beautiful places you may ever visit. We drank Moo Brew on the upper deck and stood in the sunshine, pretending we were characters from The Titanic (you know, the "I'm on top of the world!" bit, not the sinking dying bit). It was a really great way to mark the next part of our holiday. A word of warning: if you're trying to arrive or leave Bruny Island on a particularly busy day (say, the last day of a long weekend) then you need to arrive at the ferry well in advance to ensure you get a spot. When leaving the island, we arrived only 5 minutes beforehand to realise we wouldn't be able to make the next departure. Not to worry, we sat in the sun and enjoyed he surroundings for an hour while we waited for the ferry to go back and forth to Hobart, but had our flights back to Melbourne been any earlier we would have missed them.

Seemingly affordable and reliable. Transport vehicle and people to the amazing island.read more

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!

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.

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.

It is said that Tasmania is the Road Kill capital of Australia. And it is here at Bonarong…read moreWildlife Sanctuary that many of these poor critters come. The facility has a complete veterinary clinic and surgical centre on site, along with places for them to stay. Bonarong is NOT a zoo. Gayle and I were here as part of our group tour, with one highlight being able to see a couple Tasmanian Devils. Other critters here include: kangaroos, wombats, quolls, echidnas, and various bird species. We were able to interact with many of these animals, some of which will be rehabilitated for release. Yes, we didn't see one in the wild, but the mission of Bonarong definitely touched our hearts. If you have the capacity to help with Bonarong's mission, please head over to: www.friendsofbongarong.com

Stopped here on our way into Hobart. It's a cool place with many local animals…read more It's was a bad weather day but we were able to see a few birds and tons of kangaroos before the sky open up to a downpour. The kangaroos were so tame and there were so many of them. There is free food bins to allow you to feed them and they love a scratch on the chest. I'm amazed at how big many of them are and how gentle they are with the visitors. As it was a downpour when we got to the emus and Tasmanian devils, we didn't see much of them. They wanted to stay out of the cold rain as much as we did. We hung around for the tour at 3pm but bailed when the worst of the rain started right around that time. All funding comes from visitors. They have a nice hospital to care for injured wild animals. Staff was very knowledgeable about the animals and were great hosts. Great stop.

Hobart Airporter is an airport shuttle service that travels between Hobart International Airport…read moreand lodging accommodations in Hobart. You can pre-book online on their website, but it is not necessary. The airport shuttle is parked right outside the baggage claim area of the airport. The shuttles are timed with the arrival times of every flight. If you haven't pre-booked, you can walk curbside to the shuttle and purchase a seat. The rates are $18 for one-way and $32 for a round trip. If you buy the round trip, you either call the number on the ticket or go online to the website to enter the date and time you will be returning to the airport. This should be done at least a day in advance. I tried to use the online site at first, but I had trouble with it so I had to call the number instead. This was a bit difficult as well as I didn't know how to dial the number using my American cell phone, so it may be best to use the hotel telephone to call. The online website for this service shows a picture of a tour size shuttle bus, but the shuttle bus that I took was smaller with no room on board for luggage. Instead, the shuttle bus is connected to a luggage trailer in back. The shuttle has a list of stop locations that you can view on their online website. The hotel I stayed at in Hobart was not on the list due to its mid-street location, but there was a hotel across the street in which there was a stop. When you return to the airport, you should wait at the same stop that you get off at. Make sure to be at the stop 15 minutes before the time they provide. Though I was a little uneasy about taking the shuttle at first, I found it to be pretty straightforward way to get from the airport to Hobart CBD. I would use this airport shuttle service if I ever visit Hobart again.

$19 one way, $35 return. Essentially curbside service to your hotel. Easy and fast.read more