Hobart was our home for a charming weekend. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit, with Hobart giving us a throwback to Scandinavian vibes in a mix between “Aussie country town”, Bergen (Norwegian fishing village) and Queenstown. The city is so easily accessible from Melbourne, and is a great place to visit for a short stay with excellent hospitality and day trip or short stay options.
After a few quiet months on the travel front (but a busy period in personal life.. welcome little Luca!), we were back on the road.. albeit with a short little flight to Tasmania! A visit the nearby island of Tassie has been on the cards for awhile, and we were excited to make it happen in autumn 2026. This was Luca’s first holiday (he doesn’t know how lucky he is!), and we decided to spend a weekend in Hobart, and then check out the nearby Bruny Island (stay tuned for our guide coming soon!). Armed with enthusiasm from not travelling in over 6 months, and some recommendations from friends.. we jumped onto our flight! See a few highlights, and Hobart recommendations, from our weekend visit below!
A few moments we loved from our weekend in Hobart
A visit to MONA
Mona, the Museum of Old and New Art, is one of the crown jewels of Hobart, Tasmania. Tess has had MONA on her bucket list for a number of years, and we made sure to prioritise a visit. Located ~20-30minutes out of the city (accessible via car or scenic ferry ride), we locked in a 2pm timeslot and gave little Luca a taste of art and culture. Known for abstract and modern artwork, we really enjoyed the experience. The art gallery itself is an impressive engineering and design feat, and the exhibits range for beautiful artwork to “functioning digestive tract that gets fed twice a day” (we aren’t joking). If you visit, we highly recommend trying to be there at 4pm, when a composer will come onto the stage, give a quartet a freshly prepared musical piece (prepared that day). This 4pm experience is popular, and well worth witnessing. If the weather permits, enjoy the restaurant or outdoor beer garden, and soak up the entire ‘MONA experience’. A Hobart ‘must do!’.
Enjoy the Hobart coffee scene
Australia has excellent coffee, so it’s no huge surprise that Hobart delivered an excellent café and coffee scene. We had a few recommendations from friends, and stumbled upon a few more as we explored the small Hobart CBD. Here are a few great café options:
- Leoht *our top pick
- Coffee Darling
- Pigeon Hole Bakers
- Sunbear Café
There are many more we walked past and didn’t get to visit. There’s a good chance you’ll struggle to find a bad coffee in Hobart.
Visit a Hobart market
If visiting Hobart for the weekend, make plans to check out the famous Saturday Salamanca Market. Running in the charming area of Salamanca, the market only runs on Saturday (8.30-3pm). However, if your trip times don’t line up with the Salamanca market, a visit to the Farmgate Market on Sundays is also highly recommended. The produce is fresh, local, and there’s a great community vibe.
Check out the gorgeous Battery Point
This small area of Hobart was easily our favourite part of the city. Colourful weatherboard houses and shops, excellent cafes and bakeries, and the main street is very photogenic. It’s located a close walk to the heart of the Hobart CBD, and should be a must for everyone when they visit. Come for a coffee, afternoon tea, or just a walk through the town.
Enjoy the harbour ‘fishing town’ vibes
There’s something unique about harbour-side fishing towns. The smell of the sea, the gulls squawking, the fresh seafood available to sample, the promenade walks.. we really enjoyed all of these elements to Hobart. We encourage you to try some fresh seafood from one of the many vendors or restaurants along the harbour.
Day trips or short stays nearby Hobart!
While Hobart is quaint, we highly recommend you hire a car and get out to the nearby forests, coastal towns, islands and more! We spend a good few days down in Bruny Island, and loved it! Stay tuned for our Bruny Island recommendations
Where we stayed in Hobart
We recommend you stay in the Hobart CBD as it is very walkable. We stayed in Salamanca at Salamanca Warf Hotel, which was perfectly located in the cute neighbourhood of Salamanca.
Enjoying our free guides & travel advice? Subscribe to our blog!
Jump your email into the list below. We won’t spam you! It’ll just keep you updated whenever we post another travel-related adventure, memory or tid-bid!
