1 March 2027 - 13 days for £7,595 per person
Register for 2028 and we will contact you when details including dates and prices are confirmed.
Venture into Tasmania, a land where rugged landscapes meet extraordinary wildlife. Accompanied by expert naturalists, journey across misty mountaintops, hidden beaches, and untouched forests, experiencing up-close encounters with nature and gaining a deep understanding of the ecosystems that make this island one of the world’s most remarkable wild places.
Circle Tasmania on an immersive journey through ancient rainforests, glacially carved mountains and dramatic coastlines, encountering the island’s most iconic wildlife along the way. Discover the island’s rich Aboriginal heritage dating back more than 35,000 years while encountering iconic animals such as Tasmanian devils, eastern quolls, platypuses, and little penguins, alongside endemic birds and rare species. From glacial peaks at Cradle Mountain and waterfalls in Mount Field to coastal wildlife cruises around Bruny Island, this intimate, low-impact journey offers a deeply personal connection to Tasmania’s wildest and most extraordinary environments.
You will be accompanied by Dr Martin Cohen, a biologist and passionate conservationist, who brings Tasmania’s ecosystems to life through wildlife observation, field talks, and interactive discussions. Alongside him, local guides and conservationists share their specialist knowledge on habitats, wildlife behavior, and conservation efforts, ensuring every encounter with Tasmania’s unique landscapes and species is both educational and unforgettable.
You will travel throughout by expedition vehicle, on foot and by boat staying in a range of accommodation from 4-star luxury hotels to farm stays and log-built cottages within the rainforest. Locations include the capital city of Hobart, Mount Field National Park, Cradle Mountain, Maria Island and Bruny Island.
The tour is ideal for those with all levels of expertise, as it acts as a fantastic introduction to Tasmania’s amazing flora, fauna and geology and how it is being protected, while allowing those with a deeper understanding to observe a great many species on land, in the skies and at sea.
In partnership with Intrepid Travel.
Day 1: Arrive in Hobart, meet the group and visit the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
Welcome to Tasmania! Your adventure begins in Hobart, where you will check into The Grand Chancellor Hotel. At 2.30pm, you will meet your tour leader Dr Martin Cohen and the rest of the group for an introductory meeting.
In the afternoon, you will visit the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. Established in 1843 and the second oldest museum in Australia, it boasts a diverse collection that highlights Tasmania's natural and cultural heritage. The museum features exhibits on the island's history, geology and biodiversity, while the art gallery showcases a mix of historical and contemporary Tasmanian artworks. It will give a great base before we begin the Tasmanian expedition.
In the evening, you will head out at 6.30pm for the group welcome dinner at a local restaurant in Hobart.
Day 2: Bonorong Sanctuary and drive to Curringa
This morning you will visit Bonorong Sanctuary. The Sanctuary isn't a zoo; their aim is to rehabilitate injured and sick animals and release healthy ones back to the wild. Some of the species who reside at the sanctuary include forester kangaroos, pademelons, Tasmanian devils, wombats, sugar gliders, eastern quolls, cockatoos, tawny frogmouths, echidnas, Tasmanian bettongs and many more. All of the residents undergo meticulous assessment to ensure they are happy and healthy in the sanctuary's care, and they are only kept at Bonorong if they are considered unable to survive in the wild.
Enjoy lunch in the town of Brighton before driving to Curringa Farm, located near Hamilton.
Check into Curringa Farm for two nights. The farm is over 300 hectares in size with around 3000 sheep. While here, you will meet a family of sixth generation Tasmanian farmers and learn about their farm conservation project.
Day 3: Mount Field National Park
You will spend the day exploring this beautiful area and walk through wet forest with giant eucalyptus trees in search of pink robins, black currawongs, green rosellas and other Tasmanian birds. Plus, witness the spectacular waterfalls that flow down the sides of Mount Field.
Higher in the park, you will visit the alpine area where you will experience a previously glaciated landscape rich in lakes, mountain pools and alpine flora, with good chances of seeing birds such as Tasmanian thornbills, scrubwrens, scrubtits and various kinds of honeyeater.
You will walk the Russell Falls Track, the Tall Trees Walk and explore Lake Dobson.
Dinner tonight will be back at Curringa Farm, where you have the option of a nighttime walk.
Day 4: Lake St Clair, Nelson Falla and continue to Strahan
Begin your day at Lake St Clair, Australia’s deepest freshwater lake, where crystal-clear waters reflect the surrounding forested peaks. Walk along the shoreline and through ancient temperate rainforest, spotting crimson rosellas, forest ravens, and the rare Tasmanian endemic green rosella, while learning about the delicate balance of these freshwater and forest ecosystems. The air is crisp, the scenery serene, and every step reveals the intricate interplay between flora, fauna, and landscape.
Next, journey to Nelson Falls, one of Tasmania’s most spectacular waterfalls. Follow rainforest trails lined with moss-covered tree ferns and towering myrtle trees, listening to the rush of water cascading over the rocks. Keep your binoculars ready for sightings of pink robins, black currawongs, and other forest-dwelling birds, and take in the sensory richness of this lush, ever-changing environment.
In the afternoon, travel to the west coast town of Strahan, a gateway to Tasmania’s rugged wilderness. Explore the historic waterfront, watch the golden light glint off Macquarie Harbour, and learn about the region’s unique ecology, from coastal wetlands to temperate rainforest.
Day 5: Sarah Island and Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park
Step back in time with a visit to Sarah Island, a hauntingly beautiful site set within Macquarie Harbour. Once one of Australia’s most remote and formidable penal settlements, the island now stands as a powerful reminder of human resilience in the face of an unforgiving landscape. Explore the ruins and windswept shoreline while learning how this isolated environment shaped both the convict history and the fragile ecosystems of Tasmania’s wild west coast. Surrounded by dense rainforest and restless waters, Sarah Island offers a compelling intersection of natural and human history.
Continue your journey into the alpine heart of Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park, where dramatic peaks, glacial valleys, and ancient rainforest create one of Tasmania’s most iconic landscapes. Walk among pencil pines and alpine heathlands, tracing terrain sculpted by Ice Age glaciers, and keep watch for wombats grazing in open moorlands or wedge-tailed eagles soaring overhead. Along the shores of Dove Lake and on carefully guided trails, discover the remarkable adaptations that allow plants and wildlife to thrive in this rugged, ever-changing environment
Day 6: Cradle Mountain National Park and Devils @Cradle
Return to the dramatic landscapes of Cradle Mountain, where jagged peaks rise above glacial lakes and sweeping alpine heathlands. Walk through ancient rainforest and open moorlands, tracing landscapes carved by Ice Age glaciers and shaped by millennia of isolation. Along the trails, keep watch for wombats grazing in the buttongrass plains, echidnas foraging among the undergrowth, and the rich birdlife that thrives in this pristine highland ecosystem.
Later, visit Devils @Cradle, a breeding and wildlife conservation and educational facility. The sanctuary primarily concentrates on the Tasmanian devil, the sanctuary is also home to the closely related spotted-tailed and eastern quolls. Tasmania’s three largest carnivorous marsupials are all now threatened in one way or another in the wild. Here you will join a tour of the facility and witness the effort required to increase the Tasmanian devil population in Tasmania.
Day 7: Mersey Forest, Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuaryand Bicheno
Journey into the tranquil wilderness of the Mersey Forest, where cool temperate rainforest and towering eucalyptus create a thriving refuge for Tasmania’s unique wildlife. Walk beneath ancient canopies alive with birdsong, scanning for yellow-tailed black cockatoos, honeyeaters, and the subtle movements of wallabies along the forest edge. Along quiet trails and riverbanks, discover the intricate relationships that sustain these ecosystems, shaped by isolation and time.
Continue to Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary for an up-close insight into Tasmania’s endemic species and the vital work being done to protect them. Guided by passionate conservationists, learn about breeding programs for Tasmanian devils, spotted-tail quolls, and eastern quolls, and gain a deeper understanding of the scientific efforts helping safeguard these animals for the future. Personal encounters here offer a rare opportunity to connect with the island’s extraordinary marsupials while exploring the challenges of wildlife conservation in a changing world.
Travel onward to the coastal beauty of Bicheno, where dramatic granite headlands meet the turquoise waters of the Tasman Sea. Explore rocky shorelines and coastal heath, observing seabirds riding the ocean currents and learning about the dynamic marine ecosystems that flourish along Tasmania’s east coast. As evening falls, the region reveals another spectacle, with little penguins returning ashore
Day 8: Freycinet National Park, Wineglass Bay and “Devils in the Dark”
Today you'll head to Freycinet National Park to explore the rich geological and floral wonders of one of Tasmania's oldest national parks. Around the world, national parks have been created to preserve truly magical places and there's no doubt Freycinet National Park has a magic all of its own. The park is best known for the stunning beauty of Wineglass Bay – its crystal-clear waters and white, crescent-shaped beach is one of Tasmania's most celebrated views.
Beyond Wineglass Bay, there's plenty more to uncover at Freycinet. The diversity in the coastal landscape is dramatic, with rocky coves and surging surf around one corner, and sheltered bays and sandy beaches around the next. As you explore the park, the Hazards, a spectacular granite mountain range that rises dramatically from the sheltered turquoise bays, provide a breathtaking backdrop that is never far from view.
After an early dinner, venture out on a “Devils in the Dark” wildlife experience, which aims to maximise the opportunity of photographing the elusive Tasmanian devil under close to natural conditions (the animals free-range within a fenced peninsula of land).
Day 9: Maria Island
Today you travel to the seaside township of Triabunna to board a ferry to Maria Island. This pedestrian (and bicycle) only island was declared a national park in 1972. It is now a refuge for a variety of Tasmanian birds and mammals, including the forester kangaroo and Cape Barren goose. Over the past few years, it has also provided additional sanctuary to an insurance population of Tasmanian devils that is thriving on the island.
After returning to Triabunna on a late afternoon ferry, continue south to the Tasman Peninsula and our accommodation for the night, Lufra Hotel in Pirate's Bay.
Day 10: Tasman National Park and continue to Bruny Island
This morning there will be time to thoroughly explore some nearby geological features and view the spectacular coastline, and the dry sclerophyll forests and woodlands of Tasman National Park.
After lunch, you will make your way to Bruny Island, which is situated 40 kilometres south of Hobart and is separated from the Tasmanian mainland by the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. When on the ferry trip across the channel, watch out for little penguins and dolphins alongside. We will arrive in time for dinner.
Bruny Island is an untouched wilderness that is classified as an Important Bird Area due to its abundance of endangered and endemic bird species.
For the next two nights you will be staying at Inala Cottage or Explorer’s Cottages.
Day 11: Bruny Island
Today you will focus on photography within the more than 600-hectare private wildlife property Inala. A range of platforms and bird-hides have been erected around the property at strategic wildlife spots to maximise your chances of seeing and photographing a range of mammals and birdlife. This will include a visit to the raptor photography hide, where a range of species including the endangered grey goshawk (white morph), swamp harrier, brown goshawk, white-bellied sea-eagle (also a threatened species in Tasmania) and brown falcon regularly visit. If you are really lucky, the endangered Tasmanian form of Wedge-tailed eagle will also call in.
You will also visit a purpose-built 4m platform where you can view and photograph one of Australia’s smallest and rarest birds, the endangered forty-spotted pardalote.
This evening after dinner you have the option of visiting some sites for some nocturnal mammal photography, including eastern quoll which is a relative of the Tasmanian devil. You may also be lucky to see the near-albino forms of Bennett’s wallaby and brush-tailed possum which rarely occur among the normal dark-coloured animals on Bruny Island.
Day 12: Coastal cruise and return to Hobart
This morning you will board a privately chartered vessel (weather dependent), from Adventure Bay, cruising alongside some of Australia's tallest sea cliffs, passing beneath towering crags and approaching the mesmerising Breathing Rock. Explore Bruny Island's deep sea caves, navigate the narrow passage between the coast and The Monument, and feel the force of nature at the convergence of the Tasman Sea and the mighty Southern Ocean. Participate in the quest for coastal wildlife, encountering seals, dolphins, migrating whales and sea birds.
Back on land you will head north to the ferry and return to Hobart. This completes your circular trip of Tasmania, and tonight you will return to the Grand Chancellor Hotel where there will be a farewell dinner and a farewell to your guides.
Day 13: Hobart departure
After breakfast, there will be a group transfer to the airport or we can arrange for you to stay on for a few more nights to enjoy Tasmania.
Please note this itinerary is subject to change due to local conditions and opportunities. While we will do our best to offer the best wildlife opportunities throughout, we cannot guarantee any specific animal sightings as nature is in charge here.
