What Is the Best Way to Spend a Weekend in Tasmania After Arriving on the Spirit of Tasmania in Devonport?
Arriving in Devonport aboard the Spirit of Tasmania is an increasingly popular way to do a weekend escape on the “Apple Isle”.
Instead of landing at an airport and queuing for a rental car (and dealing with the stress of driving an unfamiliar vehicle), you can start exploring the island (with your own wheels) the minute you drive off the ferry ramp.
Because the Spirit of Tasmania arrives in Devonport, Tasmania's North West is the perfect place to explore, particularly if you only have a weekend to spare. It combines wonderful coastal scenery with historic towns and excellent food and wine experiences. What more could you want?
As North West Tassie locals, we can assure you there’s no need to drive huge distances and spend your entire weekend on the road to have an incredible experience. In fact, there are countless itineraries that allow you to discover everything the region has to offer in a relaxed manner.
In this article, we’ll share three different itinerary options, whether you’re into food, wilderness or coastal experiences. Each is three days in duration, making them ideal for a long weekend away, combined with night sailings between Geelong and Devonport.
And if you’re arriving on the Spirit of Tasmania without a car (as a foot passenger), we can help you craft a weekend itinerary with our range of shore excursions, transfers and tours.
Please note: Spirit of Tasmania's Devonport operations and terminal arrangements are changing during 2026. Check your sailing information carefully before travelling so you know the exact embarkation/disembarkation points.
For a self-drive itinerary, we highly recommend you book a cabin on the Spirit of Tasmania so you are well rested on arrival in Devonport. And whatever itinerary you plan, remember to build some flexibility into the schedule - Tasmania’s weather can be unpredictable!
Option 1: Cradle Mountain + Tamar Valley
Combining one of Tasmania’s most beloved wilderness areas with cool-climate wine tasting, this weekend in Tasmania itinerary is a personal favourite.
Day 1: Devonport → Cradle Mountain
Day 2: Cradle Mountain → Launceston
Day 3: Launceston → Devonport
Day 1: Devonport to Cradle Mountain
Your first glimpse of the “Apple Isle” comes as the Spirit of Tasmania approaches Devonport across Bass Strait. The ferry terminal is conveniently positioned on the Mersey River in East Devonport, making it easy to begin exploring almost immediately after disembarking.
Before leaving Devonport, make a quick detour to Mersey Bluff, famed for its distinctive red-and-white striped lighthouse. It perches high above the coastline overlooking Bass Strait, not far from the Bass Strait Maritime Museum (which is also worth a visit).
From Devonport, drive towards Sheffield, a small town famed for its outdoor murals that depict local history, landscapes and Tasmanian characters. It's a great place to stop for coffee and stretch your legs en route to Cradle Mountain. Pop into the Kentish Museum too if time allows!
From Sheffield, continue towards Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, one of Tasmania's most spectacular wilderness areas. Cradle Mountain is renowned for its rugged scenery and walking tracks, and you don't need to be an experienced hiker to enjoy it.
If conditions allow, we’d recommend following the Dove Lake Circuit as your introductory walk. It takes you around Dove Lake with views towards Cradle Mountain and through the surrounding alpine landscape. If you don't have time for the full circuit, there are plenty of shorter walks available.
Rather than driving back to Devonport or on to Launceston, spend a night at one of the lodges near Cradle Mountain. It will give you more time to explore the area’s trails and the best chance of spotting native wildlife (including Cradle Mountain’s iconic wombats), which are most active at dusk and dawn.
Top tip: Book your Cradle Mountain accommodation in advance, especially during school holidays, summer weekends and peak walking seasons.
Day 2: Cradle Mountain to Launceston
After waking early for another short walk in Cradle Mountain, hit the road and make your way to Tasmania's second-largest city, Launceston. You can break up the journey with a stop in the riverside town of Deloraine or book in for a tour of the spectacular Mole Creek Caves.
In Launceston, you'll find historic architecture, galleries and flower-filled parks, so take an hour or two to explore the city on foot. If time allows, visit the Queen Victoria Museum at Inveresk for a dose of local history or the Art Gallery at Royal Park.
Then, make your way to Cataract Gorge, a picturesque natural area on the edge of the city centre. It's an easy nature escape, with riverside trails to explore and a chairlift offering bird’s eye views of the gorge.
Day 3: Launceston to Devonport
After breakfast, head north from Launceston into the Tamar Valley, one of Tasmania's best-known food and wine regions. Set on the banks of the Tamar River, the region is dotted with vineyards, cellar doors and farm stalls, all surrounded by wonderful scenery.
For food lovers, this is a great opportunity to sample local Tasmanian produce - we recommend booking in for lunch at one of the many cellar door restaurants. Sparkling wine enthusiasts shouldn’t miss Josef Chromy Wines, which features a cellar door set within an 1880s homestead and a hatted fine-dining restaurant.
After a long lunch, gradually make your way back to Devonport, arriving in time for your evening sailing. Make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to reach the ferry terminal and remember the Spirit of Tasmania check-in closes strictly 45 minutes before departure.
Option 2: North West Tasmania Tasting Trail
If your idea of a perfect Tasmanian weekend involves farm gates, cellar doors and beautiful country roads, embark on a delicious road trip along the North West Tasmania Tasting Trail.
Day 1: Devonport → Deloraine
Day 2: Deloraine → Launceston
Day 3: Launceston → Devonport
Day 1: Devonport to Deloraine
After disembarking from the Spirit of Tasmania, head into Devonport for a coffee or breakfast before you hit the road.
Your first foodie stop is Anvers, a historic chocolate factory in the town of Latrobe that produces handmade truffles, pralines and fudges using local ingredients. The property also has a tasting centre, chocolate museum and viewing windows where you can watch confectionery being made
Next, head towards Elizabeth Town and make your way to Ashgrove Cheese Dairy Door. At this family-owned dairy business, you can learn more about the cheese-making process, see into the factory through viewing windows and taste a selection of farmhouse cheeses.
Just down the road is the Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm Cafe, where you’ll find everything from fresh berries and raspberry desserts to chocolate-dipped fruit creations. The lakeside setting is picturesque and there’s a nature trail if you need to stretch your legs.
Next door is the Van Diemen's Land Creamery, which produces artisan ice cream and gelato using milk from local dairy farms. Aside from classic flavours such as vanilla bean and chocolate, there are distinctly Tasmanian combinations such as pepperberry and leatherwood.
Spend the night in Deloraine, a relaxed riverside town with a lively main street and a flower-filled park.
Day 2: Deloraine to Sheffield
Following breakfast, drive east from Deloraine to Hazelbrae Hazelnuts. Set beneath the Great Western Tiers at Hagley, this family-run farm produces award-winning Tasmanian hazelnuts, as well as hazelnut oil and a range of sweet treats. Aside from doing a tasting at the Nut Bar, you can embark on a self-guided tour of the orchard.
Also nearby is the Western Tiers Distillery, which produces premium Tasmanian whisky, gin and vodka. Its spirits use water sourced from Tasmania's Highland Lakes, while the gins incorporate botanicals associated with the Great Western Tiers. The distillery itself features striking copper pot stills manufactured by its sister business, Stillsmiths Tasmania.
If beer is your preferred drink, consider stopping at the Bush Inn, a family-owned country pub and nano-brewery that produces small-batch craft beers on site. A tasting paddle is a great way to sample several beers if you're not sure what to order. The Bush Inn is also a relaxed place to stop for lunch, with sourdough pizzas and an Asian-fusion menu featuring Tasmanian produce.
After lunch, head west from Deloraine to The Truffle Farm. Tasmania's fertile soils and cool climate have helped create an impressive truffle industry and The Truffle Farm offers visitors the chance to learn more about these unusual fungi. Depending on the season and experiences available, you can see truffle dogs at work and enjoy a range of truffle-focused food.
A little further down the road is the Melita Honey Farm, which offers more than 40 different varieties of honey. We highly recommend the local leatherwood honey, which comes from bees foraging on the flowers of Tasmania's native leatherwood trees. The leatherwood honey ice cream here is also a must!
End your day in Sheffield, a laid-back town that’s famed for its colourful murals.
Day 3: Sheffield to Devonport
After a relaxed breakfast in Sheffield, hit the road and head towards The Truffledore (if you’re not truffled out from the previous day). This boutique farm grows Australian black winter truffles and offers tastings, farm-to-table experiences and truffle hunts.
From the Truffledore, you don't have to drive far before you reach some excellent cool-climate vineyards, including House of Hargrave and Prickly Mo. From the House of Hargrave, you can enjoy sweeping views towards Bass Strait while enjoying tastings of its small-batch wines.
Prickly Mo is slightly more rustic, occupying a 120-year-old barn and former shearing shed. Its Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and sparkling wines are perfectly paired with generous cheese platters that can be enjoyed overlooking the vines and rolling hills.
If cider is more your thing, make a beeline for Spreyton Cider Co, which has a history dating back to 1908. The cellar door offers a range of handcrafted ciders (we recommend ordering a tasting paddle), from crisp apple styles to seasonal releases, and there’s a restaurant overlooking the orchard.
If you’re not in a rush to get back to the Spirit of Tasmania, take a short detour to Turners Beach Berry Patch. Here you can pick your own strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and tayberries, depending what’s in season. Even if you visit outside picking season, there's still a good reason to stop and that’s the house-made real-fruit ice cream!
Also nearby is Tasmanian Pickled Onions, which uses traditional methods to brine, season and bottle onions grown on farms along the North-West Coast. In the shop, you can sample different varieties, including chilli and pepperberry.
Tasmanian Pickled Onions is surrounded by Broad Acres Vineyard, and the cellar door offers tastings of both the pickled onions and locally produced wines.
Before boarding the Spirit of Tasmania, you might be able to squeeze in one final stop at the Tasmanian Food & Wine General Store in central Devonport. It specialises in local produce and offers everything from local wines and ciders to Tasmanian cheeses, chocolates, honey and smoked produce.
Just remember to check any biosecurity requirements before taking food back to the mainland!
Option 3: A North-West Tasmania Road Trip
Hugging Bass Strait en route to historic Stanley, this coastal itinerary takes in beautiful beaches, dramatic cliffs and relaxed seaside towns.
Day 1: Devonport → Wynyard
Day 2: Wynyard → Stanley
Day 3: Stanley → Devonport
Your adventure begins as soon you drive off the Spirit of Tasmania. Rather than heading directly west, stop in Devonport for breakfast or coffee and enjoy the sweeping views over Bass Strait from Mersey Bluff. If you’re interested in local history, allow time to explore the Bass Strait Maritime Museum (although keep in mind it doesn’t open until 10 am).
Then, begin the drive to Penguin, one of Tasmania's most charming seaside towns. It has a relaxed beachfront promenade, local shops and several cafes where you can have brunch (as an alternative to breakfast in Devonport). The town is particularly famed for its giant penguin sculpture and this is not to be missed!
From Penguin, continue west to Table Cape, where the landscape starts to become more dramatic. Table Cape is a huge volcanic plateau rising above Bass Strait and boasts one of the region’s most spectacular viewpoints. From the lookout, you'll have expansive views over the coastline and surrounding farmland.
Spend the evening at a B&B or guesthouse in the Wynyard area.
Day 2: Wynyard to Stanley
After breakfast, continue driving to Boat Harbour, a small coastal community that’s renowned for its remarkably clear water and green hills rolling down towards Bass Strait. If it’s warm enough, take a dip in the pretty bay or simply grab a coffee and enjoy a stroll along the sand.
Boat Harbour lies on the edge of Rocky Cape National Park, which encompasses rocky headlands, caves and walking trails. Several depart from the waterfront settlement of Sisters Beach, which is 10 minutes down the road from Boat Harbour.
After this short coastal detour, backtrack the way you came and continue driving west along the Bass Highway, passing by the iconic Big Yellow Motorcycle (a worthy photo stop). The road meanders northwest through Hellyer and Crayfish Creek before eventually arriving in Stanley.
Enjoy a stroll around this historic maritime village and admire the beautifully preserved buildings, many of which are now occupied by cafes, eateries and antique stores.
No trip to Stanley is complete without going up The Nut, an ancient volcanic plug that rises dramatically above the town. It can be accessed via either a steep walking trail or a chairlift, and there’s a circular summit trail at the top offering spectacular views across the coastline.
Highfield Historic Site is another Stanley destination not to miss and is considered the birthplace of European settlement in Tasmania's North West. Construction of the homestead began in 1826, using convict labour. A tour of the gardens, barn and historic outbuildings provide a good understanding of how the estate functioned.
Spend the night in Stanley and enjoy a dinner of local seafood at one of the main street restaurants. After the sun has set, head to Godfreys Beach to look for little penguins from the dedicated viewing area. Just remember to stay quiet, don't use flash photography and never approach or block the penguins’ path.
Day 3: Stanley to Devonport
After breakfast, spend a leisurely morning in Stanley before starting the return drive to Devonport. While it’s only 128 kilometres and takes as little as 1.5 hours (without stops), give yourself ample time to ensure you arrive at the Spirit of Tasmania ferry terminal for a relaxed check-in.
If you arrive early enough, spend some time around the Devonport waterfront and grab dinner at a local restaurant before checking in for your sailing.