Things to do in Freycinet
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Freycinet
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Summer. Long days and the warmest sea, with peak prices, peak bookings, hot midday climbs and fire season discipline.
Autumn. Often the best walking weather, with thinner crowds after Easter, vintage at east coast cellar doors and shortening days.
Winter. Cold, quiet and atmospheric, with empty tracks, reduced timetables, some closures and Bicheno Beams in late June and July.
Spring. Wildflowers, orchids, southbound whales and penguin breeding building, with the most changeable weather of the year.
What's on
- Bicheno Food and Wine Festival a Saturday in November
East coast food stalls, cool climate wine, local beer, cooking demonstrations and live music in Lions Park, Bicheno.
- Bicheno Beams late June to late July
A free open air winter light show in Lions Park, Bicheno, with nightly shows set to music across about a month.
Best things to do in Freycinet
Wineglass Bay Lookout
The famous lookout over the white curve of Wineglass Bay, best at dawn before the car park fills and the heat builds.
Wineglass Bay
A long white quartz beach reached by about 1,000 steps from the lookout, with cold clear water and no services.
Cape Tourville Lighthouse
An easy boardwalk circuit around a lighthouse headland with sea, seal and whale views for almost any fitness level.
Honeymoon Bay
A sheltered bay of clear water and orange granite near Coles Bay, the local pick for a swim, picnic and snorkel.
Bicheno Penguin Tours
Guided dusk viewing of little penguins coming ashore in Bicheno, on boardwalks with local guides and no flash rules.
Friendly Beaches
A long, wild surf beach backed by lagoons and heath, often almost empty and best for walking rather than swimming.
Hazards Beach
A calm bay side beach on the isthmus, reached by the Wineglass circuit or by water taxi, with far fewer people.
Bicheno Blowhole
A free coastal blowhole in the middle of Bicheno that shoots water on a good swell, on an easy foreshore walk.
Where to stay in Freycinet
Coles Bay
national park doorstep, dawn walks and in park stays
The village at the park entrance with the trailheads, jetties and kayak departures, but very limited dining, tank water and no real supermarket.
Bicheno
fuller services, choice at night and value
A fishing and holiday town about 35 minutes north with a supermarket, fuel, more cafes and beds, and the little penguin tours.
Think twice about
- Swansea as a Freycinet base
A good drive stop 45 to 50 minutes south of Coles Bay, but it adds a long tired drive at both ends of every walking day.
- Hobart or Launceston as a day trip base
Five to seven hours of driving for a single walk. Stay on the east coast for at least two nights instead.
Best restaurants in Freycinet
Freycinet Marine Farm
A working oyster farm serving oysters and mussels from its own leases at outdoor tables, lunch only in practice.
Palate Restaurant
Saffire's guests only fine dining room, multi course Tasmanian menus served facing the Hazards at sunset.
The Bay Restaurant
Freycinet Lodge fine dining over Great Oyster Bay, the top bookable dinner in Coles Bay for non lodge guests.
Richardson's Bistro
The lodge's casual bistro and sunset terrace, reliable for families and walkers who want an early, good dinner.
Melshell Oyster Shack
A family oyster farm shack serving gold and silver oysters at picnic tables over Great Oyster Bay.
Lobster Shack Tasmania
A harbour deck seafood shack in Bicheno known for lobster rolls, rock lobster, chowder and seafood platters.
Geographe Restaurant + Espresso Bar
Coles Bay's village cafe for coffee and breakfast, and wood fired pizza at dinner, so book the evening ahead.
Iluka Tavern
Coles Bay's pub bistro by the holiday park, the cheapest sit down dinner in the village with local beers on tap.
Best bars in Freycinet
Devil's Corner Cellar Door
A large east coast cellar door with a lookout over Moulting Lagoon, wine tastings, pizza and fresh seafood.
Craigie Knowe Vineyard
The east coast's oldest vineyard, a small family cellar door pouring riesling and pinot noir by appointment.
Best coffee in Freycinet
Granite Freycinet
A local cafe for breakfast, brunch and good coffee by day, with pizza and east coast wine on some evenings.
Governors Bicheno
A small Bicheno cafe for coffee, sticky chai, toasties and scones, with morning focused hours and a garden.
Outdoor things to do in Freycinet
Mount Amos
A hard granite scramble to a Hazards summit with a wider view than the lookout, dangerous when the rock is wet.
Freycinet Peninsula Circuit
The serious multi day circuit linking Wineglass Bay, Hazards Beach and Cooks Beach for equipped walkers only.
Sleepy Bay
A short steep walk to a rocky granite cove on the Cape Tourville road, a quiet photo and sit spot, not a swim beach.
Whalers Lookout
A free short climb above Bicheno with views over Waubs Bay, the Gulch and Governor Island, plus spring orchids.
Wineglass Bay Cruises
A 4.5 hour Pennicott cruise from Coles Bay to Wineglass Bay with lunch, cliffs, seals and dolphins from the water.
Freycinet Adventures
Guided sea kayaking on Great Oyster Bay along the Hazards shoreline, a relaxed three hour paddle for beginners.
Freycinet Aqua Express
A water taxi to Hazards Beach and a flat 2 km track to Wineglass Bay beach, avoiding the 1,000 steps.
ALL4
Guided quad bike and buggy tours through bush tracks to remote South Friendly Beach, a high energy group splurge.
Best hotels in Freycinet
Saffire Freycinet
All inclusive luxury lodge above Great Oyster Bay with Hazards views, Palate dining and included experiences.
Freycinet Lodge
Cabins and pavilions inside the national park above Richardsons Beach, the only in park lodge with two restaurants.
Edge of the Bay
Waterfront suites and chalets on Great Oyster Bay with private beach access and an on site restaurant.
BIG4 Iluka on Freycinet Holiday Park
Coles Bay holiday park with cabins, caravan sites, a camp kitchen and hot showers across from Muirs Beach.
Richardsons Beach Campground
Parks Tasmania camping inside the park at Richardsons Beach, with peak season sites allocated by ballot.
Diamond Island Resort
Beachfront Bicheno resort with self contained villas, low tide walks to Diamond Island and penguins on site.
Beachfront at Bicheno
A central beachfront motel in Bicheno with seaview suites, a heated pool and a tavern next door.
Bicheno by the Bay
Self contained bungalows a short walk from Bicheno centre and the blowhole, with kitchens and verandahs.
Is Freycinet expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | A$130 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | A$340 a person |
| Splurge | A$1,200 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Bicheno Penguin Tours: a few days ahead
- Freycinet Peninsula Circuit: weeks ahead
- Wineglass Bay Cruises: a few days ahead
- Freycinet Adventures: a few days ahead
- Freycinet Aqua Express: a few days ahead
- ALL4: a few days ahead
- Freycinet Experience Walk: months ahead
- Saffire Freycinet: months ahead
- Summer books out many months ahead, including Saffire, Freycinet Lodge, good Coles Bay houses and Bicheno beachfront rooms.
- Park campsites at Richardsons Beach are allocated by ballot for mid December to early February and Easter, with applications typically due by 31 July.
- Book penguin tours, cruises, kayak trips, the Freycinet Experience Walk and Coles Bay dinners well ahead in season.
Is Freycinet safe?
- No beach here is patrolled. Wineglass Bay and Friendly Beaches have rips and swell, and all water is cold.
- Mount Amos is a hard scramble and dangerous on wet granite. Never attempt it in rain or high wind.
- Wildlife feeds beside the roads at dusk. An advisory night speed of 60 km/h applies on roads to and from the park.
- Water is scarce at Coles Bay. Carry at least 1 litre for the lookout and 2 litres for longer walks, and keep showers short on tank water.
- In fire season, check Parks Tasmania and fire alerts daily. Total fire ban days close tracks and campgrounds.
Freycinet travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Cheap eats inside Coles Bay are minimal. Do a real supermarket shop in Bicheno before settling in and plan fuel the same way.
- Coles Bay kitchens close early and some close some nights in winter. Book dinner when you book the bed.
- The Wineglass Bay car park fills by mid morning in summer. Walk at dawn or use the water taxi.
Getting around Freycinet: public transport and more
- You need a car. Freycinet is about 2.5 to 3 hours from Hobart and about 2 hours from Launceston on sealed roads.
- Bicheno is about 35 minutes north of Coles Bay. Slow down at dawn and dusk for wildlife on Coles Bay Road.
- Download maps, passes and bookings before you arrive, because mobile coverage is patchy on tracks and beaches.
Who Freycinet suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Freycinet your trip
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