Tasmanian West Coast tours come as day trips, overnight trips and extended journeys, and they cover everything from rivers and rainforest to old mining towns. Check current prices and trip lengths with the operator before you book.
The region is rough, wet and isolated, and it helps to have someone else handle the driving. For current operators, start with our Tasmanian West Coast tours page.
Why take a tour on the West Coast
The West Coast is mainly isolated rough country, associated with wilderness, mining and tourism. No serviceable roads reached the east until the 1930s or the north until the 1960s, so this is not a place where everything sits close together.
Weather is the other reason. The region is a rain catchment, with some areas receiving over 2,000 millimetres a year, and all transport services are subject to interruption by severe weather. In severe winter conditions the roads can be blocked for days by ice and snow. A guided trip takes some of that worry away, and we reckon that is the best argument for booking rather than improvising.
Types of Tasmanian West Coast tours
Tours run at various times through the year, and how much time you have decides which suits you. The styles on offer include:
- Luxury coach touring
- Horseback trips
- Four wheel drive expeditions, including driving along the beach
- Guided hiking and walking tours, including the ridge of Cradle Mountain
- Mountain biking for the day
- Helicopter rides and scenic flights
- Camping adventures with a local guide in the forest
- Kayaking, climbing and abseiling
- White water rafting
- Cheese and wine tours, and vineyard visits
- Wildlife spotting tours
River, harbour and island cruises
Water-based trips are a West Coast staple. Tours take in Sarah Island and Macquarie Harbour, and you can cruise along the Gordon River for the day. Lunch and dinner cruises are also available, and river and waterway cruises let you get up close to wildlife.
Sarah Island belongs to the convict story of the Macquarie Harbour Penal Station. The harbour mouth is Hells Gates, where conditions are treacherous even today, a reminder of why this coast's history is so tied to the water. Memorial plaques to recent lost sailors line the wall at the northern edge of the Strahan wharf.
History, mining and heritage tours
You can tour working mines, learn about the mining days through one of the museums, or ride a historic steam train through rugged terrain and mountain ranges. Mining shaped the region. For a brief time in the early twentieth century the west coast matched Hobart and Launceston for population and political power.
The Galley Museum in Queenstown holds the late Eric Thomas's photographic collection, which stands on a par with the holdings of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery and the State Library of Tasmania. Railways were the main land connection from the 1920s to the 1960s, so a steam train ride is more than a novelty.
Walks, flights and the wider region
Tours can include Cradle Mountain, Lake St Clair, Queenstown, Strahan, the Henty sand dunes, Mount Field National Park and Russell Falls. Scenic flights and helicopter rides give a different view of the same country: rainforest, waterfalls, national parks and coastline.
If you would rather build your own day, our West Coast activities and attractions pages cover what is on the ground. The state's official tourism site, Discover Tasmania, is another place to check current operators.
Choosing a tour and a base
Match the trip to your time, your plans and your budget. Overnight and extended tours suit those who want to see a great portion of the region, while a day tour suits a short stay. Cold, wet weather is normal. Winter temperatures at sea level hover around 10 °C, and summer maximums average between 17 and 21 °C, so pack for rain in any season.
For somewhere to sleep, options include Strahan Village and Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge. For wider background on the region, see this regional reference page.
Frequently asked questions
How long do West Coast tours take?
They range from day tours to overnight and extended trips, depending on the style of tour.
Can you see Sarah Island and the Gordon River on one trip?
Yes. Tours are available to see Sarah Island and Macquarie Harbour and to cruise along the Gordon River for the day.
Does weather affect tours?
It can. Services to the West Coast are subject to interruption by severe weather, and roads may be blocked by ice and snow in severe winter conditions.
