Hobart, Australia: Self-Guided Walking Tour

When looking for things to do in Hobart, travellers will find a dynamic city framed by a working harbor and historic streetscapes. As Australia’s southernmost capital, it blends a rich convict heritage with a vibrant contemporary culture and dramatic natural surroundings. Neywo features a free audio guide for Hobart with 27 narrated places to help you explore the city at your own pace.

What to see in Hobart

The city and its surroundings offer a wealth of landmarks, ranging from world-class modern art to remnants of the colonial era.

• Museum of Old and New Art (MONA): Located within the Moorilla winery on the Berriedale peninsula, MONA is the largest privately funded museum in the Southern Hemisphere. Opened in January 2011, the museum showcases a collection from David Walsh known for confronting sex and death in a setting described by its founder as a subversive adult Disneyland.
• Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG): Established in 1846 by the Royal Society of Tasmania—the oldest Royal Society outside England—TMAG combines a museum, an art gallery, and a herbarium focused on the island’s natural and cultural heritage, welcoming around four hundred thousand visitors annually.
• Salamanca Market: Held every Saturday at Salamanca Place since 1972, this vibrant street market has grown into Tasmania’s most visited tourist attraction, drawing over a million visitors each year.
• Hobart Synagogue: Constructed in 1845, this heritage-listed building is the oldest synagogue in Australia and a rare example of Egyptian Revival architecture, featuring trapezoidal windows and lotus-capital columns. It also holds the distinction of having hard benches at the back reserved for Jewish convicts who were marched in under armed guard.
• Military Museum of Tasmania: Housed in a military jail built in 1847 within the historic Anglesea Barracks, this museum traces Tasmania’s military history from the colonial era to modern deployments.
• Maritime Museum of Tasmania: Located in Hobart, this museum explores the island’s deep association with the sea and maritime history.
• St Mary’s Cathedral: Serving as the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Hobart, the cathedral’s origins trace back to 1822 when a temporary wooden chapel was built nearby.
• Holy Trinity Church, North Hobart: Now under the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, this historic church is home to the oldest peal of bells of its type outside England.
• Odeon Theatre: A historic former cinema that continues to function as a live entertainment venue in Hobart.
• Richmond Gaol and Richmond Bridge: Situated a short distance outside the city in Richmond, the gaol is the oldest intact prison in Australia, begun in 1825. Nearby stands Richmond Bridge, Australia’s oldest stone span bridge, completed in 1825 using convict labor and crossing the Coal River along the Convict Trail.
• Mount Saint Canice: Located in Sandy Bay, this former Roman Catholic convent and Magdalene Laundry operated from 1893 until its closure following a tragic boiler explosion in 1974.
• Narryna Heritage Museum: Found at 103 Hampden Road in Battery Point, this heritage site preserves local history within one of Hobart’s oldest suburbs.

Part of a broader journey through Tasmania and Australia, Hobart serves as an ideal starting point before heading toward nearby regional destinations like Launceston and Deloraine.

Explore Hobart with a free audio guide

To make the most of your visit, download Neywo and explore the city using a structured Hobart self-guided walking tour or a free walking tour Hobart experience. The app offers 2 walking tours and 1 bike route, including a 4.18 km walk over 110 minutes with 10 stops, a 2.09 km walk over 50 minutes with 4 stops, and a 2.8 km bike route taking 14 minutes across 4 stops.

As you move through the city, the app tells the story of each place automatically as you reach it. You can walk at your own pace with no group and no schedule, letting you discover Hobart entirely on your own terms.