How to get from Hobart to Cradle Mountain

Transport options from Hobart to Cradle Mountain

Driving is by far the easiest and most convenient way to get from Hobart to Cradle Mountain. However, it’s not the only way. And there is certainly not only one way to drive from Hobart to Cradle Mountain, with many different route options and potential stopovers along the way!

Note: Entrance to Cradle Mountain National Park

It’s worth noting that there is both a southern (near Lake St Clair, at Derwent Bridge) and northern (at the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre) entrance to the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. However, there is no road link between the two. Therefore, these routes will take you to the main entrance, on the northern side of the National Park. This is where the vast majority of Cradle Mountain walks, accommodation options, information centre, and activities are based.

Public transport from Hobart to Cradle Mountain

Bus is the only option here – but it’s not the most straightforward

Although there is no direct bus service between Hobart and Cradle Mountain, it’s possible to take public transport from Hobart to Cradle Mountain via Launceston. There are regular bus services (and even flights) between Hobart and Launceston, from where a few companies offer regular daily bus services up to Cradle Mountain. These usually leave early in the morning, around 6:30 am or 7:30 am. 

The total travel time is about 6-7 hours. The bus from Hobart to Launceston takes just under 3 hours on average, and the journey from Launceston to Cradle Mountain takes another 3 hours to the Cradle Mountain Information Centre. From there, you can get the Cradle Mountain shuttle bus into the national park.

Driving from Hobart to Cradle Mountain

A much more straightforward option for getting from Hobart to Cradle Mountain is to drive. However, there are several different routes you can take, depending on where you want to stop and what you want to see along the way.

Straight up the guts: Hobart to Cradle Mountain via the Central Plateau and Great Lakes 

This is the most direct route, taking about 4 hours in total drive time. From Hobart, head straight up through Claremont and Bridgewater on National Highway 1 and then follow the A5 from Melton Mowbray all the way to Elizabeth Town, rejoining National Highway 1 from Deloraine. From Elizabeth Town, follow signs for the B13 to Kimberley, from where the well sign-posted Route C136 will turn into Cradle Mountain Road and take you all the way to the Information Centre.

What to see along the Central Route

Although this is technically the fastest way to drive from Hobart to Cradle Mountain, that doesn’t mean it’s not also a scenic option. Actually, since this route takes you straight through the Central Plateau and Great Lakes in the heart of Tasmania, there are loads of opportunities for stops along the way. You can break the journey at The Steppes State Reserve to see the quirky animal sculptures and picturesque Lagoon of Islands, or visit Seals Shore, Rainbow Point or Reynolds Island on the shores of Tasmania’s Great Lake. Alternatively, a bit further on around Liffey Forest Reserve, you can go bush and stretch the legs on the atmospheric Pine Lake Walk, see the crashing Liffey and Honor Falls, or get a stunning panoramic view of the region from the Great Lakes Lookout. 

The “Wild West” Scenic Route:
Hobart to Cradle Mountain via Strahan and the West Coast

If you really want to make the most of the drive from Hobart to Cradle Mountain (like they do in this ultimate Wonders of Tasmania tour itinerary), then this is arguably the most impressive route to take. 

Heading north out of Hobart, stay on the south side of the River Derwent and follow the A10 through New Norfolk towards the wild expanse of Franklin-Gordon Rivers National Park. Cross the Derwent Bridge between Lake St. Clair and Lake St. William and connect with the Lyell Highway at Queenstown, which will take you to the town of Strahan at the tip of Macquarie Harbour. From there, follow the B27 through several regional and national parks back onto the A10, which will take you around Lake Mackintosh and the edges of the Granite Tor Conservation Area around the western side of Cradle Mountain, all the way to the Information Centre.

The total drive time from Hobart to Cradle Mountain going this way is about 6 hours 15 minutes. That makes it a bit longer than the more ‘direct’ routes on this page –  but it also means you get the chance to see some more special, out-of-the-way places that you otherwise might not get to include on your Tasmanian trip.

What to see along the Western Route

As anybody on the 10-day Wonders of Tasmania self-drive itinerary will discover, taking the scenic West Coast route from Hobart to Cradle Mountain lets you linger in and around the picturesque old port town of Strahan, nestled into Long Bay at the northern end of Macquarie Harbour. From here, you can walk through some magnificent ancient rainforest, and meet the unique creatures who live within, through a series of raised-boardwalk tracks. Or, take a cruise across Macquarie Harbour – stopping to visit the ruins of Sarah Island’s notorious penal colony – and up the tranquil Gordon River for some stunning sunset views.

The Heritage Trail:

Hobart to Cradle Mountain via Tasmania’s historic towns and settlements

This route traces a lot of the historic Launceston-Hobart colonial trail, much of which is now the important Midlands Highway between Hobart and Launceston. It therefore passes through several charming, historic Midlands towns that were formerly used as stopping points by horse-and-cart travellers. 

In total, this route takes around 4 hours and 10 minutes in total drive time from Hobart to the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre, making it only slightly longer than the Central Plateau option above. 

From North Hobart, cross the Tasman Bridge and head east out of town towards Cambridge and the airport, then take the B31 through Richmond to join onto National Highway 1 just before Oatlands, continuing on through Ross and Campbell Town. You can then skirt south of Launceston onto the B52 at Perth, before reconnecting onto National Highway 1 (and the Bass Highway) just south of Carrick, and continuing west through Deloraine to Elizabeth Town. Turn left onto Railton Road/B13 until Sheffield, then turn left again onto Spring Road until you hit the turnoff onto Cradle Mountain Road, just before Moina. 

What to see along the Heritage Route

If you want to get a taste of Tasmania’s rich colonial history, then this is the best route between Hobart and Cradle Mountain to take. You will pass through and have the option to stop at several of colonial Tasmania’s most important towns:  including the former ‘mini capital’ of Oatlands and its sandstone buildings; photogenic Richmond and its Instagrammable Stone Arch Bridge (Australia’s oldest); Campbell Town’s famous Red Bridge marking the halfway point between Launceston and Hobart; or the cute, traditional pit-stop town of Ross where you can refuel on, arguably, Tasmania’s best scallop pie!  

Planning your trip from Hobart to Cradle Mountain

If you’re ready to start planning your trip from Hobart to Cradle Mountain, but still have a few questions, then have a look through First Light Travel’s range of blog posts on topics covering all things Tasmania. If you like the idea of creating your own customised travel itinerary, then contact FLT’s Tasmanian travel experts and they can help you do so. Or, take your pick from one of a range of excellent self-drive Tasmania tours, ready to book and go now!