These are the best places to travel this summer

Launceston

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

Shop Book
LAUNCESTON, AUSTRALIA, FEBRUARY 29, 2020: People are passing through the city center of Launceston, Australia; Shutterstock ID 2115867959; GL: 65050; netsuite: 65050; full: destination; name: Lenczycki
2115867959

trabantos/Shutterstock

LONELY PLANET’S RECOMMENDED eSIM

Stay connected in Launceston

with

Saily is an affordable eSIM service that helps you stay connected and secure, anywhere in the world.

Get your eSIM

Overview

Tasmania’s second city has forever been locked in rivalry with big-smoke Hobart to the south. Launcestonians argue that their architecture is more elegant, their parks more beautiful, their surrounding hills more verdant and their food scene zestier. It is indeed a city where art and design are highly valued, the locals embrace the outdoors, and food and coffee culture thrives. A striking new hotel inside the city's tallest building – repurposing grain silos, of all things – has opened, while Cataract Gorge remains the sort of natural adornment you rarely find inside cities, and it's an easy and endearing base for those exploring the Tamar Valley or other parts of the north. There's a lot to like about 'Lonnie'.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Cataract Gorge

    Cataract Gorge

    Launceston

    At magnificent Cataract Gorge, right at the city centre's edge, the bushland, cliffs and ice-cold South Esk River feel a million miles from town. At First…

  • Queen Victoria Museum

    Queen Victoria Museum

    Launceston

    Inside the restored and reinvented Inveresk railway yards, QVMAG has the usual assembly of dinosaurs and stuffed animals, but they sit alongside historic…

  • Queen Victoria Art Gallery

    Queen Victoria Art Gallery

    Launceston

    Colonial paintings, including works by John Glover, are the pride of the collection at this art gallery in a meticulously restored 19th-century building…

  • WA6M99 Front Entrance and Garden to Franklin House, Launceston Tasmania, Australia

    Franklin House

    Launceston

    A relatively short drive south of the city, Franklin House is one of Launceston’s most fetching Georgian-era homes. Built in 1838 by former convict and…

  • Trevallyn Nature Recreation Area

    Trevallyn Nature Recreation Area

    Launceston

    Artificial Lake Trevallyn on the South Esk River above Cataract Gorge is a favourite spot with the locals. Take a picnic and have a splash in the shallows…

  • Tamar Island Wetlands

    Tamar Island Wetlands

    Launceston

    Part of the Tamar River Conservation Area, this wetland reserve has a 2km wheelchair- and pram-friendly boardwalk running through it, strategically…

  • Tasmania Zoo

    Tasmania Zoo

    Launceston

    There are more than 80 species of feathered, furred and finned critters – native and non-native – at this laid-back wildlife park. This is your chance to…

  • Boag’s Brewery

    Boag’s Brewery

    Launceston

    James Boag’s beer has been brewed on William St since 1881. See the amber alchemy in action on 90-minute guided tours, which include a beer and cheese…

Get a book. Get inspired. Get exploring.

in partnership with getyourguide

Book popular activities in Launceston