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    Hobart → Tasman Peninsula (Port Arthur) → Orford → Swansea → Coles Bay (Freycinet) → Bicheno → St Helens → Campbell Town → Hobart

    Tasmania East Coast Loop: the full drive guide

    This is a genuine loop, not a linear coastal drive — it adds the Tasman Peninsula and Port Arthur at the start, then closes the circuit with an inland return via the Midlands Highway's heritage towns, rather than backtracking the coast or finishing at St Helens. That makes it structurally distinct from our Great Eastern Drive guide, which runs one-way from Hobart to St Helens and doesn't cover the Tasman Peninsula at all.

    Distance
    ~680 km full circuit, Hobart back to Hobart via the Tasman Peninsula, the east coast and the inland Midlands Highway
    Time needed
    5 days minimum; 7 days lets you properly stop at Port Arthur, Freycinet and the Bay of Fires without rushing the inland return leg
    Vehicle
    2WD suitable
    Surface
    Fully sealed the entire way, including the inland Midlands Highway return.
    Best months
    December–March for the most reliable weather and warmest water — Tasmania's east and south-east are its driest, sunniest regions, but pack layers regardless of season.
    EV suitability
    EV friendly
    Tasmania East Coast Loop — Tasmania

    Route map

    Stops shown in driving order with a straight line between them, for planning only — this is not a turn-by-turn route. Always check current road conditions before you travel.

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    Leaflet © OpenStreetMap contributors

    Route stops in order: 1. Hobart, 2. Tasman Peninsula, 3. Orford, 4. Swansea, 5. Coles Bay, 6. Bicheno, 7. St Helens, 8. Campbell Town.

    Seasonal gate & outback safety

    Check before you commit to dates
    1. JJanuary — Caution
    2. FFebruary — Open — go
    3. MMarch — Open — go
    4. AApril — Open — go
    5. MMay — Open — go
    6. JJune — Open — go
    7. JJuly — Open — go
    8. AAugust — Open — go
    9. SSeptember — Open — go
    10. OOctober — Open — go
    11. NNovember — Open — go
    12. DDecember — Caution
    • Open — go
    • Caution
    • High risk / cut

    Open year-round with no seasonal closure — this is Tasmania's most reliable-weather coast, plus a well-serviced inland return. January and December bring peak holiday crowds and a real chance of the Coles Bay car park filling before you arrive.

    Wildlife warning: do not drive at night

    Wombats, pademelons and possums are active on Tasmanian roads from dusk, across both the coastal bushland sections and the inland Midlands farmland on the return leg.

    Live road conditions

    Transport Tasmania (Department of State Growth)Parks Tasmania

    This also complements rather than duplicates our 7 Days in Tasmania and 2 Weeks Tasmania: Full Island Loop itineraries, both of which cover this coastline as day-by-day holiday plans with specific overnight stops. Use those itineraries to plan your days, and this guide for the road logistics of driving the full circuit — fuel, timing and the honest answer to how many days it deserves.

    Port Arthur Historic Site is convict-era and 1996-memorial ground — Tasmania's own visitor guidance asks people to treat it as a place of mourning and reflection, not a photo stop, and that tone is worth carrying into how you plan the day rather than rushing it to stay on schedule.

    The stops, in driving order

    1. 01

      Hobart

      0 km in · Start

      Critical supply point — Full capital-city services before the loop begins.

      The start, with full capital-city services before the loop begins.

      Tip: Leave with a full tank — services thin out, though never disappear, once you're past Sorell.

    2. 02

      Tasman Peninsula (Port Arthur)

      91 km in · 1h 30m

      Port Arthur Historic Site — the entry ticket is valid for two consecutive days and includes a guided walk and harbour cruise. Tasman Arch, Devils Kitchen and the Remarkable Cave are short, well-formed walks nearby if you have a second day here.

      Tip: Budget at least half a day, a full day if the history holds you. This site asks to be treated as a place of mourning, not rushed for the sake of the itinerary.

    3. 03

      Orford

      176 km in · 1h 15m, backtracking via Sorell

      The official start of the branded Great Eastern Drive route, and the departure point for ferries to Maria Island — this loop rejoins that route here before continuing north.

      Tip: Triabunna, right next door, is the practical service town for this stretch.

    4. 04

      Swansea

      238 km in · 45m

      A small coastal town on Great Oyster Bay, with views across to the Freycinet Peninsula.

      Tip: A good lunch stop before the Coles Bay turnoff.

    5. 05

      Coles Bay (Freycinet National Park)

      283 km in · 40m

      Critical supply point — The base for Freycinet — restock here before continuing north.

      The base for Freycinet National Park and the Wineglass Bay Lookout walk — the single best-known stop on this loop.

      Tip: A Tasmanian Parks Pass is required. Do the lookout walk at first light before the car park fills.

    6. 06

      Bicheno

      326 km in · 35m, backtracking to the highway

      A working fishing town with a blowhole, a penguin colony and some of the clearest water on this coast.

      Tip: Penguin tours run at dusk — book ahead in peak season.

    7. 07

      St Helens

      421 km in · 1h 15m

      Critical supply point — Last full services before the loop turns inland.

      The gateway to the Bay of Fires' orange-lichen granite and white sand running north from Binalong Bay, and the last full services before the inland turn.

      Tip: This is where this loop diverges from the Great Eastern Drive, which ends here — from St Helens, this route turns inland rather than continuing to Launceston.

    8. 08

      Campbell Town

      551 km in · 1h 45m, via Fingal and the Esk Highway

      Critical supply point — Full Midlands Highway services on the return leg toward Hobart.

      A well-preserved Midlands Highway town with a convict-built bridge and a genuinely different, older character to the coast you've just left — the halfway point of the inland return.

      Tip: A good coffee and leg-stretch stop; Ross, a few minutes further south, is worth a short detour for its own convict-built bridge and heritage streetscape.

    9. 09

      Hobart

      681 km in · 1h 30m, via the Midland Highway

      Critical supply point — Full capital-city services before the loop begins.

      The end of the loop, back through the Midlands' farmland after the coast and the peninsula.

      Tip: This inland leg is long and straight after the coast's constant turns — a sensible one to break with the Campbell Town stop rather than driving it in one push.

    Drive planning: legs, fuel and conditions

    Three paces, same road: highway pace, a towing or 4WD rig, and what the day actually takes once fatigue and photo stops are in it.

    Tasmania East Coast Loop — honest timings by leg
    LegDistanceStandard vehicleHighway pace, no stopsTowing / 4WD rig90–100 km/h cruiseRealistic paceFatigue + photo stopsFuel
    Hobart → Tasman Peninsula~91 km1h 30m1h 50m1h 45mSorell, Nubeena
    Tasman Peninsula → Orford~85 km1h 15m1h 30m1h 30mSorell, Orford/Triabunna
    Orford → Swansea~62 km45m55m55mSwansea
    Swansea → Coles Bay~45 km40m50m45mColes Bay
    Coles Bay → Bicheno~43 km35m40m40mBicheno
    Bicheno → St Helens~95 km1h 15m1h 30m1h 30mSt Helens
    St Helens → Campbell Town~130 km1h 45m2h 5m2h 5mFingal
    Campbell Town → Hobart~130 km1h 30m1h 50m1h 45mOatlands
    Whole route9h 15m11h 5m10h 50m

    How we get these: standard is moving time at signposted highway pace. Rig time assumes a 90–100 km/h cruise and slower acceleration — roughly 20% longer. Realistic pace adds a 15-minute fatigue stop every two hours (the national driver-fatigue guidance) plus about ten minutes an hour for photos, fuel and legs. Plan daylight around the realistic column, not the standard one.

    Tasmania East Coast Loop — leg conditions
    LegDistanceFuelNotes
    Hobart → Tasman Peninsula~91 kmSorell, NubeenaSealed
    Tasman Peninsula → Orford~85 kmSorell, Orford/TriabunnaSealed, backtracks via Sorell
    Orford → Swansea~62 kmSwanseaSealed
    Swansea → Coles Bay~45 kmColes BaySealed detour off the coast road to the Freycinet Peninsula
    Coles Bay → Bicheno~43 kmBichenoSealed, backtracks to the highway then north
    Bicheno → St Helens~95 kmSt HelensSealed
    St Helens → Campbell Town~130 kmFingalSealed, via Fingal and the Esk Highway (A4) to the Midland Highway
    Campbell Town → Hobart~130 kmOatlandsSealed, Midland Highway, passing Ross and Oatlands

    What can go wrong

    • Wombats, pademelons and possums are active on Tasmanian roads from dusk, across both the coastal bushland sections and the inland Midlands farmland — this is not just a coastal risk.
    • The Coles Bay car park for Wineglass Bay Lookout fills early on fine days, especially over summer — arrive at first light or expect a wait.
    • Weather on the east coast can turn quickly even in the reliable summer season — check the forecast for Freycinet specifically before committing to the lookout walk.
    • The inland return via Fingal and the Midland Highway is the longest continuous stretch on this loop — treat it as a genuine driving day, not a quick transfer, especially if it's the end of a long circuit.

    Conditions change seasonally and after storms. Check current conditions with the road authority before relying on any of this.

    Common questions

    The Great Eastern Drive is a linear route from Hobart to St Helens and doesn't cover the Tasman Peninsula. This is a genuine loop — it adds Port Arthur at the start and closes the circuit with an inland return via the Midlands Highway, rather than backtracking the coast or finishing at St Helens.

    Yes — you can stop at St Helens and either backtrack down the coast or continue to Launceston, which is exactly what our Great Eastern Drive guide covers. This loop is for travellers who'd rather close the circuit back to Hobart than retrace the same road or end in a different city.

    That itinerary is a day-by-day holiday plan with specific overnight stops covering Hobart to Launceston via this same coastline. This is a route guide focused on the driving itself — fuel, timing and road conditions — for the full circuit back to Hobart, including the inland leg that itinerary doesn't need to cover.

    Yes, a Tasmanian Parks Pass is required for Freycinet National Park, the same as any other Tasmanian national park. An eight-week holiday pass covering all parks is better value if you're visiting more than two on this loop, including Port Arthur's separate historic site entry.

    Where this is researched from

    • Tourism Tasmania — Regional visitor information for the east coast and Tasman Peninsula
    • Transport Tasmania (Department of State Growth) — Road conditions and closures
    • Parks Tasmania — Freycinet National Park and Port Arthur Historic Site access and conditions

    This is a researched guide, not a firsthand trip report. How we research.

    Spotted something we should update? Let us know.