Winter can make Tasmania feel brand new. The roads are quieter, the air is sharper and the island leans into everything it does best. Long lunches feel longer, campfires burn brighter, wildlife is easier to spot and even familiar places take on a different character.
With school holidays arriving in the heart of winter, it’s also the perfect time to plan a few memorable days out. Whether you’re entertaining kids, hosting visiting family or simply embracing your inner child, the Off Season delivers plenty of ways to fill the break.
From snowfields and scenic flights to ghost tours, river cruises, wildlife encounters and hands-on adventures, these 25 Off Season experiences prove some of Tasmania’s best days out happen when the temperature drops.
## Kids cruise free: we’re going on a tiger hunt
**World Heritage Cruises, Strahan**
This one is built for families. Children cruise free and receive a tiger hunt activity pack to complete along the way, earning a hot chocolate reward at the end of the adventure. Using the promo code TIGERHUNT, two children travel free with every adult fare booked in main deck centre seating.
## A morning adrift on Dove Lake
**Cradle Mountain Canyons, Cradle Mountain**
See one of Tasmania’s most iconic landscapes from a completely different perspective. Paddle across the tea-coloured waters of Dove Lake in a handcrafted King Billy pine kayak, surrounded by the towering peaks of Cradle Mountain. The three-hour experience includes a stop on a secluded shoreline for a hot drink before continuing on foot through misty alpine rainforest.
## Handmade paper making winter workshop
**Creative Paper Tasmania, Wynyard**
Swap screens for creativity and spend a few hours learning a centuries-old craft. Guided by papermaker Darren Simpson, you’ll make paper from scratch while experimenting with flowers, textures, embossing and natural materials. Suitable for all ages and abilities, with all materials supplied.
## Open the gate! Operation ‘Winter Escape’
**Little Things Farm. Quamby Brook**
The farm’s most mischievous resident is on the loose and it’s your job to find her. Follow Poppy Seed the goat’s trail through paddocks, barns and hidden corners of the property, solving puzzles and cracking clues along the way. A playful winter adventure for curious minds and energetic explorers.
## Signature Off Season package
**Strahan Village, Strahan**
Few winter journeys feel more quintessentially west coast than a Gordon River cruise wrapped into a cosy harbour stay. Spend your days aboard Spirit of the Wild gliding through misty waterways and ancient rainforest where silence, history and wilderness take centre stage. Then return to Strahan Village for comfortable harbour-side accommodation and fireside mulled wine at Hamers Bistro. The package includes two or more nights’ accommodation, two Gordon River Cruise tickets and evening mulled wine.
## Pedal buggies winter warmth and family fun
**Pedal Buggies Tasmania, Ulverstone**
Rug up and hit the Ulverstone foreshore on an accessible pedal-powered adventure the whole family can enjoy. This Off Season offer includes up to 50 per cent extra ride time at no additional cost, making it even easier to spend an afternoon cruising, laughing and exploring together.
## Get lost winter scavenger hunt
**Tasmazia and The Village of Lower Crackpot, Promised Land**
The mazes are fun enough on their own, but winter adds another layer with a dedicated scavenger hunt winding through the miniature village and labyrinths. Keep your eyes peeled as you search for clues along the way, then complete the challenge to earn a reward at the finish line.
## Ski slopes fun and fireside mulled wine
**Ben Lomond Alpine Resort, Ben Lomond**
Snow days don’t get much better than this. Collect your gear, grab your lift pass and spend the day skiing or snowboarding Tasmania’s best-known alpine slopes. Afterwards, swap the snow for the firepit at Ben Lomond Base and settle in a mulled wine, hot chocolate, tea or coffee and soak up the cosy winter buzz.
## Family and kids’ river adventure
**Leven River Cruises, West Ulverstone**
Designed with younger travellers in mind, this intimate cruise combines nature, storytelling and guaranteed window seats. With just 16 passengers onboard, every child gets a front-row view while learning about local wildlife including sea eagles and platypus. Each child also receives a gift bag to take home.
## A stellar starlit family night
**Wesley Dale Tasmania, Mole Creek**
This overnight experience combines stargazing, farm life and fireside family time. Explore the property after dark with maps and torches, warm up with hot chocolate and gather around the fire for marshmallows, games and stories before settling in for the night.
## Convicts didn’t get winter off
**Woolmers Estate, Longford**
Step back in time and spend a winter’s day exploring one of Tasmania’s most significant heritage sites. Discover the stories of convicts, settlers and the families who shaped the estate through the the neighbouring Woolmers and Brickendon sites. During the Off Season, one ticket grants entry to both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and you can bring a friend for free. Afterwards, warm up by the roaring fire in the Servants Kitchen.
## Track the lost ledger of Frank Long
**The Rectory Zeehan, Zeehan**
Swap screen time for sleuthing these school holidays with a treasure hunt through the streets of Zeehan. Follow clues as you search for the missing ledger of legendary prospector Frank Long in this self-guided adventure packed with puzzles, history and fun. Successful sleuths earn a reward, and stays of three nights or more also include a pass to the West Coast Heritage Centre.
## Kunanyi / Mount Wellington alpine scenic flight
**Above & Beyond Tasmanian Seaplanes, Hobart**
See Hobart’s mountain from a perspective few people experience. Departing from the waterfront, this scenic flight circles snow-dusted ridgelines, alpine tarns and towering dolerite cliffs before returning over the city and river systems below. For kids, it’s a chance to see Tasmania from the sky and experience the thrill of spotting familiar landmarks from a bird’s-eye view.
## Family snow play and fireside treats
**Ben Lomond Base, Ben Lomond**
Not everyone needs skis to enjoy a day in the snow. Tobogganing, snowball fights and snowman building make this an easy family favourite. Finish the day with hot chocolate, mulled wine and toasted s’mores back at the Base.
## Bite-size after-dark wildlife tour
**Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, Brighton**
Winter’s shorter days make this family-friendly evening tour easy to fit into a weekend getaway. Hand-feed kangaroos, wombats and quolls, help with devil feeding and learn more about the conservation work happening behind the scenes.
## The winter warming chocolate experience
**Federation Artisan Chocolate, Richmond**
When winter calls, chocolate answers. Warm up with a hands-on experience at Federation Artisan Chocolate, where you’ll pour your own 160g chocolate block with the help of artisan makers and decorate it however you like. Then sip a specialty hot chocolate – pure or spiced with chilli or cinnamon, and enjoy some seriously sweet winter fun for kids and grown-ups alike.
## Winter cruise: Cataract Gorge Adventure
**Tamar River Cruises, Launceston **
Launceston’s famous gorge feels especially atmospheric in winter. Cruise aboard the heritage-style Lady Launceston while enjoying a complimentary hot chocolate and hearing stories of the city’s maritime past. Winter mornings bring extra magic, with mist hanging over the river and frost dusting the dramatic gorge cliffs. Passengers also receive $5 off the standard ticket price.
## Ride on the wild side with sled dogs
**Sled Dog Adventures Tasmania, Lonnavale**
Sit back and hold on for an adrenaline-filled ride as a team of 10 high-energy Siberian Huskies pulls you at speed through narrow forest trails in the Huon Valley. The wheeled sled skims over the ground while the dogs do what they were bred to dofor From crisp bluebird days to misty views and frosty fields, this adventure is sure to have the whole family grinning from ear to ear.
## Ghosts of the underground experience
**Tasmania’s Most Haunted, Hobart**
Descend beneath Hobart Town Hall and discover a side of the city many locals have never seen. Explore the eerie sandstone basement, hear stories from more than 150 years of history and learn ghost-hunting techniques as you investigate the spaces beneath this historic building. This is one spooky winter adventure for brave and curious kids keen to uncover the secrets hidden beneath this storied building.
## Behind the scenes Theatre Royal tour
**Theatre Royal Management Board, Hobart**
Australia’s oldest working theatre holds plenty of stories. This guided tour takes visitors backstage into historic dressing rooms and hidden spaces while sharing tales of performers, productions and the building’s colourful past. It’s a chance for curious kids to peek behind the curtain and discover the magic that brings a theatre to life. Ticket holders also receive 10 per cent off at the Hedberg Café.
## Wineglass Bay winter escape
**BIG4 Iluka Holiday Centre, Coles Bay **
Stay three nights and pay for two while exploring Coles Bay and Freycinet National Park. Winter brings a quieter side to the east coast, making it an ideal time to revisit Wineglass Bay and some of Tasmania’s most celebrated landscapes. With the region at its most uncrowded and unhurried, there’s more time and space for families to explore, spot wildlife and soak up the natural beauty together. With accommodation options ranging from cabins with bunk beds for the kids to caravan and camping sites, it’s an affordable base for your east coast adventure.
## Bicheno’s little penguins and winter lights
**Bicheno Penguin Tours, Bicheno**
Two magical east coast favourites combine in one unforgettable winter evening. Watch little penguins waddle ashore in their tiny tuxedos before hopping aboard a shuttle to Bicheno Beams, where colourful projections dance across the night sky to atmospheric music. Available for three winter weeks only.
## Devils in the dark tour
**East Coast Natureworld, Bicheno**
Enjoy an unforgettable wildlife encounter at East Coast Natureworld. From the comfort of a dedicated viewing hide, watch Tasmanian devils after dark as they roam, feed and interact just metres away. It feels like stepping behind the scenes of a wildlife documentary, while adults can enjoy local wine and cheese as part of the experience. Even better, adults visit at kids’ prices throughout June and July.
## Stay longer: sunrise, swim, sauna, sunset
**Blue Seas Holiday Villas, Scamander**
Slow mornings, ocean dips and cosy evenings define this east coast escape. Start the day with a sunrise swim, warm up in the heated indoor pool and sauna,. As the day winds down, settle in for sunset views from your villa. With one-bedroom, two-bedroom and family villas available, there’s plenty of space for couples and families alike. Stay three nights and pay for two during the Off Season.
## Seeking a wild Tassie sapphire
**The Whimsy, Weldborough**
Weldborough’s sapphire country provides the backdrop for one of the state’s most distinctive winter experiences. Meet a local gem hunter, choose a stone and work with a craftsman to transform it into a bespoke piece of jewellery designed by you. Part treasure hunt, part creative workshop, it’s perfect for curious kids who love the outdoors, getting crafty and creating something truly unique to take home.
Winter has a way of encouraging us to slow down, stay curious and look at familiar places differently. These experiences prove you don’t need to leave Tasmania to discover something new during the school holidays or beyond.
Whether you’re planning family adventures, entertaining the kids, chasing a weekend escape or simply looking for a reason to get out and explore, the Off Season rewards those willing to embrace it.
Pack the extra layer, take the scenic route and make the most of winter. Some of Tasmania’s most memorable experiences happen when the mercury drops.
