Unofficial guide · verify with Parks Tasmania
If you only open one planning page before a Tasman trip, make it this one. A good visit is logistics plus restraint: a Parks Pass is not a campsite, a Historic Site ticket is not Cape Hauy, and geology plus one cape is already a complete Hobart day. Pick one primary walk, protect a dusk wildlife buffer on A9, and verify Parks Tasmania before you invent a second cape after lunch.
This guide is independent and unofficial. Desk research, not walked for this URL. We never invent open/closed track claims or a single blended “park fee.”
Last reviewed · verify live park facts with Parks Tasmania
Some stay, tour and gear links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Parks Pass fees, Fortescue Bay camping fees and official Three Capes / Parks Tasmania bookings are never affiliated.
Start here
Day shapes →
Never merge
Fee split →
2WD typical
Road notes →
Do not assume
Comms →
Most messy Tasman days are not “bad weather” — they are overstuffed plans: a late start, a full Historic Site ticket, then an impulse C344. Choose the shape that matches energy, daylight and whether Arch/Kitchen is actually open.
Late Hobart start, kids, or mixed mobility: Pavement, Blowhole, Arch/Kitchen if open. Cape walks off the menu.
9.4 km, Grade 3, ~4 hrs, Fortescue via C344. Historic Site and Cape Raoul stay off this day.
Name one hard product. Optional short lookout only if energy remains. Not both capes.
Separate camping fee + Parks Pass. Hauy in the morning. Book Oct–Apr; first-come May–Sep.
Hobart is typically ~90 minutes each way via Sorell and the Arthur Highway in light traffic — plus a dusk wildlife buffer. These are planning ranges, not a clocked departure.
Tessellated Pavement, Blowhole, maybe Waterfall Bay Road if Arch/Kitchen is closed. No Cape Hauy. Enough for mixed mobility if you protect the reverse clock.
Early-ish Hobart start, northern geology, hard “leave the Neck by” time. See the half-day itinerary.
Cape Hauy is the usual first full walk. Cape Raoul is longer and Grade 4. Do not add the other cape after a late start.
Fortescue camp or a Port Arthur / Taranna / Eaglehawk bed. Geology today, Hauy tomorrow. Who should not day-trip Hauy from Hobart: late risers, wet-C344-nervous drivers, anyone stacking Historic Site + both capes.
Confirm every dollar on park passes and entry fees and passes.parks.tas.gov.au. Figures below are published planning amounts and are marked [VERIFY].
System A
Required park-wide. No separate Tasman-only day ticket. No walk permits for Hauy or Raoul.
System B
Separate from the Parks Pass. Never affiliated here.
System C
Booked 48 km, 4d/3n, Grade 3, max 48/day. Not a day-walk permit.
If you only remember one filter: geology first if the clock is short; Cape Hauy only with an early leave.
Private vehicle is the default. ~90 minutes via Sorell then A9. Tasman Field Centre: 5803 Arthur Hwy, Taranna, 03 6250 3980, published 7 days 10am–4pm — verify hours.
Organised by intent — not a Booking search as the whole answer.
Unsealed 2WD in normal conditions is the published story, not a wet-weather guarantee. Unfenced sea cliffs are the walking hazard — stay on formed tracks, supervise children, turn around in shoving wind.
Do not invent carrier coverage from this website. 000 needs reception. Install Emergency+. Screenshot track notes on home Wi-Fi. A PLB or satellite messenger is an optional note for longer cape days and Three Capes — not a substitute for turning around.
Mental model: A9 down the peninsula → Eaglehawk Neck geology → C344 to Fortescue / Cape Hauy → Port Arthur / Remarkable Cave → Stormlea for Raoul. This embed is orientation only — not live track status.
Interactive map — pin may be approximate. Confirm trailheads and road status before you drive.
Cape tops run colder and windier than Hobart. Snapshot below is orientation only — not Parks Tasmania or BOM official advice.
Lookout days still need a shell. Cape days need water, grip and a reverse clock. Amazon searches live on the gear list, not as a merch wall here.
Itineraries
Printable day and overnight plans
Park areas
Neck, Fortescue, Raoul, Three Capes
Trails
Easy lookouts → Grade 4 cape
Things to do
Geology, capes, camping, cruises
Articles
Hauy, closures, Plan B titles
Maps & planner
Orientation + free download
Where to stay
Fortescue · Port Arthur · Hobart
Tours
Peninsula cruises when you skip the drive
Gear
Shell, grip, stove — packing baseline
Printable planner: Parks Pass vs Fortescue camping vs Three Capes, C344/C338, 2026 Arch/Kitchen closure, Cape Hauy reverse clock, packing ticks and official Parks Tasmania links.
Free direct download — no email required. Also available anytime from Maps & resources · Itineraries · Privacy.
Tap a question to expand the answer.
Yes. A valid Tasmania Parks Pass is required park-wide. There is no separate lookout ticket. Purchase at passes.parks.tas.gov.au. Fortescue camping and Three Capes are separate systems. Confirm live prices on the official fees page.
No. Fortescue Bay camping is a separate fee ($13/site/night for 2 people published — verify). Three Capes is a third booked product.
About 90 minutes via Sorell (A3) then Arthur Highway (A9) in light traffic. No useful public transport to Cape Hauy. Add a dusk wildlife buffer.
Visitor site closed 15 April–29 September 2026 (alert reviewed 18 August 2026). Waterfall Bay from Devils Kitchen stays closed; use Waterfall Bay Road. Re-check alerts.
Usually too much. Different trailheads (Fortescue vs Stormlea), Grade 3 vs Grade 4. Pick one. Geology is the honest extra if a cape finishes early.
No. Separate ticket, never affiliated here. A cruise from the Historic Site is not Cape Hauy.
Do not plan on it. This site does not invent carrier maps. 000 needs reception. Install Emergency+.
Late risers, anyone who cannot manage ~4 hours of Grade 3 steps, drivers uncomfortable on 12 km unsealed C344 in the wet, groups stacking a full Historic Site ticket on the same calendar day.
No. Independent unofficial guide by Farming Domains (Ian Piggott). No public email. Use Parks Tasmania phones and pages for official help; 000 for emergencies.
Port Arthur, Eaglehawk Neck and Hobart stays, plus peninsula cruises when you do not want to drive. Parks Pass, Fortescue camping and Three Capes bookings are never affiliated.
Port Arthur · Eaglehawk Neck · Hobart
All Booking.com links open in a new tab and may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Official Fortescue camping, Parks Pass and Three Capes bookings are never affiliated.
Optional — useful when you do not want to drive the Arthur Highway
A tour does not replace checking Parks Tasmania alerts, weather, or cliff safety yourself.
Some stay, tour and gear links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Parks Pass fees, Fortescue Bay camping fees and official Three Capes / Parks Tasmania bookings are never affiliated. Affiliate disclosure · Privacy
Parks Pass prices, Three Capes bookings, Fortescue Bay camping fees, track grades and the Tasmans Arch / Devils Kitchen works window change. Always verify with Parks & Wildlife Service Tasmania before you travel.