WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT Tasmania?

A little planning can take your Tasmanian holiday from memorable to perfect. We spent a few weeks driving around the Apple Isle as it’s affectionately known in Australia and kicked ourselves for taking so to make our first visit. To help you plan your own trip south, we have answered the most common questions we see in our Australian travel tips community. If you have one we have missed, head over to our Facebook Group and ask a local for help.

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Weather in Tasmania

Tasmania has four distinct seasons with very mild summers where temperatures usually reach the low 20s and cold winters where snow is not uncommon on Mount Wellington. The state’s eastern side is colder and wetter than the western side.

It’s worth remembering that Tasmania is the closest land mass to Antarctica, so it can get pretty chilly!

Most people consider November to February the best time to visit the island; however, we think spring and autumn are better choices, with comfortable temperatures for hiking and general exploring. The lower crowds make it easier to find excellent accommodation at affordable prices.

The winter is too cold for multi-day hikes unless you are very well prepared and some tracks are closed during July and August because the freezing temperatures make it unsafe.

Monthly average temperatures and rainfall in Tasmania

MonthAverage highAverage LowRain in mm
January22.0°C (71.6°F)12.0°C (53.6°F)46mm
February21.7°C (71.1°F)11.7°C (53.1°F)40mm
March20.1°C (68.2°F)10.2°C (50.4°F)42mm
April17.0°C (62.6°F)7.3°C (45.1°F)50mm
May13.9°C (57.0°F)5.0°C (41.0°F)51mm
June11.5°C (52.7°F)13.0°C (37.4°F)47mm
July10.6°C (51.1°F)2.0°C (35.6°F)47mm
August11.8°C (53.2°F)2.4°C (36.3°F)48mm
September13.8°C (56.8°F)3.9°C (39.0°F)52mm
October16.5°C (61.7°F)6.4°C (43.5°F)57mm
November18.6°C (65.5°F)8.6°C (47.5°F)55mm
December20.7°C (69.3°F)10.7°C (51.3°F)49mm
*Australian Government’s Bureau of Meteorology (BOM)

Tasmanian Festivals and events

Tasmania has a pretty busy events calendar. Along with being wonderful fun, these festivals can see an influx of mainlanders, so book accommodation early. This is especially important in Hobart over Christmas and January.

Date Festival
January 2025Mona Foma
10-12 January 2025Cygnet Folk Festival
February 2025Festivale
March 2025Ten Days on the Island (every other year)
4 April -5 May 2024Spiegeltent Hobart 
AprilTarga Tasmania
13-24 June 2024Dark Mofo
September 2024Blooming Tasmania Flower & Garden Festival
October Devonport Food and Wine Festival
12 OctoberWynyard Tulip Festival
DecemberSydney to Hobart Yacht Race
28 December-4 JanuaryThe Taste of Summer
*Dates correct at time of publication

Tasmanian School and Public Holidays

School holidays see prices go up and availability reduce. If you don’t need to be travelling at this time, you can save quite a bit by avoiding it.

Holiday 20242025
New Year’s Day 01 January 01 January
Australia Day26 January27 January (holiday)
Royal Hobart Regatta*12 February10 February
Eight Hours Day11 March10 March
Good Friday29 March18 April
Easter Sunday01 April10 April
Easter Monday02 April21 April
Anzac Day25 April 25 April
King’s Birthday 10 June09 June
Christmas Day25 December 25 December
Boxing Day26 December 26 December
New Year’s Eve31 December31 December
Correct as of 2nd March 2024, the Information presented is from Fair Work Australia website. *Tasmania has several regional holidays that you might want to check.

School Holidays in Tasmania 2024-2025

Period 20242025
Autumn break:13 April – 28 April14 April – 28 April
Winter break: 6 July – 21 July07 July – 20 July
Spring break:28 Sept. – 13 Oct.29 Sept – 12 Oct.
Summer break:19 Dec. – 4 Feb 202519 Dec. – TBA
The information provided above is from the Tasmania – Department of Education website.