Minibus Hire Across Australia

Hobart Minibus Hire for MONA, the Mountain and Port Arthur

Hobart is small enough to feel intimate, yet within a short drive you have a mountain summit, an unconventional art museum, convict history and island ferries. A minibus with a driver is the relaxed way to fit several of them into one trip.

The mountain above the city

The road to the summit of kunanyi / Mount Wellington is sealed, though it twists and narrows as it climbs, and there are only a handful of parking spots at The Springs and the Pinnacle. That's where a smaller vehicle and a driver who drops you at the lookout really help. The road can close at short notice for snow and ice, most often between April and September, and during snow closures only one licensed shuttle may go up. Have a backup plan for a wintry day.

Minibus with side door open for boarding
Minibus with side door open for boarding

MONA by road or water

The gallery is about 11 km north of the city, roughly 20 minutes by road, or a half-hour boat ride from Brooke Street Pier, where there's a drop-off zone at the front door. Plenty of groups take the boat one way and the minibus back, getting the river views without doing the round trip twice.

Flying into Hobart

Places your group will want to see

  • Port Arthur Historic Site — Tasman Peninsula; one of the 11 UNESCO Australian Convict Sites
  • Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary — Brighton, north of Hobart
  • Richmond — Georgian village with a convict-built bridge
  • Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens — Queens Domain
  • Cascade Brewery — South Hobart
  • Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery — Waterfront, Dunn Place
  • kunanyi / Mount Wellington — 1,271 m summit above the city
  • MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) — Berriedale; by ferry from Brooke Street Pier
  • Battery Point — Historic cottages above Salamanca
  • Salamanca Place — Sandstone warehouses; Salamanca Market on Saturdays

Where groups usually stay

  • North Hobart
  • Sandy Bay
  • CBD
  • Salamanca / Battery Point
  • Waterfront / Sullivans Cove

Arriving by ship

Day trips from the city

Richmond is about 25 minutes away, and Port Arthur about an hour and a half down the Tasman Peninsula. The Huon Valley and the Bruny Island ferry at Kettering are each around 40 minutes south. The crossing to Roberts Point takes about 20 minutes and works on a next-available-sailing basis, so build a little slack into the day.

Inland, Russell Falls in Mount Field National Park takes around 75 minutes to reach, and Freycinet around two and three quarter hours. Every visitor to Tasmania's national parks needs a parks pass, and tour operators must make sure each guest is covered, so ask how passes are arranged in your booking.

Arriving by plane, ship or ferry

The airport sits on the eastern shore, around 20 km by road from Franklin Square, and the Tasman Bridge brings you into town in 15 to 20 minutes. Tasmania has no toll roads. Commercial vehicles use a boom-gated lane separate from the public pick-up area.

Coming in on a cruise? Any vehicle bigger than a 12-seater must arrange its pickup at Macquarie Wharf with the port at least 48 hours ahead, so book early. Arriving on the Spirit of Tasmania? It docks at Devonport, three and a half hours' drive north, and is moving to new ships and a new terminal in late 2026, so check sailing times first.

Your questions

What happens if the mountain road is closed?

Snow or an event can shut Pinnacle Road at short notice. Have an alternative in mind, such as Richmond or MONA, and your driver can switch plans on the day.

Can we do Port Arthur and be back for dinner?

Yes. The drive is roughly 90 minutes in each direction, which leaves several hours at the historic site.

Can the minibus come over to Bruny Island?

The vehicle ferry from Kettering takes vehicles as well as passengers, so your group can stay together for the day on the island.

More trips we can arrange

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