Girls Weekend in Hobart Without a Car: A 3-Day Itinerary
Getting the girls together for a weekend away sounds simple.
Until someone starts the group chat.
There are work rosters. Kids. Flights. Budgets. Partners. And one person who keeps saying “I'm happy with whatever” but rejects every date suggested.
So when you finally manage to get everyone to Hobart at the same time, you want to make it count.
The good news is Hobart makes a girls weekend pretty easy.
Stay somewhere central and you can walk to Salamanca, the waterfront, Battery Point, restaurants and bars. Then when you want to get out of the city, organise someone else to drive.
No hire car. No designated driver. No spending half the weekend working out who's navigating.
Here's how I'd do a Thursday-to-Sunday girls weekend in Hobart.
A girls trip to Tassie is the ultimate weekend of food, fun and fabulous wine!
THURSDAY: Get here, dump the bags and find a drink
Don't plan too much for Thursday.
Flights arrive at different times. Someone will have checked luggage. Someone else will arrive with carry-on only and make everyone else feel like they've wildly overpacked.
Just get here.
Where to stay
If you're not hiring a car, where you stay matters.
I'd look around Salamanca, Battery Point, the waterfront or central Hobart. You'll be able to walk to a huge chunk of what you want to do over the weekend.
For a group, Salamanca Inn is worth a look because the accommodation is suite-style and you're basically right behind Salamanca.
If this is a we never get away together so we're doing it properly kind of trip, there's The Tasman on the waterfront.
Wherever you choose, I'd prioritise location over having a car.
Being able to walk back to your accommodation at the end of the night is very handy.
For reasons.
Your first night
Once everyone's arrived, head out for dinner and officially declare the weekend started.
Around Salamanca and the waterfront you've got plenty within walking distance. Syra is good if your group likes sharing plates, or make the first night a little fancier at Peppina.
Then there's always the “should we just have one drink?” conversation.
Mary Mary is tucked just off Salamanca if cocktails win.
My only strong recommendation for Thursday?
Book dinner.
A group of women standing in Salamanca at 7pm repeatedly saying “Honestly, I don't mind, you choose” can lose a frightening amount of time.
Hobarts’ Constitution Dock is a wonderful spot to grab an ice cream or an afternoon cocktail!!
FRIDAY: Get out of Hobart
This is your big day. And I'd make it a wine day. Hobart has the massive advantage of having a beautiful wine region practically on its doorstep. The Coal River Valley is close enough that you can leave the city in the morning and very quickly find yourself surrounded by vineyards.
Don't make the mistake of trying to do too much
There are loads of wineries you could visit. That doesn't mean you should visit all of them. I'd choose two or three cellar doors, build in a proper lunch and give yourselves time to actually enjoy them. Some of the places I regularly visit with my groups include Puddleduck Vineyard, Every Man & His Dog Vineyard and Nocton Vineyard.
They're all different — which is exactly what you want. You don't need five tastings and a stopwatch. Have the tasting. Order the food. Sit in the sunshine if Tassie weather is behaving itself. Buy a bottle. Take 400 photos of essentially the same photo.
You're not collecting wineries. You're having a day out.
And this is where I come in:
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
You could hire a car. But then someone has to drive it. And that person gets to watch everyone else taste Tasmanian wine all day. Hard pass. This is exactly the kind of day I create at Off The Leash Tours. Private Tours of Hobart with a side of ‘caraoke’! You don't join a bus full of strangers and you don't have to follow one standard itinerary. It's your group. We work out what sort of day you want.
Wine and a long lunch? Easy.
Wine and gin? Yep.
One person doesn't drink? We can work around that.
Someone is more interested in the cheese than the Chardonnay? I respect her priorities.
And because the whole vehicle is yours, the drive between stops isn't dead time either. There will be music. There will probably be car-a-oke. There may be questionable song choices. That's part of the day.Private Group Tours
Friday night
Do not make a 6pm dinner reservation. Trust me. Get back to Hobart. Go to your accommodation. Have a shower. Sit down for five minutes. Then reassess the situation.
You might head back out for dinner and drinks.
You might open the bottle somebody bought at the second winery.
You might order takeaway in your pyjamas. There are no wrong answers here.
SATURDAY: Salamanca + do whatever you feel like
This is exactly why I like doing the big day on Friday.
Saturday morning is Salamanca Market.
And now you don't have to rush through it because you're trying to get somewhere else.
Head down to Salamanca Market, grab breakfast or coffee and wander.
Buy local things.
Eat things.
Buy earrings you definitely didn't come to Tasmania for.
Then just...wander.
Battery Point is right behind Salamanca. The waterfront is right there. The CBD isn't far.
This is the day I'd deliberately not over-plan.
Have lunch when you're hungry.
Go shopping.
Find somewhere for an afternoon drink.
Go back to the hotel and nap.
It's your holiday. You don't need a laminated run sheet.
Saturday night: now we get silly
Obviously you could go out for another beautiful dinner.
But you could also do something a little more memorable first.
Like dance through the streets of Hobart wearing headphones.
My Silent Disco Walking Tours are essentially an hour of forgetting you're a grown adult with responsibilities.
Everyone gets wireless headphones.
We walk.
We dance.
We sing.
People on the street stare at you because they can't hear what you're listening to.
And after approximately three minutes, you stop caring.
If there's a tour running on the weekend you're here, it's a very fun way to start Saturday night before heading off for dinner or drinks.
Dancing in the streets of Hobart is the ultimate start to a night out.
SUNDAY: Brunch, MONA...or absolutely nothing
I refuse to give you a strict Sunday itinerary.
Your Sunday plans should be determined by Saturday night's behaviour.
Feeling surprisingly fresh?
Go to MONA.
You don't need a car — catch the ferry from Brooke Street Pier on the waterfront.
And if this is a girls weekend where we're apparently making excellent financial decisions, book the Posh Pit.
Need carbohydrates?
Head towards Battery Point for brunch.
Jackman & McRoss is a longtime local bakery and café, and this may be the point in the weekend where pastry becomes less of a want and more of a need.
Then wander Battery Point and pretend you're having a very wholesome Sunday morning.
Completely done?
Also fine.
Coffee.
Waterfront.
Sunshine.
Scroll through everyone's camera rolls.
Work out why there are 47 photos of Sarah holding the same glass of wine.
Collect the bags.
Airport.
Excellent weekend.
So, can you actually do a Hobart girls weekend without a car?
Absolutely.
The trick is to stay centrally.
Salamanca, Battery Point, the waterfront and Hobart CBD are all close enough that you can explore a lot on foot.
You can catch the ferry to MONA.
And when you want to venture further afield, book transport for that day rather than hiring a car for the entire weekend.
Especially when that day involves wineries.
Nobody wants to be the designated driver on girls weekend.
And yes, this works for a Hobart hens weekend too
Not every hens weekend needs to involve matching outfits, novelty accessories and activities you'd prefer your future mother-in-law didn't witness.
Unless that's exactly what you want.
In which case, carry on.
But a hens weekend can also just be: your favourite people + wine + long lunch + cocktails + music + a really good day out.
I've hosted hens groups where the vibe isn't really HENS PARTY!!!
My biggest tip for a Hobart girls weekend?
Don't organise the fun out of it.
Book the things that actually need booking.
Accommodation.
Friday's big day out.
A couple of dinners.
MONA if you're going.
Then leave some space.
Hobart is brilliant for a long weekend because you can fit city, wine, food, countryside, culture and something completely ridiculous into a few days without spending half your trip travelling.
And most importantly:
Don't leave the most organised friend in charge of everyone for four days.
She's on holiday too.
If you want somebody else to take care of the Friday adventure, Off The Leash Tours creates completely private days around Hobart and southern Tasmania.
Tell me who's coming and what kind of day your group loves.
I'll help with the fun bit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hobart good for a girls weekend?
Yes. Hobart works brilliantly for a girls trip because Salamanca, Battery Point, the waterfront, restaurants and bars are concentrated around a relatively small city centre. You can also easily add a day trip to nearby wine regions or southern Tasmania.
Can you visit Hobart without hiring a car?
Yes. If you stay centrally, much of Hobart can be explored on foot. MONA can be reached by ferry, and private tours or transport can be organised for destinations outside the city.
How long should you spend in Hobart for a girls trip?
A Thursday-to-Sunday long weekend is a great amount of time. It gives you an arrival night, two full days and a slower Sunday before heading home.
What can you do on a girls weekend in Hobart?
Wine tasting, long lunches, Salamanca Market, MONA, cocktails, Battery Point, Hobart's waterfront and group experiences such as a silent disco are all easy to combine into a long weekend.
Can you visit Hobart wineries without a car?
Yes. The Coal River Valley is close to Hobart and private tours and transport can be arranged, so everyone can participate in tastings without needing a designated driver.
Is Hobart good for a hens weekend?
Yes. Hobart is particularly suited to hens groups wanting a more relaxed celebration built around wine, food, scenery, cocktails and fun group experiences.