Talk about starting off with a bang! Day 1 of the Ultimate Lap begins with your friendly guide collecting you from your Hobart CBD before heading off down the highway towards the Tasman Peninsula. While on the road, you’ll have an hour or so to get to know your new friends (aka tour-mates), and your guide will give you a quick briefing on what to expect for this tour of Tasmania.

Our first stop will be the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Port Arthur Historic Site, where you can spend the morning diving into the fascinating history of the former convict settlement, the most well preserved of its kind in Australia. There are regular guide talks, additional tours and other special events at the site, with plenty of artefacts and heritage buildings to enjoy as you wander around the grounds.

After a relaxing lunch stop we head down to the Maingon Bay Lookout to enjoy the spectacular views over the Southern Ocean and the aptly named Salmon Rock. There’s also the opportunity to take a short walk to see the Remarkable Cave, a giant slot in the cliff formed over thousands of years by the unrelenting crashing waves.

A trip to the Tasman Peninsula wouldn’t be complete without a stop at the famous Tasman Arch, Devils Kitchen and the Blowhole, impressive landmarks worthy of a photo or two. This our final stop before we head to our night 1 ocean-front accommodation in the lovely town of Eaglehawk Neck.

Day 2 of the Ultimate Lap is definitely one of our favorites. After a delicious breakfast, we start the day with a trip to one of the most unique parts of Australia – the amazing Maria Island. Home to a large population of friendly wombats and other native wildlife, gorgeous untouched coastline and interesting historical landmarks, a morning spent on Maria Island is a morning well spent.

Once we’re back from the island, we travel a short distance up the road to one of the scenic local ocean-front vineyards – an ideal spot to relax and indulge in some of the renowned local vintages and food.

Our day ends with a visit to two of the more unique destinations on the East Coast of Tasmania – the Three Arch Bridge and the Spiky Bridge. These convict-era relics are a fascinating insight into the history of the area and well worth spending some time exploring.

From here it’s a short and scenic drive along the coast to our stop for the night, Swansea, a charming seaside town with epic views out towards the Freycinet Peninsula.

As if day 2 wasn’t packed enough, day 3 kicks off with a visit to Freycinet National Park, without a doubt one of the most picturesque destinations in Australia. Tour guests have the choice of heading out on a morning cruise around the Freycinet Peninsula and into Wineglass Bay (optional extra), or exploring on foot, either up the impressive granite boulders of Mt Amos, or a more laid-back walk up to the Wineglass Bay Lookout – camera compulsory for the epic views whichever option you choose!

The action continues after a lazy lunch at Honeymoon Bay, as we pop into the Cape Tourville Lighthouse, where a keen eye can often spot dolphins, whales and seals heading past the point. There’s an option for a leisurely stroll here along the top of the cliffs and around the lighthouse for those who are interested.

We make our way to Bicheno to end the day, another awesome little beachside town where there’s the chance to join a local fairy penguin night-time tour to watch the adorable penguins return to their nests (optional extra).

Our east coast adventure continues on day 4 as we make our way up to St Helens and the renowned Bay of Fires region. On the way we visit the East Coast Natureworld wildlife park where there is an abundance of native Australian animals to see, including kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, echidnas and quolls. There is also a daily Tasmanian Devil feeding experience included which is a must-do for any visitors to the island.

Our day continues with some relaxed early afternoon beach-hopping in the Bay of Fires, including a stop at the pristine Binalong Bay, and perhaps even a secret spot or two for a refreshing dip in the crystal-clear waters.

Once we’ve finished up at the beach, our final activity for the day is a choice of either fresh blueberry picking at a gorgeous local blueberry farm, or a wine and cheese tasting at a boutique vineyard and cellar door (optional extras) – both enjoyable ways to end another busy day.

Our last night on the east coast is in St Helens, where it’s not uncommon to see impressive bioluminescent displays on the beach caused by a bioluminescent plankton once the sun sets.

Day 5 is action packed, with our morning activity at the Treetops Adventure Park in the mystical Hollybank Forest providing an opportunity to get the adrenaline pumping with zip-lining, high ropes or a forest segway tour (optional extra). For those happy to keep their feet on the ground, a peaceful walk through gorgeous native forest is also an option.

The impressive Cataract Gorge in the city of Launceston is our afternoon stop, where guests are able to admire the giant cliffs and powerful rapids on a wander up the gorge, or even enjoy a ride up and down the famous Cataract Gorge Scenic Chairlift (optional extra).

We spend the night in the centre of Launceston, where excellent dinner options are plentiful and there are plenty of interesting landmarks within walking distance of our accommodation, including the Queen Victoria Museum, the James Boag Brewery and City Park.

Our morning in Launceston starts at the Harvest Community Farmers Market, where guests can sample some of the amazing local produce including all kinds of different locally grown fruits, gourmet cheeses, oysters, olives, pastries and nuts – it’s truly a food lovers dream!

From Launceston we journey west to the Mole Creek Caves, with a guided tour through the remarkable Marakoopa Cave a highlight of the day. The underground tour takes in the expansive Great Cathedral and Australia’s largest public glow-worm display, along with many other impressive features.

Our day 6 adventure continues in the afternoon as we ascend up to the Cradle Mountain National Park. The change in scenery is dramatic as we enter this alpine region, one of the most spectacular in Tasmania. A short walk in the park through the captivating Enchanted Forest to the Pencil Pine and Knyvet Waterfalls is a perfect way to end the day.

Our night 6 accommodation is pretty special as we stay in the National Park at the Cradle Mountain Discovery Resort, a unique experience in itself as the native wildlife is abundant in the area, especially at dawn and dusk.

Rising with the sights, sounds and smells of the pristine Cradle Mountain National Park, we begin day 7 by jumping on the shuttle bus up to Dove Lake. Safe to say this is an amazing way to start the day as Dove Lake is at the top of many Tasmanian travellers’ lists. It’s easy to see why, with panoramic views of Cradle Mountain and the alpine forest and lakes only a short walk away.

Once we depart Cradle Mountain, guests can spend the afternoon sitting back and relaxing as we descend down to the west coast, a region interspersed with lush native rainforest, remote coastline, lakes and historical mining towns. Your guide will provide the group with some interesting history and stories of the area, which has played a key role in the development of Tasmania.

We spend our final night in the beautiful and historic west coast town of Strahan. After dinner, guests have the option to watch the sunset over nearby Ocean Beach (Tasmania’s longest beach), a fitting and memorable way to end another epic day.

A quick adventure to the old mining town of Queenstown kicks off our final day of our tour of Tasmania, with the views from the Iron Blow lookout providing a nice perspective on the interesting landscape of the area.

From Queenstown, we journey back up into the mountains to Lake St Clair, Tasmania’s deepest freshwater lake (167m deep!) which was carved out by glacial ice over millions of years. Lake St Clair also marks the endpoint of the famous Overland Track, traversed by thousands of keen hikers every year.

Our final afternoon together is spent at the glorious Mount Field National Park, home to the photogenic Russell Falls where pristine water from the high-country cascades down through stunning rainforest – a glorious place to end the trip.

A short drive gets us back into Hobart where our guide will drop you off at your CBD accommodation, hopefully packed full of new friends, fond memories and a whole bunch of positive energy from exploring one of the most amazing places in Australia.