Your stop on the map

Things to do at Wineglass Bay, beyond the lookout

The quick take

Beyond the lookout, Freycinet offers the Cape Tourville lighthouse circuit, Sleepy Bay, Honeymoon Bay, the Friendly Beaches, sea kayaking, the Wineglass Bay cruise and scenic flights.

Easy picks

  • Cape Tourville: 20 minutes, Grade 11
  • Whales May to November12
  • Honeymoon Bay for sunset3

See all 22 stops

Freycinet and Wineglass Bay, pin by pin

Select a route, then tap a marker or stop to see its note and open Google Maps.

Map of the Wineglass Bay walks with the car park, the lookout, Mount Amos, the beach, the Isthmus Track, Hazards Beach and the beach campsite

  1. The walks car park has toilets and a water tap; the lookout track starts here.

    Google Maps

  2. The lookout platforms sit on the saddle, in a pass through the Hazards.

    Google Maps

  3. Mount Amos: 3 hours return over 3.6km, Grade 4, never when wet.

    Google Maps

  4. The beach is approximately 1000 stairs below the saddle.

    Google Maps

  5. The isthmus between the two beaches is an unusually wide tombolo.

    Google Maps

  6. Hazards Beach is the halfway point of the 11km circuit.

    Google Maps

  7. The walker campsite at the bay needs no booking and charges nothing.

    Google Maps

© OpenStreetMap contributors, map data

The lookout is only the start of things to do at Wineglass Bay. Short walks to a lighthouse and quiet coves, a long white beach, kayaks, boats, flights and wildlife fill the rest of a day or a week on the peninsula.

Editorial team, freycinetnationalparktour.com · Updated November 8, 2026 · Quick read: 8 min

In brief

  • Easiest walkCape Tourville: a 20 minute, 600m circuit, Grade 1.1
  • Quiet coveSleepy Bay: 20 minutes return over 500m.2
  • SunsetHoneymoon Bay, with the Hazards lit up.3
  • Long sandThe Friendly Beaches stretch more than 10km.4
  • On the waterA 3-hour guided kayak from Muirs Beach.

Cape Tourville and its lighthouse

Cape Tourville in Freycinet National Park gives a big view for very little effort. The parks service rates its loop Grade 1: a 20 minute, 600m circuit on a flat, even surface with no steps.1 It is suitable for wheelchair users who have someone to help them, which makes it the place to bring anyone who cannot manage the lookout climb.5 To get there, turn left off the main park road onto the Cape Tourville Road.6

A raised walkway circles the automated lighthouse, and long stretches of boardwalk run right out to the cliff edge.7,8 From it you look across to the Hazards, into Wineglass Bay and out to the offshore rocks called The Nuggets.9 Discover Tasmania calls The Nuggets a wreck-magnet.10 Bring binoculars: the parks service lists sea birds, sea-eagles, whales, seals and dolphins among the animals seen from here.11

Whale season is a good reason to linger. Discover Tasmania says that from about May to November you have a chance of humpback and southern right whales passing the cape, and boardwalk markers give a sense of their size.12 The loop lies about 7 km from the visitor centre, short enough to combine with the lookout in a morning.13 On this site's Hobart day tour, the lighthouse and its lookout get a 20-minute stop.

Places compared

Freycinet's short stops side by side

PlaceWalkGradeGood for
Cape Tourville600m circuitGrade 1Whales, wheelchairs
Sleepy Bay500m returnGrade 3Rocks and color
Honeymoon BayShort strollNot gradedPicnics, sunset
Friendly Beaches100m to 5kmGrade 2Long beach walks
Lookout2.6 km returnGrade 3The classic view

Walk lengths and grades from the parks service's pages for each place.1,2,16,25,15

Sleepy Bay and the granite coves

Sleepy Bay sits off the same Cape Tourville road, with its own car park. The walk is 20 minutes return over 500m, rated Grade 3, down gently graded steps to a rocky shore.2 The name is misleading: the parks service notes that the bay often has wild and rough seas.17 What you come for is the color, turquoise water against orange lichen on the boulders.18 On a stormy day the swell breaking on the rocks is a show of its own.

Keep going if you have a little more time. The track continues for another 10 minutes beyond the bay, with coastal views, before a steep descent to a small cove.19 It is easy to follow but rough underfoot in places, and it passes close to high cliff tops, so hold small children's hands.20 Discover Tasmania describes Sleepy Bay as a tiny beach between pink granite outcrops that sees beautiful sunrises.21

These short coastal walks bring Freycinet's granite right up close. The management plan ranks the Hazards above anywhere else in Tasmania for weathered granite on a large scale, and the shapes at Sleepy Bay show what that means: rounded boulders, flaking slabs and colors that change with the light.22 Swimming is not the point here; with rough water and steep rock, treat it as a place to look and photograph.

Short outings

How long the easy stops take

  • Visitor centre loop10
  • Cape Tourville20
  • Sleepy Bay20
  • Ranger Ck to Honeymoon30
  • Lookout on the tour90

Walk times from the parks service; the lookout figure is the time this site's tour gives it.23,1,2,24

Honeymoon Bay and the Coles Bay shore

Honeymoon Bay is the park's gentle side, a small cove close to the visitor centre on the sheltered Great Oyster Bay shore. Discover Tasmania suggests it as a quieter alternative to Wineglass Bay and a fine spot for sunset, when the last light sets the Hazards aglow.27,3 You will find electric barbecues, picnic tables and toilets here, plus a tap for water.15,28 This site's tour from Hobart spends 30 minutes at Honeymoon Bay.

Coles Bay walks range from short beach strolls to the long hikes of the peninsula. Discover Tasmania says the trails range from 10min beach walks right up to hikes of several days around the peninsula.29 The easiest link is the Freycinet Walk and Cycle Track: from Ranger Creek it is 2 km to Honeymoon Bay, 30 mins on foot or 15 mins by bike.24 Along the way you see the lower slopes of Mount Baudin, Mount Dove and Mount Amos.30

The shore here carries deep history. The parks service notes that the Richardsons Beach campground sits next to a shell midden among the largest recorded on the east coast, a place that still matters deeply to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community.31,32 Walk on the sand, not the dunes, and leave shells where they lie. The visitor centre also has a 10 minute wheelchair-accessible circuit track starting beside it.23

Plan your extras

Which extra fits your day?

Match the activity to your energy, budget and companions.

  • If I have little time and want a big view

    Cape Tourville

    A 20 minute circuit with views into Wineglass Bay.1,9

  • If I would rather look at the bay from a boat

    The cruise

    The catamaran rounds the peninsula into Wineglass Bay.26

  • If I like paddling

    Kayak tour

    3 hours below the Hazards from Muirs Beach.

  • If I want empty sand

    Friendly Beaches

    More than 10km of beach in a separate park section.4

  • If I am travelling with a wheelchair user

    Cape Tourville

    Suitable for wheelchair users with assistance.5

Paid experiences

Kayak, cruise or flight

Calm water

Sea kayak

Great Oyster Bay

  • Length3 hours
  • FromMuirs Beach
  • AgeNot under 7
See this trip

Into the bay

Bay cruise

Into Wineglass Bay

  • Length4.5 hours
  • FromColes Bay
  • GuideLive, English
See this trip

From above

Scenic flight

Peninsula and Maria Island

  • Length3 hours
  • FromCambridge
  • PassNot included
See this trip

The Friendly Beaches

North of Coles Bay, a separate section of the park holds the Friendly Beaches, reached by a gravel road about 9km after you leave the Tasman Highway.55 Discover Tasmania puts the sand at more than 10km, with lagoons pooled behind the beaches.4 The beaches were added to the national park in 1992, and they make a change of pace from the famous bay to the south.56 Come in the late afternoon and the granite headlands glow behind you as you walk.

You can walk as little or as much as you like. The parks service lists walks of 5 minutes to 5 hours, from 100m to 5km, rated Grade 2 and suitable for most ages.16 When the surf is up, surfers try the breaks, and the beach suits surf fishing.57 Swimming is a different matter: the parks service advises against it here, and nobody patrols these beaches.39 Paddle at the edge on a calm day, and keep children out of the surf.

For a night by the sea, Isaacs Point at the Friendly Beaches offers basic camping with no reservations, where whoever arrives first takes a site, for up to 14 nights.58 There is no camping charge and no booking, but there are only pit toilets and no fresh water.59,60 Bring all your water and a fuel stove, and expect a sky full of stars on a clear night. Arrive early in summer to pick a sheltered site among the scrub.

Price check

What the paid activities cost for your group

Pick a group size and the from-prices of every option add up for you.

Compare all 4 options

What the paid activities cost for your group

Pick a group size and the from-prices of every option add up for you.

2 people
  1. Day tour from HobartLookout and coast · each person, from $110

    ≈

    View
  2. Kayak tour3 hours · each person, from $109

    ≈

    View
  3. Wineglass Bay cruise4.5 hours · each person, from $133

    ≈

    View
  4. Scenic flightWith Maria Island · each person, from $349

    ≈

    View

Figures are GetYourGuide from-prices, translated at the ECB reference rate. The booking step shows what you pay exactly.

A full day

A day of short walks around the peninsula

  1. Early

    Wineglass Bay Lookout

    Walk up before the midday rush.14

  2. Late morning

    Cape Tourville

    The 20 minute circuit around the lighthouse.1

  3. Midday

    Sleepy Bay

    A 20 minute return walk to the rocks.2

  4. Lunch

    Honeymoon Bay

    Barbecues and picnic tables by the water.15

  5. Afternoon

    Friendly Beaches

    Walk the long sand for as long as you like.16

  6. Sunset

    Back to Honeymoon Bay

    Watch the Hazards glow.3

On the water and in the air

Kayaking shows the Hazards from below. Discover Tasmania describes a 3hr guided kayak tour across the toes of the Hazards with a stop ashore at Honeymoon Bay.61 The bookable version leaves from Muirs Beach in Coles Bay with a live English guide, double kayaks, warm jackets and a hot drink break; children under 7 cannot join, and it is listed from $109. It is a calm-water paddle on Great Oyster Bay, not an ocean crossing into Wineglass Bay itself.

Without your own boat, a cruise is how you get the view from the water, and the granite cliffs look even taller from sea level. Discover Tasmania describes a catamaran trip from Coles Bay that rounds the tip of the peninsula into Wineglass Bay for lunch.26 It calls this the rarest view of the bay, often with dolphins for company.62 The bookable cruise from Coles Bay runs 4.5 hours with live commentary in English, from $133.

From the air the whole peninsula makes sense at once. Discover Tasmania says Freycinet scenic flights range from 30-minute spins over Wineglass Bay to hour-long trips out to Maria Island.63 A longer listed option flies from Cambridge near Hobart over the peninsula to Maria Island in 3 hours, from $349. On land, guided ATV buggy tours run out to the southern Friendly Beaches or to Cape Tourville, and Freycinet Marine Farm just outside Coles Bay serves oysters and mussels from its own farm.64,65

Video

Things to do in Freycinet National Park

Wander Explore Discover on YouTube · Tap play to load the video; not before.

Much of the walk is on a raised boardwalk which, at times, takes you right to the cliff edge, offering amazing views
Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service8

Before you go

Checklist for a day of extras

Bring4

  • A valid parks pass for every stop in the park51
  • Water: taps at Honeymoon Bay and the walks car park28
  • Binoculars for whales and sea-eagles at Cape Tourville11
  • Sun protection: UV is high September to April52

Remember4

  • Children under 7 cannot join the kayak tour
  • Swimming not recommended at the Friendly Beaches39
  • Keep two metres from wildlife and never feed it53
  • Avoid driving in the park at night54

Wildlife on the peninsula

Freycinet is easy wildlife country, and you rarely need to go looking. On land, Bennetts wallabies, pademelons and echidnas turn up often, the parks service says, while seals haul out on the shoreline rocks.66 Around Coles Bay, Discover Tasmania adds wombats and white-bellied sea eagles to the list.67 Scan the sky from the lookouts at Wineglass Bay and Cape Tourville for white-bellied sea-eagles, and the sea for Australasian gannets plunging after fish.68

Whales are the seasonal highlight. The parks service says the waters off the peninsula are regularly visited by whales, particularly humpbacks, during the winter months.69 Flowers are a quieter pleasure: the parks service finds wildflowers and orchids in bloom through most of the year, and Discover Tasmania says native orchids are most prolific in October and November.70,71 Look down as often as you look out to sea.

Watch animals without changing their behavior. Keep a gap of two metres or more from any native animal and never offer food, the parks service asks.53 After dark, slow right down or stay off the road: wildlife strays onto the bitumen from dusk to dawn, and the parks service would rather you did not drive its reserves at night.72,54 For penguins, Bicheno is 39km, about 30 minutes, north of the park, and Bicheno Penguin Tours runs nightly.36,73

Freycinet with children

When you plan what to see in Freycinet National Park with children, start with the flat and short. Cape Tourville is Grade 1, with no steps or steep sections, and the Friendly Beaches walks are Grade 2 and suitable for most ages.1,16 The 10 minute accessible circuit beside the visitor centre is ideal for small legs.23 Honeymoon Bay adds barbecues and picnic tables for lunch.15 Shallow, sheltered water there makes paddling at the edge more relaxed than on the ocean beaches.

Some outings have age limits or warnings. The parks service steers young children away from Mount Amos, the kayak tour takes nobody under 7, and this site's tour from Hobart starts at 8 years.74 The lookout is a steep Grade 3 track with many steps; families can manage it with rest stops, but plan for the upper end of its 1-1.5 hours return.75,25 Pack snacks for the seats on the way up.

Wherever you go, keep children close near cliffs and water. The parks service flags dangerous cliffs and unguarded beaches and wants every child kept under watch.76 Families who need help with mobility can book the TrailRider all-terrain wheelchair through the visitor centre, free of charge.77 Pets stay home: dogs are generally not allowed in national parks, though assistance dogs are.78

FAQ

Fast answers to common questions.

What is there to do at Freycinet besides the lookout?
Short walks, beaches and boats.

Cape Tourville, Sleepy Bay, Honeymoon Bay and the Friendly Beaches are easy walks, and kayaks, cruises and flights leave from Coles Bay.1,2,16,26

Can you see Wineglass Bay from Cape Tourville?
Yes.

The parks service lists the Hazards, Wineglass Bay and The Nuggets among the sights from the Cape Tourville circuit.9

Is Cape Tourville wheelchair accessible?
Yes, with help.

The 600m circuit suits wheelchair users who have someone to assist them.1,5

Can you kayak to Wineglass Bay?
The guided kayak stays in Great Oyster Bay.

The 3hr guided paddle crosses below the Hazards with a stop at Honeymoon Bay.61

Where can you see whales at Freycinet?
From Cape Tourville.

Discover Tasmania gives a May to November window for humpbacks and southern rights off the cape.12

Can you swim at the Friendly Beaches?
Not recommended.

Swimming there is advised against, and no lifeguards patrol the sand.39

Where is a good sunset spot near Coles Bay?
Honeymoon Bay.

Discover Tasmania suggests Honeymoon Bay for sunset, with the Hazards lit up.3

Sources

  1. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Cape Tourville ↩
  2. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Sleepy Bay ↩
  3. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Guide to Freycinet Peninsula ↩
  4. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Guide to Freycinet Peninsula ↩
  5. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Cape Tourville ↩
  6. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Cape Tourville ↩
  7. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Cape Tourville ↩
  8. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Cape Tourville ↩
  9. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Cape Tourville ↩
  10. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Wild and woolly walks through history ↩
  11. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Cape Tourville ↩
  12. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Guide to Freycinet Peninsula ↩
  13. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet National Park ↩
  14. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Wineglass Bay Lookout ↩
  15. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet National Park ↩
  16. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Friendly Beaches ↩
  17. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Sleepy Bay ↩
  18. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Sleepy Bay ↩
  19. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Sleepy Bay ↩
  20. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Sleepy Bay ↩
  21. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Guide to Freycinet Peninsula ↩
  22. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet National Park and Wye River State Reserve Management Plan 2000 (PDF) ↩
  23. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet National Park ↩
  24. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet Walk and Cycle Track ↩
  25. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Wineglass Bay Lookout ↩
  26. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Guide to Freycinet National Park ↩
  27. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Coles Bay ↩
  28. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet National Park ↩
  29. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Coles Bay ↩
  30. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet Walk and Cycle Track ↩
  31. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet National Park ↩
  32. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet National Park ↩
  33. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Guide to Freycinet National Park
  34. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Swansea
  35. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Guide to Freycinet Peninsula
  36. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Bicheno ↩
  37. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet National Park
  38. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet National Park
  39. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Friendly Beaches ↩
  40. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Guide to Freycinet National Park
  41. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet overnight walker campsites
  42. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet National Park and Wye River State Reserve Management Plan 2000 (PDF)
  43. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet National Park
  44. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Mount Amos
  45. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Mount Amos
  46. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Wineglass Bay
  47. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet National Park and Wye River State Reserve Management Plan 2000 (PDF)
  48. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Wineglass Bay and Hazards Beach
  49. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Wineglass Bay and Hazards Beach
  50. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet overnight walker campsites
  51. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Wineglass Bay Lookout ↩
  52. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Weather in Tasmania ↩
  53. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Caring for wildlife ↩
  54. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet National Park ↩
  55. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet National Park ↩
  56. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet National Park ↩
  57. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Friendly Beaches ↩
  58. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Friendly Beaches camping (Isaacs Point) ↩
  59. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Friendly Beaches camping (Isaacs Point) ↩
  60. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Friendly Beaches camping (Isaacs Point) ↩
  61. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Guide to Freycinet National Park ↩
  62. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Guide to Freycinet Peninsula ↩
  63. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Guide to Freycinet Peninsula ↩
  64. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Guide to Freycinet Peninsula ↩
  65. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Guide to Freycinet Peninsula ↩
  66. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet National Park ↩
  67. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Coles Bay ↩
  68. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet National Park ↩
  69. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet National Park ↩
  70. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet National Park ↩
  71. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Coles Bay ↩
  72. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Getting around ↩
  73. Discover Tasmania (Tourism Tasmania) · Best time to visit Tasmania ↩
  74. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Mount Amos ↩
  75. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Wineglass Bay Lookout ↩
  76. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet National Park ↩
  77. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Freycinet National Park ↩
  78. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service · Dogs in parks ↩

More to read

More to read before you go

GuideHobart to Wineglass Bay day trip, hour by hourGuideWineglass Bay tours comparedGuideThe Wineglass Bay cruiseGuideFreycinet park pass and entry fee

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