Best Time to Visit Hobart

Summer: warm, bright and busy

December to February is peak season, and it's the easiest time to be in Hobart. Days are mild and pleasant, with highs around 22°C in January. Evenings stay light for a long time, so you can walk the waterfront at Salamanca Place after dinner and still see the boats. Nights are cool enough for a jumper.

It's also the busiest stretch. Australian school holidays run over Christmas and January, so flights and rooms fill up. The Sydney to Hobart yacht race finishes here in the last days of December, and the Taste of Tasmania food festival on the waterfront runs through the New Year. If you want a lively harbour, this is your window. If you hate crowds, aim for late February or March instead.

Autumn and spring: the quiet sweet spots

March is still warm, and it's one of our top-rated months. It's a bit wetter than January, with rain on about 10 days, but showers pass quickly. April is cooler, around 17°C, and good for climbing kunanyi/Mount Wellington (the mountain behind the city) without the summer heat. The crowds thin out too. Tasmania's Ten Days on the Island arts festival has traditionally run in spring, but check its current schedule.

November and December are the best of spring. It's mild, gardens are in bloom, and the city hasn't filled up yet. September and October are changeable, with rain on 13 days each month. Pack for a bit of everything and you'll be fine. Travelling with kids? Late spring is easier than winter, and the day trip to Bruny Island is far nicer when it's dry.

Winter: cold, grey and creative

June to August is low season. Days stay around 11°C to 12°C, mornings are chilly, and August is the wettest month, with rain on 14 days. Snow often dusts the top of kunanyi, even when the city stays dry. It's a good time for the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), a cosy pub in Battery Point, or a hot soak with a view.

Winter is also when Hobart gets playful. Dark Mofo, a bold art and music festival, takes over the city in June, with a winter solstice nude swim at the end. Rooms are cheaper outside that week, and you'll have much of the city to yourself. If you want hiking and beaches, skip winter. If you want food, art and long evenings indoors, it's a great choice.