From Hobart: Mt. Field National Park and Russell Falls

Russell Falls is the star here: a graceful three-tiered cascade reached by an easy rainforest walk beneath giant eucalyptus trees. The tour also gives you a useful taste of the Derwent Valley, from rural New Norfolk to the tidy parklands of Salmon Ponds, before setting you loose among the trees at Mt. Field.

I like the morning tea at Salmon Ponds, which turns a simple stop into a pleasant break with hot drinks, fish feeding, and time to stroll. I also like the guide’s live commentary. Good explanation makes the Tall Trees Walk more than a pretty path, helping you understand the plants and wildlife around you. The main drawback is time: the day lasts 405 minutes, so the Mt. Field visit is rewarding but not leisurely enough for long, unhurried exploration.

At a glance

• Russell Falls in a three-tiered cascade: Reach one of Tasmania’s most scenic waterfalls on a roughly 30-minute walk.
• A gentle rainforest and tall-tree walk: See giant eucalyptus trees and learn about the flora and fauna of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
• Salmon Ponds with morning tea: Feed trout and salmon, explore English-style parklands, and enjoy a hot drink.
• A useful Derwent Valley introduction: Travel beside the Derwent River, pass farmland and hop fields, and stop in New Norfolk.
• A practical Hobart day trip: Park entry, Salmon Ponds admission, transport, commentary, and hotel pickup and drop-off are included.
• A short, manageable walk: Expect about 1 kilometre on a hardened surface, though comfortable shoes and weather protection still matter.

From Brooke Street Pier into the Derwent Valley

The tour begins at the Gray Line Day Tours desk inside Brooke St Pier, at 12 Franklin Wharf in Hobart. If you are staying elsewhere in Hobart, hotel pickup and drop-off are included, but the stated meeting point gives you a clear fallback.

Once out of the city, the route follows the shores of the Derwent River. The scenery changes quickly from Hobart streets to open farmland, giving you a useful sense of the valley that supports much of the region’s rural life.

I like this opening because it does not rush straight to the waterfall. You get a gradual change of pace, and the live commentary helps connect the views with Tasmania’s plants, animals, and rural settings. The drive also makes the later rainforest feel like a real change of world rather than just another stop on a bus tour.

Fifteen minutes in New Norfolk

New Norfolk is listed as a 15-minute visit, so think of it as a brief orientation stop rather than a full town tour. It is Tasmania’s third-oldest settlement and serves as a compact look at the Derwent Valley’s rural side.

You can stretch your legs, look around, and get a quick feel for the town before continuing toward Bushy Park. The stop will suit you if you enjoy seeing how a region is lived in, not just its famous natural sights.

The short timing is also the limitation. Fifteen minutes is not enough for a detailed exploration, so do not plan on a long café stop or a full look around town. Its value is mainly in breaking up the drive and adding local context.

Salmon Ponds, fish feeding, and hot morning tea

The next major stop is Salmon Ponds, an established trout and salmon hatchery set in English-style parklands. You can feed the fish and wander around the grounds before sitting down for morning tea and a hot beverage.

This is one of the tour’s more distinctive details. Many day trips simply pause at a lookout or roadside café. Here, you have a small activity to take part in, and the fish feeding gives children and adults an easy reason to slow down and look closely.

The parklands also provide a calmer counterpoint to the forest later in the day. I would use this time to enjoy the setting rather than rush through the hatchery. The included hot drink is particularly welcome on a cool Tasmanian morning, and it means you do not need to buy breakfast on the road.

Water and cold drinks are not included, so bring your own bottle. That is worth remembering because the day includes road time and walking, and the tour specifically asks you to bring water.

Bushy Park and the road toward Mt. Field

After Salmon Ponds, the coach continues through the hop fields of Bushy Park toward Mt. Field National Park. The route gives you more rural scenery before the trees begin to dominate.

This part of the journey is best viewed as a transition. You are not stopping at every sight, but the guide’s commentary can help you understand the shift from farmland and cultivated fields to protected forest. The day works well for someone who wants several different Tasmanian settings without arranging separate transport.

The tradeoff is that some of your 6-hour-45-minute day is spent on the road. That is unavoidable when visiting a national park from Hobart, and it is one reason to consider this tour as an efficient introduction rather than a slow, specialist nature walk.

The Tall Trees Walk beneath giant eucalyptus

At Mt. Field National Park, the visit lasts about two and a half hours, with a roughly 30-minute walk to Russell Falls included in the plan. The walk begins through rainforest and leads toward the Tall Trees Walk, where giant eucalyptus trees give the forest its scale.

This is where the guide’s commentary matters most. A walk beneath very tall trees can be beautiful without being especially informative. Explanations about local flora and fauna give you a better reason to pause, look upward, and notice how the forest is put together.

A September visit produced especially strong feedback about this part of the experience: the guide’s information made the Tall Trees Walk more meaningful. That is a useful clue about what this tour does best. It is not just transport to a waterfall. The natural setting is paired with interpretation, so you can leave with more than a few photographs.

The tour describes the route as a leisurely walk through the rainforest canopy. The practical note is about 1 kilometre on a hardened surface. That should make the outing manageable for many people, but it is still wise to wear proper walking shoes. A hard surface does not remove the need to handle weather, damp ground, or uneven details along the way.

Russell Falls, the visual high point

Russell Falls is a three-tiered waterfall reached by following the path through the forest. Its shape gives you several points of interest as you approach, rather than one sudden viewpoint and a quick return to the coach.

You have around 30 minutes specifically allocated for the walk. That is enough for the main approach and time to take in the falls, but it will feel short if you like lingering with a camera or moving at a very slow pace.

I would keep your expectations realistic. This is not a full-day hiking program, and the tour does not promise a network of long trails. You are getting a well-known waterfall and a short forest walk within a broader day trip. For first-time visitors to the area, that balance is useful. For experienced hikers seeking solitude and several hours on foot, it may feel too structured.

The natural setting also changes with the season and weather. Bring a jacket, sunscreen, sunglasses, insect repellent, and clothing suited to the forecast. Tasmania can change from pleasant to cool quickly, and the tour specifically recommends preparing for weather rather than relying on a warm city morning.

Lunch is your own decision

After the Mt. Field walk, lunch is at your own expense in the park. The supplied details do not specify a provided meal or a particular café, so plan to pay for lunch separately and follow the guide’s directions on the day.

This arrangement keeps the price lower than a tour with a fully supplied lunch, but it means you need to budget for food. If you prefer to control what and when you eat, that flexibility is helpful. If you like every meal organized in advance, it is one more detail to manage.

The morning tea is included, but water and cold beverages are not. I would bring a filled bottle and a small amount of spending money for lunch and any roadside purchase.

A possible raspberry stop

Depending on the season, the coach may make a quick stop at roadside stalls selling fresh raspberries. This is not guaranteed, so treat it as a seasonal extra rather than a promised part of the day.

If the stop happens, it adds a simple local-food moment to the outing. It also reflects the farming character of the Derwent Valley, which you see in the farmland and hop fields earlier in the drive. Do not build your plans around buying raspberries, but keep a little cash or a payment method ready if you would like to make a purchase.

What the $127 price covers

At $127 per person, this is priced as a practical full-day excursion rather than a bare transport service. You receive hotel pickup and drop-off, a local driver-guide, live English commentary, morning tea, a hot beverage, admission to Salmon Ponds, and entry to Mt. Field National Park.

Those inclusions matter. Park entry and transport can add up when you arrange a day trip independently, and the guide removes the need to work out the route from Hobart. You also get two planned stops before the waterfall, so the fee covers a varied day rather than only a ride to Russell Falls.

The value is strongest if you want convenience and interpretation. I would be less enthusiastic about the price if your main goal were a long hike, because the walking time is limited and lunch is extra. Still, for a visitor without a car, the combination of countryside, hatchery, morning tea, rainforest, and waterfall makes the cost reasonable.

The tour has an overall rating of 4.6 from 41 reviews, which supports the idea that it delivers the experience it promises. The most praised feature is not a fancy extra. It is the guide’s information, especially the way it adds meaning to the tall trees and Mt. Field walk.

Who will enjoy this Mt. Field day trip

I would recommend this outing to you if you are staying in Hobart and want to see more of southern Tasmania without renting a car. It suits first-time visitors, couples, families, and anyone who prefers a planned route with commentary.

It is also a good choice if you want a mix of nature and light sightseeing. New Norfolk and Salmon Ponds prevent the day from becoming only a waterfall transfer, while the rainforest and giant eucalyptus trees provide the main outdoor experience.

You may want another option if you are looking for a demanding hike, a private tour, or a great deal of time at each stop. The 15-minute New Norfolk visit and the 30-minute Russell Falls walk are both fairly brisk. The tour gives you a taste of several places, not deep time in one place.

The stated wheelchair accessibility is useful, but the activity still involves about 1 kilometre of walking on a hardened surface. If you have specific mobility needs, confirm that the full route works for you before booking.

Practical preparation for the day

Wear comfortable shoes. Even a short walk is more enjoyable when you are ready for forest paths and changing conditions.

Pack water, sunscreen, sunglasses, a jacket, insect repellent, and weather-appropriate clothing. Morning tea and a hot drink are supplied, but water and cold beverages are not.

Allow extra room in your schedule around the 405-minute duration. The day returns to Brooke Street Pier, and the listed bus and coach travel time includes about 75 minutes. Traffic and conditions can affect the exact timing, so avoid booking a tightly timed activity immediately afterward.

The meeting point is inside Brooke St Pier, not simply somewhere along the waterfront. Look for the Gray Line Day Tours desk at 12 Franklin Wharf. That small detail can save a hurried search before departure.

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the activity for a full refund, and the reserve-now, pay-later option lets you hold a place without paying at the time of booking. Starting times vary, so check availability for the date you want.

Should you book this Hobart to Mt. Field tour?

Book it if you want an easy, well-organized introduction to Mt. Field National Park, with transport, entry fees, morning tea, and a guide included. The strongest reason to choose it is the combination of Russell Falls and the Tall Trees Walk, made more useful by live commentary about Tasmania’s natural world.

Skip it if you want several hours of hiking, a private pace, or a fully supplied lunch. For most Hobart visitors without a car, though, $127 buys a solid day out: rural valley views, fish ponds, a hot drink, giant eucalyptus trees, and one of Tasmania’s most attractive waterfalls.

FAQ

How long does the Mt. Field and Russell Falls tour last?

The activity lasts 405 minutes, or 6 hours and 45 minutes.

Where does the tour begin?

It begins at the Gray Line Day Tours desk inside Brooke St Pier, 12 Franklin Wharf, Hobart.

Is hotel pickup and drop-off included?

Yes. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included.

What is included in the tour price?

The price includes live English commentary, a local driver-guide, morning tea, a hot beverage, entry to Mt. Field National Park, and entry to Salmon Ponds.

Is lunch included?

No. Lunch is at your own expense in the park.

Are drinks included?

Morning tea and a hot beverage are included. Water and cold beverages are not included, so bring water.

How much walking is involved?

The activity involves about 1 kilometre of walking on a hardened surface. The Russell Falls walk is listed as about 30 minutes.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the activity is listed as wheelchair accessible. It still includes about 1 kilometre of walking on a hardened surface.

What should I bring?

Bring comfortable shoes, sunglasses, sunscreen, water, a jacket, insect repellent, and clothing suited to the weather.

Can I cancel the booking?

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later.