Launceston is the second-largest city in Tasmania and it’s blessed with plenty of natural attractions, and also a huge array of great places to taste the world-class food and wine that Tasmania is renowned for. It also has lovely parks to enjoy, such as the century-old Launceston City Park, and national parks close by.
Five years ago Launceston was named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy (as part of the globally recognised Creative Cities Network), making it one of only 56 world cities bestowed with the title. The title recognises Northern Tasmania’s dedicated paddock-to-plate culture and Launceston’s role as the region’s gourmet hub.
Wonderful Tasmanian wines to enjoy around Launceston
Launceston is the gateway to the famous Tamar Valley Wine Route, which is the longest-established wine trail on the island state. The major appeal of the much-loved wine trail is that many of the wineries are family-owned, so visitors are usually served at cellar doors by someone intimately involved with the wines.
The region is famed for its cool-climate grape varietals such as chardonnay, riesling, sauvignon blanc, pinot gris and pinot noir, and Tasmania’s sparkling wines are widely considered to be second only to those from Champagne. Cool breezes and mist off Bass Strait (especially in northern regions such as Pipers River) keep Tassie temperatures moderate and steady, which means extreme weather shocks or severe frosts sometimes seen in Europe are usually avoided, leading to better grapes and more wine being produced.
Astoundingly, raw fruit in Champagne commands roughly eight times the price per tonne compared to Tasmanian grapes, so Tasmanian sparkling wine, despite being made using the exact same traditional grape varieties and bottle-fermentation methods used by winemakers in France, is more affordable.
Vélo Wines at Legana is the closest cellar door to downtown Launceston – about 15-minutes drive from the middle of the city. It was established in 1966, is home to some of the region’s oldest cabernet sauvignon vines, and at the 2026 Tasmanian Wine Show it won Gold for its 2025 Pinot Gris.
After a wine tasting, pop into the winery’s 2026 hatted eatery called Timbre Kitchen, which is open from Thursday through to Sunday from 11am. Guests can also order a picnic for two to enjoy amongst the vines, for $100, which includes a bottle of wine, a grazing platter and chocolates.
Josef Chromy Wines is just down the road from Launceston Airport. Its light-filled, floor-boarded, modern cellar door is housed in an original 1880s homestead set in wonderfully established gardens. The on-site restaurant also scored a 2026 AGFG hat, and the menu is all about exploring of Tasmania’s culinary heritage.
A two-course meal paired with wines for $180 per person.
Other cellar doors worth a visit are Pipers Brook/Kreglinger (famous for its Ninth Island wines and pinot noirs) and Dalrymple – which is on on the picture-perfect sloping hills of Pipers River, overlooking Bass Strait. At Tamar Ridge, on the west bank of the Tamar River, the modern cellar door with soaring white ceilings is a perfect place to enjoy a tasting while drinking in views of the Tamar Valley. It’s also known for its pinot noirs and during a chilly Tassie winter, guests can settle in front of a well-stocked fireplace in cosy arm chairs.
At Stoney Rise, the stunning cellar door overlooking the River Tamar is as impressive as the wines. Set on the shores of Gravelly Beach, it’s an angular, super-modern building, yet the use of spotted gum and dark grey carbon-neutral bricks gives its a beautiful warmth and the surrounding green lawns make it very welcoming.
Cool coffee hangouts include all-day brunch spot Tatler Lane by Sweetbrew, which is also a bar, event space, coffee roasting house and a multi-cultural hub. The quirky wooden sculptural elements and plenty of hanging plants give the place homely, arty vibes. There’s usually more than a few people milling about waiting on their matcha orders and the fruit and granola bowls are as colourful and fresh as they are delicious.
For specialty coffee with beans sourced from all over the world, check out Coffee Republic, which is a hole-in-the-wall cafe where everyone sits out on the street awaiting their orders. They also do ‘Freezers’, which are different flavoured frappé-type drinks that are popular in the warmer months.
Cataract gorge, nature and history
A 15-minute walk from Launceston will have you at the breathtakingly gorgeous Cataract Gorge, which is an awesome place to go swimming and get back to nature on plenty of walking and hiking trails where you’re bound to meet the many resident peacocks. If you’re lucky you’ll catch them doing courting dances – fanning out and vibrating their tail feathers.
The chairlift at Cataract Gorge is one of Launceston’s most popular attractions. Built in 1972, it crosses the South Esk River and offers beautiful views of the gorge, surrounding bushland and the river below. With a span of 457 metres, it is the longest single-span chairlift in the world and is the best spot for some aerial photos.
Take a relaxing cruise with Tamar River Cruises to check out Cataract Gorge from the water, and for a different kind of scenery, wander through the Tamar Island Wetlands – a unique and important habitat for a variety of birds, mammals, reptiles, frogs, fish and invertebrates. Check out the interpretation centre, where you can learn about the cultural and natural values of the site, before continuing along the boardwalk to Tamar Island, which has stunning views down Tamar Valley towards the peaks of Ben Lomond.
Around the city, many historic buildings in Federation, Victorian and Georgian styles remain impeccably preserved. At its heart, the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, established in 1891, is the largest museum located outside a capital city in Australia.
The bustling Harvest Market (held every Saturday morning from 8.30am) is arguably the best farmer’s market in the state, with the much-loved event attracting vendors from all over North Tassie. You might even bump into some of Tasmania’s top chefs picking up their produce.
A 20-minute drive from Launceston will have you at the remarkably preserved UNESCO World Heritage Sites Brickendon Estate and Woolmers Estate, both built by convicts for the families that lived and worked there at the time. The estates are like a time capsule showcasing the beginnings of Australia’s pastoral and agricultural industry.
At Brickendon you can explore an intact 1820s farm village and heritage gardens on a property still farmed by seventh-generation Archer descendants, and at Woolmers Estate, there are 18 heritage buildings across 13 hectares.
Explore the beautiful rose gardens and take a deep dive into the convict assignment system story by experiencing the UNSHACKLED exhibition – which reveals the true story of Australia’s 160,000 transported convicts. Many went on to learn trades and to build colonial Tasmania, often choosing to stay after being set free. Among them were 3,600+ political prisoners including Irish rebels, Scottish radicals and workers who fought for democratic rights.
To understand more about the region’s First Nations People (the Letteremairrener people) and a culture that dates back tens of thousands of years, head out with Kooparoona Niara Tours. Learn about traditions, taste native bush tucker and gain a deeper understanding of this rich culture.
From laidback to fine dining in Launceston
There are several top-notch restaurants in and around Launceston, with two standouts both under the same management: Stillwater and Black Cow Bistro.
Housed in a re-purposed 1840s flour mill towering above the mouth of Cataract Gorge, fine diner Stillwater has lovely views of the Tamar River (book ahead for a seat with a view) and is a long-time favourite for locals and visitors. You know a place is worth going to when it’s been included in the Gourmet Traveller Annual Restaurant Guide (Top 100) for 25 consecutive years.
To say it’s paddock-to-plate is too simple. The restaurant has been working with local producers for decades, and everything reflects the region – from the water sourced from Cape Grim (home to the cleanest air in the world), to sustainably harvested seafood from the Bass Strait.
Red meat fans will swoon over the range of incredible Tasmanian beef cuts at the Black Cow Bistro in historic Launceston. As does its sibling restaurant, Black Cow champions premium-aged, free-range, grass-fed Tasmanian beef sourced from King Island, Cape Grim and Robbins island.
While the beef is the star of the show, dishes are designed around a range fresh local produce and seafood, much of it organic, and the eatery has a warm, casual bistro-style atmosphere.
Another popular dining spot is the Italian-accented Novaro’s MudBar Restaurant which is right on the waterfront. It’s an ideal place for a long and leisurely lunch where guests can enjoy two courses for $49 from 12 until 3pm. For something more relaxed, tuck into a charcuterie board for $40, available from midday until 9pm – but you have to order ahead.
If you enjoyed reading this story, why not check out the best places to eat and drink on King Island?
Rex flies to Burnie, which is a 1.5 hour drive to Launceston. For more information or to book flights, head to the Rex website or check out the route map below.
