Car Rental Launceston Downtown

While Tasmania may be the smallest state in Australia, this gorgeous island gem makes a perfect pick for your next vacation. If you’re planning to start your Tassie adventure in the north, choose downtown Launceston as your launchpad. Lovely Launceston is the Holiday Isle’s second city after Hobart, the capital in the south, and boasts a warmer, more welcoming climate for the visitor. Surrounded by scenic views of rolling hills and serene waters, Launceston sits on the Tamar River estuary where the North Esk and South Esk rivers meet.

Both a tranquil haven and the gateway to the famed Tamar Valley, this compact, thriving city offers wonderful attractions and unforgettable escapes to tantalise the epicure and inspire the nature lover in you. Nestled in the verdant valleys, winding waterways and fertile soils on Launceston’s doorstep, lies premier grape-growing and dairy country. A blend of the Tamar’s world-class wineries matched with some very fine gourmet grazing awaits you. 

Best to keep your camera on standby. This picturesque region is all blue skies, pretty villages and lush fields. You’ll be spoilt for choice with over 20 vineyards to get acquainted with, and cow-speckled pastures promising a land of yoghurt, cream and cheese. And that daub of purple in the distance, 50-kilometres away, announces the picture-perfect Bridestowe Lavender Estate. Stop the journey and treat yourself to some fragrant lavender ice-cream, have a picnic and be joined by some curious native animals, or score some honey made on-site from pure single-flower pollen. 

When you’re ready to explore further, venture west into Tasmania’s epic national parks – Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair – and be blown away by some of the most pristine natural environments in the state. With your hire car on the ready, it’s so easy to tour the grandest vistas or sip your way through the top wine route (enlisting a buddy to take over the wheel, of course). What’s more, you’ll love that all the charms and highlights of Launceston are right at your fingertips.

Your hire car introduces you to the best of downtown Launceston 

The riches of Launceston come in many forms. Known as the Garden City, Launceston features elegant parks and gardens, galleries and museums. Once a wealthy hub for agricultural trade – and one of the oldest European settlements in Australia – today the city proudly preserves its colonial heritage in a fine collection of significant buildings dating back to 1806. Discover Launceston’s heritage charm in Victorian architecture and graceful urban landscapes along a self-guided heritage walk. Each of the three trails introduces visitors to the city’s intact historic streetscapes.

To immerse more in the local arts and the past, head to the Inveresk Precinct – home to the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QVMAG), and the Launceston Tramway Museum. Moments away in City Park, Design Tasmania features the best artisans from around the country. The only museum of its kind in Australia, this stylish design centre showcases contemporary wood. After browsing the latest exhibition, slip into their store and select a special memento of your visit. 

Launceston is a delightful city to meander, so to refuel in the culinary capital of the North is every visitor’s reward. Combine the finest regional ingredients, the freshest Tasmanian delicacies, with award-winning wines and locally crafted beers, and you’ve struck the recipe for foodie paradise. In Launceston, every lunch (and dinner) deserves to be a long one. From stylish waterfront restaurants and bars, up-scale bistros to top nosh cafés, Launceston has every base and budget covered. Don’t forget to forage the local markets – the Harvest Farmers’ Market and World Street Eats Market – to fully appreciate the flavours that round out Launceston’s food scene. 

Discover nature next door when you explore Launceston in your hire car

Drive your hire car a few minutes west of the city centre, and you’ll arrive at Cataract Gorge and First Basin. ‘The Gorge’, as it is affectionately called, is a favourite local destination and a big hit with visitors. This impressive natural formation offers stunning lookouts and panoramic vistas – enhanced by scenic chair lifts, a pedestrian inclinator, and a suspension bridge raised over the South Esk River in 1867. To the south-side, the First Basin features a swimming pool and bushland where you’ll be able to meet the native wildlife and take the trails on foot or bike. Find refreshments and peacocks on the café lawns in the shady north or take a picnic and enjoy the Victorian gardens and fernery.

Before returning to downtown Launceston, finish your family day with a visit to Penny Royal World – an adventure park that delivers history with a touch of adrenalin and a whole lot of fun. Buy a park pass and you’ll have access to enjoy a spot of gold mining, outdoor rock climbing, cliff jumps or walking over rope bridges, and zip lining. Sail the lagoon on a replica old ship and listen to ghost stories and bushranger lore from the early days of Van Diemen's Land. Penny Royal World also has a wine bar, tavern and restaurants, if you’d like to make a meal of it. 

With something for everyone, this northern city is truly a top Tassie destination. A fusion of exceptional cuisine and delightful countryside, Launceston is a haven for relaxation and simply heaven for your taste buds.