Simply strolling around the harbor and popping into the shops at Salamanca Place can keep you nicely occupied, but don't miss the lovely colonial stone cottages of Battery Point. This area got its name from a battery of guns set up on the promontory in 1818 to defend the town against potential invaders (particularly the French). Today, there are tearooms, antiques shops, restaurants, and atmospheric pubs interspersed between grand dwellings. One of the houses worth looking into is Narryna Heritage Museum, 103 Hampden Rd. (tel. 03/6234 2791), which depicts the life of upper-class pioneers. It's open Tuesday through Friday from 10:30am to 5pm and Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 5pm (closed Anzac Day, Good Friday, Christmas Day, and all of July). Admission is A$6 (US$5.40/£2.70) for adults and A$3 (US$2.70/£1.35) for children. Also in this area is the Maritime Museum of Tasmania, 16 Argyle St. at Davey St. (tel. 03/6234 1427; www.maritimetas.org), one of the best museums of its type in Australia. It's open daily from 9am to 5pm, and admission is A$7 (US$6.30/£3.15) for adults, A$4 (US$3.60/£1.80) for children 13 to 18, free for children 12 and under, or A$16 (US$14/£7.20) for families. Guided tours of the gallery and port cost A$12 (US$11/£5.40); bookings are essential.
Hobart Historic Tours (tel. 03/6230 8233 or 03/6278 3338; www.hobarthistorictours.com.au) runs a fascinating 90-minute walking tour of Hobart. It departs at 10am from outside the Tasmanian Travel and Information Centre. A Historic Pub Tour (not recommended for children), departing at 5pm, takes you to three waterfront pubs and will enthrall you with stories of alcohol-fueled shenanigans. You even get to meet some shady actor-characters. The company also runs a Battery Point Walk past small artisans' cottages and grand houses. It departs at 3:30pm. All tours run daily between October 1 and April 30, and all cost A$28 (US$25/£13) for adults and A$12 (US$11/£5.40) for kids ages 8 to 16. Kids under 8 are free.
Grayline (tel. 1300/858 687 in Australia; www.grayline.com.au) offers a range of sightseeing tours of Hobart and Mount Wellington by coach. A 3-hour tour costs A$39 (US$35/£18) for adults and A$20 (US$18/£9) for kids.
For magnificent views over Hobart and across a fair-size chunk of Tasmania, drive to the Pinnacle on top of Mount Wellington, about 40 minutes from the city center. Take a warm coat; the wind in this alpine area can bite. An extensive network of walking trails offers good hiking. You can order a copy of the Wellington Park Recreation Map and Notes and other day walk maps for A$10 (US$9/£4.50) or less online from Tasmap (www.tasmap.tas.gov.au). The website also has other free maps for download, including street maps of Hobart and Launceston.
