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Starting from the foothills of Cradle Mountain, the 40-mile (65-kilometer) Overland Track stretches through a national park all the way down to Australia’s deepest lake—Lake St. Clair. Join the 7-day guided hiking trip and traverse this moderately challenging trail boasting a myriad of natural marvels along the way, from sparkling lakes and mighty waterfalls to dense mossy rainforest and spectacular peaks. By going on this guided trip, you get the whole package: all permits, transportation, meals, camping, it’s all taken care of. Just kick back and immerse yourself into one of the world’s premier multi-day trails.
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Your guides will pick you up from Hobart at 11 am or Launceston at 2 pm and drive to your accommodation at Cradle Mountain. Travel takes around 2.5 hours, and you’ll also have a briefing and equipment outfitting. Guides will prepare a hearty meal along with a sample of local wines. You’ll have the whole evening to fine tune your packing since any extra luggage can be left on the bus—stored securely and returned to you at the end of the hike.
Meals: Dinner
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After breakfast, set off for a steady climb up onto the Cradle Plateau via Marion’s Lookout. Steep in parts, the track passes waterfalls, glacial lakes, open buttongrass and alpine heath with occasional forested groves. Once on the plateau, enjoy grand views of lakes and mountain peaks—with the Cradle Mountain dominating the background. Maybe stop at the Kitchen Hut for lunch and a break. If conditions permit, those who’d like will have the option to summit the Cradle Mountain with daypacks (3-4 hours return). From here, continue to Benson’s Peak and around the rim of a glacially-carved valley head below Mt. Emmet. Barn Bluff looms closer as you near the descent to Waterfall Valley. Go down through Fagus and Pandani groves until you reach the first overnight stop on the forested edge of a valley.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Distance: 11 km / 7 miles
Hiking: 5-6 hours + optional side tracks
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Start the day by detouring to the waterfalls in the valley before heading off across ridges and undulating buttongrass plains. This is a shorter day meant for recovering from the previous day, so take your time over lunch in a sheltered setting near the main track. In the afternoon, cross further open country with spectacular views of mountains to come. Descend to your campsite among the eucalyptus near Lake Windermere—this is another swimming opportunity on warmer afternoons. Often you’ll find resident wombats, wallabies, and other wildlife. Given good weather, you can take an optional detour to the shores of Lake Will at the southern base of Barn Bluff, and it’s a great place for a swim due to its warm shallows.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Distance: 9 km / 5.5 miles
Hiking: 2-5-3 hours + optional side tracks
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Get back onto the open plains again, cross creeks and tracts of temperate rainforest. You’ll catch glimpses of the day’s journey ahead, with the Forth River Valley and the mountains surrounding it before you. Walk through buttongrass moors and around Mt. Pelion West as the track heads down through the forest on the mountainside. Stop for lunch at Frog Flats near the headwaters of the Forth River—also the lowest point on the track. It will take you an hour or two to go back up again and cross the plains to your Pelion campsite near Douglas Creek.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Distance: 17 km / 10.5 miles
Hiking: 6-7 hours
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Start the day with a gradual climb up through the eucalyptus forests and patches of rainforest above the camp until you reach the exposed and scenic Pelion Gap. Those willing can take a 4-5 hour side trip with daypacks to Mt. Ossa, Tasmania’s highest point. The climb up is very steep and will involve plenty of scrambling, but is recommended to those searching for a challenge. From Pelion Gap the track gently goes down through the Pinestone Valley, before a steep pinch into the dry sclerophyll forests where the Kia Ora camp is located.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Distance: 9 km / 5.5 miles
Hiking: 3-4 hours + optional side tracks
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Take a step away from the plains and buttongrass from previous days and enter a world of rainforests and waterfalls. After an hour of departing, you’ll emerge from the forest at the historic Ducane Hut under the impressive spires of Falling Mountain. After a break at the hut, go back to the rainforest and travel parallel to the Mersey River. From here to your Windy Ridge campsite, there’s a climb through Ducane Gap. Not far and on nice afternoons you can take your time among the rainforest giants. There’s an optional hike to picture-perfect waterfalls along the Mersey River.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Distance: 10 km / 6 miles
Hiking: 4-5 hours + optional side tracks
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Another change of landscapes for your final day! From Windy Ridge down onto Lake St. Clair the country is drier with more eucalyptus, wattles, banksia, and hakea, as well as many understory flowering plants, often with the corresponding increase in birdlife. Catch views of the spires of Mt. Geryon, The Acropolis, and back to The Ducane Range, usually reaching the lake around 11 am and ending the hike on the jetty. Take a ferry to Cynthia Bay, where you’ll meet the bus with your luggage. After a well-deserved burger at a nearby cafe, jump on the bus and drive 2.5-3 hours back to Hobart.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Distance: 9 km / 5.5 miles
Hiking: 3 hours
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What you get on this adventure:
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- Experienced, local hiking guides with extensive knowledge of the area — they carry all meals, group equipment, communications and safety gear
- 7-day guided hiking tour along the Overland Track
- Pre-trip planning and advice
- Accommodation in camp
- Transportation to and from the trailhead from Hobart
- Comprehensive equipment
- Tent — twin-shared or single
- Groundsheet
- Backpack — 50L internal frame pack and liner bag
- Mattress — insulated and inflatable
- Sleeping quilt —high-loft down, -9C, water repellent
- Sleeping bag liner — silk
- Waterproof jacket — Gore-Tex or Event jacket with hood
- Waterproof overpants
- Head torch — small LED headband torch & attached whistle
- 1L water bottle
- Meal kit — bowl, plate, mug, spork
- Toilet roll and hand sanitizer
- Insulated jacket
- Fleece mittens
- Optional gear
- Gaiters — nylon boot & sock covers
- Daypack — lightweight / ultra-packable 20L backpack for optional side-trips
- Crocs — camp shoes
- Wash basin — personal basin to collect water for washing
- Walking Poles — recommended if you have any former lower leg or balance issues
- All permits and insurances as required — recommended to obtain some for of additional personal travel / property insurance
- All meals — most diets can be catered for, ask in advance
- Resupply drops along the track
- Support personnel
What’s not included:
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- Transportation to and from Tasmania
- Personal travel/property insurance
- Guide gratuities — optional
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Hiking the Overland Track is well within reach for individuals with moderate activity levels, requiring no particular skills or prior experience. Still, although participants can walk at their own pace, it’s important to note that some may find the track more demanding than anticipated due to its rough terrain, uneven surfaces, and the added weight of carrying a pack. While the Overland Track is considered relatively easy in comparison to other trails in Tasmania, it remains significantly rougher than many well-maintained paths. Obstacles such as roots, rocks, mud, and inclines often result in slower progress, making the distances covered seem more challenging than expected. Additionally, adverse weather conditions can further amplify the physical and mental demands of the journey, particularly during the initial days when the terrain is exposed and hikers are adjusting to the routine of walking.
Keep in mind that you’ll be carrying an 8-10 kg backpack (18-22 lbs). The Overland Track is classified as an easy to moderate walk, with certain days being easier than others. It’s worth noting that this grading system is specific to tours offered in Tasmania by your guides. There’s no universally recognized grading system for walks—what your guides consider easy might be considerably more challenging than a hike labeled as “hard” elsewhere. Additionally, side trips on the Overland Track can be steeper and significantly more demanding than the main track.
Check out the itinerary for day-by-day hiking distance breakdown.
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Your guides provide a great majority of the equipment. A 9-10kg pack weight (without water) is achievable by sticking closely to the recommended gear list. Here’s a list of the equipment and personal items that you need to bring:
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- Walking boots or shoes
- They should be comfortably worn in, but not so old that glue failure is a risk
- Low-cut shoes are acceptable for those used to bushwalking in them, though they may not be compatible with gaiters)
- Long pants or shorts — synthetic fibers are best, not cotton
- Underwear
- Thermal top and bottoms
- Shirt for walking — synthetic or wool, not cotton
- Light fleece or wool jacket
- 2-3 pairs of socks — not cotton, one pair to be kept dry for evenings
- Water bottle or hydration bladder (2L capacity) — your guide can provide it
- Lightweight hiking boots or shoes
- Spare clothes for layering — your guide can provide it
- Waterproof rain jacket — your guide can provide it
- Sunhat & beanie
- Toiletries (sunscreen, toothbrush and toothpaste, bug spray, etc.) — do not bring soap
- Personal medications / sanitary items
- Sunglasses
- Camera — optional (but recommended)
- Walking boots or shoes
Wilderness Expeditions delivers the best product in terms of tent-based guiding on the Overland. As you don’t have to carry food and your guides provide high-end lightweight gear, your pack weight will be several kilograms lighter than usual. Having lightweight packs is the single biggest factor in making these kinds of trips accessible and inclusive.
Please bring personal pain relief. Also consider personal antihistamines, diarrhea medications and electrolytes (in addition to more specific personal medications). Guides carry bandages, tapes, and dressings as well as some emergency medications.
Most Tasmanian walkers don’t use water purification products, as water sources are generally safe. However, you’re welcome to bring them for peace of mind—tablets will suffice.
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Group sizes and prices:
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- For this guided hiking tour along the Overland Track, the maximum group size is ten guests with two guides.
- It takes a minimum of 4 people for this tour to run. It’s very rare that not enough of people sign up for the tour to run.
- The cost does not decrease as the group grows.
Hiking the Overland Track can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
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- If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
- Minors older than 10 may be permitted to join the hike on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.
If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
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To get to Hobart or Launceston, most people fly into Hobart Airport (HBA) or Launceston Airport (LST). From there, you can take a shuttle or a taxi to reach the city.
Your guides will pick you up at 11 am in Hobart or 2 pm in Launceston. More details are to come later on. Drop-off is Hobart only.
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We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance. With medical insurance, if you have an accident or medical emergency on or off the mountain, you’ll avoid paying out of pocket for costly expenses. This covers everything from hospital treatments to emergency air transportation and more. Travel insurance covers canceled flights, natural disasters and other scenarios that may interrupt your travel plans.
We also expect you to respect local regulations and take measures to protect yourselves, your guides, and the communities you’re traveling to. For more information on travel recommendations and restrictions in Tasmania, Australia, please refer to Australia’s COVID-19 travel advice.
Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!
Your guides are committed to protecting the wilderness values of the areas they work in, and therefore do not use helicopters for provisioning and will never push for further infrastructure development.
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