If you’re planning a trip to Tasmania, there is a good chance you’ve got Wineglass Bay on your list of things to see and it should be.

Where is the Wineglass Bay Lookout?

Wineglass Bay lookout is located in Freycinet National Park – simply type in Wineglass Bay Lookout into Google Maps and the GPS will take you to the car park!

What you need to enter Freycinet National Park

Every vehicle needs a permit to drive in the national park. You can buy these from the information centre in the Park, or speak with your hotel reception. We picked one up from our hotel in Cradle Mountain and chose the 8-week pass for $60 which includes access to all national parks in Tasmania – this is the more cost-effective way to do it if you’re spending a few days in the parks.  Click here for the latest prices.

Wineglass Bay Lookout Hike

The walk is only 1.5km each way, but is quite steep and involves a lot of steps.

We walked up one afternoon and were lucky enough to only share the path with a handful of people!

The path itself is well constructed, although I would recommend wearing decent walking or hiking boots.

When you get to the lookout, there is a spectacular view over Wineglass Bay. Here are some of our snaps.

What to take with you

We would highly recommend you wear some mosquito spray before you head up, mozzies are around and aren’t afraid to bite you! Also, remember to wear sunscreen, hat and take a bottle of water – you’ll need that when you get to the top!

Why is it called Wineglass Bay?

Many believe it was given its name due to the shape of the bay and that it looks like a wine glass. However, this hasn’t always been the case.

Back in the 1820’s, whalers came to Wineglass Bay and to cut a long story short, the name was given because of all the blood that filled the bay from the whaling – it looked liked red wine, hence the name Wineglass Bay!

Take a look at this video for a sneak peek of what to expect from the hike!

PS. if you like the beast of a 4×4 at the end of that video, this was through Hertz (who were fantastic). Click here to read about our experience with them.

Seeing Wineglass Bay from above!

For a view like this, you need to jump on a scenic flight! Click here for info on the flight and for a short video!

PPS. Whilst not as high, on a less overcast day, the Wineglass Bay Lookout would have had water closer to our scenic flight shot (which might I add, was also on an overcast day as you can tell from the photo).

Do you have travel insurance?

Before travelling, make sure you get a travel insurance policy – you never know when you might need it! Click here for information on travel insurance, what company we recommend and a link to get an instant quote.

Alternative accommodation

If you’re looking for alternative accommodation to either save some money or share with friends or family, click here for information on Air B&B ($50 discount on your first booking), hotel price comparison websites etc.

For more Tasmania posts, check out the below posts and keep an eye on our Tasmania page for future posts!

• Wineglass Bay Lookout
• Hotel Review: Freycinet Lodge
• Friendly Beaches
• Cape Tourville Lookout and Lighthouse
• Honeymoon Bay
• Sleepy Bay & Little Gravelly Beach
• Renting a car in Tasmania
• Scenic Flight over Freycinet National Park

“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson