Private Guided Tours

There are some places in Tasmania that are so special, a handful of encounters with wildlife so magical and extraordinary that you could never find them on your own, no matter how intrepid your inner- most travelling spirit may be, no matter how determined you are to take the path less travelled.   

A number of Tasmanian Odyssey’s favourite places to stay already include a guided walk with your host to learn about the local flora and fauna.  For a more in-depth experience, take time out with one of Tasmania’s expert guides who sit right at the top of their game. 

Tasmania's wine industry is now regarded as in a league of its own, with over 100 vineyards around the state many of which offer a Cellar Door tasting experience. Drinking and driving is simply not an option however!   

For some local knowledge, let us choose the right guide for you, whether for walking, birding, wildlife spotting, fishing, drinking or taking brilliant photos for your album.  Tasmanian Odyssey enjoys a close and longstanding relationship with all the island’s top guides.  We can match you with your own expert.  Here are some of our favourite private guided experiences.

Wildlife Tours 

When Tasmania’s land-bridge to the mainland was flooded some 12000 years ago it became a life raft to many species of mammal some of which remain abundant if elusive, others increasingly rare.  While many species can be spotted in easily accessed national parks, others are nocturnal or restricted to much more remote locations.  A guided tour with an expert is often the best chance of  seeing and photographing at close quarters a number of species in the wild including Tasmanian devils, Eastern and Spotted-tail Quolls, Bettongs, Bandicoots, White Wallabies, Wombats, Forester kangaroos, Duck-billed Platypus and Echidna to  name just a few.

Birding Tours 

Being a temperate island, Tasmania’s birding is a joy, with 12 species found only here (endemic) and up to 200 species regularly recorded.  The endemic species are all found on Bruny Island, where you will find one of Australia's leading private birding reserves. Spend a day or two with one of Tasmania’s top birding guides here, and you can expect to see the endangered Forty Spotted Pardalote, Swift Parrot, raptors, a world class pelagic, Little Penguins and many more.  Add to this a day’s guided tour to the largely inaccessible South West National Park to see critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrot which only breeds in remote Melaleuca.

Walking Tours

Walking is an island past-time and while there are hundreds of miles of well-marked and well-maintained tracks, if you want to get right off the tourist trail you should always take a guide. Even the most experienced bush walker can be taken unaware by the rapid change in weather and conditions.  For keen walkers, the multi-day guided walks, while not private, are a true immersion into the wilderness, usually in parts of the island that are inaccessible to anyone other than your guides and the small group of like-minded walkers.  We have experienced all the walks so you can trust us to pick the right walk for you. 

Food and Wine Tours

The Tamar Valley near Launceston and the Coal River Valley near Hobart are renowned for the production of some of the best wines in Australia as the fertile soil, long hours of sunshine, pure rainwater and balmy Autumn days combine to create a winning formula for pinots, sauvignons, rieslings and sparkings. With dozens of cellar doors for tastings, there can be no sensible option other than leaving your car keys behind and enjoying the services of a guide and driver for the day.   There are also many local food producers and these can all be incorporated by your guide.  You can also enjoy a tour to some of the outstanding wineries and local farmers in the lush Derwent Valley near Hobart with a local lady, and the wineries on the east coast between Freycinet and Swansea. 

Photography Tuition and Touring 

Some of the world’s top wilderness photographers are drawn to Tasmania by its mesmerising qualities of light and colour, diversity of subject matter, nonchalant wildlife which will happily pose for the camera, landscapes, seascapes and starscapes.  Even the most amateur photographer will reap rewards from the intimate knowledge of a photography guide, while a professional will always benefit from the guidance of an expert who has honed their skills over a lifetime of exploring Tasmania’s hidden wonders through a lens.  

Kayaking with Platypus 

Explore the secret rivers, lakes and coastline around Tasmania under paddle power.  Enjoy a morning paddle and share your space with seabirds, dolphins, seals and the sparkling crystal clear waters. Paddle as the sun sinks leaving the landscape every colour of red, gold and orange and you will paddle alongside that most wondrous of creatures, the Duck-billed Platypus. 

Gone Fishing 

Tasmania was the birthplace for fly fishing in the Southern Hemisphere; nearly 160 years, ago trout ova was successfully transported to Hobart from the UK, packed in moss and ice. Today the lakes, rivers and streams spawn some of the best fishing in the world.  Spend a day or more with your own guide in the Land of Three Thousand Lakes and discover why Tasmanian has been selected not once but twice to host the Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships.

Convict History

In the Nineteenth Century Van Diemen’s Land was one of the most feared places in the colony with thousands of convicts transported from the UK for petty crimes. Many of these went on to craft their skills and become men and women of fortune.  A guide can take you behind the scenes of World Heritage listed convict sits such as Port Arthur, The Coal Mines, Darlington on Maria Island and the Female Factory in Hobart and lead you in the shadows of those who were to shape Tasmania’s history over the past two hundred years.