Cradle Mountain Day Tour from Launceston: Walks & Cheese Tasting

The murals in Sheffield are painted on nearly every building in town.

A full-day guided tour from Launceston to Cradle Mountain National Park includes a stop in the historic mural village of Sheffield, short walks around Dove Lake with mountain views, and a cheese tasting at Ashgrove on the return. The 2.5-hour drive each way passes through forests, plains and highlands of Tasmania's World Heritage wilderness. You choose your walk length—from 30-minute returns to circuits around two hours—and the driver guide handles all navigation and park entry.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Sheffield and Cradle Mountain

• Stop in Sheffield Town of Murals
• Arrive at Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake
• Take short walks with mountain views

The Experience

The day starts in Launceston and heads south through Tasmania's interior. After 2.5 hours of driving through forests and highlands, you arrive at Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake, the centerpiece of the World Heritage Reserve. The air-conditioned vehicle gets you there; from that point, the walk is yours to shape. You can take a short 30-minute loop or commit to a two-hour circuit—both offer views of the mountain and the lake that shift as you move through the terrain. The driver guide stays with the group and knows the conditions on each track, so you know what to expect before you start.

On the way down from the mountain, the tour stops in Sheffield, a village where the buildings themselves are the attraction. Nearly every structure carries a mural—the project started small but by the late 1980s was drawing over 120,000 visitors a year, and by 2012 that had grown to more than 220,000. The murals keep changing, added to every year, so even repeat visitors find something new. It is a working village, not a museum, and the scale of the project across the whole town is what makes it land differently than a single painted wall.

The final stop is Ashgrove Tasmanian Farm Cheese, where you taste some of Tasmania's cheese before heading back to Launceston. The whole day runs nine hours from pickup to return, and the driver guide service is included with park entry and transport in an air-conditioned vehicle.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle transport from Launceston.
• Cradle Mountain National Park entry.
• driver guide service in English.
• short walks at Dove Lake with your choice of route length.
• a stop in Sheffield to see the murals.
• cheese tasting at Ashgrove Tasmanian Farm Cheese on the return.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelInfant seats available

Operated by Tasmania Coachlines

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want to combine a scenic drive through Tasmania's highlands with a walk around Dove Lake, all in one full day from Launceston, rather than arranging your own transport to the park.

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Top questions

How long are the walks at Cradle Mountain, and do I have to do them?

Cradle Mountain offers short walks ranging from 30-minute returns to circuits around two hours, all with mountain and lake views. You choose which walk suits your pace and energy that day—the tour does not lock you into a single route.

What is Sheffield known for on this tour?

Sheffield is the Town of Murals, with painted artwork covering nearly every building in the village. The mural project has been growing since the 1980s and now draws over 220,000 visitors annually, with new murals added every year.

Is lunch included on the Cradle Mountain day tour?

Lunch is not included, so you will want to bring food or plan to eat in Sheffield or at Cradle Mountain before or after your walk.

How much driving is involved to reach Cradle Mountain from Launceston?

The drive from Launceston to Cradle Mountain takes 2.5 hours each way, passing through forests, plains and highlands. You travel in an air-conditioned vehicle with the driver guide, so the journey is part of the experience rather than something you navigate yourself.

What happens at Ashgrove Tasmanian Farm Cheese?

Ashgrove is a stop on the return journey where you have the opportunity to taste some of Tasmania's cheese before heading back to Launceston.