The Overland Track

6 days – Moderate To hard grade – $2750

The classic camping based walk along Tasmania’s most iconic walking trail. With 19 years of experience, food drops to lower pack weights, glowing food and guide reviews, frequent departures and comprehensive inclusions – do it right, trek the Overland Track with us.

Walking from north to south over six days we cover the highest area of Tasmania, from the epic craggy spires of Cradle Mountain to the rainforest-clad shores of the deepest natural lake in the Southern Hemisphere, Lake St Clair. The World Heritage listed landscape is truly breathtaking and will leave you enchanted, inspired and feeling completely connected. With each day and every step, the scenery on the trail varies dramatically taking you through ancient Myrtle forest, glaciated dolerite landscapes, past plateaus covered in sparkling tarns and lakes and to Tasmania’s highest peak Mt Ossa. You will have up-close encounters with the unique and endemic animals that call this wonderful area home.

This full pack trek is suitable for first-time bushwalkers that have a good level of fitness and have done regular training. The inclusion of food drops and modern equipment will keep your pack as light as possible. Your professional guides will ensure your adventure is immensely memorable and enjoyable, providing support and care, creating delicious meals, and bringing the track to life with their local knowledge and enthusiasm for the Tasmanian wilderness.

Our January, February and March 2025 departures are our ‘Summit Series’ of hikes. On these hikes we offer the summits of Cradle Mountain, Barn Bluff, Mt Oakleigh, Mt Ossa and Mt Pelion East. All summit side trips are subject to having favourable weather conditions. If you don’t wish to do any summits and stick to the main track, or only do a few summits, you can also book on these departures. The cost for these tours are $3050.00

We also have backpacks, sleeping bags, mats and coats available to hire. All are subject to availability.

Enter the above code when you book online to receive 10% of 2024/25 season tours. Offer ends 30th April 2024.

Grade: Medium - Hard

Our Itinerary

After a picturesque drive from Launceston, your walk starts at Ronny Creek in Cradle Valley, then crosses a small button grass plain before rising up to the expansive views from Marion’s Lookout. From Marion’s Lookout you’ll get commanding views of the iconic Cradle Mountain (1545m) and Dove Lake. The track passes Kitchen Hut then traverses around the shoulder of Cradle Mountain through magnificent stands of Tasmanian Snow Gums. The rocky ground that you are walking on, over 700 million years ago was shaped by glaciation. The vegetation that you will see here are alpine communities of herb fields, shrubs, scoparia and Deciduous Beech trees. Now, you are walking along what’s known as the Cradle Cirque. You’ll pass the turnoff to Barn Bluff (1559m) 7km to your south before you steadily descend into Waterfall Valley and our 1st nights camp.

Waterfall Valley sits below the dominant Barn Bluff. The mountains in this area are of fluted dolerite (columns formed by the rock cooling, hardening and shrinking) over millions of years. From Waterfall Valley and its amazing waterfalls the track today gently undulates across moorlands. You’ll see stands of Pencil Pines, Myrtles and Snow Gums. The moorlands are also home to many species of mammals namely wombats (whose cube shaped scats) you will commonly see on the track. You may also sometimes get a glimpse of a wombat, Tasmanian Devils and Echidnas.From the top of the Moorland, Lake Windermere can be viewed. The lakes dark colour, is caused by, oils and nutrients leaching from the button grass as tannin, and staining the water. We soon sidle around Lake Windermere to our camp, which is nestled in a light timbered forest of deciduous beech and tangle foot.

In distance, this day is the longest of your walk. Firstly, you’ll walk through some lightly timbered forest then across some buttongrass moorlands to the Forth Gorge Lookout. At the lookout you’ll get views of mounts Oakleigh, Ossa, Pelion East and West and the Du Cane range in the distance.Small ascents and descents then lead you into the forest glade of Frog Flats. Frog Flats is a damp section of forest, home to beautifully coloured mosses and fungi. Climbing up through forest to Pelion Plains there is a short sidetrack to Old Pelion Hut (built in 1895 following the discovery of copper in the area). Cattle drovers and trappers followed the miners until the area was proclaimed a scenic reserve in 1922. From this point New Pelion Hut is soon reached. New Pelion Hut is the largest of the huts and it sits on the junction of the Overland and the Arm River Tracks.

The day starts with a gradual climb up to Pelion Gap (1126m). To the east of the gap rises Mt Pelion East and to our west rises Tasmania’s highest peak, Mt Ossa (1617m). If the weather is kind you’ll have the option of climbing Mt Ossa or Mount Pelion East. Both summits have commanding views of the National Park and beyond and it is well worth the effort. [Allow 3 – 4 extra hours for these side trips]From Pelion Gap the track passes through the glaciated Pinestone Valley then onto Kia Ora Hut (New Zealand Maori word for welcome) nestled below the Du Cane Range and the dominant Cathedral Mountain.

Myrtle – beech rainforest dominates this section as you pass by Du Cane Hut (Windsor Castle). This hut was built by trapper Paddy Hartnett around 1910 as a base for his trapping. The hut is constructed out of King Billy Pine, which you’ll see commonly growing in the area. Not far from Du Cane hut we will take a side trip to D’Alton, Fergusson and Hartnett Falls on the Mersey River. The falls are quite spectacular especially after recent rainfall.From the falls junction the track climbs steadily to Du Cane Gap (1070m). Mount Geryon and The Acropolis (1471m) on the Du Cane Range are the dominant Peaks that can be viewed from here. The track then descends through Eucalypt forest to Windy Ridge Hut (the newest hut) on the Overland Track.

The track descends down the valley to the Narcissus River through Eucalypt forest and stands of temperate rainforest. You will pass by the junction to Pine Valley, which leads walkers up to the base of the Du Cane Range and access to the Acropolis and the Labyrinth. Once you cross the suspension bridge over the Narcissus River you will shortly reach Lake St Clair and the end of your Overland Track walk, congratulations! Ferry transport then takes you across Lake St Clair to Cynthia Bay and our transport back to Launceston.

How To Book

To make a booking, select the departure date from the calendar, click on the BOOK NOW button, fill out your details, and submit.

Our booking platform is 100% secure. You can choose to pay for your tour in full when you book, or pay a deposit. Deposits are $500 per guest.

Final payments are due 8 weeks before the departure date.

Please note: If any of our tours are showing “sold out” or if there is not enough availability on your preferred departure date from our calendar, please get in touch, as there maybe cancellations being processed.

Terms and conditions apply.

Start Booking Now

What an unforgettable trip. We had tour guides with a lifetime of outdoor experience. “Tasmanian Hikes” is a fabulous local operator that takes care of their customers in an amazing way. The expert level of organisation and local knowledge is fantastic. A special mention to the food prep. Absolutely delicious!

– Tina (The Overland Track)

Frequently Asked Questions

This hike is over varying and remote terrain which at times can be awkward, rugged and steep. Underfoot the track will be boardwalks, have muddy sections, many tree roots and rocks. You will need to have a good level of fitness and pack carrying experience to complete the daily distances. For some guests this hike can be quite challenging. We recommend that you do regular training with your pack leading up to your tour.

Once you book your hike, a comprehensive gear list will be emailed to you. You must source and pack everything on the gear list as the weather can be very changeable. You MUST have suitable hiking boots that have ankle protection, and they must be in good condition. In addition to your boots. Your spare pair of footwear/camp shoes should be runners or joggers.

Guests will be collected @ 0700am from their accommodation provider on day 1. Please be ready outside your Hotel 10 minutes before this time.

Expect the weight of your pack to be 12kg – 15kg [this includes a share of a tent – total weight 2.8kg or 1.4kg halved]. Guests are required to carry no more than 1.5kg of food on any given day.

Yes! A gear check will be conducted at Macpac, a local outdoor gear retailer in Launceston @ 2pm the day before the walk. Please bring to this meeting ALL of your hiking gear!

Yes, we can cater for most diets including, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Coeliac. Our meals are a highlight and guaranteed to please!

Yes, The following hire gear are $50 per item, we hire out Sleeping Bags – 1.157kg & Liners – 392 grams, Backpacks [includes liner & cover] – 2.410kg, Sleeping Mats – 512 grams & Raincoats – 895 grams. These items can be selected on the booking form when you book.

We do the following side trips depending on group dynamics, weather and daylight hours. This includes: Lake Will, Mt Ossa summit, Old Pelion Hut and all of the Waterfalls. Other options may include Mount Doris & Mountain Pelion East if the above is not accessible. We do not climb Mount Oakleigh. Jan to March 2025 are our 'Summit Series' of hikes. Weather dependent, we will do the side trips of Cradle Mountain, Barn Bluff, Mount Oakleigh, Mt Ossa and Mt Pelion East.

We can store it for you for a fee of $25. We will bring your luggage to the end of the track for you.

Included in the tour price is: 2 x Mountain Guides, transfers to the start and from the finish of the tour back to your Hotel in Launceston, all food, emergency communication equipment and 1st aid kits, group gear [pots and pans, cutlery, bowls, stove fuel and stoves], ferry service at the end of the walk, National Park and Overland Track fees.

In some areas you can get reception but it is limited to the higher peaks [Mt Ossa]

Typically we arrive back in Launceston @ 4pm. We recommend that you do not book flights home on this evening as road delays travelling back to Launceston are possible.

Single tents are available only if there is an odd number of guests in the group or if we cannot match up genders. You may request a single tent but this may not be guaranteed or we may be limited to space on the platforms. Guests must use Tasmanian Hikes tents and not supply their own.

The price of the tour is the same per person, whether you book as a solo traveller or as a couple.