Your guide to 7 of the best Bruny Island walks to try while visiting this remote slice of paradise in Tasmania!

Bruny Island is now on the list of my favorite Australian destinations (along with the Blue Mountains and the Daintree Rainforest). 

As you can see, there is a trend with my favorite spots in Australia – they all revolve around natural beauty!

Bruny Island is a gorgeous collection of rural towns, peaceful beaches, massive coastal cliffs, adorable farms, and quiet forests. 

It’s the southern island off of the southern island (Tasmania) off of the southern island (Australia). It’s a short journey from Tasmania’s capital city of Hobart, yet it feels like another world.

If you want to disconnect from modern life and just relax in nature, Bruny Island is the perfect place.

We did a few epic hikes and walks on Bruny Island, so I wanted to make a guide. Walking outside in nature is honestly my favorite thing to do anywhere I go, and Bruny was no different. 

With its cool climate, adorable wildlife, and dramatic scenery, Bruny Island is basically the perfect hiking destination.

How to get around for these Bruny Island walks

For your time on Bruny Island, I would highly recommend a rental car.

There is no public transport on this remote and isolated island, so your choices are either a self-guided trip with a car or a guided tour. 

Rental car

I loved visiting Bruny Island with a rental car. The island is stunning and easy to navigate, so it’s ideal for a self-drive adventure. 

Driving around the rolling green hills and rugged coastlines was a dream. And having our own car meant we could plan our own itinerary, travel at our own pace, and fully enjoy the island’s quiet serenity. 

Rent a car in Hobart (we booked car pick-up right at Hobart Airport through Booking.com). Then drive about 40 minutes south of the city and catch the Sealink Ferry. 

The ferry ride is only 10-20 minutes. Before you know it, you’re on Bruny Island and ready to explore!

The most important thing to note when driving around Bruny Island is to be aware of wildlife. Drive slowly and avoid driving between dusk and dawn.

Book your rental car online – you can find really cheap prices on Booking.com!

Guided tour

You can also visit Bruny Island on a guided tour from Hobart. 

Tour itineraries may include some of these Bruny Island walks, such as the Truganini Lookout. But you’ll miss out on more of the secluded and non-touristy walks around the island. 

This Bruny Island tour includes Truganini Lookout and the Cape Queen Elizabeth Walk, so it’s a great option for hikers!

I would only recommend a tour if one of the following applies to you:

• You are a solo traveler who wants to make some friends
• You are not confident driving your own car
• You are short on time and just want to see the Bruny Island highlights in one day
• You prefer the ease of a guided tour where everything is pre-planned and optimized 

In those cases, a guided tour is an excellent choice. I personally preferred a self-drive Bruny Island adventure!

Book your Bruny Island day trip online – most cost around 150 – 300 AUD.

7 Amazing Bruny Island Walks, Tasmania

Now let’s dive into the list of amazing hikes and walks on Bruny Island! Some of these are short and sweet, some are longer and more challenging. 

I’ll include all the walks we did in our 2 days on Bruny Island, as well as a few that we heard of but didn’t have time for. 

Most of these Bruny Island walks can be done in regular sneakers. However, I would recommend good hiking shoes if possible. 

I didn’t bring my hiking boots and was fine in sneakers, but I was really wishing I had my hiking boots for some of the longer, steeper hikes (especially the Fluted Cape Walk). 

1. Fluted Cape Walk

• Distance: 6.8km loop
• Hiking Time: 2-3 hours
• Difficulty: Moderate/Hard
• Starting Point: Fluted Cape Parking Area on Adventure Bay Road

The Fluted Cape Walk is an epic coastal circuit track on the southeast section of Bruny Island. 

From the parking area (which is clearly marked on Google Maps), you follow the Grass Point Track along the beach. You’ll see signs where you can veer off this track to take on the steeper Fluted Cape Circuit. 

If you’re up for a bit of a challenge, the Fluted Cape Walk is so worth it. 

You walk right along the dramatic coast, and you’ll climb up some of the steepest sea cliffs in the Southern Hemisphere!

The views over Bruny Island’s unique coastline and the sparkling blue ocean are unreal. We also spotted so many adorable wallabies on the trail.

There are no guardrails in place, so just be careful near the edges (especially with kids). 

2. Grass Point Track

• Distance: 4km return
• Hiking Time: 1-1.5 hours
• Difficulty: Easy
• Starting Point: Fluted Cape Parking Area on Adventure Bay Road

You can also just complete the Grass Point Walk and opt out of the Fluted Cape, as the two trails connect.

Walk along the coastline out and back without taking the turn up the cliffs for the Fluted Cape. You’ll still get to admire parts of the cliffs and possibly spot wallabies. 

Bruny Island is famous for its pure white wallabies, but they are super rare to find. We didn’t see any. 

But Grass Point is one of the best Bruny Island walks for those who want something easy and mostly flat.

The highlight for me was just admiring the dazzling turquoise waters of Adventure Bay. It looked so inviting for a swim, but the winter chill stopped me from diving in.

3. The Neck and Truganini Lookout Walk

• Distance: 600 metres return
• Hiking Time: 10 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
• Starting Point: Truganini Lookout (The Neck) Car Park

The Neck and Truganini Lookout is easily the #1 tourist attraction on Bruny Island. 

It’s more of an attraction and lookout than a walk or a hike. But I decided to include it because you do technically have to walk to get to the viewpoint. 

Truganini Lookout sits atop a long wooden staircase. There is also a boardwalk at the bottom where you can walk to the beach and view tiny penguins come to shore at dusk. 

We didn’t see any penguins as it wasn’t peak penguin season. 

However, we still decided to walk up the steps to Truganini Lookout at sunrise and I couldn’t recommend that enough!

As such a popular photo spot, there were barely any crowds at sunrise. So we had the entire lookout to ourselves. 

It’s so worth climbing the steps up to the lookout. You can see panoramic views of “The Neck”, which is the narrow strip of beach that connects North and South Bruny Island. 

I’ve seen so many pictures of this spot, and it looked 100x better in person. 

It’s short, but easily one of the best Bruny Island walks!

4. Cape Queen Elizabeth Walk

• Distance: 13km return (we just did part of it which was probably around 6kms total)
• Hiking Time: 3-4 hours (1.5-2 hours if you just do the first half)
• Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
• Starting Point: Cape Queen Elizabeth Walk Car Park (directly across from Bruny Island Honey)

The Cape Queen Elizabeth Walk absolutely blew my mind. I think I just wasn’t expecting it to be as cool as it was because most of the trail wasn’t that interesting.

You start at a tiny car park near the main road, and you walk east all the way out to the coast. 

This trail is long but mostly flat as you wind through the fields, lakes, and forests of North Bruny Island. 

As you near the ocean on the Cape Queen Elizabeth Track, there is a fork where you can walk along the beach or up over the cliffs. 

If the tide is low enough, walk along the beach. We got there just as the tide was almost too high, but we were able to hop across some rocks in between waves to complete the coastal section of the trail. 

I was so blown away by the views at the coast! There were super tall jagged cliffs, towering rock arches, and little caves and narrow passages to sneak through. 

The beach was a vast expanse of soft golden sand, with no one around. I was actually so happy and amazed at the remote beauty of it all that I started crying (I’m crazy I know).

After crying randomly and soaking in the views from the pristine beach, we rejoined the track that goes up into the cliffs. You can continue all the way out to the far headland (seen in the second photo below). That is Cape Queen Elizabeth.

But that’s 13km total, and we dedided to just head back after reaching the Rock Arch.

When the tide is high, you won’t be able to walk across the beach and you can only go up into the cliffs. But the views from up here were also jaw-dropping. 

5. Cape Bruny Lighthouse Walk

• Distance: 650 meters return
• Hiking Time: 10 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
• Starting Point: Cape Bruny Lighthouse Car Park

Similar to the Truganini Lookout, this walk is more of just a lookout than a hike. 

But it is a short and incredibly scenic walk from the car park up to the lighthouse itself, so I still consider it one of the top Bruny Island walks. 

The short, paved trail winds up along the lush green hills and to the Cape Bruny Lighthouse. 

If you want to climb to the top of the lighthouse, there is a local guy inside who does guided walks to the top for around $25. 

But the scenery around the Cape Bruny Lighthouse is worth driving out here for. The south of Bruny Island is mind-blowingly gorgeous, with a curving coastline shaped by powerful ocean waves. 

It’s exposed, windy, and wild up here. The vibrant natural colors and unique landscape here are so captivating, I found it hard to leave! 

6. Alonnah Foreshore Walk

• Distance: 3km one way
• Hiking Time: 1 hour
• Difficulty: Easy
• Starting Point: Pontoon Carpark near the Alonnah Jetty

Alonnah is a small town on the western side of South Bruny Island. 

It’s a great place for a coastal walk! Especially on a windy day, this side of Bruny Island is more sheltered than the east coast. 

Alonnah overlooks the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, the strip of water that separates Bruny Island from mainland Tasmania. 

For a look into Bruny Island’s logging history, you can stroll along the Alonnah Foreshore Walk. 

It’s an easy, flat walk through the forests and along the coast. Along the way you’ll pass some historic remnants of the settlers’ camps and buildings from the 1850s. 

Though not as exciting and scenic as some of the other Bruny Island walks I’ve mentioned, this is a nice peaceful stroll if you find yourself in this part of the island. 

The sunset views over the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and Tasmania from Bruny Island’s west coast are also amazing!

7. Adventure Bay Beach Walk

• Distance: 6km return
• Hiking Time: 1.5-2 Hours
• Difficulty: Easy
• Starting Point: Anywhere along Adventure Bay

Adventure Bay is one of the best beaches on Bruny Island. 

Its long, sweeping expanse of soft sand is bordered by calm turquoise waters, towering cliffs, and tranquil forests.

Adventure Bay is also somewhat of a hub on Bruny Island. It’s home to the island’s only petrol station and general store, as well as a handful of eateries. 

Boat tours around the Bruny Island coast also depart from Adventure Bay. 

It’s a beautiful spot on South Bruny Island, and the beach is perfect for a seaside stroll. 

The sand is compact and the views are beautiful. We had the entire beach to ourselves in winter, and the water looked so dreamy for a swim or a kayak session. 

I would love to visit Adventure Bay Beach in summer sometime!

Thanks for reading my list of 7 amazing Bruny Island walks!

These are all the trails I was able to walk during my short time on the island. 

Some other walks that I’ve heard are wonderful include

• Dennes Point Heritage Trail (1.5km return) – historic sites on the northern tip of Bruny Island
• Mt. Mangana (4km return) – rainforest hike with great views at the top
• Neck Beach/Blighs Rocks (6km return) – walk along the Neck Beach to the tessellated pavement known as Blighs Rocks
• Bevs Lookout (8km return) – see the forests around Adventure Bay
• East Cloudy Head Walk (14km return) – scenic coastal walk around the beaches and cliffs of South Bruny Island

And more!

Read about more of my favorite hikes and walks around the world:

Hiking Volcan Acatenango, Guatemala

13 Amazing Day Hikes in the Blue Mountains, NSW

Hiking Mount Kosciusko, NSW – Complete Guide

5 Beautiful Ubud Walks in Bali, Indonesia

Flume Gorge, New Hampshire USA Hiking Guide