Quick answer
Bicheno is one of the best stops on Tasmania’s East Coast and most visitors are not spending nearly enough time here.
The things to do in Bicheno include the best blowhole in Tasmania, guided little penguin tours at dusk, Diamond Island at low tide, Whalers Lookout, the foreshore trail to Waubs Beach, East Coast Natureworld, glass-bottom boat tours, fresh lobster by the water, and Waub’s Harbour Distillery for local gin and whisky. Bicheno sits 2 hours from Hobart and 2 hours from Launceston, making it the natural midpoint on any East Coast road trip. Allow at least one night. Two is better.
Why Bicheno deserves more than a quick stop
Most visitors to the East Coast put Bicheno on the itinerary as a 30-minute blowhole stop on the way to Freycinet and Wineglass Bay. That is a mistake. The things to do in Bicheno fill a genuinely good full day, and the penguin experience alone is worth staying overnight for. Bicheno is small enough to feel like you have found something real and interesting enough to reward visitors who slow down. Stick to a quick stop and you will miss what makes it worth the detour.
Things to do in Bicheno: the full list
The Bicheno Blowhole
The Bicheno Blowhole is one of the best things to do in Bicheno and arguably the most dramatic blowhole in Tasmania. Unlike most of the state which sits on dolerite, the Bicheno coastline is granite, and thousands of years of ocean pressure have carved a sea cave beneath the rock with a hole punched through the ceiling. When a Tasman Sea swell is running, water rushes into the cave, builds pressure against the walls, and erupts upward through the hole in spectacular spouts. On a good swell day, the spray reaches several metres.
The blowhole sits between Rice Beach and Waubs Beach. Turn off the A3 onto Douglas Street and drive to the end. It is less than 10 minutes walk across the rocks from the parking area. Go at high tide for the most active display. The surrounding orange lichen-covered granite boulders are almost as striking as the blowhole itself and make it worth visiting even on a calm day. Do not stand too close on a swell day. The rocks are slippery and the waves are unpredictable.
***The Bicheno Blowhole genuinely surprises people. It sounds like a novelty and arrives as something genuinely powerful. Go at high tide and give yourself at least 30 minutes.***
Little penguin tours at dusk
The little penguin experience is the single best thing to do in Bicheno and the reason to stay overnight rather than pass through. At dusk, Bicheno’s resident population of little penguins return from the ocean and make their way up the beach and into their burrows in the coastal dunes. Bicheno Penguin Tours runs guided walks that bring you within close range of the penguins under red-light torches, which allows visibility without disturbing the animals.
A red-light torch is essential. White light disorients penguins and disrupts their navigation. The tour company provides torches and strict guidelines are posted at the entrance to the penguin area. Tours run nightly at dusk. Book ahead in peak season (December to February). Numbers are kept small to protect the colony, which means spots genuinely do fill up.
Seeing little penguins in the wild at close range is one of those things to do in Bicheno that stays with visitors long after the rest of the East Coast has blurred together. It is the kind of experience most people do not know exists until they arrive here.
Diamond Island at low tide
Diamond Island sits just off the Bicheno foreshore and connects to the mainland at low tide via a sandy causeway. At low tide you can walk across, explore the island’s rocks and coastal vegetation, and look back at Bicheno from the water. At high tide it becomes an island again. Check the tide times before you go. It is a straightforward walk of about 20 minutes each way from town and one of the more quietly rewarding things to do in Bicheno for visitors who want to move their legs without a guided tour.
Whalers Lookout
Whalers Lookout sits above the blowhole area and offers 360-degree views over Bicheno, the surrounding coastline, and out across the Tasman Sea. It is a short climb from the blowhole carpark and adds maybe 20 minutes to a blowhole visit. Worth combining the two rather than treating them as separate stops. The lookout is one of the things to do in Bicheno that consistently gets underestimated until you are standing at the top.
Foreshore trail to Waubs Beach
The Bicheno foreshore trail connects the main beach areas in a gentle coastal walk that takes about 45 minutes end to end. It passes rock pools, coastal vegetation, and several spots where you might see dolphins or whales offshore during migration season (June to September for humpbacks). Waubs Beach itself is a good swimming beach with easy access. One of the easiest free things to do in Bicheno and the best way to get a feel for the town’s geography.
Glass-bottom boat tours
Bicheno’s clear inshore waters make it one of the better places on the East Coast for a glass-bottom boat tour. The tours run over the kelp beds and reef areas just offshore, giving passengers a view of the marine life below without getting wet. Good for families with young children and visitors who want a reef experience without a full snorkel session. A solid addition to a full day of things to do in Bicheno, particularly as a mid-morning activity between the blowhole visit and lunch.
East Coast Natureworld
East Coast Natureworld sits 7 kilometres north of Bicheno on the Tasman Highway. It is a wildlife park covering large areas of natural habitat where Tasmanian devils are fed daily, wombats, wallabies, kangaroos, quolls, and snakes are accessible up close, and non-native animals including meerkats and red pandas share the grounds. The devil feeding sessions are the headline. Budget 2 hours minimum. One of the better wildlife things to do in Bicheno for families or for visitors who want Tasmanian devil access without driving to a dedicated sanctuary further from the East Coast route.
Fresh seafood at the Lobster Shack
Bicheno is a fishing town and the seafood reflects it. The Lobster Shack is the most straightforward place to eat it: southern rock lobster, local fish, and chips by the water with the kind of view that makes a simple lunch feel like a genuinely good meal. Fresh, casual, and genuinely local. One of the most enjoyable things to do in Bicheno on a sunny afternoon is to eat lobster at a waterfront table with the Tasman Sea in front of you. If the budget does not stretch to lobster, the fish and chips are equally well-regarded.
Waub’s Harbour Distillery
Waub’s Harbour Distillery produces gin and whisky overlooking the harbour, with a tasting room that uses the ocean views as effectively as any cellar door in Tasmania. The gin uses local botanicals and the whisky is aged on-site. Tastings are available most days. A natural late afternoon stop after the blowhole and the foreshore walk, and one of the more pleasant things to do in Bicheno for visitors who want to take something Tasmanian home with them beyond a souvenir. Tourism Tasmania’s Tasmanian spirits guide covers the full distillery landscape across the state if you want to plan a broader whisky trail.
Douglas-Apsley National Park
Douglas-Apsley National Park sits immediately inland from Bicheno and covers 16,000 hectares of dry sclerophyll forest, gorges, waterfalls, and natural swimming holes. The Apsley Gorge walk (2.5 kilometres return, 90 minutes) leads to a waterhole at the base of a sandstone gorge where swimming is genuinely excellent in summer. The Parks Tasmania Douglas-Apsley page has current track conditions, access notes, and camping information. A National Parks pass is required for vehicle entry. One of the most underrated things to do in Bicheno for visitors who want genuine wilderness within 15 minutes of town.
Bicheno as a base for the East Coast
Beyond the things to do in Bicheno itself, the town sits at an ideal point on the East Coast for day trips in both directions. Freycinet National Park and Wineglass Bay are 45 minutes south. Bay of Fires is 90 minutes north via St Helens. Both make strong day trips from a Bicheno base, allowing you to split a 3-day East Coast stay with nights in Bicheno rather than moving accommodation each day.
If you are doing the full 7-day Tasmania itinerary, Bicheno fits naturally as a night between Hobart and the Bay of Fires. The things to do in Bicheno make a full evening and morning, then continue north for the rest of the East Coast loop.
FAQs
What are the best things to do in Bicheno?
The best things to do in Bicheno are the little penguin tour at dusk, the Bicheno Blowhole at high tide, Diamond Island at low tide, the foreshore trail to Waubs Beach, Whalers Lookout, East Coast Natureworld 7km north, glass-bottom boat tours, fresh lobster at the Lobster Shack, Waub’s Harbour Distillery, and Douglas-Apsley National Park for gorge swimming. Most of the headline things to do in Bicheno are within walking distance of the town centre.
Can you see penguins in Bicheno?
Yes. Seeing little penguins is one of the best things to do in Bicheno and one of the main reasons to stay overnight rather than pass through. Bicheno Penguin Tours runs guided walks at dusk when the penguins return from the ocean to their burrows in the coastal dunes. Red-light torches are used to allow viewing without disturbing the animals. Book ahead in peak season as group sizes are limited to protect the colony. White light should never be used around the penguins.
When is the best time to visit the Bicheno Blowhole?
The best time to visit the Bicheno Blowhole is at high tide when a Tasman Sea swell is running. This produces the most active and dramatic water spouts through the granite rock formation. Turn off the A3 onto Douglas Street and drive to the end for the closest parking. The blowhole is less than 10 minutes walk from the car park. It is worth visiting even on a calm day for the orange lichen-covered granite surrounds. Do not stand close to the hole on swell days as the rocks are slippery and waves are unpredictable.
How long should you spend in Bicheno?
Allow at least one full day and one night in Bicheno to cover the main things to do in Bicheno comfortably. The blowhole, foreshore walk, Whalers Lookout, a glass-bottom boat tour, and lunch fill a morning and early afternoon. The penguin tour requires staying until dusk. Two nights allows a day trip to either Freycinet or Bay of Fires without rushing. Bicheno rewards visitors who slow down rather than stopping for the blowhole and moving on.
Is Bicheno worth stopping at on the East Coast?
Yes, genuinely. The things to do in Bicheno make it one of the most rewarding stops on the entire East Coast route. The blowhole is spectacular, the little penguin experience is genuinely memorable, the seafood is fresh, and Douglas-Apsley National Park offers wilderness within 15 minutes of town. Most visitors who stop only for the blowhole leave having seen a fraction of what makes Bicheno worth the stop. Stay at least one night.
What is near Bicheno on the East Coast?
Freycinet National Park and Wineglass Bay are 45 minutes south of Bicheno. Bay of Fires is 90 minutes north via St Helens. Swansea is 30 minutes south. Douglas-Apsley National Park is 15 minutes from the Bicheno town centre. These make Bicheno an ideal base for exploring the central East Coast without moving accommodation each day. The things to do in Bicheno itself, combined with day trips to Freycinet or Bay of Fires, easily fill a 2 to 3 day East Coast stay.
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