5
Moderate

Traveller Rating

 

Activities
  • 6 days trekking with a full pack
Accommodation
  • 5 nights camping
Meals
  • 5 Dinners
  • 6 Lunches
  • 5 Breakfasts

6 Days

View Inclusions
Trip Code: CMT

Overland Track Trip highlights

  • Complete all 65 km / 40 mi of the Overland Track, walked north to south from wulinantikala / Cradle Mountain to liyawulina / Lake St Clair, Australia's deepest natural lake
  • Summit Mount Ossa, Tasmania's highest peak, as a side trip when the weather allows
  • Walk through ancient myrtle and King Billy pine forest, glacially carved dolerite country and high plateaus scattered with alpine tarns
  • Sleep at five wilderness campsites reachable only on foot - there is no road access along the track
  • Eat fresh food every night thanks to a mid-track food drop, which keeps your pack lighter at the same time
  • Walk with two professional wilderness guides from the first company on the trail, guiding here since 1967

Why Book With Us

  • Better food - food drops make it possible for first time bushwalkers
  • Save money - our trek pack includes the most costly essential items
  • Unrivalled experience - first on the trail, since 1967

The Overland Track is Australia's finest alpine walk: a 65 km / 40 mi trail through the World Heritage listed wilderness of Tasmania's Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park, walked north to south from wulinantikala / Cradle Mountain to liyawulina / Lake St Clair, Australia's deepest natural lake.

The track crosses the highest country in Tasmania, and the landscape changes daily rather than gradually. You walk through ancient myrtle and King Billy pine forest, across glacially carved dolerite country, over buttongrass plains and past plateaus scattered with tarns and alpine lakes. Tasmania's highest peak, Mount Ossa, sits at the midpoint of the route and is climbed as a side trip when the weather allows. Wallabies, wombats, echidnas and platypus live along the route, and the pencil pines beside the tarns are centuries old.

This is a full-pack walk, and it is deliberately built for people doing their first multi-day trek. If you don't own a pack, you don't need to buy one: our trek pack includes a 70–90 litre backpack, sleeping bag, inner sheet, inflatable mat and gaiters, all rated for alpine conditions. For a first-time walker that is the difference between doing this trek and putting it off another year.

You also eat properly. A food drop partway along the track means fresh produce every night, curries, pasta, improvised apple pie, instead of six days of dehydrated meals, and it keeps pack weights down at the same time. Everyone carries a share of the group's food, which is part of walking as a group rather than as a guided queue.

Two professional wilderness guides walk with every departure, carrying a group first aid kit and satellite communications linked to our Launceston base. They cook, read the weather, and they bring your walk to life by introducing you to the geology, the forest and the history of the place. The Overland Track permit and all national park fees are included and arranged by us, along with the Lake St Clair ferry and transfers from Launceston, so the capped permit that independent walkers have to chase is simply part of your booking.

Activities:

Carbon Footprint

7kg of CO2-e PP per day

(37kg of CO2-e PP entire trip)

Itinerary

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We collect you in Launceston early — 6:45am from the Grand Chancellor, 7:00am from the Penny Royal. and drive two and a half hours to Waldheim, "forest home", where the Overland Track begins. The morning climbs past lakes and tarns to the Cradle Plateau, opening onto Dove Lake and range after range of mountains beyond it. Cradle Mountain stays in view for hours as you cross the plateau. You drop into Waterfall Valley for the first night on the track. Walking Distance: 10.7km | Walking Time: 6 hours. **You need to arrive in Launceston the day before to attend the compulsory 2:00pm pre-trip briefing, where your gear is issued and packed.**

Meals:  L,D

The shortest walking day on the track, and deliberately so. The route runs south across rolling buttongrass plains with time to spare. The side trip to Lake Will is the reason for the easy day: a sandy-shored lake named after a coal prospector who worked here in the 1800s, and a good place for lunch and a swim. Back at camp there is a hot drink, the view, and the option of another swim if you have the nerve. Walking Distance: 7.8km + side trips | Walking Time: 3 hours + side trips

Meals:  B,L,D

The longest day on the track, across moorland and under mountains. You cross Pine Forest Moor with the Forth River Valley falling away below and Mount Oakleigh rising ahead, the day's destination sits at its base. The trail descends around Mount Pelion West to Frog Flats, the lowest point of the whole Overland Track and the usual lunch stop, then climbs through tall wet forest onto the open expanse of Pelion Plains. A short side trip to Old Pelion Hut is worth taking for the park's history. Walking Distance: 16.8km | Walking Time: 7 hours

Meals:  B,L,D

This is Mount Ossa day. You walk south through myrtle forest and tufted pandani to Pelion Gap, the saddle at 1,113 m / 3,652 ft between Mount Pelion East and Mount Ossa, a natural place to drop packs and rest. In fine weather the climb to Mount Ossa, Tasmania's highest peak at 1,617 m / 5,305 ft, is the highlight of the entire track. Your guides make the call on the day based on conditions. From the gap the trail continues south into Pinestone Valley to a creek-side campsite beneath the spires of Cathedral Mountain. Walking Distance: 8.6km + side trips | Walking Time: 5 hours + side trips

Meals:  B,L,D

A day of waterfalls, walked through towering leatherwood and sassafras rainforest. Three of Tasmania's largest falls sit within a few hours of each other: Fergusson Falls, named after a former Lake St Clair ranger; Dalton Falls; and Hartnett Falls, named for Paddy Hartnett, an eccentric Irish bushman rarely seen without his bowler hat. From the falls the trail climbs through Du Cane Gap before descending to the campsite at Bert Nichols. Walking Distance: 9.6km + side trips | Walking Time: 4 hours + side trips

Meals:  B,L,D

The final walking day runs through mixed eucalypt and pockets of temperate rainforest to the shore of Lake St Clair, Australia's deepest natural lake. Mount Ida and Mount Olympus rise as you approach the water. A 30-minute ferry crosses the lake, looking back at the mountains you have spent six days walking through - a better finish than a road. After time at the visitor centre and a celebratory lunch, the bus returns across the Central Plateau, reaching Launceston about 5pm (we could be late, so please do not plan a flight to depart tonight). Drop-offs are at the Grand Chancellor and the Penny Royal. Walking Distance: 9km | Walking Time: 4 hours

Meals:  B,L

Inclusions

What's included

  • 2 professional wilderness guides
  • 5 nights camping in twin share tents
  • 5 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 5 dinners snacks and hot drinks
  • Trek Pack: inflatable sleeping mat, 70-90L backpack, sleeping bag, inner sheet and gaiters
  • Food drop provisions along the track
  • Transport by private minibus between from/to Launceston
  • Lake St. Clair ferry passage
  • National Park fees
  • Overland Track Permit
  • Emergency communications & group first aid kit

  • Travel to and from Launceston
  • Accommodation before or after the trip
  • Items of a personal nature - alcoholic beverages, car parking etc
  • Travel insurance
  • Face masks and hand sanitiser

Accommodation

Wilderness Camping

Every night on the Overland Track is spent camping at designated commercial campsites along the trail. These are separate from the public campsites, so our groups are never competing for space with independent walkers arriving at the end of a long day.

Wilderness Camping

There is no other shelter and no seating. Evenings are spent on the platform or in the tent depending on the weather, which is what wilderness camping on this track actually is. Tents, sleeping bag, inner sheet and inflatable mat are all provided in the trek pack, and accommodation is twin share.

Wilderness Camping

Tents are pitched on timber platforms rather than on the ground — drier for you, and the reason the vegetation underneath survives thousands of walkers a season. Each campsite has a rainwater tank and composting toilets nearby, plus a basic kitchen preparation area where your guides cook.

Trail Surface

Boardwalk

Much of the Overland Track is boardwalked, and the boardwalk is there to protect what lies beneath it: alpine vegetation and buttongrass moorland that erodes badly once it is walked on. It does not run the whole way.

Boardwalk is most frequent and best maintained at the northern end near Cradle Mountain, and becomes less common the further south you walk. Some stretches are the original boardwalk, laid without the wire mesh that gives grip on newer sections. These are genuinely slippery when wet, and on this track it rains often. Width varies along the route.

Walking poles are recommended, and boots with good tread and ankle support matter more here than on most Australian walks.

Tree Roots and Natural Trail

Away from the boardwalk, much of the Overland Track is natural forest floor, and that means tree roots. Long sections through myrtle and rainforest cross exposed roots polished smooth by boot traffic, and they become slippery whenever it is wet, which on this track is often.

Roots are hardest work on the climbs and descents, where you step up and down onto them rather than along them. This is where most turned ankles happen.

Two pieces of gear make the difference here. High-cut boots, for ankle support on uneven ground, and walking poles — strongly recommended rather than optional on this trek, because they give you two more points of contact exactly where the footing is least predictable.

Suitability

Moderate

5

The Overland Track is a full-pack trek of six to seven hours a day on the longest days, carrying 15 to 17 kg / 33 to 37 lb. The terrain is rugged and remote, and it changes constantly — boardwalk, timber steps, rock, exposed tree roots, and mud that can be shin-deep after rain, with sections that are long, rough and steep. There is no road access along the track, so once you set out each morning you finish the day on foot. None of that makes this a technical walk; it makes it a sustained one, and it should not be underestimated. You will need a good level of fitness, good health, and ideally some experience of carrying a loaded pack rather than just of walking. To prepare, start around three months out: an hour of strenuous exercise three to four times a week - cycling, running or fast walking - plus a bushwalk most weekends carrying a full pack at trek weight, building up to 15 to 17 kg / 33 to 37 lb rather than starting there. Choose hills, and rough tracks over smooth ones; descending under load is what catches most people out, and it is the one thing you cannot fake on the day. The best preparation of all is a multi-day bushwalk with a full pack. Please note that in adverse weather, or on departures outside daylight saving time, this trek may be graded Moderate to Challenging rather than Moderate — shorter days leave less margin if the group is slowed, and shoulder-season conditions are less forgiving.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Because the permits are capped, not because of a sales deadline. A limited number of walkers can start the track each day in the walking season, our own group sizes are small, and the best-weather departures in the shoulder months go first. We hold permits for our departures, so booking with us secures your place on the track as well as your trip.

The track is walked north to south during the main season, from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair, which is the direction our trips follow. This is a Parks requirement rather than a preference, and it is part of how walker numbers are managed on the track.

Yes, if you are currently reasonably fit and you train for it. This trek is specifically built for first-time multi-day walkers. The food drop on day three keeps pack weights down and means fresh food every night, and the trek pack supplies the expensive gear most first-timers do not own. What you must do is train carrying a loaded pack, not just walk.

You keep walking, with the right gear. Tasmania’s weather changes fast and rain, wind and even snow are possible in any month, so the trek is planned around walking in whatever arrives rather than waiting it out. Your guides adjust the day, and side trips are the first thing dropped when conditions close in. As the old saying goes, there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing!

The Overland Track crosses the Country of the Big River and North nations, in lutruwita / Tasmania. Tasmanian Aboriginal people have cared for these lands, waters and culture for more than 60,000 years, and that custodianship continues today. We acknowledge them as the traditional owners of this Country and pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging.

lutruwita is the palawa kani name for Tasmania. palawa kani is the revived language of Tasmanian Aboriginal people, reconstructed from historical records of the original languages of the island. It is written in lower case, including at the start of a sentence, as the language requires.

They are the palawa kani names for Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair. We use them alongside the English names throughout this trip because these places carried names long before the track did. Like all palawa kani words they are written in lower case.

Your guides manage it. Two professional wilderness guides walk with every group, carrying a group first aid kit and emergency satellite communications linked to our Launceston base. There is no road access along the track, so decisions are made early and conservatively rather than pushing on and hoping.

We run the same track track four ways. Our guided camping trek is the classic full-pack experience; the family departure covers the same track at a pace built for walkers from 12 up; the Cradle Huts walk trades camping for a private hut each night; and the self-guided walk lets you set your own rhythm with the logistics arranged. They suit genuinely different people rather than being tiers of the same thing.

The Overland Track runs 65km / 40 mi through the Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park, walked north to south from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair. Our guided trek covers the full length over six days of walking, with the Lake St Clair ferry crossing included at the southern end.

The Overland Track has several well-known side trips off the main route, including Mount Ossa. Which ones your group takes depends on the weather, the daylight and how everyone is travelling - your guides decide on the day rather than committing in advance, which is the honest way to run it in Tasmanian conditions.

Yes. Every walker needs an Overland Track permit as well as a national park pass, and departures are capped each day during the walking season to protect the track. Both the permit and the park fees are included in your trip and arranged by us. Independent walkers have to secure their own permit before they can walk, and the popular dates go early, unless you book your Overland Track Self Guided trek with us (not guaranteed but we secure the permit for you).

Our Trek Pack includes essential equipment, rated for the alpine conditions, which will save you alot of money if you do not have suitable equipment

We suggest asking your pre/post tour accommodation about car parking or there are secure carparks in Launceston where you can pre-book a spot.

You’d be surprised how much food you’ll eat after a day’s trekking along the Overland Track. Our guides are experienced when it comes to preparing meals along the Overland Track. Thanks to a food drop on day #3, we are able to have fresh produce every night along the trail. Lunches usually consist of vegetable wraps with hams, chicken or salami, while evening meals can vary from curries, stroganoff and pastas. Desserts include improvised apple pie, and even a chocolate mousse if you’re lucky. Start your day with a hearty porridge or muesli, with snacks throughout the day including fruit and nuts, muesli bars and some fruit.

As this is a full pack adventure, each trekker is required to carry a portion of the group’s food, whether it be a couple of cucumbers, lettuce heads or a bag of pasta. All types of dietary requirements are catered for (provided we are advised in advance), including vegetarian, gluten free, lactose free, nut free etc.

The terrain is rugged and remote. Tracks may be rough and steep in sections. Over the trip you will walk along boardwalks, up and down steps, through overgrown forests, through muddy sections and if you choose some of the side trips you will scramble over rocks.

You will need a good level of fitness and must be in good health. You will be carrying a full pack of around 15-17kg and should be prepared for potential variable weather conditions. The terrain is rugged and remote. This trek should not be underestimated as it can be tough and challenging.

For your expedition you will need to carry all equipment in a full trekking backpack that is 75-90litres in capacity. Depending on the quantity of personal gear and toiletries the average pack weight will be approximately 15-17kg.

The trip runs between October and April when we have the best chance for warmer temperatures, but you are likely to experience all sorts of weather while in Tasmania. Tasmania is known for it's rapidly changing weather. You will need to be prepared to walk in all weather conditions as winds, steady rain, and even snow in elevated areas, can occur at any time of year.

In Spring (October and November) you will enjoy fewer crowds and the wildflowers are in bloom. Spring marks the return of longer, warmer days while still being cool at night.

In Summer (December to February) you can experience ideal weather conditions. This is the most popular time to walk in Tasmania so you may encounter more people on the trail.

In Autumn you can experience calm, sunny days, and cool crisp nights. You can also witness some of the leaves and trees begin to change colours.

As the Overland Track is renowned as being a true wilderness walk, you cannot expect phone reception while on the trail. For trekkers who summit Mount Ossa and Cradle Mountain, there is sometimes sporadic phone reception. However, this cannot be relied upon. Our guides carry emergency satellite phones which allow them to communicate with our base in Launceston if any emergencies arise. Rest assured you are not completely alone in the wilderness.

Unfortunately there are no charging facilities at any of the huts along the Overland Track. We recommend bringing extra batteries or solar chargers for your phones. To conserve battery power on your mobile devices, turn your phones into flight mode.

You can either leave your excess luggage at the hotel that you stay at the night prior to the trip beginning, or alternatively, we can store it for you at our office in Launceston.

You will be returned to your accommodation at approximately 5pm on the final day of the trek. In case we are late, we do not advise to book flights to return home this evening.

This trek commences with a COMPULSORY pre-departure briefing at 2pm on the day before departure. It is ESSENTIAL that you make your travel arrangements to enable you to attend this briefing and that you bring along all of the gear/clothing required for your expedition with you.

Yes! You will be provided with all of your gear for the trek at the briefing and pack your backpack and leave it with the guides for Day 1 of the trip.

We highly recommend that you have high cut hiking boots for this trail. There are lots of slippery tree roots in the rainforest areas, so ankle support will be beneficial. Also, you may encounter mud along the way, so if they are waterproof, you will hopefully have nice dry feet at the end of the day.

Hiking poles can definitely assist you with going up and down the inclines and for stability in mud or slippery tree roots. If you have not used them previously, we recommend that you do some training with them before you head out on the hike.

The day pack that we recommend for the Overland Track should be a small compressible day pack that folds down to as small as your hand if not smaller. This is only to be used when you do side trips, as you will leave your 70-90L backpack at the trail head and return to it after the side trip. It is not mandatory that you have the day pack, but we find that it is convenient to have one. An example of what we suggest for a daypack is the Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Day Pack

Unfortunately there are no shower facilities on the camping expeditions along the Overland Track. For those who are concerned about washing, the closest you’ll come to a bath are the alpine lakes that are accessible each day, where you can have a quick refreshing dip. However, for a real cleanse we recommend you bring baby wipes (remember to take them out with you as well!).

Tasmania prides itself on clean pure water and most of the water along the track is safe to drink without purifying. Fresh rainwater tanks supplied by Parks and Wildlife can be found at each of the campsites, and you can also fill up your water bottle at many of the springs along the way.

It’s not uncommon to encounter leeches on the Overland Track, particularly in areas with a lot of leaf foliage and tree coverage. Leeches tend to breed in warm moist areas, so can be spotted during the summer months in marshy areas. Leech bites do not hurt, however if they bother you, we suggest bringing a salt solution to remove them from your skin if you come into contact with them.

Mount Ossa is Tasmania’s highest peak at 1617 m / 5305 ft, and the summit is included as a side trip on our itinerary, weather permitting and depending on group fitness. It is a genuine climb rather than a stroll, and your guides make the call on the day based on conditions and how the group is travelling.

Ancient myrtle and King Billy pine forest, glacially carved dolerite landscapes, button grass plains, and plateaus scattered with tarns and alpine lakes. The track passes beneath Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff, crosses Pelion Plains under the dolerite spires of Mount Oakleigh, and finishes on the rainforest shores of Lake St Clair.

Five nights in twin-share tents at Waterfall Valley, Lake Windermere, Pelion Plains, Kia Ora and Bert Nichols — the established campsites along the track, each with a Parks rainwater tank and toilet facilities. Tents, sleeping bag, inner sheet and inflatable mat are all part of the trek pack we provide.

Overland Track Trip reviews

Overland Track Videos

Overland Track Guided Trek - What You Need To Know

Positive Impact Travel

By joining this trip you are directly supporting positive impact projects in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We’ve offset the carbon emitted by this trip by purchasing credits that support important projects that address the UN’s seventeen SDGs, like reducing poverty, affordable and clean energy, reducing hunger, clean water and climate action.

Proceeds from this adventure purchase carbon credits through the world’s largest and most awarded carbon project developer, South Pole, which are invested into projects accelerating the transition to renewable energy sources in developing countries.

Supported projects are based on internationally recognised standards and are third-party audited. They entail a series of positive impacts on the ground, which benefit local communities and ecosystems, that are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.