Victoria is one of the most jam-packed states in Australia, for charming towns, lovely beaches, wine regions & national parks. Most travellers come to Victoria to visit Melbourne, the state capital and one of Australia’s most beautiful cities. While Melbourne is a must-visit destination on any trip to Australia there is so much to explore beyond the city limits! The best places to visit in Victoria are Melbourne, The Great Ocean Road, the Mornington Peninsula, the Yarra Valley & the Goldfields, just to name a few!

Victoria is bursting at the seams with vibrant cities, charming historic country towns, more than 2000 miles of coastline, 12 mountain ranges, hot springs and elegant spa towns, 45 national parks and 2800 other protected areas and 21 wine regions (more than any other state in the country). Whether you’re interested in eating & drinking, wineries, hiking, sport, shopping or wildlife, Victoria has somewhere beautiful to explore.

PS. Planning a trip to Australia? Check out my itinerary for two weeks in Australia for first time visitors.

Best Places to Visit in Victoria

• Best for Culture: Melbourne
• Best for Wineries: Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, King Valley
• Best for Historic Country Towns: The Goldfields, High Country, Daylesford
• Best for Beaches & Beach Towns: Mornington Peninsula, Great Ocean Road
• Best for National Parks: Great Ocean Road, The Grampians, Wilsons Prom

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital city of Victoria and the second-largest city in Australia. It’s known for its leading food scene and coffee culture, a leading arts & cultural scene.

Melbourne is also famous for its vibrant laneways, where you’ll find some of the city’s best coffee, food & shopping.

To get the most out of your trip to Melbourne, explore by neighbourhood. The Melbourne CBD is the most beautiful CBD in Australia, and the best place to discover Melbourne’s laneways, like Hosier Lane, Hardware Lane and Degreaves St.

Beyond the city, make time to discover some of Melbourne’s most iconic neighbourhoods like historic Carlton, trendy Fitzroy and seaside St Kilda.

I’ve lived in Melbourne for nearly a decade, and have loved getting to know this city so well. Check out my itinerary for 3 days in Melbourne to plan your first visit.

Top 3 Highlights

Great Ocean Road

The Great Ocean Road is the #1 scenic drive in Australia, and one of the best places to visit in Victoria for a coastal road trip.

The Great Ocean Road is in southwest Victoria, starting 90 minutes’ drive from Melbourne in Torquay and stretches for 243km to Allansford, near Warrnambool.

The most famous sight on the Great Ocean Road are the Twelve Apostles, which are a series of limestone stacks, towering out of the sea just off the coast. Only seven remain, but they’re a breathtaking sight.

Other notable places on the Great Ocean Road include Loch Ard Gorge, seaside towns like Lorne, Apollo Bay and Port Campbell, and Great Otway National Park, which is home to pristine rainforest and several beautiful waterfalls.

Drive time from Melbourne: 2 hours to Lorne. Driving from Lorne along the Great Ocean Road to the Twelve Apostles & other sights is slow but scenic – approximately 2 hours one way.

Where to stay: Lorne or Apollo Bay

Top 3 Highlights

• The 12 Apostles, the iconic limestone pillars staggered in the sea, in Port Campbell National Park
• Lorne, the loveliest beach town on the Great Ocean Road
• Erskine Falls, Beauchamp Falls & Hopetoun Falls in Great Otway National Park

Yarra Valley

​​The Yarra Valley is the best wine region in Victoria, and is within an hour’s drive of Melbourne.

The award-winning cool climate wine region is home to Australia’s best sparkling wines, as well as chardonnay, pinot noir, shiraz and cabernet sauvignon. There are more than 90 cellar doors in the Yarra Valley, as well as a number of excellent winery restaurants. 

Most of the wineries are clustered around Coldstream, Healesville, Seville and Yarra Glen. It’s an easy day trip from Melbourne, and there are plenty of Yarra Valley wine tours from Melbourne that take you to 3-4 wineries and include lunch. My favourite wineries in the Yarra Valley are Dominique Portet, Tarrawarra Estate and Domaine Chandon. Check out my guide to 15 of the best wineries in the Yarra Valley for more ideas.

Drive time from Melbourne: Less than 1 hour.

Where to stay: Healesville

Top 3 Highlights

Mornington Peninsula

The Mornington Peninsula is one of the best places to visit in Victoria for a luxurious weekend getaway, with white sandy beaches, dozens of world class wineries and two geothermal hot spring spas.

An easy 90-minute drive from Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula is ideal for both day trips and weekends from the city. The Mornington Peninsula is one of Victoria’s top wine regions and is known for cool climate wines, especially its perfect pinot noir. 

A weekend on the Mornington Peninsula might include a morning hiking to beautiful Cape Schanck, lunch at Merricks General Store and an afternoon of wine tasting, followed by a day spent soaking in the geothermal hot springs at Alba Hot Springs or hitting the beach at pretty Safety Beach in Dromana.

Drive time from Melbourne: 90-120 minutes

Where to stay: Jackalope or InterContinental Sorrento

Top 3 Highlights

The Grampians

The Grampians is a beautiful region in western Victoria, famous for Grampians National Park. 

It’s a three-hour drive from Melbourne, making it one of the most popular destinations in Victoria for long weekends. With limited accommodation in Halls Gap, you’ll need to book well in advance.

Highlights that you can access with short hikes include the Boroka Lookout, which overlooks Wonderland Range and Lake Bellfield, Mackenzie Falls and The Balconies, although there are several overnight hikes you can do to explore deeper into the park.On your way out from The Grampians, stop by the cellar door at Mt Langhi Ghiran Estate to try their award-winning shiraz.

Drive time from Melbourne: 3 hours

Where to stay: Halls Gap

Top 3 Highlights

• Mackenzie Falls inside the national park
• Postcard perfect views from the Boroka Lookout
• Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld (Southern Grampians)

Wilsons Promontory

Wilson’s Promontory is a spectacular national park in Victoria’s southeast, and the largest coastal wilderness in the state.

There are a seemingly endless number of hikes and natural sights to see. Don’t miss the hike to the summit of Mt Oberon for other-worldly views over the coast and the famous bright white Squeaky Beach. Make time for the picturesque Picnic Bay and Whiskey Bay, which are connected by a short trail. 

Because it’s a longer drive from Melbourne, spendibng 3 days in Wilsons Prom will help you get the most out of your trip.

Drive time from Melbourne: 2.5-3 hours, depending on traffic

Where to stay: Camping is available inside the park, or accommodation can be found in towns near the park entrance, like Yanakie

Top 3 Highlights

• The view from Mt Oberon – worth the steep hike!
• Beautiful beaches at Squeaky Beach, Picnic Bay and Whisky Bay
• Spotting kangaroos, koalas, emus and wombats in the national park

High Country Victoria & King Valley

High Country Victoria is a vast and diverse region in northern Victoria, combining historic regional towns, skifields & alpine escapes, celebrated wine regions and vast national parks. High Country is so vast, you won’t see it all in a weekend but you can choose your own adventure. 

Beechworth & Rutherglen are some of the most charming country towns in Australia, and a great base for a weekend in the heart of High Country and exploring the Rutherglen wine region. In sharp contrast to major wine regions closer to Melbourne, Rutherglen wineries have a much more relaxed, and intimate feel.

The King Valley is a celebrated Victorian wine region, best known for its Italian wine varietals, planted by Italian immigrants who came to Australia after World War II. 

Nestled between Mt Buffalo National Park and Mt Beauty, Bright is a beloved Victorian town, renowned for its autumn foliage. In winter, Victorian families embrace the cold and head to the Victorian ski fields, like Mt Buller and Mt Hotham.

Closer to Melbourne, Nagambie and the Strathbogie Ranges offer an indulgent weekend escape. Stay at the luxurious Mitchelton Estate, which has an on-site winery, art gallery and restaurants. Nearby wineries Fowles Wine & Tahbilk are some of the region’s best.

Drive time from Melbourne: 3-4 hours from Melbourne.

Where to stay: Beechworth or Bright for a long weekend in the heart of the region. Mitchelton Wines is a luxurious weekend getaway, less than 2 hours from Melbourne.

Top 3 Highlights

• Historic Beechworth, one of the most charming country towns in Australia
• King Valley wine region, which is known for its Italian wine varietals, including prosecco
• Rutherglen wine region, which is especially well-known for its port and shiraz durif

Daylesford & The Macedon Ranges

Daylesford & the Macedon Ranges is one of the best places in Victoria for a charming country weekend getaway, offering hikes, wineries, hot springs and elegant country hospitality.

The Macedon Ranges is home to Australia’s largest concentration of mineral springs, which can be experienced at several spas and bath houses in the region. The best known is Hepburn Bath House & Spa, in Hepburn Springs.

The iconic Hanging Rock has been immortalised in the classic Australian novel Picnic at Hanging Rock, and can be experienced for yourself by taking the short but steep Hanging Rock Summit Walk.

Daylesford is an elegant spa town, with historic streets and a vibrant food scene. It’s best known for Lake House Daylesford, an iconic luxury lodge, spa and restaurant. 

The region also has several charming small towns and villages, such as Kyneton and Woodend, and is home to the Macedon Ranges wine region.

Drive time from Melbourne: 90 minutes from Melbourne, more in traffic.Where to stay: Daylesford

Top 3 Highlights

• The Hanging Rock Summit Walk, famous for the classic book & film adaptation, Picnic at Hanging Rock
• Wine tasting at Hanging Rock Winery or cider tasting at Daylesford Cider Co
• Daylesford, a charming and historic spa town

The Goldfields

The Goldfields is a historic region just outside Melbourne, dotted with elegant 19th century towns and villages and four small wine regions.

The Victorian Gold Rush in the late 19th century made Melbourne the richest city in the world. Around the goldfields, towns like Bendigo and Ballarat sprang up as wealth poured out of the ground. 

The jewel in the crown is Ballarat, which has some of the best preserved 19th century streetscapes, as well as a vibrant food scene and beautiful botanic garden. Bendigo is the other major town in the region, and small towns and villages like Castlemain, Kyneton and Heathcote are all worth a stop.

The Goldfields has four wine regions: Bendigo, Ballarat, Pyrenees and Heathcote. My favourite is Heathcote wine region, which is known for its celebrated and distinctive Heathcote shiraz.

Drive time from Melbourne: 1.5-2 hours, depending on traffic

Where to stay: Ballarat

Top 3 Highlights

• Historic Ballarat, which has beautifully preserved 19th century streetscapes on Lydiard St & Sturt St
• The Ballarat Botanic Gardens during the Ballarat Begonia Festival
• Heathcote wine region, especially during its annual Heathcote on Show wine weekend in June

Geelong & The Bellarine Peninsula

The Bellarine Peninsula is dotted with peaceful coastal towns, wineries with ocean views and home to Geelong, the second-largest city in Victoria.

The Bellarine Peninsula’s small beach towns and wineries might be one of Victoria’s best kept secrets. From celebrated wineries like Scotchman’s Hill to the jaw-dropping ocean views from Jack Rabbit, the Bellarine Peninsula’s wineries are well worth a detour.

The peninsula is ringed with laidback coastal towns and villages. Barwon Heads is the liveliest, with a beautiful setting where the Barwon River meets the sea. Other popular spots include Anglesea, Port Arlington, Queenscliff and Ocean Grove.

Geelong is worth a stop, with a beautiful waterfront precinct.

Drive time from Melbourne: 1 hour 20 to 1 hr 40 mins, depending on traffic.Where to stay: Barwon Heads

Top 3 Highlights

Dandenong Ranges

The Dandenong Ranges are the mountain ranges behind the Yarra Valley, covered in cool, temperate rainforest of towering Mountain Ash, with popular walking trails and quaint mountain villages.

You’ll need your own wheels to explore The Dandenongs. Set the GPS for the villages of Sassafrass or Kalista, so you don’t confuse the Dandenong Ranges region with the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong, which is 45 minutes away.

Take a scenic drive through the Dandenongs and stop in quaint villages like Sassafrass or Kalista, at one of many cosy cafes.

The 1000 Steps is the most popular hiking trail in the Dandenongs, most likely because it’s the closest to Melbourne. To manage expectations: there are easily more than a thousand steps, but there’s no view at the summit. The walk to Sherbrooke Falls is easier, and the peaceful walk amongst the ferns and Mountain Ash is very relaxing.

Top 3 Highlights

• The Sir Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens, especially in spring & autumn
• Cute cafes in Sassafrass, like Ripe Cafe and King Henry
• Walking trails in Dandenong Ranges National Park

Further Reading

Discover Victoria

More of Australia

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