Victoria

Australia

Overview

Discover sweeping coastlines and rugged yet pristine beaches, national parks and forests teeming with wildlife. Find mountains where you can ski, climb and hike. Indulge your senses in wineries and natural spas.

Victoria offers a wealth of diverse experiences and attractions. Best of all, many of Victoria’s unique and varied landscapes are easily accessible as day trips from Melbourne.

Things to do

    • Named the world’s most liveable city more time than you can count on one hand, Melbourne is a sporting mecca with a rich calendar of events and thriving bar and restaurant scene. Visit for the events (think The Australian Open, the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Melbourne Cup horse race and cricket’s Boxing Day Test match) but make time to discover its hidden laneway and rooftop bars, local designers, tucked-away restaurants and cutting-edge cafés.
    • Just an hour’s drive from Melbourne, explore the forests and fern gullies of the Dandenong Ranges via car, on foot or by historic steam train and admire some of Australia’s finest cool-climate gardens. Visit Healesville Sanctuary, one of the best places in the country to interact with Australian wildlife in natural surroundings and continue to the Yarra Valley, Victoria’s finest cool climate wine region. There you can embark on a hot-air balloon ride and a enjoy a host of winery experiences.
    • Watch the little penguins come home to their burrows in the sand and see fur seals and koalas in their natural habitats at Phillip Island, which has a host of wildlife experiences for the whole family. A 3½ hour round trip from Melbourne, Phillip Island is a perfect short getaway where you can relax on unspoiled ocean beaches, visit historic farms and even get an adrenalin fix on the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
    • Undulating vineyards, farmland, ocean and bay beaches can all be found on the Mornington Peninsula, just an hour’s drive from Melbourne. Enjoy long lunches at winery restaurants, swim with dolphins and seals in Port Phillip Bay, peruse country markets, pick strawberries, visit a wildlife sanctuary, ride horses along beaches and across vineyards, visit cheesemakers and distillers, farm stands and olive groves, go bushwalking and take pictures of Victoria’s colourful bathing boxes.
    • Invigorate body and mind in the natural mineral springs and historic villages of the Daylesford Macedon Ranges region, just an 80 minute drive northwest from Melbourne. Soak in mineral waters and find balance at spa and wellness retreats. Enjoy great food and wine in country pubs as well as fine dining restaurants, such as The Lake House, a trailblazing farm-to-table restaurant and spa resort. Explore heritage gardens, buy farmgate produce, and browse art galleries and boutiques in quaint country towns.
    • Discover the history and culture of the Goldfields region, about 90 minutes drive from Melbourne. Spend the day at the recreated gold-mining town of Sovereign Hill, which brings to life Australia’s splendid 1850s gold rush era. Meet costumed characters, pan for real gold, chat with skilled craftsmen, and visit a one-room schoolhouse. Admire the elaborate buildings of Ballarat and Bendigo, which were built on the riches of the gold rush, visit the Gold Museum, go underground to a real gold mine, and visit the Chinese Museum and Joss House Temple.
    • Starting an hour outside of Melbourne, the Great Ocean Road spans Victoria’s epic, wave-crashing coastline all the way to the spectacular rocky outcrops of the 12 Apostles, and beyond to the South Australian border. Enjoy expansive views of the Southern Ocean, surrounded by golden beaches, jagged cliffs, and temperate rainforests. See animals and birds in the wild, watch pro surfers in action, relax in pretty coastal towns, savour gourmet treats, and discover Indigenous cultural sites. The Great Ocean Road is as much about a spectacular journey as it is the destination.

Places to go

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Destination | Victoria

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