posted on January 24, 2024
Planning a holiday and considering a fun and memorable Melbourne road trip? We’ve got you covered with our detailed guide for all the scenic and adventurous road trips you can tackle around Melbourne!
From coastal drives with beautiful seaside views to inland routes through lush national parks and charming rural towns, trust me – there are so many amazing Melbourne road trips for you to choose from.
An overview of best road trips from Melbourne
Whether you’re after a short day trip to a local national park or a longer multi-day road trip across several landmarks and rural towns, rest assured that there’s a perfect road trip for you. Below is a snapshot of the best road trips from Melbourne to add to your radar.
Best day trips from Melbourne:
- Mornington Peninsula
- Phillip Island
- Daylesford and Macedon Ranges
- The Great Alpine Road
- Yarra Valley and Black Spur Drive
- Lake Eildon National Park
- Great Otway National Park via Turton’s Track
- Grampians National Park
- Wilsons Promontory National Park
- The Great Ocean Road
Best interstate road trips from Melbourne:
- Melbourne to Sydney (New South Wales)
- Melbourne to Adelaide (South Australia)
- Melbourne to Canberra (Australian Capital Territory)
Expert tips for planning the perfect road trip from Melbourne
- Decide on an itinerary. There are many road trip options from Melbourne, such as the iconic Great Ocean Road, Grampians National Park, Yarra Ranges National Park, Mornington Peninsula, and Wilsons Promontory. Tailor your route based on your interests and the duration of your trip.
- Consider the season: Consider the season and weather when planning your road trip. Some attractions may be more enjoyable during specific times, such as beach destinations and fruit picking in the summer or mountainous regions and driving along the Murray River in the cooler months.
- Check vehicle and road conditions: Ensure your vehicle is well-maintained and in good condition before setting off on your road trip. Not sure if your car is up to the task? Consider hiring a reliable vehicle from Turo instead. Check the oil, brakes, tyres, and make sure you’re up to date with your car servicing. Before you depart, check for any road closures, construction, tolls, or detours that may affect your route.
- Plan breaks and stops: Break up long drives with stops at interesting attractions or scenic viewpoints. Plan for regular breaks to stretch, rest, and enjoy the journey (ideally, a 15-minute break every two hours).
- Entertainment and navigation: Prepare a road trip playlist, audiobooks, or podcasts for entertainment. Use navigation apps or GPS navigation devices to help with directions.
- Safety first: Prioritise safety by obeying traffic rules, wearing seatbelts, and avoiding distractions while driving. Share your itinerary with someone and check in regularly, especially if you’re travelling solo.
The Great Ocean Road
- Driving time from Melbourne: 1 hour from Melbourne to the start of the Great Ocean Road, and about 4 hours to drive the full length of the Great Ocean Road
- Driving distance from Melbourne: 343 km from Melbourne to the end of the Great Ocean Road
- Recommended stops: Bells Beach, Erskine Falls, Melba Gully, Twelve Apostles, Port Campbell, and more
- Best for: enjoying coastal scenery, driving through native forestry, surfing breaks, iconic natural landmarks
It’s hard to find a more scenic drive from Melbourne than the Great Ocean Road (stretching from Torquay to Allansford). From world-famous surf breaks to stunning waterfalls and sleepy coastal towns, this road trip is brimming with must-see spots (including the Great Otway National Park and Port Campbell National Park).
While it is possible to tackle portions of the Great Ocean Road as a day trip from Melbourne, we recommend setting aside at least two to three days to break up the journey and make stops along the way.
Don’t miss Bells Beach, which is just an hour and a half from Melbourne’s city centre near Torquay. This coastal town is known for its incredible surf conditions, hosting the Rip Curl Pro surfing competition annually during Easter. Even if you’re not a surfer, the dramatic coastal cliffs and white sand beaches make it a great place to stop and enjoy the fresh air.
Tip from the author: check out our complete self-driving itinerary for the Great Ocean Road.
Another iconic stop to pay a visit along the Great Ocean Road is Erskine Falls, located in Great Otway National Park. This stunning waterfall is about 30 metres high and is surrounded by tall ferns, moss-covered rocks, and towering eucalyptus trees. The falls cascade over a series of rocky steps, creating a picturesque scene perfect for both nature enthusiasts and photographers.
While driving through the Great Otway National Park, you’ll also come across the Maits Rest Rainforest Walk and Melba Gully, both of which offer unforgettable sights and immersive activities. The Maits Rest Rainforest Walk is best known for its cool temperatures, moss-covered boardwalk, and self-guided bird-watching opportunities. Melba Gully is similarly famous for its nature-watching activities, best visited at night to see thousands of glow worms.
The road trip fun doesn’t stop at the Great Otway National Park – in fact, there are a few more stops as you head into the Port Campbell region that are well worth a visit. These include Gibson Steps, the Twelve Apostles, and Loch Ard Gorge.
As the name suggests, Gibson Steps is a cliffside staircase along the Great Ocean Rd that descends into a pristine beach below. Offering breathtaking panoramic views of the dramatic coastal cliffs and the Southern Ocean, the Gibson Steps cliffs are a result of natural erosion spanning over millions of years and offer a rugged and awe-inspiring landscape.
The Twelve Apostles is another one of Australia’s most iconic and breathtaking natural landmarks, impressive at all times of day. Despite the name, the Twelve Apostles have slowly eroded over the years, now with only a few rock formations that remain standing over the Southern Ocean. It’s still a sight to behold and you can take a closer look at the nature-defying limestone stacks with a helicopter tour.
Last but certainly not least is the Loch Ard Gorge, a breathtaking and historically significant natural formation located along the Shipwreck Coast. If you want to dive into the history of the region, this is a must-see spot. In fact, Loch Ard Gorge gets its name from the Loch Ard shipwreck of 1878. Today, you can find a memorial plaque in the town that pays tribute to the victims.
The Great Ocean Road ends at Port Campbell, where you can stay a couple of days to enjoy the nearby unspoiled beaches and picturesque coastal scenery. It’s a small town most famous for its proximity to Victoria’s natural wonders, and tourist-friendly community filled with restaurants, cafes, and boutique shops.
Great Otway National Park via Turton’s Track
- Driving time from Melbourne: 2 hours 34 minutes
- Driving distance from Melbourne: 201 km
- Recommended stops: Tanybryn, Californian Redwoods, Beech Forest, and more
- Best for: waterfall lovers, nature photographers, short road trips
If you’re more a fan of travelling inland and immersing yourself in native Australian bush land and forestry, the Turton’s Track road trip is the one for you. Starting in Tanybryn, Turton’s Track takes you past multiple stunning waterfalls as well as Beech Forest and the Otway Fly Treetop Adventures.
Around a two-hour drive from Melbourne, Tanybryn is a rural locality in the Shire of Colac Otway in Victoria. It’s the perfect place to officially set off on your road trip, with a friendly and tight-knit community to show you around and a charming rural atmosphere that’s great for unwinding.
The first few waterfalls you’ll come across while travelling through Turton’s Track are Beauchamp Falls and Hopetoun Falls. Situated in the Otway Ranges, Beauchamp Falls are well worth the hike from the Aire Valley Plantation. The 2.5 km round trip will take you through lush forests before reaching this must-see waterfall.
Hopetoun Falls is another stunning waterfall located in the Otway Ranges, situated specifically in the Aire Valley. Hopetoun Falls is known for its impressive height and graceful cascade. The waterfall drops over a fern-fringed cliff, creating a picturesque scene that is especially enchanting after periods of rain when the water flow is more consistent. It’s the perfect waterfall to snap a picture of to commemorate your trip.
The Californian Redwoods in Beech Forest, also known as Redwoods Forest, is a unique natural sight along the Turton’s Track.
Fun fact: Despite being native to California, USA, the Californian Redwood trees were planted in the area in the 1930s as an experimental logging plantation but were ultimately left to grow, creating a unique and unexpected forest in the Australian landscape.
Finish up your drive along Turton Track with Triplet Falls, best known for its three distinct cascades. The waterfall flows over lush, moss-covered rocks surrounded by ferns and ancient trees, creating a serene and unforgettable environment. With a total height of 38 metres, Triplet Falls is truly a sight to behold.
Yarra Valley and Black Spur Drive
- Driving time from Melbourne: 2 hours 17 minutes
- Driving distance from Melbourne: 119 km
- Recommended stops: Healesville Sanctuary, Seville Farm, Cherryhill Orchards, Blue Hills Berries & Cherries, Lake Mountain, and more
- Best for: seasonal fruit-picking, mountainous views, visiting atmospheric rural towns
Head north from Melbourne and reach the rolling hills of the Yarra Valley and Black Spur Drive, a family-friendly drive designed for nature lovers and seasonal fruit picking. Taking you through a bunch of local fruit farms such as Seville Farms, Jay Berries, Cherryhill Orchards, and Blue Hills Berries & Berries, take your pick on where to go cherry-picking during the summer months.
Along the way, why not stop in at Healesville Sanctuary? This park-meets-zoo is committed to conserving Australia’s local wildlife with a range of breeding and rehabilitation programs for injured or orphaned animals.
Tip from the author: Spanning between Healesville and Narbethong, Black Spur Drive is a short but incredibly scenic driving road – a must-see when visiting Melbourne.
After going cherry-picking and visiting Healesville Sanctuary, you can drive up to Lake Mountain in about an hour and a half and enjoy the alpine peaks, perfect for mountain biking and hiking during the warmer months. Lake Mountain Alpine Resort is the best place to stay while visiting the region.
Great Alpine Road
- Driving time from Melbourne: 3 hours 28 minutes
- Driving distance from Melbourne: 276 km
- Recommended stops: Beechworth, Mount Hotham, Lakes Entrance, Gippsland Lakes, and more
- Best for: traversing through diverse alpine terrain, visiting charming small towns, outdoor recreation
The Great Alpine Road stretches approximately 276 kilometres from Melbourne to Gippsland Lakes in the east. The road traverses the Australian Alps, passing through diverse terrain, including alpine regions, valleys, and forests.
The road takes travellers through the alpine resort of Mount Hotham, known for its winter sports and stunning mountain vistas. Known as Australia’s ‘powder capital’, Mount Hotham regularly records the highest annual snowfall in Victoria with a range of downhill runs, cross country trials, ski-in ski-out accommodation and plenty of spots to enjoy an après-ski aperitif and bite to eat.
There are also several picturesque towns along the Great Alpine Road that are well worth a visit, including Beechworth, Bright, Lakes Entrance, and Omeo. These towns all have unique heritage and friendly local communities, and are great for resting while driving east to Mount Hotham and Gippsland Lakes.
Gippsland Lakes is the last stop along the Great Alpine road trip, home to Australia’s largest inland waterways. Expect over 600 square kilometres of lakes, marshes and lagoons, surrounded by the Lakes National Park and Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park – perfect for a quick hike or camping spot.
Mornington Peninsula
- Driving time from Melbourne: 1 hour 38 minutes
- Driving distance from Melbourne: 103 km
- Recommended stops: Arthurs Seat Eagle, Ashcombe Maze & Lavender Gardens, Point Nepean National Park, Peninsula Hot Springs, Rye Ocean Beach
- Best for: relaxing recreational activities, sight-seeing, beach trips
The drive from Melbourne to Mornington Peninsula is relatively short, but is nonetheless filled with fun and relaxing activities as you travel along the perimeter of Port Phillip Bay. The most popular stop along your drive to Mornington Peninsula is the Peninsula Hot Springs. Surrounded by natural vegetation and amidst lush forestry, the Peninsula Hot Springs is an amazing place to relax and recharge over a couple of days.
The Peninsula Hot Springs is a large collection of geothermal hot springs. The thermal mineral waters are sourced from a natural underground aquifer and are known for their therapeutic properties. The hot springs are spread across various pools, bathing areas, and bathing experiences, each offering a unique spa and wellness treatment for visitors to enjoy.
Besides the Peninsula Hot Springs, the Mornington Peninsula road trip is also great for sight-seeing. You can spend a couple of hours exploring the Ashcombe Maze and Lavender Gardens, as well as enjoy a gondola lift ride at Arthurs Seat Eagle. Wrap up your trip at the Rye Ocean Beach and watch the sunset over the Bass Strait.
Top stop: Looking for a place to stay in Mornington? Check out The Royal Hotel, where you can enjoy stunning beach views and magical sunsets right from your balcony. With a casual bistro, a beer garden, live entertainment, and a playground for the kids, it’s an ideal family-friendly stop on your road trip.
Wilsons Promontory National Park
- Driving time from Melbourne: 3 hours 25 minutes
- Driving distance from Melbourne: 229 km
- Recommended stops: Squeaky Beach, Tidal River Camp Area, Norman Beach, Mount Oberon Summit, and more
- Best for: beaches, camping, mountain biking and hiking trails, long drive
The drive from Melbourne through Wilsons Promontory National Park to Mount Oberon is a fairly long one, taking around three and a half hours excluding rest stops. It’s one of the best road trips from Melbourne for camping and visiting unspoilt beaches, and is certainly one for outdoor adventurers and explorers.
Two of the beaches you can visit along your drive are Squeaky Beach and Norman Beach, both known for their pristine sands and surrounding walking tracks. Squeaky Beach is located within Wilsons Promontory National Park, and can be easily accessed from the Tidal River area, which serves as a central hub for visitors to the national park. Also nearby is Norman Beach, famous for its wide stretch of golden sand and gentle waves, which make the beach suitable for swimming. Norman Beach is a family-friendly destination, and its tranquil waters offer a safe environment for water-based activities.
Tidal River Camp Area is the main camping area within Wilsons Promontory National Park and is surrounded by coastal heathlands, eucalypt forests, and stunning beaches, making it a relaxing place to stay. This campground offers a range of facilities, including amenities blocks with showers and toilets, picnic areas, barbecues, and communal cooking facilities.
The final destination on your Wilsons Promontory National Park road trip is Mount Oberon Summit. Mount Oberon Summit is a prominent vantage point in the region and overlooks the coastline and nearby beaches. Reaching the summit of Mount Oberon involves a moderately challenging hike. With a gradual ascent, expect to venture roughly 3.4 km to the summit.
Phillip Island
- Driving time from Melbourne: 2 hours
- Driving distance from Melbourne: 142 km
- Recommended stops: Cape Woolamai, Penguin Parade
- Best for: spotting wild penguin colonies
Driving to Phillip Island from Melbourne is a popular day trip, and the journey provides access to beautiful coastal landscapes and attractions.
The main town on Phillip Island is Cowes, and you’ll likely arrive there or in the vicinity of other attractions like the Penguin Parade, Cape Woolamai, Nobbies Centre, and the Grand Prix Circuit. Cape Woolamai is the largest and highest point on Phillip Island and is home to the Cape Woolamai Coastal Walk, which offers breathtaking views of the coastline. The trail takes you along large cliffs where you can enjoy panoramic vistas of the sea.
Penguin Parade is the most famous attraction on Phillip Island. It’s a nightly phenomenon where little penguins (commonly known as fairy penguins), the world’s smallest species of penguin, come ashore in groups after a day of fishing. You can partake in a night tour and see the penguins up close by registering at the Penguin Parade Visitor Centre near Summerland Beach. The Nature Park also has several viewing platforms for those who simply want to admire the penguins from afar.
Daylesford and Macedon Ranges
- Driving time from Melbourne: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Driving distance from Melbourne: 161 km
- Recommended stops: Paynes Orchards, Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens, Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve, Mount Macedon
- Best for: exploring natural attractions, visiting charming rural towns
The Dayles and Macedon Ranges road trip from Melbourne takes you further west into the state, visiting small rural towns such as Bacchus Marsh and Hepburn along the way. The main highlights of this drive include Paynes Orchards, Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens, and of course, Mount Macedon.
Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens has been a local attraction since opening in the 1860s. Not only are the gardens located on the peak of an extinct volcano, but you’ll score incredible views across to Daylesford and beyond from the Pioneers Lookout Tower.
Another must-see spot along the drive is Mount Macedon, brimming with heritage gardens, towering Mountain Ash and an abundance of wildlife. Our tip? Try to visit this area during autumn to see the town’s iconic oak trees on Macedon’s Honour Avenue in a vibrant array of colours.
Need to stretch your legs? Explore the 30 km of hiking trails throughout Macedon Regional Park or enjoy a picnic with the whole family. In winter, expect to see an abundance of wild fungi across the entire park.
Grampians National Park
- Driving time from Melbourne: 3 hours 17 minutes
- Driving distance from Melbourne: 267 km
- Recommended stops: Pinnacle Lookout, Fish Falls, Reeds Lookout, Boroka Lookout
- Best for: mountainous views, high lookouts, stunning waterfalls
Nature lovers: don’t miss the epic road trip from Melbourne to the Grampians National Park. Expect world-famous hiking trails, stunning spring wildflowers and refreshing waterfalls.
Challenge yourself to the highest peak in the park (Mount William) or try another hike, from the Grampians Peaks Trails to the Mount Thackeray Overnight Hike.
Boroka Lookout offers spectacular views of Halls Gap and the surrounding landscapes, while Reeds Lookout provides sweeping views of the Victoria Valley and nearby mountain ranges. The Pinnacle also has one of the most iconic views in Grampians and can be accessed via a moderately challenging hike from Halls Gap.
Lake Eildon National Park
- Driving time from Melbourne: 2 hours 23 minutes
- Driving distance from Melbourne: 180 km
- Recommended stops: Lake Eildon
- Best for: wildlife viewing, camping, picnicking, fishing
Last but certainly not least is the easy day trip to Lake Eildon National Park. This park is all about water sports, perfect for families looking to swim, canoe, sail or fish beneath the Victorian Alps.
While this national park is an easy day trip from Melbourne, you can camp overnight at Lake Eildon with a number of absolutely stunning campgrounds in the area (from Devils Cove to the Lakeside Campgrounds).
Whether you take a hike to Fogg’s Lookouts or Snobs Creek Waterfall, you’ll have no shortage of things to see or do in the area.
Final advice for the best road trip from Melbourne
No matter the type of road trip from Melbourne you’re looking to embark on, there’s sure to be one that meets and exceeds your expectations from our list above. Enjoy the road trip of your dreams by hiring the perfect car Turo.
Lucinda Starr
Lucinda is a Sydney-based content specialist and avid road tripper. Having travelled across Asia, North America and the South Pacific, she's experienced everything from glamping in a Yurt in -30 degrees in The Yukon, snorkelling in the open seas of Vanuatu and hiking the rocky alps of Kamikochi in Japan. She's currently planning her next overseas adventure, a toss-up between a classic #EuroSummer or a multi-day trek through Nepal.
