Day Trips in Summer – Melbourne, Victoria

Melbourne is Australia’s second largest city, has the highest living standards in the world and often the spot in Australia that surprises and impresses people the most. There are countless great things to see in Victoria outside of Melbourne in summer and all through the year, and the easiest way to see them is on a day trip. The best day trips from Melbourne show you all the great things Australia has to offer, from wildlife and nature to pristine coastline.

Wildlife and Wine

Healesville Sanctuary is a great place to see kangaroos, wombats, emus, and dingoes. The sanctuary is also one of the rare places where you can see platypus. Phillip Island, about 140 kilometers from Melbourne’s city center, is best known for its colony of fairy penguins. Located an easy two-hour drive south-east of Melbourne, Phillip Island is most famous for its nightly penguin parade.

The Grampians National Park is a popular day trip from Melbourne, providing a feeling of the true Australian wilderness. Its a three hour drive from Melbourne. Most activities are free, aside from gas, though more difficult hikes may be best to do with a guide. Despite the long drive, coming back to Melbourne at sunset is a wonderful time to spot hundreds of kangaroos.

The Yarra Valley is one of Victoria’s best wine regions. It is Victoria’s oldest wine region dating back to 1838. The pretty rolling green hills and vineyards could be in Europe, except for the kangaroos. Domaine Chandon is the most visited winery in the area with huge windows overlooking the vines.

Coastline, Beaches and History

At the southernmost point of mainland Australia lies Wilsons Promontory, a coastal destination boasting beaches and nature. Avid hikers in particular will enjoy this park, and anyone can admire the breathtaking scenery from its many panoramic lookouts. Wilsons Promontory National Park is the state’s largest coastal wilderness area and a nirvana for nature lovers.

The Great Ocean Road is one of Australia’s most spectacular stretches of coastline and a top place to visit on a road trip. Victoria’s elegant seaside resorts charm visitors with their quaint shops, art galleries, and award-winning restaurants. The Great Ocean Road Small-Group Eco-Tour includes a hike in Great Otway National Park, koala spotting, and a stop at Apollo Bay. The picturesque Mornington Peninsula is a favorite seaside escape from Melbourne.

Follow the shores of Port Phillip Bay east from Melbourne and you’ll soon reach the Mornington Peninsula. The Mornington Peninsula is known for its markets, hot springs, and for snorkelling, diving and hiking. At the far tip is the intriguing Point Nepean National Park with its Quarantine Station, forts, tunnels, wild surf beaches and quiet bathing spots. It is just over 100km from Melbourne CBD to Portsea at the furthest end of the peninsula which takes 90 minutes to drive

Queenscliff is located on the tip of the Bellarine Peninsula, opposite the popular town of Sorrento. To learn more about the town, head to the Fort Queenscliff Museum inside the fortifications that once protected Port Phillip Bay. Within the fort grounds, you’ll find the only black lighthouse in the southern hemisphere. Another interesting bit of history in town is the old steam train that still operates out to Drysdale.

Historic Point Lonsdale is located just across Port Phillip Bay within view of Melbourne. The Bellarine Railway is also based at Queenscliff and gives you a chance to ride old steam locomotives. Nearby Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads have lovely beaches and coastal scenery to explore.

As the second largest city in Victoria, Geelong is the gateway to the Surf Coast. The town of Lorne has everything that makes Victoria’s Surf Coast so special. Torquay and Lorne are one of the most relaxed day drives from Melbourne. Bells Beach is world-famous and a great spot to watch surfers. Lorne, on beautiful Loutit Bay, is a little more sophisticated, but still charming and relaxed. It has long been home for one of the country’s favorite seaside resorts. Ballarat was built off the back of the 1850s gold rush, and you can still see the spoils.

Mountains, Hikes, Ski and some more History

Some of the nearest mountains to Melbourne are the Dandenong Ranges, where you’ll find an unlikely combination of fun places to visit. The Grampians National Park in western Victoria is a popular holiday spot with local tourists due to its dramatic landscape full of sheer mountain ridges.

Hanging Rock Reserve in the Macedon Ranges was the setting for the novel Picnic at H hanging Rock, which was later turned into a film directed by Peter Weir.

Sovereign Hill is an open-air museum that recreates life during the gold-rush era of the 1850s. History buffs can explore an old gold rush town, and skiers and snowboarders can carve up the slopes of Mount Buller from early June through late September.

Lake Mountain is especially known for its cross-country skiing, with 37 kilometers of trails to explore. The rainforest of the Otways is great for hiking and mountain biking as well.

The Dandenong Ranges and Yarra Valley have been a favorite weekend getaway for well-to-do Melburnians for more than a century. Hike through rainforests of mountain ash trees to soothing cascades in the beautiful fern-filled Sherwood Forest.

Hot Springs and Spa

Peninsula Hot Springs is one of the most popular short day trips from Melbourne by car.

Daylesford, about 115 kilometers from Melbourne, is known as the spa capital of Australia. Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa, in neighboring Hepburn Springs, has been lavishing guests since 1895. Daylesford and Hepburn Springs can be visited year-round. Rejuvenate yourself in the natural mineral waters that bubble up from the ground. These two towns are a great day trip from Melbourne, offering relaxation, great food and a New Age vibe.

And so much more

Heide is located 15km north of Melbourne CBD. It became the gathering place of young modernist painters known as the Heide Circle. The galleries are set within 15 acres of beautiful gardens where you can wander amongst the sculptures. There’s also a great cafe featuring produce grown in their kitchen garden.

At Belgrave, board the 100-year-old Puffing Billy steam train and stroll around the artisan shops

The town of Ballarat was the epicenter of the Australian Gold Rush. At Sovereign Hill in Ballarat, you can experience the exciting 1850s gold rush days in a living museum.

Sovereign Hill is a living history museum, presenting the story of Ballarat during the gold rush boom. Food lovers will be impressed by the number and quality of restaurants and cafes that have popped up all over the city. Daylesford is a beautiful town that offers fresh clean air for city dwellers, mineral thermal springs that rejuvenate your skin.