Best day trips from Melbourne

Just an hour or two from Melbourne, you can walk through ancient rainforests, visit wild ocean beaches, discover relics of the gold rush era, or see kangaroos, wallabies, and other wildlife roaming freely.

These day trip ideas are all less than two hours’ drive from Melbourne and will give you a taster of the best of Victoria’s landscapes and wildlife.

You’ll have the best experience in nature by avoiding popular locations in peak times. Ideally, plan your day trip mid-week, or early in the morning (before 10 am) or later in the day (after 3 pm) on weekends.

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Mornington Peninsula

Best day trip for: coastal and epic sunset views, surf beaches, and family-friendly rockpools

Drive time from Melbourne CBD: 90 minutes

The Mornington Peninsula is one of the best places close to Melbourne for a day trip. A favourite destination for Melburnians’ coastal holidays and winter escapes, the region is home to national parks, surf beaches, spas, restaurants, and wineries – all just over an hour’s drive from Melbourne.

Mornington Peninsula National Park, on Bunurong Country, is renowned for its historic features, scenic headlands, and sandy beaches along the Bass Strait coast. It’s a popular destination for swimming, surfing, diving, and fishing.

Day trip ideas on the Mornington Peninsula

• Explore rock pools at low tide or have a BBQ picnic at Sorrento Back Beach.
• Stroll along the Sorrento Pier or swim in the calm, safe waters of Sorrento Front Beach.
• Go for a walk with some of the best coastal scenery near Melbourne by following the Bushrangers Bay Trail at Cape Schanck Lighthouse Reserve.
• Head to the tip of the peninsula where you’ll find Point Nepean National Park. Here, you can hire an e-bike or use the shuttle service to explore the rugged coastal landscape with bay and ocean views.
• Explore the rocky platforms of Mushroom Reef Marine Sanctuary.
• Join a dive at Portsea Hole in Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park.
• Ride the large network of mountain bike trails in Arthurs Seat State Park.
• Surf the wild ocean beaches between Portsea and Flinders in Mornington Peninsula National Park.

Ranger tip: The ocean beaches of Mornington Peninsula National Park are exposed to the rough conditions of Bass Strait. These beaches can have dangerous undertows, rips, and unexpected large swells. Swim at patrolled beaches and between the flags. Keep to marked trails as the cliffs are unstable.

Sorrento Pier, Mornington Peninsula. Image: Visit Victoria.

Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges

Best day trip for: scenic views, serene nature walks, and leisurely picnics

Drive time from Melbourne CBD: 1 hour

Just an hour northwest of Melbourne, Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges, on Dja Dja Wurrung and Wurundjeri Country are the perfect nature escape. Beautiful in all seasons, but autumn here is a real highlight. The change of season creates spectacular colours in the surrounding towns and villages of Macedon and Woodend.

Day trip ideas in Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges

• View the Mount Macedon War Memorial Cross and enjoy a meal at the Top of the Range tea rooms, 1,001 meters above sea level.
• Reach the highest point in the Macedon Ranges by following the Macedon Ranges Walking Trail to Camel's Hump.
• Visit Hepburn Regional Park and take a walk to find natural mineral springs and relics of the gold mining era.
• Stop in at Trentham Falls, one of the longest single-drop waterfalls in Victoria.
• Walk the Sanatorium Lake Eco Trail, then have a picnic at Sanatorium Picnic Ground.

Ranger recommendation: "In Hepburn Regional Park, visit the giant Manna Gum at Tipperary Springs and have a picnic in the shade. You may be able to hear koalas around Sailors Falls or spot a wombat around dawn or dusk on the walking tracks between Twin Bridges or Bryce's Flat.” - Ranger Thomas

Daylesford in autumn. Image: Visit Victoria

Yarra Ranges

Best day trip for: beginner-friendly hikes, scenic drives, and lush tall forests

Drive time from Melbourne CBD: 90 minutes

Yarra Ranges National Park on Wurundjeri Country is a haven for walkers and nature enthusiasts, and only an hour and a half from Melbourne. It’s known for its majestic Mountain Ash forests (the world’s tallest flowering tree), which have understories of tree ferns and gullies of cool temperate rainforest.

The Yarra Ranges span an extensive, mountainous area of cool temperate forest around the three towns of Marysville, Healesville, and Warburton.

Day trip ideas in the Yarra Ranges

• Picnic under towering Californian Redwoods in the Redwood Forest.
• Take a scenic road trip along Lady Talbot Drive or Black Spur Drive.
• See views of Westernport Bay and Port Phillip Bay from the Mount Donna Buang lookout tower (1,245 meters).
• Visit the Rainforest Gallery to view Mountain Ash from a platform 15 meters above the forest floor.
• Complete the Cambarville Circuit Walk where you’ll pass by Cumberland Falls hidden in a deep, fern-laden gully.

Read more: 5 best beginner hikes in Yarra Ranges National Park

Rainforest Gallery, Yarra Ranges National Park. Image: Visit Victoria.

Dandenong Ranges

Best day trip for: tranquil forest walks, botanic gardens, and lyrebird-spotting

Drive time from Melbourne CBD: 1 hour

Dandenong Ranges National Park on Wurundjeri Country is only a short-day trip from Melbourne, but you’ll feel like you’re in another world entirely.

Delightful to visit all year round, you can choose your own adventure in the Dandenongs, with many gardens to stroll through and picnic areas to enjoy. Photographers and bird watchers are in for a treat.

Day trip ideas in the Dandenong Ranges

• Join a garden tour at the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden (operates year-round).
• Take a peaceful stroll along the walking tracks at RJ Hamer Arboretum.
• Walk the family-friendly track to Sherbrooke Falls (keep an eye out for lyrebirds, especially after rain!).
• Tackle the steep stairs through lush rainforest on the popular 1000 Steps Walk.
• Wander the Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens, known for their extensive water features, including a quaint boathouse.
• Ride over 13kms of mountain bike trails.
• Spend a day exploring Doongalla Homestead, a former grand mansion with landscaped gardens.

Read more: Guide to gardens in the Dandenong Ranges

 Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden - Chelsea Australian Garden. Image: Visit Victoria.

Goldfields

Best day trip for: bushwalking, history and heritage, and discovering relics from the gold rush days

Drive time from Melbourne CBD: 1-2 hours

Take a trip back in time to the Victorian Goldrush and visit the Goldfields region. Victoria’s goldfields around Castlemaine, Maldon, Hepburn, and Bendigo have some of the most intact remains of the 1850s gold rush anywhere in the world.

What’s more, the parks in these areas are great for bushwalking, horse riding, nature observation, cycling, and picnicking.

Day trip ideas in the Goldfields

• Explore abandoned mines and settlements among shady Box-Ironbark woodlands at Castlemaine Diggings Heritage Park.
• Hike to Lang’s Lookout in Mount Alexander Regional Park.
• See one of the country’s most well-preserved historic villages at Maldon Historic Area.
• Enjoy a picnic and a swim at St Georges Lake Picnic Area in Creswick Regional Park.
• Walk or ride a section of the 210km Goldfields Track.
• Visit an original reef mine and water race on the Old Tom Mine Walk in Greater Bendigo National Park.
• Go prospecting in Greater Bendigo National Park or Bendigo Regional Park (permit required).

Read more: Parks near Goldfields

 Lang's Lookout, Mount Alexander Regional Park. Image: Visit Victoria.

Serendip Sanctuary

Best day trip for: spotting native wildlife, like wallabies, emus, and over 150 species of birds

Drive time from Melbourne CBD: 50 minutes

Serendip Sanctuary is a wildlife oasis less than an hour from Melbourne where you can see kangaroos, wallabies, emus, and a huge variety of birdlife roaming freely.

It’s a great place for a day trip from Melbourne with kids who want to view wildlife and learn about wetlands ecology. The wheelchair and pram-accessible walkways make it easy for all to get around.

There’s plenty of shelter to keep cool and spots to fill water bottles. You can enjoy a picnic or barbecue at the picnic area near the main car park.

Be prepared and stay safe

Be sure to take plenty of water, leave plenty of time for a leisurely drive, and check the weather forecast before leaving Melbourne.

Always check the latest conditions and park closures on the Parks Victoria website before you leave. Use the search field to find the park you are looking for. If a park is closed or has safety issues, a red or orange tab will appear at the top of the park webpage. Click the tab to find out further details.

• Visitor guides contain park summary information such as suggested activities, safety and regulations, and a list of facilities available.
• Download this handy day trip checklist (PDF).
• Find park information in your language.