Melbourne Travel Guide
Day Trips from Melbourne
How to choose and plan Melbourne's classic day trips: the Great Ocean Road and the new Twelve Apostles visitor centre, Phillip Island's Penguin Parade, the Yarra Valley and Puffing Billy, with tour versus self-drive advice.
One of Melbourne's great strengths is what lies beyond it. Within a few hours of the city are some of Australia's most celebrated landscapes and experiences: a dramatic coastal road, a beach where penguins come home at sunset, cool-climate wine country, and forested hills crossed by a century-old steam train. With four or five days in Melbourne, you can comfortably add one or two of these trips. Here is how to choose and plan them.
The Great Ocean Road and the Twelve Apostles. The most famous of the day trips, and the longest. The road runs along Victoria's south-west coast from Torquay, past surf beaches, seaside towns and rainforest, to the limestone stacks of the Twelve Apostles in Port Campbell National Park. It was built by returned servicemen after the First World War and is dedicated to those who died, which makes it the world's largest war memorial. On 16 October 2026 the new Keerray Woorroong Visitor Centre opened at the Twelve Apostles, with a large cafe, a gallery, a rooftop lookout and parking for hundreds of cars. Visitors now need to book before arriving, which also secures parking; the booking is free until April 2027, when a fee is due to be introduced. A guided day tour from Melbourne lasts 12 to 13 hours and is the easiest way to see the highlights in a day, with tour operators handling the visitor centre booking. If you can, drive it yourself over two or three days, staying in Lorne, Apollo Bay or Port Campbell.
Phillip Island and the Penguin Parade. About 90 minutes' drive south-east of Melbourne, Phillip Island is home to a large colony of little penguins, the world's smallest penguin species. Every evening at sunset, they come ashore on Summerland Beach and waddle to their burrows while visitors watch from grandstands and boardwalks. Bookings are essential, photography of the penguins is not allowed, and evenings are cold, even in summer. Viewing options range from general grandstands to underground viewing and small guided tours. Combine the parade with the Koala Conservation Reserve, Churchill Island's historic farm and the Nobbies boardwalk over a seal colony; note that the Nobbies Centre and its cafe are closed at present, though the boardwalks are open, and burrow and boardwalk upgrades are under way at the parade. Most day tours from Melbourne include a selection of these stops and return late in the evening.
The Yarra Valley and Puffing Billy. About an hour east of the city, the Yarra Valley is one of Australia's leading cool-climate wine regions, famous for chardonnay, pinot noir and sparkling wine, with cellar doors, restaurants, cheese makers, a chocolate factory and Healesville Sanctuary for native wildlife. To the south, the Dandenong Ranges are cool, forested hills home to Puffing Billy, a heritage steam railway that runs from Belgrave through fern gullies and over a wooden trestle bridge to Lakeside and Gembrook. Puffing Billy runs daily except Christmas Day and must be booked. You can reach Belgrave by suburban train from the city, which makes Puffing Billy an easy independent trip. Many tours combine a morning train ride with an afternoon of wine tasting and lunch in the Yarra Valley.
Choosing between them. If you have only one day trip, pick by interest. For spectacular scenery, choose the Great Ocean Road, accepting a long day. For wildlife and a family-friendly evening, choose Phillip Island. For food, wine and a gentle pace, choose the Yarra Valley, adding Puffing Billy if you have children or love trains. With two days to spare, the Great Ocean Road and Phillip Island make a strong pair; with three, add the Yarra Valley. Avoid doing two long trips on consecutive days if you can, as both the coast and the island involve late returns.
Tour or self-drive? Guided tours take away the stress of driving on the left, finding parking and navigating, and they handle bookings such as the Twelve Apostles visitor centre and the Penguin Parade. Small-group tours are more relaxed and flexible than large coaches. Self-driving offers freedom and is the best way to see the Great Ocean Road over several days, but remember that roads can be narrow and winding, wildlife is active at dawn and dusk, and you should never drive after wine tasting. Car hire is easy to arrange in the city or at the airport.
Practical tips. Book ahead for weekends, school holidays and the summer months. Carry layers, a rain jacket and sunscreen, as weather on the coast and in the hills can change quickly. Check for fire danger warnings and road closures in summer, and allow plenty of time. Bring snacks and water for long stretches between towns. Above all, do not try to cram too much into one day: the best day trips leave time to stop, look and enjoy.
More ideas if you have time. Victoria has plenty of other rewarding trips. The Mornington Peninsula, south of the city, combines beaches, wineries and the popular Peninsula Hot Springs. The gold-rush city of Ballarat, about 90 minutes north-west, has grand Victorian architecture and Sovereign Hill, an outdoor museum recreating the 1850s goldfields. Werribee Open Range Zoo, south-west of the city, is the place to see savannah animals and now the elephants that moved from Melbourne Zoo in 2025. Each of these makes a good second or third excursion once you have done the classics.
Closer to the city. If you have less time, there are half-day options too. St Kilda's free penguin viewing at the end of the pier offers a smaller-scale version of the Phillip Island experience, and Melbourne Zoo, a short tram ride from the centre, has koalas, kangaroos and platypus for those who cannot make it to the country.