Melbourne Tours & Day Trips

Melbourne tours and day trips are a great opportunity to get away from the city.

There are wine tours, and historical trips, National Parks, wilderness and the snow. One of the most popular day trips is to the Fairy Penguins at Phillip Island.

Whether for a long weekend or just a day away, you can find many possibilities for adventure, enjoyment and relaxation.

It is this variety of landscape within a few hours drive that contributes to the attractiveness of the greater Melbourne area.

Point Lornsdale Port Phillip Bay Melbourne

I prefer the freedom of driving myself from Melbourne on a ‘private tour’, but if you prefer the comfort of not having to get organized, there are many organized tours that deliver what’s promised.

Melbourne Historical Tours

I enjoy exploring Victoria’s past in the historic gold mining town of Ballarat. Grand Victorian and Edwardian Heritage buildings and tree-lined avenues still speak of its 19th century glory days. Ballarat’s major attraction is Sovereign Hill, a 35-acre open-air museum recreating the gold mining heydays, including old buildings, actors in authentic costumes engaged in 1850s activities. – Well worth a visit and great for kids.

You can also take one of Melbourne tours to Beechworth, which is Victoria’s most perfectly preserved historic gold mining town. It has maintained its original streetscape and original graceful and dignified character. Australia's most notorious bushranger, Ned Kelly was imprisoned here in a small dark cell for 6 month. Beechworth is located 271 km north-east of Melbourne via the Hume Freeway.

Bendigo is another historic city made rich by gold. Worth visiting is also the nearby Maldon with its well-preserved historic streetscape. Then there is Echuca, Victoria’s historic inland river port with original Paddle steamers.

Closer to Melbourne, there are interesting historical attractions found in Geelong and Queenscliff.

Melbourne Wine Tours

Australia makes some of the world’s best wines and is the fourth largest wine exporter. Melbourne is the only place in the world with five distinct wine regions on its doorsteps.

Melbourne Yarra Valley wine tours take you through Healesville and the picturesque Yarra Valley, Victoria's best known wine region. There are many small and large wineries to call into, where you can taste pinot noir, chardonnay and sparkling… In the Yarra Valley you can also enjoy the thrills of an early morning balloon flight over the valley.

Then there are large wine growing regions in the Mornington Peninsula, and the wine growing areas near Geelong, both with great sea views, food and wines.

Other Melbourne tours are to the wine areas in Sunbury, not far from Tullamarine, and further north, the Macedon Ranges, an area with smaller and boutique wineries. There is also the famous Hanging Rock – where the legendary story of the disappearance of several college students and their teacher occurred in 1900 – and the Mount Macedon scenic outlooks.

National Parks

Melbourne has a number of National Parks that you can visit on a daytrip:

The Dandenong Ranges are a beautiful escape only about 1 hour east from the city! Go on one of the Melbourne tours and scenic drives through tall Eucalypt forests, a bush walk or stop over at an attractive coffee or craft shop. There is also the historic Puffing Billy train from Belgrave to Gembrook - a great lure for kids (of all ages).

In the southeast are the Cape Schanck Basalt Cliffs and Mornington Peninsula National Park, a great place for bushwalking, swimming and surfing.

Getting away for a few days and camping out in one of the great National Parks is one of my favourites:

The Grampians National Park, about 3 hours west from Melbourne, is a fantastic place with breathtaking rocky views, Aboriginal art sites and wild life. You can go bushwalking, cycling, picnicking, or engage in adventure activities such as rock-climbing, or kayaking.

Taking on one of Melbourne tours to the southwest coast and Port Campbell National Park is a travellers favourite. It is most famous for the Twelve Apostles , stacks of rock formed millions years ago, and gradually falling into the sea. The last major fall was in 2005 - there are in fact only eight left.

To get there drive along the stunningly scenic Great Ocean Road. There you can also go bird watching, swimming, snorkeling or surfing, or follow along historic Shipwreck Trail. There is no bush camping in this park, but plenty of camping opportunities in private camping grounds in the area.

About the same distance southeast of Melbourne, you will find the Wilsons Promontory National Park, a magnificent stretch of coastline with many excellent walks with mountainous forests, fern gullies, salt marshes, grey granite ranges and wild life. It is the most southerly point of mainland Australia. A great place to camp, go diving or snorkeling, enjoy the tidal river and beaches.

Melbourne Tours to High Country or Snow

The Alpine National Park is massive and stretches from Mount Baw Baw, just 2 hours east of Melbourne, right through to Canberra.

In summer there are fantastic opportunities for rock climbing and abseiling, bushwalking, mountain biking, kayaking & canoeing, horse riding and 4Wheel driving – and plenty opportunities for camping.

There is still real wilderness in many places such as the rugged plateau of Mount Buffalo with its massive granite tors (a high rock or pile of rocks on the top of a hill), plunging waterfalls and cliff-top views.

In winter, the Victorian Alps offer plenty of opportunity to get out your skis, snowboards and toboggans. There is great downhill skiing Australia and snowboarding along the Alpine Road on Mount Hotham and Falls Creek, and also on Mount Buller only three hours from Melbourne.

For children and beginners, Melbourne tours to Mount Baw Baw are just fine with perfect with a mixture of beginner downhill runs and tobogganing. For cross country skiers there is Mount Stirling and Lake Mountain.

Check the snow report as Australian Snow can be a bit unpredictable, but nevertheless great fun.

Tours from Melbourne

Of course there is more to do in the world than just Melbourne tours and Victoria. Nevertheless, it is always a wonderful place to return to after a long trip. Tasmania travel is popular from Melbourne. It is close to Victoria and very different - with amazing natural beauty and wildlife, and a slower pace where you automatically have to relax.

If you want to venture further and want some help in deciding what little corner of the world to concentrate on, Mark and Judy of MouseTours Travels are a great resource.

With a click of your mouse, you can travel with them and read their travel adventure stories and helpful tips. They'll inspire you to take your dream trip... in Australia or anywhere else in the world! Answers to questions... Where to go? How to choose? Can custom tours be affordable? What to pack? Do you need shots? What is a visa? Do you need one? What about foreign money... and the language?

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