Top Victoria Day Trips

The Great Ocean Road's main stops draw crowds by midday, so timing your visit to the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge around the buses takes local know-how. Ride it in reverse in a small group instead, reaching the headline sights ahead of the crowds with more time at each. Hotel pickup from Melbourne's CBD and Southbank sorts the start, so you spend the day looking rather than driving.

Spend the day indulging your love of good food, good wine, and good times on this social day trip to the Yarra Valley. The flexible itinerary is designed to split up the group at certain points to tailor the tour to your tastes. Visit multiple venues—from wineries, breweries, cider houses, gin distilleries, or chocolate factories—with all tastings included. Enjoy a mix of hidden gems and some well-known spots, plus a choice of two restaurants to purchase lunch.

Spend a full day exploring the landmarks of the Great Ocean Road. Watch the sunset at the famous Twelve Apostles rock formation, pass the Otway Ranges and spot koalas, explore landmarks in Port Campbell National Park and more. Known as one of Australia's most beautiful drives and one of Victoria's most popular destinations, the Great Ocean Road offers great photo ops of coastal scenery, picturesque seaside towns and pristine wilderness—a must-do excursion from Melbourne.

Experience the Great Ocean Road’s top attractions on this guided excursion that follows the iconic road in reverse. Embark on your journey and beat the crowds while learning about the region’s scenic landscapes and pretty coastal towns from an informative guide. Visit sites including the 12 Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, Apollo Bay, and Gibson Steps.

Travel from Melbourne to Phillip Island to see the penguin parade and other wildlife highlights of Victoria. Your full-day tour stops at Moonlit Sanctuary wildlife conservation park to see Australian natives such as koalas and wallabies. Explore the dramatic Cape Woolamai surf beach and the Nobbies boardwalk where you can enjoy views of the rugged south coast and often seals as well.

Discover the beauty of the Great Ocean Road on this full-day adventure tour from Melbourne. As you cruise along the coast in search of the best lookout spots—like the 12 Apostles—keep your eyes peeled for koalas in the wild. You’ll also go on a guided walk through a forest with some of the tallest trees in the world, stop for a swim at Apollo Bay, and visit Loch Ard Gorge.

Discover the flavors of the Yarra Valley on this full-day wine tour from Melbourne. With all the logistics taken care of, it's a hassle-free way to explore beyond the city while also sampling some of the area's best produce. Enjoy guided tastings at four boutique and highly acclaimed wineries, and dine on a delicious two-course shared lunch with a glass of wine included. Round-off the day with a visit to an artisanal chocolate factory, with the option to purchase some sweet treats at the end. On select days, you also have the option to swap one winery experience for a craft gin distillery or local brewery tasting.

Discover Australia's Great Ocean Road—where coastal views and lush rainforests meet—on this full-day adventure from Melbourne. Heading out from the urban landscape of the city, keep your eyes peeled for koalas, walk through rainforests, and visit local landmarks like the Memorial Arch. A local guide is on-hand to fill you in on the area's history—something many travelers miss out on. Once you've refueled with lunch (own expense) in the beautiful town of Apollo Bay, marvel at the Twelve Apostles (a set of giant limestone stacks), and explore other panoramic views, including the dramatic Loch Ard Gorge.

Travel the Great Ocean Road, while avoiding the crowds, when you book this small-group reverse itinerary tour. Drive straight from Melbourne to the famous Twelve Apostles, where you can opt for a thrilling helicopter flight. Then, slowly make your way back to the city, stopping at sites like Teddy’s Lookout, Gibsons Steps, Apollo Bay, and more while also keeping an eye out for wildlife like kangaroos and koalas. Enjoy incredible views over the sea while you learn all about the road and its storied past.

Visit the wineries in the Yarra Valley without having to drive yourself on this hop-on hop-off bus service from Melbourne. The valley is rich in wineries, and it’s up to you to choose which ones to visit—up to four—without having to worry about driving. Have as many tastings as you want (at your own expense), knowing you have a driver to take you to the next one, and to get you back to Melbourne safely. Note: buses loop around every hour and some venues might require bookings.

Many Melbourne highlights, such as Puffing Billy and the penguins of Phillip Island, are far from the city and tricky to visit on your own. But this seamless full-day tour makes it easy for you to go. Relax as the bus takes you out to the Dandenong Ranges and down to the coast while your guide arranges your steam train tickets and the timing to see the adorable penguin parade.

Travelers short on time can still experience one of Melbourne’s best day trips with this afternoon tour to Phillip Island. After a free morning, travel in the early afternoon to Phillip Island, with time for some sightseeing before watching the famous penguin parade at sunset. For people not sure what to do in the morning, you can choose to include a morning trip to ride the Puffing Billy steam train.

See the best of Phillip Island on this group tour from Melbourne, where all the details are taken care of so you just need to relax and take in the sites. Keep your eyes peeled for kangaroos, koalas, and the adorable tiny penguins who populate the island. Make sure your cameras are charged for photos at beautiful viewpoints, like at Cowes, and more.

Discover Australia’s Great Ocean Road on this day trip from Melbourne. Admire the natural beauty of Victoria’s coastline, from surfing beaches to the Twelve Apostles rock formations. You’ll make stops at seaside villages, watch for wildlife like parrots and koalas, and travel through the Otway Ranges as you make your way to Cape Otway to climb the country’s oldest mainland lighthouse.

See a side of Melbourne that way too many tourists don’t get to see, and immerse yourself in a side of Australia’s history that you don’t want to miss. Ride the Puffing Billy Railway, which first opened back in 1900, with your legs dangling over the open carriages and soak up the lush rainforest views that you don’t get anywhere else.

A thrilling winter adventure awaits on the Lake Mountain Snow & Puffing Billy Tour from Melbourne. Enjoy over three hours of snow play at Melbourne’s closest alpine resort, perfect for families, couples, and first-time snow visitors. Build snowmen, experience optional tobogganing, and soak up the stunning alpine scenery at Lake Mountain. Later, step aboard the iconic Puffing Billy steam train for a scenic one-hour journey through the lush forests and fern gullies of the Dandenong Ranges. Sit on the open-sided carriage and enjoy one of Victoria’s most memorable heritage railway experiences. This small-group tour perfectly combines winter fun, breathtaking scenery, and one of Australia’s most iconic steam train journeys into one unforgettable day. Closest winter experience from Melbourne Over 3 hours of snow play at Lake Mountain 1-hour Puffing Billy steam train ride included Scenic journey through the Black Spur rainforest Perfect for families and first-time snow visitors

Enjoy one of Australia's most incredible wildlife experiences on this magnificent Phillip Island tour. Witness the world famous penguin parade from the brand new exclusive penguins plus viewing platform, definitely the highlight of this day tour. Your day trip includes a visit to Phillip Island Koala Reserve where you can see the iconic Australian koalas up close.

Tasting your way around the Yarra Valley means driving between wineries and producers spread across the region, the designated driver missing out. Ride out from Melbourne with the route and transport handled, stopping at family-run wineries, a dairy, a distillery, and a chocolate maker along the way. Sample wine, cheese, gin, and chocolate as you go, with a wood-fired pizza lunch built into the day.

It’s so tempting to explore further afield from the city when you’re on vacation, but between planning the route and the itinerary, it can feel like more trouble than it’s worth. But not so with this Puffing Billy tour Penguin Parade combo tour, which treats you to a side of Melbourne that way too many tourists don’t get to see, and with convenient pickup from a selection of hotels too.

Visitors often miss some of Melbourne’s best attractions because they don’t know how to reach the city's outer locations. This full-day tour makes visiting easy by handling the transport for you. Travel from the city out to the Dandenong Ranges to ride the famous Puffing Billy steam train, then go see all sorts of native Australian wildlife at Healesville Sanctuary.

Driving the Great Ocean Road yourself means long hours at the wheel and missing the stops you can't spot from the road. Ride it in a small group from Melbourne instead, with a guide handling the route to the Twelve Apostles, Gibson Steps, and Loch Ard Gorge. Walk among the tall ash trees in Great Otway National Park, and watch for koalas at one of the area's larger colonies along the way.

Exploring the Great Ocean Road in one day can be overwhelming, but this group tour takes you straight from the city center to attractions like Loch Ard Gorge, the Twelve Apostles, the Razorback rock formation, and the town of Apollo Bay, where lunch is at your own expense. This National Heritage-listed road promises incredible sea views from your comfortable coach seat.

Enjoy the beautiful scenery and delicious wines of the Yarra Valley on this small-group, half-day tour from Melbourne. Leave the organizing to someone else and relax as you visit three of the area's best boutique wineries—Helen & Joey Estate, Payten and Jones, and Soumah—for tours and tastings. Round-trip transfers are included for a seamless experience, and you can even upgrade your day with an optional gin tasting experience.