Sovereign Hill A Touch Of Gold Ballarat Tour

Recommended by 95% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Melbourne, Australia

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

8 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Closer to Victoria’s gold rush era of the 1850s than most tourists in the 21st century ever will be with this trip to the Sovereign Hill open-air museum. Ditch the hustle and bustle of Melbourne and immerse yourself in local history with the help of characters in period costumes before you watch a Redcoat Parade, live musket firing, and try your luck panning for gold.

Take a guided mine tour to see more of mining life
In Melbourne with the kids? This is an ideal choice for children
Relax with easy transfers to and from Melbourne
Service animals are most welcome

What's Included

Entry into Sovereign HIll Outdoor Musuem
Underground mine tour
Guide

Lunch

Food is available to purchase from cafe at Sovereign Hill
Soda/Pop

Drinks & snacks can be purchased from one of the cafes at Sovereign Hill

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Your pickup time may differ from the time shown on your voucher. Explore Australia Tours will contact you via email shortly after booking to confirm your exact pickup time. Pickup locations are selected at the time of booking: 8:25am – Mercure Melbourne Southbank, 9 Riverside Quay, Southbank 8:35am – Regent Theatre, 191 Collins Street, Melbourne 8:45am – Her Majesty's Theatre, 219 Exhibition Street, Melbourne 9:00am - Mail Exchange Hotel, 688 Bourke Street, Melbourne All tours are conducted in English. Guests can access pre-recorded audio and written tour information in 16 languages by downloading the free Explore Australia Language Translation App from Google Play or the App Store prior to departure. Your guide will provide a code on the day to unlock the content. Please bring your own headphones. Tours operate rain or shine. Estimated return time for the Soveriegn Hill Tour is between 17:00 and 17:30.

Start time
.8:00 am

Itinerary

Sovereign Hill

4 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Ballarat Botanical Gardens

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation

Infant seats available
Most travelers can participate
The remaining hours of the tour are for the travel time
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 21 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.8

based on 21 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

I had an amazing time on...

khairul_b, Jul 2026

I had an amazing time on the Sovereign Hill tour! The small group size made it really easy for everyone to cooperate and stay on schedule. Plus, our tour guide Gary was super friendly and helpful. I'd definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a fun and stress-free experience!

Fantastic experience,...

Tyron_S, Apr 2026

Fantastic experience, booked 2 tours with Explore Australia and would happily book another with them. Sovereign Hill is a must if travelling to Victoria, such a good insight in to this historic place. A massive shoutout to our tour guide Michael, who amazing from the start of the journey. He made sure our group were given priority and didn't let us miss out on anything, thanks Michael.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Hi Tyron, Thanks for the 5 star review. Sovereign Hill is a newer tours of ours and its nice to hear that it is being enjoyed! Make sure you tell your freinds about it :) I will pass on your shoutout to Michael; he has a very caring nature and fun attitude and we are lucky to have him as a guide at Explore Australia Tours. I will make sure to pass this onto him. Have a great day. Explore Australia Tours Team

Very informative guide

Kelly_S, Feb 2026

Our tour guide Lachy was so informative and a great driver, however the people on the tour with us weren’t the greatest people to travel with as many of them were very sick and also they rocked up to the bus after we were supposed to leave which is uncourteous to other travellers

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thank you for your review! We are glad to hear that Lachy was informative and helped make the tour enjoyable. We are sorry to hear about the challenges with the other travellers, but we are pleased that despite this you were still able to enjoy your experience at Sovereign Hill. We hope to welcome you on another Explore Australia Tours adventure soon!

Awsome experience that...

Katrina_J, May 2025

Awsome experience that takes you back to the 1800's!! Great staff who are very friendly and helpful!! Fantastic to recreate photos with family in period costumes!

Response from Host, May 2025

Thank you for the fantastic review! We are thrilled to hear you had an awesome time stepping back into the 1800s. The period costumes and friendly staff truly help bring the experience to life. We are glad you and your family enjoyed creating those special memories!

Great tour. Lochie was an...

Catherine_C, Apr 2025

Great tour. Lochie was an excellent driver & tour guide. Very enjoyable day out. Everything was arranged perfectly .

Response from Host, Apr 2025

Thank you for your kind review! We’re thrilled to hear that you had an enjoyable day on the Sovereign Hill A Touch Of Gold Tour and that Lochie made such a positive impact as both your driver and guide. It’s great to know that everything was arranged to your satisfaction, and we truly appreciate your feedback. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back on another tour in the future.

Great Day

Marilyn_W, Mar 2025

Tour guide, Debbi, in period dress excellent. Our driver/tour guide, Margaret, made the day extra special.

Response from Host, Mar 2025

Thank you for your great review! We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed your day at Sovereign Hill. Debbi in period dress sounds like a fantastic touch, and we’re so glad Margaret made the day even more special. We hope to welcome you on another tour soon!

Well done

Mok_J, Dec 2024

Well crafted experience with Brooke as tour guide Teemed with timely and detailed information about the tour highlights and Melbourne city in general

Response from Host, Dec 2024

Thank you for your kind review. We are so pleased to hear that you had a well-crafted experience with Brooke as your tour guide. It is wonderful to know that her timely and detailed information enhanced your enjoyment of the tour highlights and Melbourne city. We are proud to have guides like Brooke who can bring the city to life for our guests. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you again on another insightful and enjoyable tour in the future!