Road trips around Melbourne you absolutely can't miss

While marvellous Melbourne is a destination in itself, it is also the perfect launchpad for # vanlife adventures. From the Great Ocean Road to the Grampians, heaps of incredible outdoor experiences are ready to explore on the city’s doorstep or only a few hours’ drive away. We’ve put together the best road trips around Melbourne to help you see the best of this beautiful region – string a couple together for a longer trip, or do them one by one as day trips or weekend breaks from Melbourne!

All you need to do is sort our campervan hire in Melbourne, make your__Victoria bucket list and hit the road!

5 epic road trips around Melbourne

1. Melbourne to Great Ocean Road

Trip distance: 340km

Melbourne to Great Ocean Road route map ****

If you’re after the best road trips around Melbourne, then you definitely want to start here. Around 200km from the city, the Great Ocean Road is one of the most spectacular parts of coastline in all of Australia. This route winds its way along Victoria’s southwest coast with incredible views along the entire drive.

There are heaps of places to tick off the bucket list, most famously the 12 Apostles, a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of Port Campbell National Park. Stunning Loch Ard Gorge is also a must. One must-do is the Great Ocean Walk, the 104km trail stretching from Apollo Bay to Glenample Homestead via Otway National Park: take a guided tour along part of the track or cover a section on your own from your campervan base.

Elsewhere, try surfing at Bells Beach or whale watching in Warrnambool, before your final stop in Port Fairy and an overnight stay there.

Great Ocean Road campsites

• Apollo Bay Recreation Reserve: unpowered and powered sites from $28

• Cumberland River Holiday Park: powered sites from $45

• Jamieson’s Track Bush Campground (Parks Victoria): unpowered sites from $13.90

2. Melbourne to Phillip Island ****

Trip distance: 140km

Melbourne to Phillip Island route map

Along with the Great Ocean Road, one of the most popular road trips from Melbourne is to see penguins parading at Phillip Island, when penguins waddle their way up the beach at Phillip Island Nature Park.

There’s plenty more wildlife to see around here too, including several wildlife parks. See koalas in their natural habitat at the Koala Conservation Centre, feed the kangaroos at Phillip Island Wildlife Park, or head to the Nobbies to see seabirds among beautiful views of the coast. Nobbies is also the best viewing site for Seal Rocks, Australia's largest colony of fur seals.

Phillip Island campsites

• Anchor Belle Holiday Park: powered sites from $42

• Amaroo Caravan Park: powered sites from $49

3. Melbourne to Mornington Peninsula

Trip distance: 115km

Melbourne to Mornington Peninsula route map

Just 90 minutes’ drive from the city, the Mornington Peninsula is probably the most popular of seaside road trips around Melbourne. It’s a land of pretty coves, rugged shores and colourful villages, all set between Port Phillip Bay and the ocean.

From spa treatments to adventure sports, there’s stacks to see and do around this gorgeous stretch of coastline. One of its top spots is the town of Sorrento and its 5km cliff top trail “Millionaire’s Walk” with the holiday homes of the rich and famous.

Hiking is popular here too, especially around the bushland and back beach trails of Point Nepean National Park. For something a little lower-key, you could take a dolphin cruise or a ride on the Sorrento-Queenscliff ferry. Make sure to see (or swim with) the bottlenose dolphins at Port Phillip Bay too, before a soak in the waters of the Peninsula Hot Springs.

Mornington Peninsula campsites

• Capel Sound Camping: unpowered and powered sites from $35

• McCrae Foreshore Camping Grounds (Rosebud, Rye and Sorrento campsites): unpowered and powered sites from $27

4. Melbourne to the Dandenong Ranges/Yarra Valley

Trip distance: 43km

Melbourne to the Dandenong Ranges route map

Not all road trips around Melbourne are overnights – although we always recommend it! Only about 40km east of Melbourne, the Dandenong Ranges National Park makes for a spectacular day trip from Melbourne. Cruise past rainforests, wildlife, quirky little villages and of course the famous Puffing Billy steam train at Belgrave.

Among the many Dandenong Ranges must-dos are wandering through the ferns at Sherwood Forest, the greenery of Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens or around the lake at William Ricketts Sanctuary. Animal fans should stop to feed the crimson rosellas, cockatoos, and galahs at Grants Picnic Ground and head to Healesville Sanctuary for a chance to spot a platypus.

Also to Melbourne’s northeast is the wine region of the Yarra Valley. The Ranges and the Yarra Valley are known as the “food bowl” of Victoria, where delicious local produce and wine is produced from the fertile green land. Treat yourself to lunch or dinner at SkyHigh Mount Dandenong and Lookout, where views stretch from the Mornington Peninsula to Port Phillip Bay.

Dandenong Ranges campsites

• BIG4 Dandenong Tourist Park: powered sites from $41 (members) or $45 (non-members)

• Lilydale Pine Hill Caravan Park: unpowered and powered sites from $36

5. Melbourne to the Grampians

Trip distance: 250km

Melbourne to the Grampians route map

The Grampians National Park is a mountainous wildlife haven about 250km from Melbourne. Its breathtaking scenery is made up of crags, peaks, waterfalls and vineyards. Hiking, climbing, abseiling, horse riding, canoeing and fishing are all popular here, and the region is packed with excellent restaurants and eateries too.

There’s enough to see and do in the Grampians to keep you busy for days if not weeks, but one of our favourites is hiking to the spectacular Boroka Lookout for jaw-dropping views. Also try soaking up the atmosphere and scenery at the Grampians’ waterfalls: Beehive Falls, Fish Falls and MacKenzie Falls, one of Victoria's highest waterfalls.

We recommend a visit too to the Brambuk the National Park & Cultural Centre, an award-winning interpretation centre for the park and its indigenous culture and art. It’s at Halls Gap, the Grampians gateway.

Grampians National Park campsites

• Smith’s Mill Campground (Parks Victoria; 1km from MacKenzie Falls): from $13.90

• Borough Huts Campground (Parks Victoria): from $13.90

5. Melbourne to Wilsons Promontory National Park

Trip distance: 250km

Melbourne to Wilsons Promontory National Park route map

Wilsons Promontory National Park is on a peninsula that forms the southernmost part of the Australian mainland, making up the biggest coastal wilderness area in Victoria. About three hours’ drive from Melbourne, “the Prom” is a haven of rainforests, bushland, granite rock formations and beaches of white quartz sand.

Take a short or day-long bushland hike, spot wildlife including wombats and emus, and climb to the top of Mount Oberon for the viewpoint overlooking the coast and the Tidal River. The rock formations Giant Rock, views of the Bass Strait from Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse and swimming among the marine life and coral reefs of the Wilsons Promontory Marine National Park are also our top picks.

Wilsons Promontory National Park campsites

• Tidal River Campground (Parks Victoria): from $13.90

• Walkerville Foreshore Camping Reserve: unpowered and powered sites from $36

More road trips from Melbourne

Looking for more ideas for road trips around Melbourne? Try these ideas, either on their own or combined with one of the trips above:

7.Melbourne to Lorne, a beautiful Great Ocean Road seaside resort: 140km/2hrs

8.Melbourne to Bendigo, a Victoria Gold Rush town: 155km/1hr 45min

9.Melbourne to Daylesford, Australia’s spa capital: 110km/1hr 25min

10.Melbourne to Ballarat, former gold mining capital: 115km/1hr 25min

11.Melbourne to Mount Buller, Victoria’s main ski resort: 235km/3hr 5min

12.Melbourne to Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula, from Victoria’s second city to a peaceful south-west peninsula: 105km/1h 30min

Also check out our guide to thebest off-road trips from Melbourne!

Hire a van for your road trip from Melbourne

The city and its surrounding areas are your oyster to explore on a campervan trip. And these top road trips around Melbourne are the perfect starting point. All you need to do is hire a van and get adventuring!

You can base yourself in Melbourne and try them out one by one, or you can hit the open road and travel from one site to the next choosing your stopovers along the way. You’ll find plenty ofhidden gems in Victoria, including these 4WD tracks near Melbourne!

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