Best day trips from Melbourne: your guide to Victoria's best

Melbourne's day trip geography is exceptional — the Yarra Ranges to the east, the Great Ocean Road to the south-west, the Mornington Peninsula to the south, the Dandenong Ranges to the south-east, and the goldfields of Ballarat and Bendigo inland create the most diverse day trip portfolio of any Australian capital city.

Great Ocean Road — Lorne to the Twelve Apostles — the 90-minute drive to Lorne and the 2.5-hour drive to the Twelve Apostles (Port Campbell) are Australia's most iconic coastal road trips. The Bells Beach surf break, the Lorne foreshore, the Erskine Falls, and the Gibson Steps sunset at the Twelve Apostles create the day trip that international visitors rank as Australia's best road experience after the Sydney Harbour Bridge view.

Mornington Peninsula — wineries and hot springs — the Peninsula Hot Springs at Fingal, the winery cellar doors of Red Hill and Merricks (Ten Minutes by Tractor, Montalto, Stonier), and the ocean beaches of Sorrento and Portsea create the luxury day trip that the Peninsula's 90-minute proximity from the city makes achievable in a single day without overnight accommodation.

Dandenong Ranges — Puffing Billy and Sherbrooke Forest — the heritage steam railway Puffing Billy (Belgrave to Gembrook through mountain ash forest), the Kyeema Falls walk, and the RJ Hamer Arboretum create the family and nature day trip that the Dandenong Ranges' elevation and rainfall sustain in the cool temperate forest environment 40 kilometres from the CBD.

Ballarat — Sovereign Hill and gold rush heritage — the 90-minute drive to Ballarat delivers Sovereign Hill, the most acclaimed heritage tourism experience in regional Australia, alongside the Art Gallery of Ballarat and the Lake Wendouree foreshore for a complete day in Victoria's most historically significant inland city.

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