It may be one of Australia’s smaller states, yet Victoria is home to the vibrant city of Melbourne, a wealth of award-winning wineries, a huge variety of endemic wildlife and one of the country’s most scenic coastal drives, the Great Ocean Road.
Whatever your interests and passions – be it wildlife, wine, natural wonders or even surfing, Victoria offers something for everybody. This self-drive itinerary encapsulates its wide variety of attractions.
Explore the beating heart of Victoria, Melbourne, famous for its fine food, art, and coffee. Watch nature at its best with the chance to admire the thousands of resident little penguins on Phillip Island. And explore the wineries, culinary delights and artistic sentiment of Melbourne’s natural playground, the Mornington Peninsula, before driving the famous Great Ocean Road. With its rugged rock formations and endless stretched of beach, this pristine coastline is renowned as one of Australia’s most scenic driving routes.
Itinerary
Arrive in Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, and make your way to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure.
Explore this cosmopolitan city like a local on a guided walking tour of Melbourne’s lanes and arcades. Visit artisan coffee-makers, independent retailers and quirky art galleries whilst hearing about the history of the city. This afternoon is at leisure.
Lanes & Arcades Walking Tour, Melbourne
This morning collect your rental car and head southeast towards the fishing village of San Remo. Stop to admire the daily pelican feeding at San Remo wharf before continuing on to Phillip Island. Head inland to the Koala Conservation Centre and come face to face with native koalas in their natural habitat. Explore the tree-top boardwalks and extensive trails filled with abundant woodland animals such as wallabies, echidnas and even bats. After lunch continue towards Cowes, Phillip Island’s main town in the north of the island. Enjoy the seaside atmosphere, sample some of the local seafood and wander the pretty streets littered with galleries, boutique shops and eateries. Before dusk make your way to Summerland Beach and witness the nightly Penguin Parade. Watch from the specialist viewing platform as hundreds of little penguins, the smallest of their species, make their way home across the beach after a long day at sea.
This morning make your way to The Nobbies, the most south-westerly point of Phillip Island. From here you can witness Australia’s largest colony of fur seals, where over 16,000 reside on Seal Rocks. Watch from the viewing area as the seals frolic in the water or alternatively join an eco-boat cruise to see these inquisitive creatures up close. After lunch return to San Remo and back to mainland Victoria. Head north along the coast admiring the quaint fishing villages and dramatic coastal views before arriving on the Mornington Peninsula.
Spend the day at leisure on the Mornington Peninsula. Often referred to as Melbourne’s playground, here you can explore the many galleries, cafes and laid-back fishing villages that line the coastline or head towards the hinterland and enjoy the many gastronomic delights this region has to offer. Visit Peninsula Hot Springs, Victoria’s only natural thermal spring and relax in the tranquil oasis here before driving up Arthurs Seat to admire the views across the bay to Melbourne.
Board the ferry from Sorrento across Port Phillip Bay to Queenscliff and the start of your Great Ocean Road adventure. Stop at Torquay, the undisputed capital of Australian surfing, to admire the waves and the surfers from the cliff-top viewing station at Bells Beach. Continue south via the idyllic seaside town of Lorne, known for its famous waterfalls, before following the coast towards your final destination – the small fishing village of Apollo Bay.
Today explore the dramatic coastline surrounding Cape Otway National Park, a region of dense rainforest and striking coastal scenery. A nature lover’s playground nestled on one of Australia’s most southerly points, here you can walk amongst the ancient plants and giant fern trees or experience the full beauty of this rainforest paradise from above on the Otway Fly Tree Top Walk. Take a tour of the oldest surviving lighthouse in Australia or simply revel in your surroundings. Return to Apollo Bay in time to watch the sunset from Mariners Lookout – an impressive vantage point with stunning views back over the bay.
This morning rise early to continue your journey along the Great Ocean Road, where crumbling limestone cliffs retreat from the relentless surf. Witness the multitude of natural geological formations along the way including archways, blowholes and of course the famous Twelve Apostles – a group of limestone rocks rising up from the Southern Ocean. Climb down the 86 steps carved into the cliff face for close-up views of these natural phenomena or take to the skies and admire this beguiling coastline from above. Continue the short distance to Port Campbell for an overnight stay.
This morning drive north towards the city of Ballarat, Victoria’s largest inland city. Steeped in history, Ballarat was once a thriving 19th century goldmining town and remnants of this legacy are still in evidence today. Admire the city’s colonial architecture, gardens and statues on a self-guided heritage walk or visit the open-air gold rush museum at Sovereign Hill. Alternatively the outskirts of Ballarat are ideally suited to producing top quality chardonnay and pinot noir and a variety of wine-related experiences are on offer here.
This morning hails the end of your exploration of Victoria. Drive the short distance back to Melbourne and return your rental car before continuing with the rest of your journey.
Prices & departures
What's Included
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Accommodation in rooms with private bathroom
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Car rental throughout
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Guided walking tour of Melbourne’s lanes and arcades
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Penguin Parade experience, Phillip Island
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Arrival transfer from airport to hotel
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24 hour emergency assistance from our team during your holiday
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No surcharge guarantee
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Full financial protection24 hour emergency assistance from our team during your holiday
From £1098 Excluding Flights
9 Nights
Year Round
Prices are per person based upon 2 sharing, subject to availability. Your Travel Specialist will confirm the exact price based upon your tailored requirements, inclusions, and travel dates.
Make this trip yours
Every trip you see here can be adapted to suit you using inside-out knowledge to create one-off experiences created just for you.
Lauren
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Walrus spotted hauled out on ice
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Countries visited
We create holidays that are as individual as you are. And we’ve been doing it for 40 years, crafting each and every holiday using our in-depth knowledge and enthusiasm for our destinations. Whatever your brief, we’ll create an amazing trip for you to get excited about. That might mean adapting one of our existing itineraries or we’ll build you one from scratch.
Experts with real experience
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Jenna
Travel Specialist
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Phoebe
Travel Specialist
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Lauren
Travel Specialist
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Freya
Travel Specialist
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Gary
Travel Specialist
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Rosie
Travel Specialist
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Ben
Travel Specialist
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Doug
Travel Specialist
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Jo
Travel Specialist
