Revealed: Australia’s most welcoming towns for you and your pet

These are the destinations that welcome you and your pet pal with open arms.

Travelling is great, but travelling with your pet? Even better. But that’s not to say it doesn’t come without its challenges. Finding pet-friendly places to stay, eat and explore isn’t always simple.

Tripadvisor has revealed the most pet-friendly destinations in Australia, calculated using density and number of pet-friendly restaurants and destination lookers, uncovering where you and your pet pal should travel next.

Dogs are welcome at Pier One Sydney Harbour.

Pet-friendly holiday destinations in Australia

1. Rye, Victoria

Rye, at the tip of the Mornington Peninsula, offers a wonderful variety of beaches, accommodations and dining options that make travelling with pets a breeze.

Several dog-welcoming beaches, including designated off-leash areas like the stretch between Daly Avenue and Shirlow Avenue, mean your pup can roam freely during certain hours. Accommodation-wise, MP Cottages and Eagles’ Nest cater to pooches, offering secure yards and proximity to the beach. There are also plenty of dog-welcoming cafes in the area, including St Andrews Beach Brewery and Cafe El Capitán where you and your furry friend can relax together with a bite to eat.

2. Rainbow Beach, Queensland

The dog-friendly Rainbow Beach Hotel (photo: Steve Madgwick).

Another coastal escape that should be on your radar if you live up north is Rainbow Beach.

As one of the few places in Queensland where dogs on a leash are permitted on the beach, this relaxed destination between the Sunshine Coast and K’gari Fraser Island is perfect for enjoying the warmer weather with your pooch. Many accommodations, like BIG4 Breeze Holiday Park and The Swans Nest Beach House will welcome you as well as top-notch cafes and pubs such as Little Parliament and Rainbow Beach Hotel.

3, Mudgee, NSW

The Zin House in Mudgee welcomes four-legged friends. (Image: The Zin House, Mudgee/DNSW)

Picturesque natural beauty, world-class wineries and your dog by your side? What more could you want! Hit the road and make a beeline for wine country as Mudgee offers pet-friendly hospitality, outdoor activities and a welcoming wine culture. Accommodation offerings include Wildhouse Guesthouse and BIG4 Mudgee Holiday Park, while numerous wineries such as Yeates and De Beaurepaire are pet-friendly.

4. Robe, SA

a family with their pet dog relaxing at Robe Holiday Park — Guests can bring pets to Robe Holiday Park.

The tiny town of Robe is renowned for its rich history, great fishing and beautiful beaches, lakes and bushland. There are several dog-friendly beaches and scenic walking trails here, so you can stay active and enjoy quality time in stunning natural surroundings. Tobruk Cottage and Lily’s Cottage are two of the best accommodation offerings for pet owners in the area, while Drift @ Robe offers delicious meals to enjoy with your friend by your side.

5. Dunsborough, WA

Hit the road with your pup for a scenic beachside road trip. (Image: Getty/ Vesnaandjic)

With picture-perfect beaches, world-class wine and a laidback WA vibe, Dunsborough offers a mix of relaxation and adventure for travellers and their pets alike. Dog-friendly beaches allow pets to roam off-leash outside of peak hours, while dog-friendly venues such as the elevated YARRI restaurant and the beer garden at Occy’s pub allow for enjoying local flavours.

Dog-friendly travel is on the rise

Tripadvisor and MY DOG® have unveiled a new digital hub for dog-friendly travel to make the planning process seamless. The hub is designed to connect Australian pet owners with dog-friendly travel options, such as restaurants, hotels and attractions.

According to TripAdvisor data, interest in dog-friendly restaurants in Australia has continued to grow in 2025, up nearly 10% on the previous period in 2024. This signals a growing demand and shift in Australia’s dining culture, where more eateries are opening their doors to our four-legged friends.

“Aussie travellers are incredibly passionate about their pets, often looking for ways to include them in every adventure," Tripadvisor’s Director of Sales, Scott Wegener, told Australian Traveller.

Pooches & Pinot offers exclusive, dog-friendly wine tasting experiences in the Yarra Valley.

While pet-friendly accommodation was once a niche offering, it’s quickly becoming more common due to demand. Tripadvisor found that listings labelled ‘pets allowed’ increased by 22% in the early months of 2025. This signals a growing demand for the travel industry to meet the needs of pet parents.

The Tripadvisor X MY DOG® hub will be pet owners’ ultimate resource for pet-friendly travel. You’ll find city guides featuring pet-friendly travel tips and attractions, an AI Trip Builder guided by traveller tips and reviews to plan your personalised itinerary, and listings for pet-welcoming hotels, restaurants, cafes, pubs and attractions.

Many hotels and rentals now welcome four-legged guests. (Image: Getty/ Liudmila Chernetska)

The partnership aims to help pet parents “bond and create more meaningful moments with their furry companions," says Lisa Matheson, Mars Petcare Australia and New Zealand Marketing Director for MY DOG®.

“Whether it’s a quick weekend escape or a scenic beachside road trip, this partnership makes it easier to discover pet-friendly stays, venues and experiences right across the country," explained Wegener.

Visit the new Tripadvisor x MY DOG® travel hub and create your perfect pet-inclusive adventure.

Discover some of Australia’s most pet-friendly hotels

Beyond the winding bitumen and coastal views lies another side to Victoria’s most famous route.

There’s something hypnotic about this stretch of Victoria’s coast. Maybe it’s the way the road hugs the ocean so tightly, or how the cliffs catch the sun in colours you can’t name. Or, for local Victorians who drove this route as kids, maybe it’s the memories of winding through the impossibly tall trees as they seemingly guide you on your journey like wooden guardian angels. Most travellers know it for the 12 Apostles, but there are plenty of alternate experiences on the Great Ocean Road equally as worthy of your time.

So, next time you’re in that neck of the woods, park that car, stretch those legs and try these experiences.

1. Discover living culture at Budj Bim

Budj Bim Cultural Landscape Tourism — Walk across the world’s oldest known aquaculture system. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Breakaway Creek’s Budj Bim Cultural Landscape is a masterclass in educational storytelling. Join a guided tour with Budj Bim Cultural Landscape Tourism to walk across the world’s oldest known aquaculture system, where the Gunditjmara people built sophisticated eel traps and stone channels more than 6,000 years ago.

Budj Bim’s aquaculture system predates Egypt’s pyramids by roughly 2,000 years, making it one of the oldest examples of human engineering on Earth. If that’s not enough to get your history-loving family members involved in this road trip, we’re out of ideas.

2. Unwind in the hot springs at Warnambool

woman relaxing at Deep Blue Hot Springs — Let mineral-rich water heal you.

If your legs need a break after a long drive, Deep Blue Hot Springs is your remedy. The geothermal pools sit just metres from the coastline, filled with mineral-rich water that bubbles up from deep underground. Move between open-air baths, waterfall pools and quiet zones made for meditation.

The water in Deep Blue’s geothermal pools comes from an ancient aquifer nearly 850 metres below the Earth’s surface, which, in non-scientific terms, means it’s far more likely to have healing properties than the mineral water you’d find at the supermarket.

3. Take to the air at Princetown

12 Apostles Helicopters flight alternate experiences on the Great Ocean Road — See an icon from a different view.

You may have seen the Twelve Apostles from the trusty viewing platform, but a helicopter flight with 12 Apostles Helicopters shows you just how sprawling and rugged this coastline really is.

The trip covers everything from Port Campbell to London Bridge (not to be confused with the UK’s own), giving you a rare chance to watch waves carving the limestone cliffs from above. It’s worth noting that the limestone stacks of the Twelve Apostles are said to erode by roughly two centimetres each year, so the longer you leave it, the less of the Apostles you’ll see.

4. Step into the past at Flagstaff Hill

Continue the tour through Warnambool at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village and Museum , a recreated 19th-century port town. Hear stories from the days when shipwrecks were as common as seagulls, with an astounding 180 ships believed to have sunk along the Shipwreck Coast in less than five years.

The night show, complete with lights, sound, and sea spray, brings the coastline’s most dramatic stories to life.

If you’re staying the night, Simon’s Waterfront offers relaxed dining with fresh local seafood and oceanfront views. Order the catch of the day and toast to the sailors who never made it ashore.

5. Learn to surf in Torquay, Lorne, or Anglesea

kid having a lesson with Go Ride A Wave — Learn how to hang 10. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Whether you’ve surfed before or can barely stand on a board, Go Ride A Wave will have you upright in no time. Torquay’s calm beaches are ideal for first-timers, while Lorne and Anglesea bring a bit more energy for those unafraid to get dunked.

Bells Beach, just down the road from Torquay, has even hosted the world’s longest-running professional surfing competition since 1962. So, for those eager to have a gander at pros using surfboards like they’re an additional appendage, the competition usually runs sometime in autumn.

6. Tackle the trails in Forrest

Barwon Flow Trails Otways Flow MTB — Hire a bike and explore MTB trails through the Otways.

Forrest is a haven for mountain bikers thanks to an expansive network of trails through stunning natural scenery. The Forrest trail network has almost 100 kilometres of singletrack across 36 trails, so there’s something for every level of rider. That’s including more than 60 kilometres of purpose-built mountain bike trails winding through the Otways’ dense forest. Cycle through ancient myrtle beech trees and towering tree ferns, with smaller ferns and soft mosses forming a carpet at your feet.

Hire a bike from Forrest MTB Hire and take your pick from easy, scenic rides to more challenging singletracks, such as Red Carpet or Rollercoaster.

7. See wildlife up close in Apollo Bay

bush rat on Wildlife Wonders tour — Get help spotting the locals. (Image: Doug Gimsey)

If spotting koalas and kangaroos in the wild feels like winning the lottery, Wildlife Wonders gives you guaranteed sightings without cages or crowds. Every visit to the sanctuary helps fund the Conservation Ecology Centre which supports endangered species across the Otways, so your business is appreciated by humans and animals alike.

The guided walk takes you through protected Otways habitat where you might spot potoroos (or joey lookalikes for those unfamiliar with a potoroo), wallabies, and sleepy koalas lounging in the trees.

8. Visit the Cape Otway Lightstation

Towering over the sea on a cliff above the Southern Ocean, Cape Otway Lightstation has been guiding ships since 1848. Before the lighthouse was built, Cape Otway was one of the most treacherous points on the Victorian coast, with dozens of shipwrecks occurring in its surrounding waters. Pick the right day, and you may bump into a local willing to tell you about the wreck of Eric the Red .

While at the Cape Otway Lightstation, explore the keeper’s quarters, walk the coastal trails, and take in views that only stop short at the horizon.

And no, contrary to popular belief, the Round the Twist lighthouse is actually located in Split Point, just shy of two hours in the direction of Melbourne. Nothing’s stopping you from embarking on a lighthouse crawl, though.

Plan your next no-stone-unturned journey along this iconic Aussie road at visitgreatoceanroad.org.au.