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

Rachael Thompson Rachael Thompson
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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

Rainbow Beach Hotel
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.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

AI Prompt

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
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.

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Rachael Thompson
Rachael Thompson is Australian Traveller's Evergreen Editor and a self-proclaimed cheese and Chablis connoisseur. In her role, she creates and manages online content that remains relevant and valuable over time. With a background in publishing and e-commerce in both interior design and travel, Rachael is dedicated to curating engaging content that informs and inspires. She began her career at Belle magazine, then went on to become Senior Content Producer at Homes to Love focusing on Australian House & Garden and Belle, followed by Editor at Bed Threads. Her work has also appeared in Qantas Travel Insider. When she's not writing, editing, or optimising content, Rachael enjoys exploring the city's newest restaurants, bars, and hotels. Next on her Aussie travel wish list are Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park and Lord Howe Island.
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Victoria’s surprising new outdoor adventure hotspot

    Craig Tansley Craig Tansley
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    A town charmingly paused in time has become a hot mountain biking destination. 

    There’s a forest reserve full of eucalyptus and pines surrounding town – when you combine all the greenery with a main street of grand old buildings still standing from the Victorian Gold Rush, Creswick looks more period movie set than a 21st-century town.  

    old gold bank Victoria
    Grand buildings from the Victorian gold rush. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    This entire region of Victoria – the Central Goldfields – is as pretty-as-a-picture, but there’s something extra-special about Creswick. I used to live 30 minutes north; I’d drive in some evenings to cruise its main street at dusk, and pretend I was travelling back in time. 

    It was sleepy back then, but that’s changed. Where I used to walk through its forest, now I’m hurtling down the state’s best new mountain bike trails. There’s a 60-kilometre network of mountain bike trails – dubbed Djuwang Baring – which make Creswick the state’s hottest new mountain biking destination.  

    Meet Victoria’s new mountain biking capital 

    Creswick bike trail
    This historic town has become a mountain biking hotspot.

    Victoria has a habit of turning quiet country towns into mountain biking hotspots. I was there in the mid-2000s when the tiny Otways village of Forrest embarked on an ambitious plan to save itself (after the death of its timber cutting industry) courtesy of some of the world’s best mountain bike trails. A screaming success it proved to be, and soon mountain bike trails began popping up all over Victoria. 

    I’m no expert, so I like that a lot of Creswick’s trails are as scenic as they are challenging. I prefer intermediate trails, such as Down Martuk, with its flowing berms and a view round every corner. Everyone from outright beginners to experts can be happy here. There’s trails that take me down technical rock sections with plenty of bumps. But there’s enough on offer to appeal to day-trippers, as much as hard-core mountain-bikers. 

    I love that the trails empty onto that grand old main street. There’s bars still standing from the Gold Rush of the 1850s I can refuel at. Like the award-winning Farmers Arms, not to be confused with the pub sharing its name in Daylesford. It’s stood since 1857. And The American Creswick built two years later, or Odessa Wine Bar, part of Leaver’s Hotel in an 1856-built former gold exchange bank.  

    The Woodlands
    The Woodlands is set on a large bushland property. (Image: Vanessa Smith Photography)

    Creswick is also full of great cafes and restaurants, many of them set in the same old buildings that have stood for 170 years. So whether you’re here for the rush of the trails or the calm of town life, Creswick provides. 

    A traveller’s checklist 

    Staying there 

    1970s log cabin
    Inside the Woodlands, a chic 1970s log cabin. (Image: Vanessa Smith Photography)

    RACV Goldfields Resort is a contemporary stay with a restaurant, swimming pool and golf course. The Woodlands in nearby Lal Lal comprises a chic log cabin set on a 16-hectare property abundant in native wildlife. 

    Eating there 

    Le Peche Gourmand
    Le Peche Gourmand makes for the perfect pitstop for carb and sugar-loading.

    The menu at Odessa at Leaver’s Hotel includes some Thai-inspired fare. Fuel up for your ride on baguettes and pastries from French patisserie Le Peche Gourmand. The Farmers Arms has been a much-loved local institution since 1857. 

    Playing there 

    Miss NorthcottsGarden
    Miss Northcotts Garden is a charming garden store with tea room. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Creswick State Forest has a variety of hiking trails, including a section of the 210-kilometre-long Goldfields Track. Miss Northcotts Garden is a quaint garden store with tea room.