The Ultimate Mornington Peninsula Road Trip Itinerary

With picturesque seaside villages, rolling vineyards, quaint antique stores, local markets, art galleries, nature trails and an array of water-based leisure activities, the Mornington Peninsula is one of the country’s top spots for a long weekend road trip.

The beauty of it is, with so much packed into a relatively small peninsula, you can have a wide variety of experiences without spending days on end in the car.

The other draw card is this part of the world is fabulous year-round. In the colder months spend your days curled up by the fireplace at a vineyard in the hinterland, and in summer laze away hours on a paddle board in the serene waters of Port Phillip Bay.

Read on for our ultimate itinerary for a long weekend away.

Melbourne to Merricks – 1 hour 15 minutes

Head up the highway to the peninsula and admire some of the unique public artwork along the Eastlink roadway (a giant bird and a mini hotel are bound to catch your eye). When you arrive in Merricks, head straight to the Merricks General Wine Store for a good coffee and a light lunch made from seasonal local produce. There’s also a great provedore here, where you can pick up some local preserves and wines to take with you.

Merricks general wine store — Head straight to the Merricks General Wine Store

After lunch it’s time to whip around some of the fabulous wineries in the Red Hill area for a tasting. Foxey’s Hangout , Polperro , Paringa Estate , Quealy Winemakers , Main Ridge Estate and T’Gallant are all worth a look. At Montalto Estate , take a walk along the sculpture trail or grab a woodfired pizza if you’re still feeling peckish.

If you want to get a broad appreciation for the area’s food and wine in one spot, visit all-day bistro, bar and cellar door Many Little . Sit on the huge deck, soak up the atmosphere (this is a popular spot with locals) and sample wines, beers and ciders from the region. Be sure to check out the beautifully curated Amelie & Frank’s boutique a few doors down and spend all your hard-earned cash on lovely things. Gordon Studio Glassblowers in Red Hill is also worth a look while you’re in the area – they are considered some of the best glassblowers in Australia.

Check into your accommodation at the architecturally formidable Jackalope late afternoon, so you can sit by the infinity pool and enjoy watching the sun set behind the vines. Make time to admire the incredible artwork throughout the hotel, which was one of the few Australian accommodation offerings to make it onto Condé Nast Traveler’s hot list last year. Have dinner at Rare Hare , or Jackalope’s fancier offering Doot Doot Doot.

As you’d expect with a five-star hotel, Jackalope’s service is on point

Merricks to Pt. Leo Estate – 10 minutes

Hop up in the morning and head to a yoga class at the beautifully intimate HotHut Yoga . Then make your way to Pt. Leo Estate and take your time walking around its sculpture park. Set high on a hill and with Western Port Bay as the backdrop, this is a truly unique spot to drink in some incredible art. After your artsy stroll, head inside to Laura restaurant for a degustation lunch – chef Phil Woods’ restaurant recently landed the Best New Restaurant gong at the Good Food Guide Awards. You won’t be disappointed.

Pt. Leo Estate to Cape Schanck – 25 minutes

After lunch make your way to the evening’s accommodation at the freshly finished Cape Schanck Resort . With sweeping views of the rugged coastline, this resort is adjacent to a world-class golf course. If swinging a club is not your thing the day spa at Cape Schanck is also amazing. The hammam-style bathing experience is a cheap and cheerful way to experience the amenities, or choose from one of their indulgent treatments.

One you’ve taken part in your afternoon leisure activity of choice spend the evening dining at the Cape Restaurant (which is quickly becoming one of the peninsula’s hot dining spots).

Cape Schanck to Fingal – 15 minutes

In the morning head down the road to the Peninsula Hot Springs in Fingal. This is Victoria’s first natural hot springs and day spa centre. It’s won a slew of tourism awards, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a beautifully landscaped labyrinth of thermal pools, saunas and private bath houses. Be sure to make your way up to the top bath, which offers views across the rolling hills.

Fingal to Sorrento / Portsea – 25 minutes

When you’ve soaked your cares away, jump back in the car and head to Sorrento and Portsea (two towns side by side at the end of the peninsula). These beachside towns have long been the playground of wealthy Melburnians, so among the jaw-dropping holiday homes you’ll find excellent art galleries, cafes and shops to explore. The Portsea Hotel is something of an icon, so be sure to drop in for a lazy beer or wine and do a spot of people watching.

The beaches here are top notch. Go for a dip or take part in one of the many water activities on offer, including sailing, fishing and sea kayaking. Also check out the quaint little bathing boxes/huts set right on the beach. These are privately owned and are tightly held – when they do come up for sale the prices are often eye-watering.

You also might like to go for a walk around the Point Nepean National Park, which is rich in maritime history. There’s a historic fort you can explore, and bike hire is available if you’d like to take it in on two wheels.

Spend your last night at the Portsea Village Resort, which offers 25 boutique-style apartments.

Portsea Village Resort, offers 25 boutique-style apartments

Portsea to Arthurs Seat – 35 minutes

Kick off your final day with an early morning excursion out into the bay. Moonraker Charters offers a three-hour small-group tour where you can swim with dolphins and seals. The tours depart from the Sorrento pier. Have fish and chips for lunch afterwards on the beach.

Then make your way to the Arthurs Seat Eagle which gives you the chance to soar in a cable car through the forest canopy over Arthurs Seat State Park. You’ll get great views across Port Phillip Bay to Melbourne.

Soar in a cable car through the forest canopy over Arthurs Seat State Park

Arthurs Seat to Melbourne (via Tyabb) – 1 hour 30 mins

On the journey back to Melbourne stop in at Tyabb Packing House Antiques. Located in a 100-plus-year-old cool store, the range of vintage items on offer provides a wonderful trip down memory lane. There’s also a cafe on site where you can grab a decent coffee for the drive home.

Just over an hour from Melbourne, spectacular walking and hiking trails encompass ancient landscapes, forested ridgelines and volcanic peaks.

Just a short drive from the city, the urban sprawl gives way to rolling hills, mineral springs, and lush forests that will have you feeling like you’re in the bucolic countryside of France. Encompassing Daylesford , the Macedon Ranges, Castlemaine and the Central Goldfields, this pocket of Victoria is a region where nature, art, and wellness intertwine. Heritage towns hum with creativity, good food and wine, and welcoming locals. While Daylesford hikes, and those nearby, offer the chance to take a pause and reconnect with nature.

1. Hanging Rock Summit Walk

Etched into folklore, few places in Australia carry as much mystique as Hanging Rock. Rising dramatically from the plains near Woodend, this volcanic mamelon offers a beautiful nature walk. The walk begins at a gentle pace, weaving through shaded woodland before it gets a little steeper as the path starts to climb and twist to the summit. From here, you’ll have views that stretch across the Macedon Ranges. The walk is roughly 1.8 kilometres return, but the real reward lies in standing among the weathered boulders, feeling the age and energy of the earth beneath your feet.

2. Macedon Ranges Walking Trail

Macedon Ranges Walking Trail camel's hump lookout — Walk to Camel’s Hump. (Image: Clair Derwort)

The Macedon Ranges Walking Trail traverses around 19 kilometres of forest and mountain landscapes. The full trail is a six-hour circuit, with most of the walk being a grade three; however, you don’t have to tackle it all at once. There are shorter walks that will take you through the tall mountain ash forests, to tranquil picnic areas, and sweeping views from Camels Hump and the Memorial Cross. The best times of year to head out are autumn, when the mountain turns into a tapestry of crimson and gold, and spring, when wildflowers brighten the trail.

3. Mount Alexander Traverse

Towering above the goldfields near Castlemaine, Mount Alexander is a granite giant that offers some great bushwalking trails. The Mount Alexander Traverse winds along the mountain’s rocky spine through dry eucalypt forest that opens up in sections to reveal beautiful panoramas across Loddon Valley and all the way to the distant Grampians. Once a site of ancient volcanic activity (and later a gathering place for the Dja Dja Wurrung people), the mountain’s granite tors are now quiet and create a beautiful, serene atmosphere for a moment of reflection while walking.

4. Murmuring Walk

Murmuring Walk daylesford hikes — Circle the picturesque Sanatorium Lake.

Located an easy drive from Daylesford, Murmuring Walk offers something a little different. Circling Sanatorium Lake, this free audio-guided walk aims to immerse you in the rhythms of Dja Dja Wurrung, Taungurung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country by blending the sounds of nature with a multi-layered soundtrack. There are two routes to explore while you listen: a shorter loop around the lake itself and a longer circuit that extends deeper into the woodland.

5. La Gerche Forest Walk

Located in Creswick, the La Gerche Forest Walk honours the legacy of John La Gerche, a 19th-century forester who championed the regeneration of the then gold-rush-ravaged land. Today, over 100 years later, his replanting efforts have grown into a living cathedral of towering pines, oaks, and native gums. As you meander along the 2.2-kilometre circuit, you’ll find interpretive panels along the way that help tell the story of La Gerche’s vision, so you can learn as you wander.

6. Sailors Falls Loop

Just outside Daylesford, Sailors Falls tumbles through a fern-lined gorge, fed by mineral springs. Thought to be named after the sailors who jumped ship to seek gold in the area during the 1850s gold rush, the loop walk begins at the car park and descends through a cool, shaded gully to the base of the falls. From here, you’ll make the climb back via the mineral springs. It’s a short but enchanting walk – about 1.5 kilometres in total, so make a day of it by packing a picnic to sit by the springs; you’ll feel worlds away from the city.

7. Paddys Ranges Loop Walk

Further north, the Paddys Ranges State Park loop reveals a different side of Victoria’s Heartland – dry forest, golden light and hints of a gold-rush past. This protected reserve is a stronghold of box-ironbark woodland, providing vital refuge for endangered species. In spring, the forest floor is awash with the colour of over 230 species of wildflowers, so a springtime walk is a must-do. As you walk the 4.5-kilometre loop trail, keep an eye out for remnants of old mine shafts and rusted relics from the prospectors who once sought their fortunes here.

8. Mount Franklin Summit Walk

An extinct volcano turned picnic ground, Mount Franklin (known as Lalgambook to the Dja Dja Wurrung people) is one of the region’s quiet marvels. The summit walk follows a narrow, winding path through native forest to the crater’s rim, where you’ll get glimpses of farmland and forest below. It’s a moderate climb – just over an hour return, so it can easily be done if you’re camping in the surrounding reserve for a weekend nature retreat.

The trails of Victoria’s Heartland offer a chance to reconnect with the landscape, local history and yourself. Start planning your next adventure at daylesfordmacedonlife.com.au.

The ultimate Mornington Peninsula road trip