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This charming riverside town has been named Victoria’s best

Credit: Visit Victoria

Jessica O'Donnell Jessica O'Donnell
Echuca has just been crowned Victoria’s Top Tourism Town for 2026.

Each year, every Australian state announces a winning destination across three competitive categories: Top Tourism Town, Top Small Tourism Town and Top Tiny Tourism Town – and Victoria has just announced its winners.

After finishing in third place in 2025, the historic riverside town of Echuca returned to take the crown for Top Tourism Town for 2026. With a picturesque position on the banks of the Murray River on the Victorian-NSW border across from its twin border town of Moama, Echuca is renowned for its historic paddlesteamers, houseboat stays and wineries.

Having also earned a spot in Australian Traveller’s exclusive, expert panel-voted list of Australia’s 100 best towns for 2026, it’s safe to say this rural gem is having a good year.

Victoria’s Top Tourism Town

Echuca's historic Paddlesteamers on the Murray River
The riverside town has a rich history and no shortage of activities to uncover. (Credit: Visit Victoria)

Just a 2.5-hour drive from Melbourne, this charming town has unhindered access to the Murray River and the Campaspe River, which flows from Victoria’s Central Highlands to join the Murray west of Echuca, delivering plenty of on-water activities as well as riverside walking trails, prime fishing spots, and an abundance of native birdlife.

Once home to Australia’s largest inland port, travellers can experience Echuca’s river-trading past onboard the town’s historic paddlesteamers with a cruise along the Murray River. Launching in September 2026, visitors will soon be able to sleep onboard the PS Australian Star, Australia’s first five-star river cruise, with all-inclusive three-, four-, and seven-night itineraries departing from Echuca.

Those who prefer to do their own thing can hire a houseboat and spend a weekend drifting down the river, or, if you have less time, spend a day exploring the river by kayak or canoe and soak in the stunning riverfront.

The Discovery Centre at the Port of Echuca
The Discovery Centre at the Port of Echuca explores the town’s history. (Credit: Visit Victoria)

Back on dry land, make the most of Echuca’s food and drink scene with a stop at Echuca Distillery for spirits or pop across the river to its sister town, Moama, for Two Lads Brewing, Morrisons Winery and Old School Winery to taste honey wine and buy hand-thrown pottery under one roof.

The Riverboats Music Festival
The Riverboats Music Festival is an annual event. (Credit: Visit Victoria)

The year-round events calendar includes Riverboats Music Festival and the Festival of Stories, so there’s no shortage of things to do in this Victorian town.

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

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Victoria’s Top Small Tourism Town

Wine bar with ocean views at Port Arlington
Portarlington is a foodie’s dream. (Credit: Visit Victoria)

This year, the title of Victoria’s Top Small Tourism Town went to Portarlington, a seaside town on the Bellarine Peninsula known as Australia’s mussel capital.

Food is a major part of its appeal. Fresh mussels are harvested from the waters of Port Phillip Bay, while local restaurants, nearby wineries and even a boutique mussel cruise make it easy to build an entire weekend around eating and drinking.

But there’s more to Portarlington than just seafood. Visitors can swim, fish and boat in the bay, tee off at the local golf course or wander the town’s shops before checking into the beautifully restored Portarlington Grand Hotel, which dates back to 1888.

Victoria’s Top Tiny Tourism Town

Coastal view of Portsea in Mornington Peninsula
Although it has a reputation for being exclusive, the coastal calm Portsea has to offer is refreshingly simple (Credit: Visit Victoria)

For towns with fewer than 1500 residents, Portsea took out the top prize.

Sitting at the tip of the Mornington Peninsula, the tiny coastal town has the best of both worlds: the calm waters of Port Phillip Bay on one side and the wild Bass Strait coastline on the other.

A day here can be as laid-back or adventurous as you fancy. Swim at Portsea Front Beach, wander the clifftop trails or head into nearby Point Nepean National Park, where walking and cycling tracks weave between spectacular coastal scenery and remnants of the area’s military and quarantine history.

And although Portsea has a reputation as one of the Mornington Peninsula’s more exclusive enclaves, its biggest drawcards are refreshingly simple: beautiful beaches, dramatic coastal walks and plenty of opportunities to slow down and take a breath.

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Jessica O'Donnell

Jessica O'Donnell

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From coast to bush: these are Gippsland’s best hikes

    Michael Turtle Michael Turtle
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    Video credit: Tourism Australia

    From coast to mountains, hiking in Gippsland offers a stunning array of landscapes, with trails that take you deep into the region’s heritage.

    I step out onto the sand and it cries out underfoot. Kweek! I take another step and there’s another little yelp. Screet! Picking up the pace, the sounds follow me like my shadow, all the way down to the water. It’s obvious how this spot got its name – Squeaky Beach – from the rounded grains of quartz that make the distinctive sounds under pressure.

    For many, Wilsons Promontory National Park is the gateway to Gippsland, and the best way to explore it is by walking its network of hiking trails, from coastal gems such as Squeaky Beach through to the bushland, among the wildlife. But it’s still just a taste of what you’ll find on foot in the region.

    Venture a bit further into Gippsland and you’ll discover the lakes, the rainforest, and the alpine peaks, each changing with the season and offering summer strolls or winter walks. Just like that squeaky sand, each step along these trails has something to tell you: perhaps a story about an ancient spirit or a pioneering search for fortune.

    The best coastal hikes in Gippsland

    sunset at Wilsons Promontory National Park
    Wilsons Promontory National Park is a sprawling wilderness with many coastal bushland trails. (Image: Mark Watson)

    Wilsons Promontory National Park (or ‘The Prom’, as you’ll end up calling it) is an easy three-hour drive from Melbourne, but you might ditch the car when you arrive, with much of the park’s 50,000 hectares accessible only by foot. From the inky water of Tidal River (dyed dark purple by abundant tea trees), I like the easy walks along the coast, among lichen-laden granite boulders, to golden beaches and bays.

    a couple on Mount Oberon
    Panoramic views from the summit of Mount Oberon. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

    The trail to the panoramic views at the summit of Mount Oberon is a bit harder, up steep timber and granite steps, but it’s a popular 6.8-kilometre return. The more remote hikes are found through the open banksia and stringybark woodland of the park’s north, or along the multi-day Southern Circuit, which ranges from about 35 to 52 kilometres, with sunrises and sunsets, kangaroos and cockatoos, and maybe even whales.

    a golden sand beach at Wilsons Promontory National Park
    Walk ‘The Prom’s’ golden sand beaches. (Image: Tourism Australia/Time Out Australia)

    You might also see whales on the George Bass Coastal Walk, even closer to Melbourne on the western edge of Gippsland. This dramatic seven-kilometre trail along the clifftops takes in sweeping views of the wild ocean, occasionally dipping down from grassy green hills to coastal gullies and a secluded beach. It also now links into the Bass Coast Rail Trail for an extra 14 kilometres.

    the George Bass Coastal Walk
    George Bass Coastal Walk trails for seven kilometres along clifftops. (Image: Visit Victoria/Time Out Australia)

    Over at the eastern edge of Gippsland, in Croajingolong National Park, you can wander along the lakeshores beneath koalas and around goannas (I keep my distance since one chased me here!). For those who are even more adventurous, the park is also the starting point for the 100-kilometre Wilderness Coast Walk, usually done over seven days.

    the Croajingolong National Park, Gippsland
    Wander along the lakeshores in Croajingolong National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    The best bush hikes in Gippsland

    the Baw Baw National Park
    The alpine heath of Baw Baw National Park. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

    Deep in the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine at Walhalla, mining guide Richard tells me how this small town in the mountains east of Melbourne boomed when prospectors found gold here in 1862. These days, you’ll find most of the town’s treasure – its heritage – above ground, with the Walhalla Tramline Walk a wonderful way to explore it.

    Just seven kilometres long, the walk takes you through decades of Gold Rush history, following the original rail trail from lush bushland to the mining sites, and through the charming village of just 20 residents with its wooden cottages and old shopfronts adorned with turn-of-the-century advertising posters. Blazing a trail where trailblazers once opened up the region, this is also the starting point for the 650-kilometre Australian Alps Walking Track.

    Nearby, Baw Baw National Park has walks through gnarled snow gums and alpine heaths that show off the colourful wildflowers in summer and the pristine carpet of white in winter. Several trails are perfect for snowshoes, including a 45-minute route from St Gwinear up to vast views across the Latrobe Valley.

    Further up into the mountains, the Toorongo and Amphitheatre Falls Loop Walk is an easy 2.2-kilometre path that serenades you with the sound of flowing water as you pass mossy rocks and tree ferns en route to two sets of waterfalls cascading over boulders in the remote wilderness.

    The best cultural hikes in Gippsland

    the Mitchell River National Park, Gippsland
    Hike the Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)

    Across a pool in a natural sandstone amphitheatre, deep within a cave behind a waterfall, it’s said the Nargun has its lair. A fierce creature, half human and half stone, that abducts children and can’t be harmed by boomerangs or spears, the story of the Nargun has been told around the campfires of the local Gunaikurnai people for generations.

    As a culturally significant place for women, hikers are asked not to go into the Den of Nargun, but a 3.4-kilometre loop walk leads you through a rainforest gully to the entrance where you can feel the powerful atmosphere here in Mitchell River National Park, along Victoria’s largest remaining wild and free-flowing waterway.

    the bee-eaters at Mitchell River National Park
    Bee-eaters at Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)

    The Den of Nargun is part of the Bataluk Cultural Trail, a series of important traditional Gunaikurnai sites through central Gippsland. Another location is Victoria’s largest cave system, Buchan Caves Reserve, with trails to important archaeological sites of human artefacts up to 18,000 years old. The FJ Wilson Interpreted Walk includes the naturally sculpted white limestone steps of the 400-metre-long Federal Cave, while the Granite Pools Walk goes among tall timber and moss-covered gullies.

    the ancient rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park
    The ancient rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park. (Image: Josie Withers)

    Also important to the Gunaikurnai people is Tarra-Bulga National Park, known for its ancient myrtle beeches and enormous mountain ash trees. Just 40 minutes return, the Tarra Valley Rainforest Walk offers a taste of this verdant landscape, while the Grand Strzelecki Track takes you deep into the lost world of forest giants on an epic 100-kilometre trail rich with tradition.

    A traveller’s checklist

    Staying there

    the WildernessRetreats in The Prom
    Wilderness Retreats in The Prom. (Image: Christian Pearson)

    Wilderness Retreats in Wilsons Promontory offers glamping-style tents with luxurious queen beds. Star Hotel is a reconstruction of a Gold Rush-era hotel from 1863 in the heart of heritage Walhalla. Caves House is a historic three-bedroom house with views over the Buchan River.

    Eating there

    the Carrajung Estate, Gippsland
    Enjoy a post-hike lunch at Carrajung Estate. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

    Kilcunda General Store serves great coffee and meals of local produce at the George Bass Coastal Walk. Alpine Trout Farm is located near Toorongo Falls in Noojee. Fish for your own lunch and barbecue it with the provided cookware.

    Carrajung Estate is a short drive from Tarra-Bulga National Park. The winery’s restaurant offers a seasonal menu of regional ingredients and you can stay at The Lodge.

    a seafood feast at Carrajung Estate, Gippsland
    The table is set for a seafood feast at the estate.

    Video credit: Tourism Australia