Melbourne to Bendigo road trip: Distance, drive time and stops
By car, the Melbourne to Bendigo drive is 153km long, making for a Melbourne to Bendigo driving time of one hour and 47 minutes. Attractions near the Calder Highway on the road trip route include the Organ Pipes National Park, Gisborne Peak Winery, Mount Macedon and Hanging Rock.
The drive from Melbourne to Bendigo in Victoria is not an especially long one, but there are a few good places to stop along the way.
Before leaving, you may want to tick Melbourne Cricket Ground tours, Yarra River dinner cruises and cross-city hot air balloon flights off your Melbourne wish list. For a great range of Melbourne tours and experiences, explore here. To track down the best value Melbourne accommodation, come this way.
To fix up good value Bendigo accommodation, look here.
Search for the best Melbourne car hire deals.
Melbourne to Bendigo distance and driving time
The quickest route from Melbourne to Bendigo is along the Calder Freeway, aka the M79. Taking the Calder Freeway, the Melbourne to Bendigo drive is 153km long, with a driving time of one hour and 47 minutes. Advance book Melbourne car hire if you don’t have your own vehicle.
If you just want to get to Bendigo as quickly as possible, there’s no need for a rest stop here. But should you want to turn the drive into a day out, there are plenty of road trip itinerary options.
The Calder Freeway passes Brimbank Park and Taylors Lakes on its way through Melbourne’s north-western suburbia.
👇 7 great day trips while you’re in Melbourne 👇
- Great Ocean Road tour – with koalas 🐨.
- Brighton Beach, Moonlit Sanctuary and Phillip Island tour – with penguins 🐧.
- Yarra Valley wine tour – with gin, cider and cheese 🍷.
- Grampians National Park tour – with bushwalks and LOADS of kangaroos 🦘.
- Mornington Peninsula tour – with hot springs bathing 🛀.
- Wilsons Promontory tour – with all manner of native wildlife 🦘🐨.
- Dandenong Ranges steam train ride – plus wildlife at Healesville Sanctuary and chocolate-tasting in the Yarra Valley.
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Melbourne to Bendigo road trip stops
The first great stop is the Organ Pipes National Park, where the walking trails head to mammoth basalt columns. Next come Sunbury and Gisborne. Stop at Gisborne to see kangaroos bounding around the Gisborne Golf Club, or taste wines at the Gisborne Peak Winery.
Top Gisborne accommodation choices
The best places to stay in Gisborne are:
- For cottages amongst the vineyards: Gisborne Peak Winery Short Term Stays.
- For a private lake, tennis court, golf driving net and sauna: Cleggett Estate.
- For quirk factor and four poster beds: Galahad’s Animal Sanctuary B&B.
There are more wineries around Woodend. But this town is better known as the gateway to Mount Macedon and the much-fabled Hanging Rock.
The best places to stay in Woodend
The best Woodend accommodation options are:
- For overall quality: Northfield Boutique Apartments.
- For style meets homeliness: Silverwood House.
- For kangaroos grazing outside: Hanging Rock Views.
Next along the Melbourne to Bendigo drive is Kyneton, which has a pretty botanic gardens.
Top Kyneton accommodation choices
The best places to stay in Kyneton are:
- For a solid, affordable motel: Central Highlands Motor Inn.
- For a handsome 1890s villa: Isabella at Kyneton.
- For a great location among the restaurants and shops: Blue Rosella on Piper.
The Calder Highway then bypasses Malmsbury, Taradale, Elphinstone and the historic Goldfields town of Castlemaine.
Melbourne to Bendigo drive: Bendigo parks
The Mount Alexander Regional Park and Bendigo Regional Park are the two most appealing natural attractions before the road trip enters Bendigo.
If you don’t fancy driving, you can always take the Melbourne to Bendigo train instead.
Where to stay in Bendigo
The best Bendigo accommodation options are:
- For good quality, spacious apartments: Quest Bendigo Central.
- For art, liveliness and personality: Mercure Bendigo Schaller.7
- For historic charm: Hotel Shamrock.
- For central location and (usually) cheap rates: City Centre Motel.
14 fantastic experiences that make the most of your free time in Melbourne
- Get the very best views – on a hot air balloon flight over the city.
- See the changing colours of the river – on a sunset kayaking tour – with dinner. (Highly recommended ✅)
- Feast and see the sights at the same time – on a four course dinner cruise along the Yarra River.
- A genuinely excellent street art tour, led by prominent street artists. (Highly recommended ✅)
- The also superb Aboriginal heritage, plants and bush food tour in the Botanic Gardens. (💲 Great value 💲)
- Best of Melbourne bike tour – you can see more on two wheels than walking.
- Hidden laneways bar crawl OR foodie discovery tour OR chocolate and dessert tour.
- Combo ticket for Australian Sports Museum and MCG tour.
- Hassle-dodging advance tickets for the Melbourne Skydeck, Melbourne Zoo, the Ice Bar (with cocktails) and Sea Life Aquarium.
More Victoria travel
Play golf at the prestigious Yarra Yarra Golf Club in Bentleigh East.
Where is the best Lake Tyrrell accommodation for visiting the stunningly reflective Lake Tyrrell?
Tackle the Mount Stapylton Loop Walk in the Grampians near Horsham.
Travel through suburban Melbourne on the 903 bus route.
Drink craft beer in a former stables at the St Andrews Beach Brewery on the Mornington Peninsula.