Melbourne to Albury-Wodonga road trip: Distance & drive time

The drive from Melbourne to Albury is 328km long, with a driving time of around three hours and 34 minutes. The Melbourne to Wodonga drive is slightly quicker – 321km in three hours and 24 minutes.

Due to the initial stretches of the Murray River being largely inaccessible, Albury-Wodonga makes a logical starting point for a Murray River road trip. The drive along Australia’s longest river can take in paddlesteamer cruises in Echuca, national park tours from Mildura and kayaking on the Coorong from Goolwa before arriving in Adelaide.

👇 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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Getting to Albury by car from Sydney and Melbourne

But the first step is getting to the twin cities of Albury and Wodonga, which straddle the Murray. Albury is in New South Wales, Wodonga is in Victoria, but they’re essentially one urban area.

Flights are available to Albury Airport from both Sydney and Melbourne. These domestic flights take around one hour and 20 minutes from Sydney, or one hour from Melbourne.

As the flight times would suggest, Albury is closer to Melbourne than it is to Sydney. The 553km Sydney to Albury drive should take around five hours and 40 minutes. The Melbourne to Albury driving time, on the other hand, is around three hours and 34 minutes.

Best Albury accommodation picks

The best places to stay in Albury are:

For a heated pool and spa in a gorgeous location next to a riverside park: Best Western Plus Hovell Tree Inn.
For apartments with kitchenettes in a central location: Mantra Albury.
For a good quality motel next to the train station: Winsor Park Motor Inn.
For a holiday park with lots of facilities for the kids: Big4 Albury Tourist Park.
For a motel with cheap rates and fairly central location: Allawa Motor Inn.

Melbourne to Wodonga driving time and road trip stops

The 328km drive from Melbourne to Albury is a largely boring one along the Hume Highway. It’s marginally quicker to drive from Melbourne to Wodonga – 321km in three hours and 24 minutes.

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.

This journey can be regarded as the first leg on the drive from Melbourne to Canberra or Sydney. You can stop to see the Big Ned Kelly in Glenrowan on the way, or Mount Disappointment and Tallarook nearer Melbourne.

Goanna sculpture on Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk, Albury — A carved wooden goanna is one of the Indigenous art works along the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk in Albury, New South Wales. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions.

Things to do in Albury-Wodonga once you’re there include a river kayaking tour and an Aboriginal sculpture walk. First on the list, however, should be the Bonegilla Migrant Experience, which tells the story of post-war immigration in Australia. The Albury weather is most pleasant in spring and autumn.

Good Albury accommodation choices include the laid back Quality Resort Siesta, and the riverside Best Western Hovell Tree Inn.

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.