Bacchus Marsh to Ballarat drive: Distance, time and best stops

The Bacchus Marsh to Ballarat drive covers a 60km distance in a driving time of around 44 minutes. The best road trip stops to add to your itinerary are Werribee Gorge State Park and Kryal Castle.

The drive from Bacchus Marsh to Ballarat in Victoria is a relatively short hop along the Western Freeway. It’s a journey that most visitors will undertake as part of a longer road trip – probably from Melbourne to Halls Gap or Melbourne to Adelaide.

Bacchus Marsh to Ballarat distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Bacchus Marsh to Ballarat is 60km. This makes for a driving time of around 44 minutes. Obviously, this is short enough to not require any road trip stops along the route. However, there are a few decent spots along the way if you’re wanting to make additions to your road trip itinerary.

From Bacchus Marsh, it’s a short diversion to the north for the walking trails of Lerderderg State Park. The Grahams Dam section is closest.

A little further along, you’ll come to perhaps the most attractive stop along the route. Werribee Gorge State Park is right next to the freeway, and hosts a lovely handful of walking trails and lookouts.

The 3km Ironbark Gorge Walk to Falcons Lookout and the 5km Short Circuit Walk are good alternatives for those who don’t want to tackle to the full 10km Werribee Gorge Circuit Walk.

The drive then goes past the scenic Pykes Creek Reservoir. Those travelling with kids may be interested in Pykes Creek Playground at the south-eastern end.

Bacchus Marsh to Ballarat road trip: Ballan attractions

The Freeway then passes north of Ballan, near the Ballan Golf Club. The best hang-outs in the town itself are Caledonian Park and the Ballan Outdoor Pool next to the Werribee River.

A little further along the freeway passes between the Ballan Racecourse Reserve and Bostock Reservoir.

The main attraction on the Ballan to Ballarat drive is Kryal Castle in Leigh Creek. This quirky old-fashioned amusement park has a knights and dragons theme, and is better for younger children than older ones. You can save time queueing by buying tickets online.

Bacchus Marsh to Ballarat drive: Outskirts of Ballarat

Very close by is Gold Rush Indoor and Outdoor Mini Golf, while as you get closer to central Ballarat, it’s not much of a detour to the perennially popular Ballarat Wildlife Park. Again, tickets can be booked online in advance.

4 Ballarat experiences to book in advance ⬇️

Sovereign Hill tickets – visit Australia’s best open air museum. Give it a full day, too – there’s so much to see and do.
Ballarat Wildlife Park entry – meet loads of cute native Aussie animals.
Kryal Castle admission – enjoy a bizarre knights in armour theme park.
Beer-making course – learn to brew, with tastings and lunch thrown in.

The main attraction in Ballarat, however, is Sovereign Hill. This recreated gold rush town offers gold panning, mine tours, plus all manner of shows and craft demonstrations. Fix up your Sovereign Hill tickets here.

Top places to eat in Ballarat include traditional Spanish restaurant Meigas Ballarat, Latin American joint Pancho and the lakeside Boatshed Ballarat.

Good Ballarat accommodation choices include the apartment-style Quest, the family-friendly Big4 NRMA Ballarat holiday park and the well-reviewed Lake Inn.