Ballarat to Adelaide road trip: Distance, driving time & best stops
The best stops on a Ballarat to Adelaide road trip itinerary are the Grampians, Little Desert National Park and the Adelaide Hills. By car along sealed roads, the distance from Ballarat to Adelaide is 614km, with a driving time of around 6h46m.
The drive from Ballarat to Adelaide along sealed roads takes you from the Victorian Goldfields to the capital of South Australia. Make it into a road trip, and there’s plenty to see along the way.
Ballarat has a wildlife park and a lake that once hosted the Olympics. But the star attraction is the Sovereign Hill open air museum. For the best Ballarat accommodation, search here.
Adelaide brings food tours of the fabulous Central Market, Torrens River cruises, swimming with dolphins and the chance to walk across the roof of the Adelaide Oval. To book Adelaide accommodation, step this way. For a full range of Adelaide tours and experiences, explore here.
This guide is aimed at helping travellers plan their perfect Ballarat to Adelaide road trip itinerary. For more detailed information on individual towns and attractions, click through on the links.
Ballarat to Adelaide distance and driving time
By car along sealed roads, the distance from Ballarat to Adelaide is 614km. You can expect a driving time of around six hours and 46 minutes.
The best stops to add to a Ballarat to Adelaide road trip itinerary are the Grampians, Little Desert National Park and the Adelaide Hills.
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 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.
Ballarat to Adelaide road trip: Ballarat to Beaufort
Attractions along the Ballarat to Ararat section of the drive include Lake Burrumbeet, which has an appealing lakeside park.
The most appealing town along the route, however, is Beaufort. It’s a place lined with handsome 1850s buildings and quirky antiques shops.
Other things to do in Beaufort include picnicking or fishing at Beaufort Lake and smelling the flowers at the Beaufort Memorial Rose Garden.
Ballarat to Adelaide drive: Beaufort to Ararat
A little further along the drive towards Ararat is Mount Buangor State Park, which has several good walking trails. And many of them are blessed with kangaroos, echidnas and koalas.
The 1km walk from the Ferntree campground, passing Cascade Falls and Ferntree Falls, is a highlight reel for the time-pressed.
Langi Ghiran State Park is next. There are fine views from the Reservoir Lookout, and the Mount Langi Ghiran winery is just at the eastern edge.
Shortly afterwards, you’ll arrive in Ararat. In Ararat, the highlight is the J Ward Museum – a former lunatic asylum that hosts ghost tours.
Click through to the next section: Ararat to Stawell.