Ballarat to Warrnambool road trip: Distance, time & best stops

The quickest route from Ballarat to Warrnambool covers a 172km distance with a driving time of around 2h6m. Top attractions to add to a Ballarat to Warrnambool road trip itinerary include Mount Elephant and the Mortlake Parks and Gardens Reserve.

Planning a Ballarat to Warrnambool road trip

A Ballarat to Warrnambool road trip connects arguably the most appealing city in the Goldfields region of Victoria to the whale-watching city at the end of the Great Ocean Road.

Ballarat offers the amazing Sovereign Hill open air museum and the quirky Kryal Castle theme park. For the best Ballarat accommodation, search here.

Warrnambool highlights include Budj Bim National Park tours, Deep Blue Hot Springs and land-based whale-watching from Logans Beach. For Warrnambool accommodation, look here.

This expert-researched guide is aimed at helping travellers plan the perfect Ballarat to Echuca road trip itinerary.

Click through on the links for more detailed links about individual towns and attractions.

If you need a hire car, search for the best car rental deals here – and remember to stock up on your road trip essentials before setting off.

Ballarat to Warrnambool distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Ballarat to Warrnambool is 172km, with a driving time of around two hours and six minutes.

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.

Quickest route from Ballarat to Warrnambool

The quickest route from Ballarat to Warrnambool leaves Ballarat to the south-west and joins the Glenelg Highway. This goes through Delacourt and Smythes Creek, before offering a potential minor detour to the Nittingbool Vineyard.

Next is Smythesdale, where Smythesdale Gardens is more of a pleasant free camping site than a gardens. You can also stop for a beer at the Courthouse Hotel, and tackle part of the Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trail.

Ballarat to Warrnambool road trip: Scarsdale to Derrinallum

The route follows the rail trail for a while, branching off the Glenelg Highway at Scarsdale then continuing south down the Pitfield-Scarsdale Road. This passes the Cape Clear Plantation and joins the Rokewood-Skipton Road just north of Pitfield.

Turn north-west, then very quickly head south-west down the Lismore-Scarsdale Road. Follow this down to the Hamilton Highway and turn west into Lismore.

There’s a supermarket and petrol station here, plus a caravan park and swimming pool, should you fancy a dip.

Continue west along the highway through Derrinallum, which is the gateway to Mount Elephant. This scoria cone from an extinct volcano is climbable – it’s a 2km return walk from the car park, with the likelihood of seeing kangaroos and wallabies along the way.

Ballarat to Warrnambool drive: Mount Elephant to Warrnambool

The next town along is Darlington, which has a speedway, the Elephant Bridge Hotel and Nuggets Flat – a pleasant park on Mount Emu Creek.

You’ll need to depart from the Hamilton Highway at Mortlake, where the highlight is the Rose Garden in the sprawling Mortlake Parks and Gardens Reserve.

From here, the Hopkins Highway runs through Ellerslie and Bushfield into Warrnambool.

Top Warrnambool experiences to book before arriving

Take a geologist-led tour of Budj Bim National Park – discover the Aboriginal cultural connections to the ancient volcano.
Relax in the rockpools – at the geothermally-fed Deep Blue Hot Springs.
Tandem skydive near the 12 Apostles – jump from a plane over the Shipwreck Coast.

Top things to do in Warrnambool include land-based whale watching at Logans Beach and visiting the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum – which has a great sound and light show.

A little further afield, you can see all manner of native wildlife at Tower Hill and get an Aboriginal cultural education in Budj Bim National Park.

The best Warrnambool accommodation options

The top places to stay in Warrnambool are:

For a family-friendly holiday park with a kids’ club: Discovery Parks Warrnambool.
For luxury with a full service spa: Deep Blue Hotel and Hot Springs.
For waterfront location: Lady Bay Resort.
For high quality apartments with a pool: Gallery Apartments.
For a good value motel: Mid City Motel.