Horsham to Ballarat road trip: Best stops, distance & driving time

Horsham to Ballarat road trip: Ararat to Ballarat

On the Ararat to Ballarat section of the Horsham to Ballarat drive, you’ll go past Langi Ghiran State Park. There are fine views from the Reservoir Lookout, and the Mount Langi Ghiran winery is just at the eastern edge.

A little further along the drive is Mount Buangor State Park, which has several good walking trails. Many of them are blessed with kangaroos, echidnas and koalas.

The next town, 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.

Before reaching Ballarat, you can enjoy the lakeside park at Lake Burrumbeet.

Ballarat attractions, restaurants and accommodation

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.

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.

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.