Melbourne to Airlie Beach inland road trip: Distance & best stops
The Melbourne to Airlie Beach inland drive covers a distance of 2,383km in around 26 hours. The best stops along the road trip route include the Griffith wineries, the Cobar Sound Chapel and Charleville.
A Melbourne to Airlie Beach road trip, taking the inland route, shows off parts of Australia that many don’t see. It’s a long drive, but one that shows off bush, riverland, wineries, outback and national parks.
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. For a great range of Melbourne tours and experiences, explore here. To track down the best value Melbourne accommodation, come this way.
Airlie Beach brings Whitsunday Islands sailing and snorkelling cruises, coral and marine life viewing from a glass-bottom boat and day cruises to the staggering white sands of Whitehaven Beach. To explore the full range of Airlie Beach tours and experiences, investigate here. For Airlie Beach accommodation bargains, look here.
Which Whitsundays cruise should I choose?
- For those with limited time: Whitehaven Beach half day tour.
- For the highlights reel: Whitehaven Beach and Hamilton Island day trip.
- To see the reef two ways: High speed Whitsundays cruise plus scenic reef flight combo.
- For romance, sparkling wine and sunset under sail: Multi-beach and reef Lady Enid cruise.
- To see several islands: Sailing and snorkelling adventure.
- For an overnight sailing adventure: Matador two day yacht cruise.
This guide should help you plan your perfect Melbourne to Airlie Beach road trip itinerary. Click through on places underlined in green for more detailed information on the towns and cities along the route.
Melbourne to Airlie Beach distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Melbourne to Airlie Beach is 2,383km. This makes for a driving time of around 26 hours. Obviously, you’re going to need to make a few road trip stops along the way. This guide should help you plan your itinerary.
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.
The first leg of the journey, from Melbourne to Shepparton, is 190km long, and passes through Victoria’s Goulburn Valley.
Melbourne to Airlie Beach road trip: Melbourne to Shepparton
Decent stops along the way which require little to no detour include the Mount Ridley Lookout in Craigieburn at the edge of the city sprawl, and the walking trails of Mount Disappointment.
There are also wineries such as the Trawool Estate around Tallarook, plus the Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Walk and Seymour Railway Heritage Centre in Seymour.
It’s another 81km from Seymour to Shepparton, with Nagambie the best journey-breaker along the way. Take your pick from craft beers at the Nagambie Brewery or wine-tasting and Aboriginal art at the Mitchelton Winery.
Top Nagambie accommodation options
The best places to stay in Nagambie are:
- For a luxurious winery hotel: Mitchelton Hotel Nagambie.
- For a good quality lakeside motel: Nagambie Waterfront Motel.
- For a budget stay: Nagambie Caravan Park and Motel.
The best things to do in Shepparton include Aquamoves near Victoria Park Lake, the Shepparton Art Museum and the Lower Goulburn National Park.
Shepparton accommodation recommendations
These are the best places to stay in Shepparton.
- For grandeur and lake view rooms: Carrington Hotel.
- For a holiday park with lots of kid-friendly facilities: Big4 Shepparton Park Lane Holiday Park.
- For high quality apartments: Quest Shepparton.
- For a good value motel with a pool: Peppermill Inn Motel.
Click through to the next section: Shepparton to the Kidman Way.