Melbourne to Lorne road trip: Distance, driving time & best stops
The distance from Melbourne to Lorne is 141km, with a driving time of around 1h56m. The best road trip stops to add to your itinerary include Torquay, Bells Beach and Anglesea Golf Course.
The drive from Melbourne to Lorne covers the first chunk of Victoria‘s Great Ocean Road. For those tackling Australia’s most famous drive at a steady pace, rather than hurtling through on a day trip, Lorne is the most popular overnight stay.
There are plenty of good reasons for this, not least the beach, restaurants and Great Ocean Road waterfall walks.
Lorne accommodation options include the budget-friendly Lorne Foreshore Caravan Park, the resort-style Mantra Lorne and the well-rated Anchorage Motel and Villas.
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.
Melbourne to Lorne distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Melbourne to Lorne is 141km. This makes for a driving time of around one hour and 56 minutes, providing the traffic is kind. And this is not always the case.
👇 7 great day trips while you’re in Melbourne 👇
- Great Ocean Road tour – with koalas 🐨.
- Brighton Beach, Moonlit Sanctuary and Phillip Island tour – with penguins 🐧.
- Yarra Valley wine tour – with gin, cider and cheese 🍷.
- Grampians National Park tour – with bushwalks and LOADS of kangaroos 🦘.
- Mornington Peninsula tour – with hot springs bathing 🛀.
- Wilsons Promontory tour – with all manner of native wildlife 🦘🐨.
- Dandenong Ranges steam train ride – plus wildlife at Healesville Sanctuary and chocolate-tasting in the Yarra Valley.
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You shouldn’t expect to just whizz through, anyway, as there are dozens of enticing stops along the way.
The Melbourne to Torquay leg of the drive leaves central Melbourne to the west, crossing the West Gate Bridge and passing the Scienceworks museum.
Melbourne to Lorne drive: Werribee and the You Yangs
The West Gate Freeway becomes the Princes Freeway as the drive passes through Melbourne’s south-western suburbia. The most interesting potential stop here is the Werribee Open Range Zoo in Werribee.
From Werribee, there’s not an awful lot of countryside before you hit Geelong’s northern suburbs. But the You Yangs Regional Park has some good walks if you’re prepared to build in a detour. The Serendip Sanctuary is just to the north of Lara, too, while Avalon Airport is on the eastern side of the freeway.
Pick the right Great Ocean Road tour from Melbourne
- For wildlife and nature focus: One day tour with koalas and guided forest walk.
- To beat the crowds: Reverse direction Great Ocean Road day tour.
- For adventure: Two day camping and surfing trip.
- For backpackers: One day highlights tour aimed at younger travellers.
- For exclusivity and flexibility: Private tour where you can pick the sights you want to see.
- For an extended trip: Three day Melbourne to Adelaide tour.
Click through to the next section: Geelong to Torquay.