Melbourne to Perth road trip: Distance, driving time, stops & attractions
The Melbourne to Perth distance is 3,404km, with a driving time of 36 hours. Top Melbourne to Perth road trip attractions include the Grampians, Barossa Valley and Head of Bight.
A Melbourne to Perth road trip is a mammoth undertaking. It is an epic journey across Australia, but one that packs in plenty of attractions along the way if you do it right.
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 drive from Melbourne to Perth is a good way to understand how big Australia is. You’ll also see plenty of wildlife and striking desert scenery along the way. But there’s a very good reason why most people choose to fly between Melbourne and Perth rather than drive.
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.
Once there, Perth offers gold pouring experiences at the Perth Mint, Rottnest Island day trips, and scenic Swan River cruises. To book Perth tours and experiences, head here. For Perth accommodation deals, book here.
Melbourne to Perth distance and driving time
The Melbourne to Perth driving distance is 3,404km. That means the driving time from Melbourne to Perth is about 36 hours. And that’s going along the fastest route, sticking to National Highway A1.
5 great day trips from Perth – make your visit special
- Rottnest Island ferry transfer – with bike hire and snorkelling gear. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- The Pinnacles desert – with koalas 🐨 and sandboarding.
- Wave Rock day tour – with wildflowers & Aboriginal culture.
- Margaret River wineries experience 🍷 – with tastings, caves & Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse.
- Full day Swan Valley wine tour 🍷– with lunch.
If turning the Melbourne to Perth drive into a road trip, it’s wise to do it over a lot longer than that. You should also veer off the quickest route to take in some of the more scenic attractions along the way. These include the Great Ocean Road, Port Fairy and the Umpherston Sinkhole in Mount Gambier.
Either way, you’ll need to break the journey down into legs and plan overnight stays along the route.
Next up: Melbourne to Perth road trip sections.