Melbourne to Swan Hill road trip: Best stops, distance & time
The best stops on a Melbourne to Swan Hill road trip are Gisborne, Woodend, Kyneton, Bendigo and the lakes around Kerang. The distance from Melbourne to Swan Hill is 340km, with the driving time around 3h50m.
A Melbourne to Swan Hill road trip takes you from the capital of Victoria to one of the most appealing towns on the Murray River.
Melbourne offers street art tours, supreme views from the Melbourne Skydeck and Aboriginal cultural tours in the Botanic Gardens. For a great range of Melbourne tours and experiences, explore here. To track down the best value Melbourne accommodation, come this way.
Swan Hill, meanwhile, offers plenty of heritage and paddlesteamer cruises. To get the best deals on Swan Hill accommodation, book in advance here.
Use this guide to help you plan the perfect Melbourne to Swan Hill road trip itinerary. Click through on the names of individual towns and attractions for more detailed guides.
Melbourne to Swan Hill distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Melbourne to Swan Hill is 340km. That makes for a driving time of around three hours and 50 minutes.
The best stops on a Melbourne to Swan Hill road trip include Hanging Rock at Woodend, the Central Deborah Gold Mine in Bendigo and Lake Boga.
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.
Melbourne to Swan Hill road trip: Melbourne to Woodend
The route out of Melbourne is along the Calder Freeway, which passes Brimbank Park and Taylors Lakes on its way through the city’s north-western suburbia.
The first good stop is the Organ Pipes National Park, where the walking trails head to mammoth basalt columns. Next come Sunbury and Gisborne. Stop at Gisborne to see kangaroos bounding around the Gisborne Golf Club, or taste wines at the Gisborne Peak Winery.
Top Gisborne accommodation choices
The best places to stay in Gisborne are:
- For cottages amongst the vineyards: Gisborne Peak Winery Short Term Stays.
- For a private lake, tennis court, golf driving net and sauna: Cleggett Estate.
- For quirk factor and four poster beds: Galahad’s Animal Sanctuary B&B.
There are more wineries around Woodend. But this town is better known as the gateway to Mount Macedon and the much-fabled Hanging Rock.
The best places to stay in Woodend
The best Woodend accommodation options are:
- For overall quality: Northfield Boutique Apartments.
- For style meets homeliness: Silverwood House.
- For kangaroos grazing outside: Hanging Rock Views.
Melbourne to Swan Hill road trip: Kyneton to Bendigo
Next along the Melbourne to Swan Hill drive is Kyneton, which has a pretty botanic gardens.
Top Kyneton accommodation choices
The best places to stay in Kyneton are:
- For a solid, affordable motel: Central Highlands Motor Inn.
- For a handsome 1890s villa: Isabella at Kyneton.
- For a great location among the restaurants and shops: Blue Rosella on Piper.
The Calder Highway then bypasses Malmsbury, Taradale, Elphinstone and the historic Goldfields town of Castlemaine.
The Mount Alexander Regional Park is the most appealing natural attraction before reaching Ravenswood, where there is a decision to make.
Here, you either stick with the Calder Highway and go into Bendigo, or branch off and go round.
Bendigo is one of the biggest cities in Australia, and has a strong art scene. Things to do in Bendigo include gold mine tours at the Central Deborah Gold Mine, the Great Stupa, the Bendigo Art Gallery and walking around Lake Weeroona.
Where to stay in Bendigo
The best Bendigo accommodation options are:
- For good quality, spacious apartments: Quest Bendigo Central.
- For art, liveliness and personality: Mercure Bendigo Schaller.7
- For historic charm: Hotel Shamrock.
- For central location and (usually) cheap rates: City Centre Motel.
Click through to the next section: Bendigo to Bridgewater on Loddon.