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

The best stops to add to a Stawell to Ballarat road trip itinerary are Ararat and Beaufort. By car, the distance from Stawell to Ballarat is 124km, with a driving time of around 1h26m.

Planning a Stawell to Ballarat road trip

A Stawell to Ballarat road trip covers a scenic stretch of Western Victoria, although for most travellers, this is likely to be a leg of the inland drive from Adelaide to Melbourne.

Stawell on the cusp of the Grampians has several wineries nearby. To investigate Stawell accommodation, choose from the options here.

Goldfields city Ballarat has a wildlife park and a lake that once hosted the Olympics. But the star attraction is the Sovereign Hill open air museum. For the best Ballarat accommodation, search here.

This guide should help you plan your perfect Stawell to Ballarat road trip itinerary. Or, if going the other way, read in reverse to plan a Ballarat to Stawell drive.

Stawell to Ballarat distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Stawell to Ballarat is 124km. That makes for a driving time of around one hour and 26 minutes.

The best stops to add to a Stawell to Ballarat road trip itinerary are Ararat and Beaufort.

Pick the right Grampians tour from Melbourne

Small group eco-tour – including Silverband Falls and Mackenzie Falls.
Great Ocean Road AND the Grampians – two day tour.
Private Grampians tour – pick which sights you want to include.
Small group hiking tour – with three hiking trails.

Stawell to Ballarat road trip: Stawell to Ararat

Stawell is mainly of interest for a series of handsome churches and parks. The Big Hill Lookout offers the best photo stop.

Once on the Western Highway there are several wineries before you reach Ararat. Best’s Wines, the Seppelt Cellar Door and Grampians Estate are all worth a look.

You’ll also pass the Ararat Hills Regional Park, which has several walking trails. The one to the One Tree Hill Lookout is arguably the best.

In Ararat, the highlight is the J Ward Museum – a former lunatic asylum that hosts ghost tours.

Stawell to Ballarat road trip: Ararat to Ballarat

On the Ararat to Ballarat section of the Stawell 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.