Wangaratta to Geelong road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
The Wangaratta to Geelong drive covers a distance of 311km, with a driving time of around three hours and 16 minutes. Top road trip stops to add to the itinerary include Benalla, Melbourne and Werribee.
Planning a Wangaratta to Geelong road trip
The drive from Wangaratta to Geelong connects the Hume Highway to the second largest city in Victoria.
Wangaratta makes a solid base for special tasting experiences at two of Australia’s top wineries – Brown Brothers and Pizzini Wines. For Wangaratta accommodation options, look here.
Geelong is a surprisingly fun place, offering water-biking, hot air balloon flights and electric picnic boat rentals. For the best Geelong accommodation deals, head this way.
This guide should help you plan your perfect Wangaratta to Geelong road trip itinerary.
Click through on the links for more detailed links about individual towns and attractions.
If you need a hire car, search for the best car rental deals here – and remember to stock up on your road trip essentials before setting off.
Wangaratta to Geelong distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Wangaratta to Geelong is 311km. That makes for a driving time of around three hours and 16 minutes.
Highlights in Wangaratta include swimming in the Ovens River and seeing the Aboriginal sculptures on the Bullawah Cultural Trail. Most, however, use it as a gateway for visiting the King Valley wineries around Milawa.
For Wangaratta accommodation, take a look at the riverside Big4 Wangaratta North Cedars Holiday Park and the well-equipped Quest apartments.
Further along the highway you’ll come to Glenrowan, scene of the infamous shoot-out where notorious bushranger Ned Kelly was finally captured. Head to Siege Street, where a series of signs and cut-outs tells the story.
Wangaratta to Geelong drive: Benalla to Seymour
Continue until you reach mural-dotted Benalla, where the Benalla Art Gallery is one of Australia’s best regional art museums. You can also learn about pilot training during World War II at the Benalla Aviation Museum.
Pick the best Benalla accommodation options
The best places to stay in Benalla are…
- For a solid, affordable motel with a pool: Glider City Motel.
- For family-friendly cabins: Benalla Tourist Park.
- For central location: Top of the Town Motel.
Further south, the Reef Hills State Park offers plenty of wildlife and wildflowers, while you can also get a nature fix at the Euroa Arboretum and Balmuttum Walking Track in Euroa.
On the way to Seymour, you can taste wines at the Magyars Hill Vineyard and Cottage or Fowles Wine, or get lost in the Avenel Maze.
Road trip essentials that many travellers forget
Search on the web, and you’ll find ludicrously long lists of equipment to take on a road trip. Australia Travel Questions isn’t going to do that to you. But it is worth buying the following road trip items before setting off. Click through for a good range of options.
- Charging cables – yes, you’ll probably need a spare at some point.
- Car charger adaptor – in case your rental car has the old-fashioned cigarette lighter rather than a USB.
- Multi USB charger – for those hotel rooms that don’t have enough power sockets.
- Fold-up chairs – to make anywhere a picnic spot.
- A really good water bottle – go for a bigger one than usual to last the longer drives.
- Packing cubes – save space but, more importantly, avoid unpacking everything every night.
Things to do in Seymour include the eerily moving Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Walk and trainspotter’s paradise, the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre.
Seymour accommodation possibilities include the family-friendly Big4 Holiday Park and the impressively reviewed New Crossing Place Motel and Apartments
Wangaratta to Geelong road trip: Seymour to Melbourne
On the way into Melbourne, Tallarook has an outdoor pool and a few wineries, including the Trawool Estate.
Then, the Mount Ridley Lookout in Craigieburn shows off the dividing line between rural Victoria and suburbia.
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.
Top attractions to add to your list in Melbourne include the Immigration Museum, Brighton Beach, the Australian Sports Museum and the Albert Park Driving Range.
Also worth doing are street art tours led by local artists, hot air balloon flights over the city and sunset kayaking tours.
Melbourne hotels with a pool include the Intercontinental Rialto, Adelphi Hotel and Novotel Geelong on Collins.
Click through to the next section: Melbourne to Werribee.