Welcome to Ballarat, Victoria's largest inland city.
Just 90 minutes west of Melbourne, Ballarat is a melting pot of art, culture, food, wine and attractions set against an iconic heritage backdrop.
Day One - Settle in
EXPERIENCE
Start your visit to Ballarat with a seriously good coffee before taking to the streets and exploring the city's beautiful public art, architecture and historical landmarks.
Cobb’s Coffee
2 Lydiard St Sth, Ballarat | 90-minute drive from Melbourne (110km)
Cobb's Coffee is situated on the corner of Sturt and Lydiard streets in the same location fleets of Cobb & Co coaches arrived during the 1850s goldrush. With a coffee in hand, it's time to explore the surrounding streets, which include more than 50 historical landmarks within walking distance.
Locals’ tip: Ballarat is home to many secret and quirky laneways, but there’s one laneway off Armstrong Street North you definitely need to check out while you’re here. Walk down Hop Lane and you’ll discover the super cool Hop Queen – a huge mural painted by local artist Travis Price. The umbrellas overhead change colours periodically so there’s always a new scheme to snap.
EAT
Start your visit to Ballarat by uncovering a hidden gem.
Hydrant Food Hall
3 McKenzie St, Ballarat | 3-minute walk from Hop Lane (450m)
Tucked away down an old bluestone laneway, Hydrant Food Hall is one of Ballarat’s best cafes. Set in an historic warehouse punctuated by an original Grinnell sprinkler system, the menu here is driven by seasonality and local produce combined with specialty coffee.
Locals’ tip: The chilli scramble is a crowd favourite – scrambled eggs, chilli oil, peanut salsa macha, Meredith Dairy feta, croissant and some fresh cucumber. Yum!
SEE
Experience Ballarat's lively art scene at Australia's oldest regional gallery.
40 Lydiard St Nth, Ballarat | 3-minute walk from Hydrant Food Hall (250m) | Free entry
This heritage-listed gallery is one of the oldest purpose-built art galleries in the country and houses a magnificent collection of Australian paintings, sculptures and ceramics. Wander between the works, including those from local Wadawurrung Elder Aunty Marlene Gilson, who explores Aboriginal myth and stories of the goldfields in her paintings. Once you’ve explored the gallery, visit the gift shop to buy yourself something special. The shop stocks works by local artists and craftspeople as well as art books, souvenirs, gifts and toys.
CHECK-IN
Enjoy modern luxury in the heart of the city.
710 Sturt St, Ballarat| 3-minute drive from Art Gallery of Ballarat (900m) | From $315 a night
Ballarat’s latest boutique hotel offering brings a whole new meaning to luxury accommodation. Boasting seven personalised suites, each a sanctuary in its own right, the hotel is a one-of-a-kind luxury offering in the Ballarat accommodation space. A commitment to sustainability and slow living lies at Vera’s core. The hotel walls, the suites, the spaces and surrounds are each imbued with a certain slowness that creates an essentially luxurious stay.
DINE
Dinner at one of Ballarat’s best.
Babae at Hotel Vera
710 Sturt St, Ballarat
Overseen by chef Tim Foster, Babae’s menu features an ever-changing selection of dishes reflecting the season and sourced from produce grown in the Goldfields region. Think of a contemporary interpretation of classic cooking techniques. Wine pairings are matched with rotating menu items and introduce diners to barrel samples and small production releases from across Victoria.
Locals’ tip: Allow up to three hours for your dinner booking at Babae. It is an experience in its own right!
Day Two – Discover hidden gems
BREAKFAST
Start your day with great coffee and delicious food. Named after Ballarat’s first restaurateur Johnny Alloo, this cafe aims to connect people and bring joy through great food and beverage experiences, just like Johnny did.
32 Drummond St, Ballarat | 2-minute drive from Hotel Vera (400m)
Locally owned and operated, Johnny Alloo offers more than just your usual café experience. It showcases the diversity of what the region has to offer, including local produce, wines, boutique beers and great coffee.
Locals' tip: For your big day ahead, you can’t look past The Tradesman – fried egg and thick-cut bacon, special sauce, rocket and cheddar cheese on a buttermilk bun.
RETAIL THERAPY
Shop until you drop at thanks to Ballarat’s ever-growing list of specialty retailers.
Ballarat Vintage and Collectables Market
9367 Western Hwy, Warrenheip
You can easily spend a couple of hours here flicking through vinyl records, memorabilia and vintage clothing.
20 Elizabeth Dr, Ballarat | 18-minute drive from Ballarat Vintage and Collectables Market (12km)
Visit the Wootten workshop and showroom for a view into a working boot factory, and let the makers assist you with selecting a pair of boots to be worn for generations.
LUNCH
Lunch in a one-of-a-kind saloon-style cocktail bar.
35 Armstrong St Nth, Ballarat | 4-minute drive from Wootten (1.6km)
Named after the grains used to make the spirit, Grainery Lane is located in one of Ballarat’s historic grain houses. The one-of-a-kind saloon-style bar brings back the glitz and glamour of the city’s goldrush era – think Peaky Blinders meets The Great Gatsby – with an original bar top sourced from Chicago spanning an entire wall, backdropped by sparkling chandeliers, grand leather couches and furniture reminiscent of the 1880s.
EXPERIENCE
Join a gin masterclass.
200 Lydiard St Nth, Ballarat | 2-minute drive from Grainery Lane (400m)
Dedicated to the craft of distilling, Itinerant Spirits perfect its recipes to share with you in their cocktails and masterclasses right in the heart of Ballarat. From foraged botanicals and locally-malted grain through to their on-site distillery, they’ll take you through the process using unique copper stills and their on-grains distilling methods, including why they believe the proof is in the spirit.
DINE
A South American and Latin-inspired restaurant.
Pancho
213 Mair St, Ballarat | 3-minute drive from Itinerant Spirits (700m)
Pancho offers a range of street foods with a fusion of traditional South American and Latin food. Think tacos, tortillas, guacamole and empanadas, as well as pisco sours and passionfruit caipirinhas.
Locals’ tip: Speaking from experience, we highly recommend the homemade empanadas.
NIGHT CAP
Bistro food and disco moods.
209 Mair St, Ballarat | 1-minute walk from Pancho
Renard is a cocktail bar and social club that serves booze alongside small dishes and disco ‘til late. The venue boasts a selection of independent spirits plus Australian and French minimal intervention wines, with an ever-changing seasonal food and cocktails list.
Locals’ tip: Our go-to cocktail is the Mair Street Spritz.
Day Three – Taste the region's top drops
BREAKFAST
Start your day with breakfast in an old servo that has been transformed into a vibrant, modern cafe.
227 Grant St, Golden Point | 5-minute drive from Hotel Vera (1.9km)
Sit outside at Drive Cafe, which started out in life as a service station. Drive offers a hearty breakfast menu plus more substantial offerings for lunch like fried chicken burgers and pastrami bagels. Our breakfast go-to is the baked eggs served with house-made harissa and tomato sauce, wilted greens and sourdough toast.
LUNCH
Lunch with a view.
76 Quoin Hill Rd, Waubra | 35-minute drive from Drive (38km)
Led by the team behind Renard comes an exciting destination winery with an emphasis on cooking with fire. With sweeping views of the Pyrenees Ranges, Wayward Winery offers a restaurant, cellar door and eight acres of vines.
Locals’ tip: The woodfire pizza is one of the best in the region. For meat-lovers, try the smoked chicken and, for vegetarians, hit up the eggplant and goats' curd.
EXPERIENCE
Enjoy the region’s top drops.
5967 Stawell-Avoca Rd, Moonambel | 38-minute drive from Wayward Winery (55km)
Summerfield Winery offers wine flights, woodfired pizzas, poolish sourdough breads and freshly-baked pastry products, both savoury and sweet. If pizza isn’t your thing, they have a deli stocking local and international produce such as smoked meats, cheeses, jams, chutney, relish, olives, olive oil and nuts.
Their passion for food has evolved into growing their own pork and lamb which is sold through the winery’s restaurant and deli.
339 Taltarni Rd, Moonambel | 6-minute drive from Summerfield Winery (6km)
One of the pioneers behind the Pyrenees renaissance in the 1960s, Taltarni is one of the region's most popular and well-known wineries. Relax in a beanbag on the lawn or seated at the tables on the veranda for outdoor live music on Sundays. Indulge in a ploughman’s platter of locally-produced cheeses, meats and breads, or the delectable Taltarni wine and cheese pairing. If you have a sweet tooth, there’s even chocolate and wine tastings.
DINE
Dinner at a beautifully-restored, Victorian-era pub serving great food and local wine.
115 High St, Avoca | 20-minute drive from Taltarni (19.7km)
The Avoca Hotel is far from your average country pub. The menu offers dishes such as roasted spatchcock, grilled roo fillet and local herb-fed lamb. Eating at The Avoca Hotel is a true tasting of the Pyrenees, particularly with the wine, as the owners only stock wine grown in the region.
CHECK IN
Sleep under the stars.
155 Wild Dog Track, Warrenmang | 22-minute drive from The Avoca Hotel (25.3kms)
Why not make the most of the beautiful Pyrenees scenery and book a night in an Unyoked cabin? Facing the remote mountain range, these cabins are the perfect off-the-grid stay.
Day Four – Return home
BRUNCH
Pay homage to Ballarat's culinary tales.
Webster's Market and Cafe
61 Webster St, Ballarat | 5-minute drive from Hotel Vera (1km)
Sitting pretty on Ballarat’s historic Webster Street, Webster’s Market and Cafe is a slice of caffeinated paradise in regional Victoria.
Serving breakfast and lunch daily, they provide a relaxed dining experience, with the tree-lined streetscape allowing you to enjoy all the seasons that Ballarat has to offer.
SEE
Experience a local favourite.
Lake Wendouree & Ballarat Botanical Gardens
Lake Wendouree Pde, Ballarat | 5-minute drive from Webster’s Market and Cafe (1.9 km) | Free
Walk, run or just enjoy the view. Home to the 6km Steve Moneghetti Track, Lake Wendouree has been a community destination for more than 150 years. Across the road, you'll find the Ballarat Botanical Gardens – the perfect spot to enjoy your newly-purchased goodies from the Ballarat Farmers' Market (held every second and fourth Saturday of the month), or to simply wander with a coffee in hand. In the nearby North Gardens Indigenous Sculpture Park, you'll also discover Murrup Laarr, a piece crafted by local Wadawurrung artist Dr Deanne Gilson.
Locals’ tip: During summer, hire a pedal boat and see a different side of Lake Wendouree.
PRODUCE
Take a piece of Ballarat home with you.
18 Armstrong St Nth, Ballarat| 5-minute drive from the Ballarat Botanical Gardens (2.2km)
1816 Bakehouse is an artisan sourdough bakery in the heart of Ballarat. From fresh sourdough bread to delicious cakes, stop in on your journey back to reality and take some of Ballarat home with you.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Schedule your trip to Ballarat around one of our many events and festivals.
Summer
- Spilt Milk (December)
- Summer Sundays (January)
- Red Hot Summer Tour (February)
Autumn
- Ballarat Begonia Festival (March)
- Clunes Booktown (March)
- Pyrenees Unearthed (April)
- Ballarat Heritage Festival (May)
Winter
- Ballarat Winter Festival (June-July)
- Winter Wonderlights at Sovereign Hill (July)
- The Red Series (July)
Spring
- Ballarat International Foto Biennale (September)
- Food, Fire and Light Festival at Sovereign Hill (October)
Visit our What's On calendar for events year round.
LOOKING FOR MORE?
In search of some alternative options for your Ballarat itinerary? Say no more...
Accommodation
- Craig's Royal Hotel | From $153 a night
- Quest Ballarat Station | From $280 a night
- The Provincial Hotel | From $250 a night
- Mooramong Tiny Houses | From $360 a night
Breakfast/lunch
- Yellow Espresso
- Higher Society
- Eclectic Tastes Cafe and Pantry
Dinner
- Meigas (Spanish)
- Mr Jones (Modern Asian)
Beer and wine
GETTING TO BALLARAT
From Melbourne
By car
Take the 110km journey along the Western Freeway. Ballarat is just 90 minutes from the Melbourne CBD. If driving to Ballarat, we encourage visitors to plan ahead, pull over and recharge.
By train
Direct from Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station, hop on the V/Line train and arrive in less than 90 minutes at the historic Ballarat Railway Station in the centre of town.
Via the airport
The road trip from Tullamarine or Avalon airports to Ballarat takes about 60 minutes. Transport options direct from the airport include hiring a car or booking the Airport Shuttlebus from Tullamarine.
From other areas
Check estimated travel times and highway routes via this interactive map. For more information, contact the Ballarat Visitor Information Centre on 1800 44 66 33.
