Where will your getaway take you?

Getting here

The Mornington Peninsula sits about an hour and a half south-east of Melbourne's CBD, reached via the Mornington Peninsula Freeway or the scenic Point Nepean Road. If you're coming from the east, the Peninsula Searoad ferry links Sorrento to Queenscliff across Port Phillip Bay, a handy shortcut if you're exploring the Bellarine Peninsula and Great Ocean Road too.

Climate and best time to visit

Mornington Peninsula is a year-round holiday destination. Summers bring warm, sunny days perfect for picnics and swimming at the bay beaches, while Autumn and Spring offer milder weather and quieter towns, great for wine touring in Red Hill, Merricks and Main Ridge. Winters are cool and coastal, perfect for open fires, invigorating coastal walks and visiting the Hot Springs in Rye.

Food, wine and produce

The hinterland around Red Hill, Main Ridge and Merricks is one of Victoria's best-known cool-climate wine regions, with dozens of cellar doors producing pinot noir and chardonnay. Add in the Red Hill Farmers Market, Sunday farm gate stalls, and the fishing fleet at Sorrento and Blairgowrie, and there's local produce at every turn.

Beaches and nature

The calm bay beaches from Blairgowrie to Sorrento suit swimming and paddling, while the ocean side at Sorrento, Portsea and Point Nepean National Park delivers dramatic cliffs and surf. Point Nepean is also home to historic quarantine station walks and Cheviot Beach, while the Arthurs Seat Eagle gondola gives sweeping views back across the bay.

Getting around

A car is the easiest way to explore, with towns, beaches and wineries all a short drive apart. Free and paid parking is available near most beaches and main streets, and many spots fill early on summer weekends. Ride-share and local taxis operate across the Peninsula for shorter trips, and cycling is a lovely way to explore flatter stretches of coastline such as the Bay Trail.

Top things to do

Ride the Arthurs Seat Eagle gondola for sweeping bay views, soak at the Peninsula Hot Springs or Alba Thermal Springs, wander the Enchanted Adventure Garden and Ashcombe Maze, or tee off at one of the Peninsula's renowned golf courses. Add a cellar door tour, a market morning or a coastal walk, and there is always something new to fill your days.