Whether you’re planning a single day hike or a multi-day overnighter, we’ve compiled this list of the best hikes in Victoria to showcase the diversity of hikes you can do on a visit down south.
The official highest peak in Victoria lies in the alpine region in the state’s north-east called Mount Bogong and stands at 1,986 metres (6,516 feet) above sea level. It also happens to be one of the hardest hikes in the state.
The Great Ocean Walk sits at the lowest altitude just above sea level as it hugs the shoreline of the Southern Ocean.
Depending on your preference on terrain and the time of year – there’s an appeal to both topographically contrasting regions, yet both possess a charm hard to find anywhere else.
Grampians Peaks Trail
Having recently opened the peaks trail to the public last month, the Grampians Peaks Trail is a world-class 160 km long, 13-day hike that begins in the north of the national park at Mount Zero and passes by townships in Halls Gap.
Some of the best highlights along the way include Mount William, Redman’s Bluff, Major Mitchell Plateau and finally terminating in the far southern township of Dunkeld.
The most important aspect of this trail to note is that it’s a grade 4 or 5 hike for most of the way, meaning this hike is not or unfit. You will also gain 8000 metres of elevation over the course of the hike!
The trailhead begins at the Mount Zero trail head in the north where you traverse the ridgelines and peaks, scrambling over rock faces and under boulders around Mount Stapylton for 12.1km until you reach the Barigar hike-in campground and stay the night.
The following 12 mornings will consist of a wide range of track lengths and rugged, exposed terrain, that range anywhere from 16.3 km to a minimum of 8.1 km, with every night providing hike-in campgrounds and various water stations along the way.
The theoretical halfway point of your 13-day hike (82km) is just after the Mount Rosea hike into Barri Yalug campground, 7.35km north of Redman Bluff.
The total cost for one of the best hikes in Victoria is $524 (including tent hire and a night’s accommodation in Halls Gap), which equates to roughly $47/night.
Need to know
Length: 164 km
Time: 13 days
Grade: Moderate – Difficult / Grade 4 – 5 (according to the Australian Walking Track Grading System).
Style: One Way
Park: Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park
Region: Western Victoria (Wimmera Region)
Access: The trail begins from the Mount Zero picnic area, which is accessed via Mount Zero road in the Northern Grampians.
Great Ocean Walk
Cape Otway Lighthouse, Johanna beach and Castle Cove will slip quietly out of reach as you traverse this Grade 4 trail all the way to the famous Twelve Apostles in Port Campbell national park.
The hike will take 8 days to complete and you have the option of booking the hike-in campgrounds or choosing to walk off the path and stay in the towns where a soft pillow and warm shower await you.
Apollo bay is approximately 3 hours west of Melbourne along the Great Ocean road. If you plan on hiking alone, our advice is to park your car at the Princetown Recreation Reserve and catch a shuttle bus back to Apollo Bay.
Otherwise, if you allow time in pairs you can drive both cars to Princetown Reserve, leave one there and drive back to Apollo Bay and begin your hike.
The cost of the full 8 days varies depending on the season and availability, so it’s best to book your hike-in campgrounds ahead of time through the Parks Victoria website. As a reference, they start at $32.90 AUD/night.
Alternatively, if 8 days of non-stop hiking doesn’t interest you, there’s the option to break the trail up into shorter day walks.
The most comfortable way to hike the Great Ocean Walk is during the summer months between December to March. There’ll be warmer weather (maybe even swim-worthy weather) and less rain and wind.
If you do choose to hike during winter (June-August) you might get lucky and see migrating Humpbacks and southern right whales making their way along the coast to breed and raise their calves.
Need to know
Length: 110 km
Time: 8 days
Grade: Moderate / Grade 4 (according to the Australian Walking Track Grading System).
Style: One Way
Region: South Western Victoria
Access: The trail begins from the Apollo Bay Visitor Centre on the Great Ocean Road (Apollo Bay)
Mount Feathertop via The Razorback
Some of the best hikes in Victoria have to be walked to be believed. The Razorback hike is one of those and sits on Mount Feathertop, one of the highest peaks in the state’s high country region.
A 22km Grade 4 hike that takes 7 hours return, The Razorback Trail starts and ends at the Diamantina Hut, near Mount Hotham Apline Resort. The closest regional town of Harrietville is a 38-minute drive north of the trailhead and lies due west of the Mount Feathertop summit peak.
The Razorback is a super enjoyable hike for enthusiast hikers and consists of mainly steep ridgelines that traverse all the way to the top, making for somewhat challenging hiking for most of the journey.
The ridgeline sits above the treeline so you will have amazing, unobstructed views for most of your hike however this does mean you’re exposed for much of the hike so hiking in inclement weather is not advised.
The Razorback ridgeline links Mount Feathertop with Mount Hotham, the popular nearby ski resort. The track intersects with the Bon Accord Spur Track roughly 1 km from the beginning of the hike and intersects again with the Bungalow Spur Track about 1.5 km from the Mount Feathertop summit.
Need to know
Length: 22 km
Time: 7 hrs
Grade: Moderate / Grade 4 (according to the Australian Walking Track Grading System).
Style: Return
Park: Alpine National Park
Region: North East Victoria
Access: The trail begins from Diamantina Hut at Mount Hotham, which is accessed via the Great Alpine Road
Australian Alpine Walking Track
Get ready for the ultimate hiking trail across south-east Australia and undoubtedly the most challenging and gruelling hike of them all, the Australian Alpine Walking Track is a 680 km trail that spans three states from Victoria, through New South Wales and ending in the ACT officially.
Through the rugged and remote high country of Victoria passing famous Australian national parks and our highest mountain – Mount Kosciusko – along the way, the Australian Alpine Walking Track is an extension of the smaller Victorian Alpine Walking Track.
This gruelling hike traverses mostly extremely remote high country plains and mountain peaks across an astonishing 10 weeks.
For most hikers, the 10-week trip isn’t on the cards, but you have plenty of options to break the hike into smaller sections. Most notably along Mount Baw Baw plateau, Bogong High Plains and the Jagungal Wilderness Area.
Admittedly we’ve not done this hike previously, nor attempted the shorter versions as it’s reserved for the more experienced of hikers – but that’s not to say it’s not on the list!
Weeks of preparation are required to attempt one of the best hikes in Victoria and we strongly suggest doing this one in a small group or at least in pairs.
Need to know
Length: 680 km
Time: 8 – 10 weeks
Grade: Difficult / Grade 5 (according to the Australian Walking Track Grading System).
Style: One Way
Access: The trail begins from the Pearson Memorial, opposite the Walhalla General Store on Main Road, Walhalla.
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Cape Woolamai Circuit
The best day hikes in Victoria aren’t always long – which is why we’ve included this short 8.9km, 2 hour and 15-minute loop walk of Cape Woolamai, on Victoria’s Phillip Island.
The local wildlife and assortment of native flora mean that pets aren’t allowed on this particular hike. A unique combination of wildlife including wallabies, kangaroos and birdlife all share this backyard with you.
The Cape Woolamai Circuit sits alongside the popular surf beach of the same name – and you’re never too far away from the town of Cowes to stop by and grab yourself a warm coffee after your hike. The circuit is open year round but does tend to get busier during the summer months, particularly during the motoGP season.
Need to know
Length: 8.9 km
Time: 2 hrs 15 min
Grade: Easy – Moderate / Grade 3 (according to the Australian Walking Track Grading System).
Style: Circuit
Region: South Eastern Victoria (Phillip Island)
Access: The trail begins from the Cape Woolamai information shelter in the car park on Woolamai Beach Road.
Two Bays Walking Track
This old favourite of ours is located on the Mornington Peninsula, roughly an hour’s drive from Melbourne’s CBD, and spans 26 km of mostly gravel and shrubbed walking track from Dromana to Cape Schanck.
The track can be completed in an entire day or broken up into 4 smaller sections to complete at your own leisure.
We recommend doing this as a full day hike beginning in Dromana near the coast and making your way south through the Seawinds Gardens of Arthur’s Seat State Park, and then on through the Mornington Peninsula National Park. Eventually, you’ll cross over Boneo road in the south before making your final leg of the 26km journey through to Bushrangers Bay and Cape Schanck lighthouse.
Most hikers who accomplish this hike will find that the two hardest points will be the first elevation climb in Arthur’s Seat State Park, before it dips dramatically back down to sea level, before peaking again just before you enter the Mornington Peninsula National Park at around the 12.5 km mark. One of the best hikes in Victoria and indeed the pinnacle of hikes in the Mornington Peninsula, the biggest elevation gain happens in the first 3 kms of your hike to around 300 metres above sea level.
The track is divided into six sections from Point A (Dromana) to Point F (Cape Schanck). The most spectacular vistas will come after you cross Boneo road in Boneo / Cape Schanck, looking down south to Bass Strait.
We’d recommend parking at the Cape Schanck Lighthouse car park in the Mornington Peninsula National Park, or in one of the car parks on the foreshore in Dromana. Car parks are normally free at the piers and if you can organise a friend to pick you up afterwards you will have no problems at all. Alternatively, you can drop one car off at the Cape Schanck lighthouse and leave the other in Dromana along the foreshore.
Need to know
Length: 26 km
Time: 7 hrs to 2 days
Grade: Moderate / Grade 3 (according to the Australian Walking Track Grading System).
Style: One Way
Region: Mornington Peninsula
Access: The trail begins from the Cape Schanck Lighthouse car park, which is accessed by following the Mornington Peninsula Freeway to Boneo Road and turning right into Cape Schanck Road.
What’s your favourite hike in Victoria? Got any questions, comments, updates or corrections? Let us know by commenting below.
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