Goldfields

Travel Guide

Sovereign Hill
Bendigo
Bendigo featuring a fountain and street scenes
Bendigo featuring street scenes
Bendigo showing a city

The cradle of Victoria’s pioneering gold rush years is now a destination for regional art galleries, gourmet providores, picturesque Victorian architecture and museums.

Victoria’s expansive inland Goldfields region chiefly encompasses Ballarat, Bendigo, Daylesford, Castlemaine, Heathcote and Maryborough, and is the historical heart of the state’s wild 19th-century gold rush. Characterised by magnificently ornate Victorian architecture and pioneering boomtowns, Goldfields is a fascinating historical region that now features museums, boutique shops, cafés and restaurants within its wide streets. Visit eccentric towns, explore historic quarters and sample award-winning wines and gourmet cheeses from the region at farmsteads and cellar doors.

Each gold-rush town will have its fair share of opulent 1850s architecture, distinctive for its weatherboards, broad awnings and ornate iron lace trim. Take a walking tour of the different towns and see preserved Victorian streetscapes in Talbot, Maldon, Dunolly and Clunes. Local museums and monuments trace the timeline of the gold rush period, the dramatic events of Ballarat’s Eureka Stockade and the diverse people who came to seek their fortune in the fields. Discover the legacy of the Chinese goldminers and the lavish gardens that were created by prospectors who struck gold.

Don’t miss a tour of the Goldfields’ fantastic regional galleries, including the Castlemaine Art Gallery and Historical Museum, the Golden Dragon Chinese Museum, the Central Goldfields Art Gallery, the Art Gallery of Ballarat, Bendigo Art Gallery and Bendigo Pottery. Many of the Goldfields’ ornate theatres are still operational and are a great place to catch a local performance or film screening.

Outside of the towns, explore the Goldfields’ great outdoors and discover stunning plains and dense forests between historical relics. Go bushwalking, cycling or mountain biking at Lake Wendouree, Lake Weeroona or Kooyoora State Park, or drop a fishing line in one of the region’s trout lakes. Scenic golf courses are dotted throughout the region. Take it all in on a soaring helicopter flight with a Goldfields aerial tour.

You can reach most places in the Goldfields region within 2 hours’ drive from Melbourne. Victoria’s regional V/Line railway service reaches most major urban centres in the Goldfields. The Goldfields’ wide selection of attractions makes it an ideal place to visit at any time of the year.

Where to stay in Goldfields

Ballarat

Ballarat Central

If you're spending some time in Ballarat Central, Ballarat Town Hall and Her Majesty's Theatre are top sights worth seeing.

Ballarat Central
Bendigo featuring a city

Bendigo Central

If you're spending some time in Bendigo Central, Bendigo Art Gallery and The Capital-Bendigo's Performing Arts Centre are top sights worth seeing.

Bendigo Central
A cool peir overlooking Lake Wendouree in Ballarat. Great for long exposures.

#BvSBlue

Lake Wendouree

You'll enjoy the restaurants and museums in Lake Wendouree. You might want to make time for a stop at Lake Wendouree or Ballarat Botanical Gardens.

Lake Wendouree
Crested Pigeon
#wildlife

Newington

The bars and spas are just a few features travelers like about Newington. If you want to do some sightseeing nearby, Ballarat Tramway Museum and Lake Wendouree are a few top places to visit.

Newington
Sovereign Hill which includes interior views

Golden Point (Ballarat)

Golden Point (Ballarat) is known for its abundant dining options, and you can plan a trip to Gold Museum and Sovereign Hill while you're in town.

Golden Point (Ballarat)
Roo snooze at Ballarat Wildlife Park.  

Great place for children to enjoy kangaroos and other Australian wildlife.

The kangaroos are very familiar with visitors and will happily steal sandwiches from picnic tables - Yogi Bear style.

Ballarat East

Ballarat East is noteworthy for its spas, and you can make a stop at top attractions like Eureka Aquatic Center and Eureka Hall.

Ballarat East
Mid City Ballarat

Mid City Ballarat

4 out of 5
19 Doveton St North, Ballarat, VIC
$90 nightly
The price is $100 total per night from Oct 24 to Oct 25
$100 total
Oct 24 - Oct 25
Total with taxes and fees
Stay at this 4-star motel in Ballarat. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and breakfast (surcharge). Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff in our ...
7.8/10 Good! (1,009 reviews)
Great

Reviewed on Oct 19, 2025

Mid City Ballarat
Quest Ballarat Station

Quest Ballarat Station

4 out of 5
Nolan, 11, Soldiers Hill, VIC
$109 nightly
The price is $120 total per night from Nov 2 to Nov 3
$120 total
Nov 2 - Nov 3
Total with taxes and fees
Stay at this 4-star business-friendly aparthotel in Ballarat. Enjoy free WiFi, breakfast (surcharge), and a fitness center. Our guests praise the helpful staff ...
9.4/10 Exceptional! (501 reviews)
can 't wait to go back everything was perfect.

Reviewed on Oct 18, 2025

Quest Ballarat Station
Hotel Shamrock Bendigo

Hotel Shamrock Bendigo

3.5 out of 5
Corner of Pall Mall & Williamson St, Bendigo, VIC
Fully refundable
$90 nightly
The price is $99 total per night from Oct 30 to Oct 31
$99 total
Oct 30 - Oct 31
Total with taxes and fees
Stay at this 3.5-star hotel in Bendigo. Enjoy free WiFi, 2 bars/lounges, and breakfast (surcharge). Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean rooms in ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (1,008 reviews)
This is a grand old hotel just oozing with historical charm. All the staff were enthusiastically willing to please. The only down side was the accessibility. While there is a lift to access the floors, there were also stairs WITHIN the rooms which were difficult for my elderly parents to negotiate. ...

Reviewed on Oct 18, 2025

Hotel Shamrock Bendigo
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Quest Ballarat Station

Quest Ballarat Station

4 out of 5
Nolan, 11, Soldiers Hill, VIC
Stay at this 4-star business-friendly aparthotel in Ballarat. Enjoy free WiFi, breakfast (surcharge), and a fitness center. Our guests praise the helpful staff ...
9.4/10 Exceptional! (501 reviews)
can 't wait to go back everything was perfect.

Reviewed on Oct 18, 2025

Quest Ballarat Station
The Provincial Boutique Hotel

The Provincial Boutique Hotel

5 out of 5
121 Lydiard Street North, Ballarat, VIC
Stay at this 5-star luxury aparthotel in Ballarat. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and room service. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean rooms in ...
9.2/10 Wonderful! (964 reviews)
Great central location. Great parking. Nice staff. Our room had no proper window to the outside. This was a huge letdown.

Reviewed on Oct 19, 2025

The Provincial Boutique Hotel
Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa Villas

Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa Villas

4 out of 5
3 Forest Avenue, Hepburn Springs, VIC
Stay at this 4-star spa vacation home in Hepburn Springs. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a full-service spa. Popular attractions Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (96 reviews)
Beautiful accomodation and amazing mineral springs bathing, staff are brilliant. Thank you so much.

Reviewed on Oct 16, 2025

Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa Villas
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

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