3 Places to See in the Grampians National Park (2023)

During my initial days in Melbourne, I visited a lot of places exploring the state of Victoria. And one such place I visited, was the Grampians. It was a one day trip from Melbourne and I visited the national park as part of a tour.

For details on one day trips from Melbourne city, refer one day tours from Melbourne section.

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About Grampians

Established in 1984, the Grampians National Park, or commonly called as The Grampians, is a nature reserve in the state of Victoria in Australia. Known for its mountains, wildlife and nature, the Grampians is a great place to visit over the weekends from Melbourne city.

• There is no entrance fee to visit the Grampians.

The Grampians is a sacred place for the aboriginal community, especially for the Djab Wurrung and the Jardwadjali, and the national park is known as Gariwerd. Their descendants are still involved in maintaining the stories of the land.

Are you visiting Melbourne for the first time? Read my travel guide to Melbourne.

Mount Duwil, also called Mount William, is the highest peak in the Grampians. Major Thomas Mitchell named the mountains as the Grampians after the rugged region in his native Scotland.

How to get to Grampians?

Driving

Driving is the best option to reach the Grampians from Melbourne. The distance between Melbourne city and the Grampians is around 260 kilometres and the journey by car takes about 3 hours.

Public transportation

The nearest town is Ararat and there are direct regional trains via Ballarat from Melbourne city to Ararat. The train journey takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes. Up to date information on the trains can be found on Public Transport Victoria (PTV) website.

One day tour to the Grampians from Melbourne

I visited Grampians as a one day tour from Melbourne. There are many tour operators that run day trips to Grampians National Park from Melbourne city. The tour agency that I went with is Autopiatours booked on Viator and the day trip costed me AUD 83 per person. The day trip is around 12 hours and the day is very well planned.

• Note: Ensure to check the individual website to get the up to date cost and availability.

3 places to see in Grampians

The Balconies lookout

The Balconies lookout is an amazing and a spectacular lookout, providing stunning views of the Grampians. It is accessible from a car park and is a short and scenic walk.

• Total distance: 2.2 kilometres return.
• Time taken: 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Grade: Easy.

Also read | “Hike from Lake Daylesford to Hepburn Mineral Springs“.

McKenzie Falls

The McKenzie waterfalls is another amazing place in the Grampians. The waterfalls provide a beautiful background and is a short hike down from the car park on the Wartook Road.

• Total distance: 2 kilometres return.
• Time taken: 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours.
• Grade: Moderate (steep down the stairs to the base of the waterfalls).
• Note: Swimming is not allowed at the McKenzie falls.

If you are into hiking, then you can check out the beautiful Hanging Rock in Victoria.

Halls Gap

Halls Gap is a village in the Grampians. Named after Charles Hall, Halls Gap is set in the Fyans Valley. It is a great place to stay over for a couple of nights to explore the Grampians. There are many hikes in the area like the Pinnacles. The village also has a zoo and plenty of lookouts.

When you are in Victoria, you may want to extend your trip to include Yarra Valley (perfect for wine lovers), Mount Buller (for skiing), and 1000 Steps (hiking).

Safety for solo female travelers

Absolutely Yes! I visited the Grampians with a tour agency as at that time, I did not have a car and could not travel by myself from Melbourne. In spite of it, I can say that visiting the Grampians alone is very safe for solo female travelers. However, like any other place in the world, be careful, especially at night and also because the park is remote and has wildlife.

Are you new to solo traveling or do you have a lot of questions regarding solo travels? Read frequently asked questions about solo traveling.

Closing Notes

I loved visiting the Grampians. It is such a beautiful part of Australia with so much of nature and wildlife. I highly recommend visiting the Grampians when you are in Melbourne.

Have you visiting the Grampians? Which is your favourite place in the Grampians? Let me know in the comments below.

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