Our Top Autumn Travel Picks in Brilliant Ballarat

Get your cameras ready: in a few weeks, Ballarat will be a riot of colour!
Begonias, dahlias and sunflowers are set to bloom – the perfect floral centrepiece for a weekend away.
Just 90 minutes from Melbourne, here’s our top reasons to make the trip to Ballarat this autumn.

Ballarat Begonia Festival: 7-9 March 2026

This free annual event in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens will fill your social feed with hundreds of beautiful blooms. The begonia display continues for several weeks after the festival, but it’s worth making the trip over the Labour Day long weekend for the live music, markets, food trucks and good vibes. This year, there’s also “singing plants” and human-size bees to entertain the kids.

High tea with a Ballarat twist

Ballarat puts a cheeky spin on the traditional high tea, with bookable sittings aboard a vintage tram, in a grand gold-rush era hotel and even a luxurious distillery bar (swapping the pot of Assam tea for a gin cocktail!). It may not be strictly chai-time, but we will still raise a fancy teacup to that.

Pick your own flowers and fruit

From late February until mid-March, sunflower season kicks off in the tiny town of Dunnstown, just 15 minutes from Ballarat. Head to Pick Your Own Sunflowers’ Instagram page for session announcements. If you’re driving from Melbourne, stop by Payne’s Orchards in Bacchus Marsh for some fruit picking on the way. The harvest is seasonal, with nectarines ripening from February–March and apples from February–June.

Get close to nature

If you have friends and family visiting from overseas who want to see Australian wildlife up close, the Ballarat Wildlife Park is sure to delight! The park is home to dozens of friendly free-roaming kangaroos that love a snack straight from your hand. The park also hosts private animal encounters with everything from koalas and wombats to tigers and meerkats.

For more time in nature, top off your visit with a stroll alongside Ballarat’s Lake Wendouree. Hire a pedal boat, ride the tram or even take a cruise on a paddle steamer for picture-perfect views of the wetlands and surrounding gardens.

Travel back in time

Come with us on a journey back in time – all the way to 1851. From sampling the famous raspberry drops to having your family photo taken in historic costume, there’s a reason Sovereign Hill is so iconic. We recommend a full day and arriving early to make the most of this expansive living museum. Evening sound and light show AURA can be booked separately to daytime entry.

For adventurous family fun, Kryal Castle will transport you to a medieval world filled with jousting knights, swordfights, potion-making and archery. Put on your bravest face, as you might even spot a dragon or a unicorn. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

For more Ballarat travel inspiration, head to visitballarat.com.au