🌊 Your Perfect Weekend Escape: 10 Incredible Things to Do on Your Journey to Sorrento
Picture this: it’s Friday afternoon, you’re staring out the window at another grey Melbourne sky, and your soul is crying out for sea salt air, coastal walks, and that magical feeling of being somewhere completely different. The good news? It’s only a 90 minute drive from the middle of Melbourne to reach one of Victoria’s most enchanting coastal destinations, and the journey itself is packed with incredible experiences waiting to be discovered.
From the moment you leave Melbourne’s urban sprawl behind to your first glimpse of Sorrento’s limestone buildings and sparkling bay views, this weekend escape offers the perfect blend of relaxation, adventure, culture, and natural beauty. Whether you’re seeking romantic clifftop walks, world-class wine tastings, thermal springs therapy, or simply the pure joy of watching dolphins play in crystal-clear waters, the road to Sorrento delivers experiences that will leave you completely refreshed and utterly enchanted. ✨
🎡 1. Soar Above It All at Arthur’s Seat Eagle (Dromana)
Why This Weekend: Board a state-of-the-art gondola and ascend over the forest, spotting city landmarks and local wildlife as you soar to the peninsula’s highest point. This isn’t just a scenic ride – it’s your chance to see the entire weekend laid out below you like a beautiful map.
The Experience: This viewing spot gives sweeping views back to Melbourne, across Port Phillip Bay and down the peninsula, so you can see where you’re headed. On clear days, you can spot everything from the Melbourne skyline to the distant shores of Tasmania.
Perfect For: Starting your weekend with perspective, Instagram-worthy shots, getting your bearings
Duration: 1-2 hours including the ride and lookout time
Pro Tip: Go early morning or late afternoon for the best light and fewer crowds
♨️ 2. Melt Away Your Week at Peninsula Hot Springs (Fingal)
Why This Weekend: Peninsula Hot Springs and Alba Thermal Springs offer mineral pool bathing in unmissable natural settings, along with spa treatments and private wellness sanctuaries. There’s something profoundly healing about soaking in naturally heated mineral waters while surrounded by coastal bush.
The Experience: Pamper yourself at Victoria’s first natural thermal mineral springs and day spa, located just over an hour from Melbourne on the Mornington Peninsula. Choose from over 20 different thermal pools, each with varying temperatures and mineral compositions.
Perfect For: Ultimate relaxation, couples’ retreat, recovery from city stress
Special Feature: Natural geothermal waters with proven therapeutic benefits
Weekend Tip: Book spa treatments in advance, especially for Saturday appointments
🍷 3. Discover Wine Country Magic at Red Hill (Red Hill)
Why This Weekend: Sample your way around Peninsula’s boutique cellar doors for the region’s renowned pinot noir, plus chardonnay, shiraz, pinot gris and pinot grigio. The Mornington Peninsula has quietly become one of Australia’s most exciting cool-climate wine regions.
The Experience: Rolling hills dotted with intimate cellar doors where passionate winemakers personally share their latest vintages. Many offer stunning valley views and gourmet food pairings that elevate the entire experience.
Perfect For: Wine enthusiasts, romantic dates, discovering new favourites
Weekend Special: Many wineries offer exclusive weekend tastings and tours
Don’t Miss: In June and July, celebrate truffle season with truffle hunts, masterclasses and dining events at Red Hill Truffles
🖼️ 4. Art Meets Nature at McClelland Sculpture Park (Langwarrin)
Why This Weekend: Visit the home of Australian Sculpture, located 45 minutes from Melbourne at the gateway to the Mornington Peninsula. This isn’t your typical gallery experience – it’s art in its most natural, accessible form.
The Experience: The park covers 16 hectares of landscaped gardens and natural bushland and features over 100 sculptures made from a variety of materials. Wander through sculptures that change with the light and seasons, creating a constantly evolving outdoor gallery.
Perfect For: Art lovers, families, peaceful contemplation
Family Bonus: The park is big enough to walk around without exhausting the kids, and there are sculptures that children can climb and crawl into
Weekend Feature: Interactive activities for both kids and adults
🐠 5. Swim with Dolphins in Port Phillip Bay (Sorrento)
Why This Weekend: Polperro Dolphin Swims offers experiences with magical sea animals such as Burrunan and Bottlenose Dolphins, as well as Australian fur seals, all in Port Phillip Bay. This is bucket-list territory – swimming alongside wild dolphins in their natural habitat.
The Experience: You meet the ship at Sorrento Pier near the ferry terminal on the Mornington Peninsula. The business is family-run, and the hosts are most friendly. Professional guides ensure both your safety and the dolphins’ wellbeing while maximizing your chances of magical encounters.
Perfect For: Adventure seekers, wildlife lovers, unforgettable memories
What’s Included: Wetsuit, snorkel gear, and expert guidance
Success Rate: Very high dolphin encounter rates year-round
🚶♀️ 6. Take the Million-Dollar Millionaire’s Walk (Sorrento to Portsea)
Why This Weekend: Millionaire’s Walk is a roughly one kilometre stroll along the clifftops between Portsea and Sorrento. The name refers both to the “million dollar” views out over Port Phillip Bay, as well as the large, expensive houses that line the path.
The Experience: If you’ve only got time and/or energy for one walking trail in Sorrento, this is the one to go for. Each and every one of our family members, from the eight-year-old to the 73-year-old, were delighted by the views, and it wasn’t too challenging, either.
Perfect For: All fitness levels, photographers, sunset viewing
Distance: About 1 kilometre of easy coastal walking
Best Time: Late afternoon for golden hour photography
🏖️ 7. Beach Hop Between Sorrento’s Stunning Shores (Sorrento)
Why This Weekend: Sorrento offers the best of both worlds – calm bay beaches perfect for families and wild ocean beaches ideal for surfing and adventure. Wild and rocky, this long stretch of sand runs all the way from Sorrento to Portsea, changing names to match the towns along the way.
Front Beach Experience: On summer weekends, look out for the Peninsula real fruit ice cream truck (their location is marked on Google Maps). Home to the best ice cream in town; they even have vegan options.
Ocean Beach Adventure: The beach is patrolled by lifeguards on summer weekends and holidays, and for good reason! A number of large rock pools cry out to be explored at low tide.
Perfect For: Swimming, surfing, rock pool exploring, beach picnics
Family Tip: Stick to Front Beach for safe swimming with young children
Adventure Tip: Ocean Beach for body boarding and dramatic coastal walks
🎨 8. Follow the Sorrento-Portsea Artists’ Trail (Sorrento to Portsea)
Why This Weekend: This became known as the Sorrento–Portsea Artists’ Trail. It may not offer the most dramatic scenery in the region, but it can claim to have been the inspiration for key Australian artists throughout the last 150 years.
The Experience: All along the trail are stretches that inspired the masterpieces of John Perceval, Sidney Nolan, Sir Arthur Streeton and Albert Tucker. The walk itself leads you along the borders of private coastal gardens, down through isolated, tiny beaches.
Perfect For: Art enthusiasts, history buffs, contemplative walks
Cultural Value: See the landscapes that inspired Australia’s most famous artists
Route: Well-marked trail connecting historic and artistic landmarks
⛵ 9. Take the Scenic Ferry to Queenscliff (Sorrento)
Why This Weekend: There is something magical about ferries. This one will take you over Port Phillip Bay to Queenscliff, and, if you time it just right, you will have the pleasure of watching either sunrise or sunset over the beautiful bay.
The Experience: It is also a terrific and affordable way to see dolphins swimming in their natural habitats. The 40-minute crossing offers spectacular bay views and frequent wildlife sightings.
Perfect For: Scenic day trips, dolphin spotting, exploring Queenscliff
Weekend Bonus: Make it a full day by exploring Queenscliff’s galleries and cafes
Photography: Unbeatable views back towards the peninsula and Melbourne skyline
🏛️ 10. Explore Historic Frankston Before You Leave (Frankston)
Why This Weekend: Enter the Mornington Peninsula at Frankston, on traditional Bunurong country, but don’t pass through until you’ve exhausted the city’s arts scene, historic homes, entertaining events and beachfront activities.
The Cultural Experience: Make the most of Frankston’s metropolitan facilities. Snap up bargains at the substantial shopping precinct and gorge on fine and modern arts at the Frankston Arts Centre, and the McClelland Gallery+Sculpture Park.
The Historic Journey: Some good places to start are the Ballam Park Homestead, Mulberry Hill, the Mechanics Institute, the Old School House Museum and the Yamala Mansion.
Perfect For: History enthusiasts, culture lovers, starting your peninsula adventure
Must-See: Ballam Park Homestead is one of the oldest and most famous homes in Frankston. One of the first two-storey houses to be built in the area, the beautiful Ballam Park Homestead was built with sandstone in 1855
Scenic Bonus: Seek out the views over northern Port Phillip Bay from the lookout at Olivers Hill, the scenic high point of the city
🗓️ Your Perfect Weekend Itinerary
Friday Evening: Set the Scene
- Leave Melbourne by 4pm to beat traffic and arrive in time for sunset
- Check into accommodation in Sorrento or nearby
- Sunset dinner at one of Sorrento’s clifftop restaurants
- Evening stroll along Front Beach to decompress from the week
Saturday: Adventure and Relaxation
- Early morning: Arthur’s Seat Eagle for panoramic views
- Mid-morning: Peninsula Hot Springs for thermal relaxation
- Lunch: Winery lunch in Red Hill wine country
- Afternoon: McClelland Sculpture Park for art and nature
- Late afternoon: Millionaire’s Walk for sunset views
- Evening: Dinner in historic Sorrento village
Sunday: Ocean and Culture
- Early morning: Dolphin swimming experience (seasonal)
- Late morning: Beach hopping between Sorrento’s shores
- Lunch: Beachside café with fresh seafood
- Afternoon: Artists’ Trail walk OR ferry to Queenscliff
- Late afternoon: Explore Frankston’s historic sites on the way home
🚗 Essential Weekend Planning Tips
Getting There:
- Drive time: 90 minutes from Melbourne CBD to Sorrento
- Alternative: You can take a passenger ferry from the Docklands in Melbourne to Sorrento which is towards the end of the peninsula. The ferry ride offers a scenic journey across Port Phillip Bay
- Best departure: Friday afternoon to avoid weekend traffic
Booking Strategy:
- Hot Springs: Book spa treatments well in advance
- Dolphin Swims: Weather dependent – have backup plans
- Wineries: Many require bookings for weekend tastings
- Accommodation: Book early, especially for summer weekends
What to Pack:
- Beach essentials: Swimmers, towels, sunscreen, hat
- Walking gear: Comfortable shoes for coastal trails
- Weather layers: Coastal weather can change quickly
- Camera: You’ll want to capture these views
🌟 Why This Weekend Will Transform You
There’s something truly magical about the journey from Melbourne’s urban energy to Sorrento’s coastal tranquility. When you’re lying on the sand or dipping your toes in the ocean under a perfect blue sky, it feels much, much further away than the mere 90 minutes it takes to drive there.
This weekend escape offers more than just a change of scenery – it’s a complete reset for your mind, body, and soul. From the therapeutic mineral waters that ease your urban stress to the dolphin encounters that remind you of nature’s wonder, from the world-class wines that celebrate the region’s terroir to the clifftop walks that provide perspective on life’s bigger picture, every experience is designed to leave you feeling completely refreshed.
With its golden beaches, vineyard-dotted hills and dramatic wilderness, there is so much to see and do in the Mornington Peninsula. Whether you’re seeking adventure through dolphin swimming and coastal hikes, indulgence through wine tastings and thermal springs, or cultural enrichment through art trails and historic sites, this weekend delivers experiences that will have you planning your return visit before you’ve even left.
Ready to escape the city and discover your perfect coastal weekend? Pack your bags, fuel up the car, and prepare for a weekend that proves you don’t need to travel far to travel well. The road to Sorrento isn’t just a journey – it’s the beginning of your perfect Victorian coastal adventure. 🌊✨
Local tip: Check weather conditions before heading out, especially for water activities. The peninsula’s microclimate can be quite different from Melbourne, often sunnier and slightly warmer thanks to the moderating influence of Port Phillip Bay.
