Day Trips from Bendigo: Goldfields, Wine and the Spa Country

Bendigo sits at the centre of Victoria's goldfields region and is well placed for day trips across the Victorian interior. Castlemaine and Chewton, about 40 minutes south, are heritage goldfields towns with well-preserved streetscapes, an active arts community and the Castlemaine Art Museum. Daylesford and Hepburn Springs, about 50 minutes south via Castlemaine, are Victoria's mineral springs and wellness hub, with bathhouses, cafes and accommodation popular on weekend escapes. Ballarat is about 90 minutes southeast and merits a full day for Sovereign Hill and the art gallery. The Macedon Ranges wine region, about an hour south toward Melbourne, has cellar doors and walking in the volcanic ranges around Mount Macedon.