Ron Bexel
Day Trips With Dogs Victoria – Looking for a fun day out with your dog around Melbourne? Whether you want to hit the beach or the mountains, stay close to the city or hit the trails, I’ve got plenty of ideas for dog-friendly trips around Melbourne, all within a 2-hour drive of the city centre. Is this one of those fun ideas you will explore with your child?
Melbourne is deservedly world famous for its art. And spending a few hours exploring it on foot is a great activity to do with your pup. Unlike cartoons, there are no rules against animals walking in line!
Day Trips With Dogs Victoria
Melbourne’s best place for art is Hosier Lane in the heart of the city, not far from Federation Square. I also recommend nearby ACDC Lane and Duckboard, which are usually less crowded. Combine walking your dog with a visit to a dog-friendly cafe, whether on one of the city streets or on the banks of the Yarra River.
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If you prefer not to go into the city centre, there are still plenty of good examples in the inner city, perfect for pairing with a late breakfast in a restaurant or a drink in a local farm pub.
If you want to walk in nature instead of bad roads, one of the best places to get outside in Melbourne is You Yangs Regional Park. Located less than an hour from central Melbourne, this regional park welcomes dogs to join you as long as they are on a leash.
The You Yangs are named after the local Aboriginal word for ‘big mountain in the middle of the plain’. The most popular hiking trail in the park goes to the top of Flinders Peak. From the top of this granite platform there are excellent views back towards Melbourne and across the Bellarine Peninsula. The 3.5km return walk takes about an hour, with lots of steps along the way.
There are also many short and longer walks, including some great options. An easier option is the 800m race around the Big Rock. Don’t miss the short walk to the top of this rock, just a 100m walk from the car park. There are also many places to eat in the park.
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A great place to visit on a weekend trip from Melbourne that your child will love is Miss Drew’s Bakery and Dog Cafe on the Mornington Peninsula. Located behind the Tyabb Packing House and surrounded by antique shops, the dog restaurant is open Saturday and Sunday. (It’s best to double-check opening hours beforehand.)
The menu has plenty of treats for your dog, from pugichinos to muffins and cookies. Maybe order one of the treats for your dog and enjoy it at one of the many tables. There is also a food and toy shop, as well as the option to order birthday cakes.
Although there are no human options on the menu, instead go across the road to the Rattling Red Cafe back and grab a coffee.
St Kilda has long been a popular tourist destination in Melbourne and is still a great place to visit with your pooch. While your dog may not be allowed on the Luna Park rides, instead take a walk on the pier (where dogs are allowed on a leash) and enjoy the beachy water environment.
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The nearest dog beach to St Kilda is on the west side of the pier, near Pier Road by the tide pool. Here they have the right to cut dogs every day, all year round. On the east side of the dock, dogs are only allowed on the sand in winter. Dogs are also allowed year-round on the sand at St Kilda West, except for sensitive dune areas, more at Brooks Jetty and at the northern end of the St Kilda Marina car park.
If you’re visiting St Kilda on a Sunday, be sure to check out the shops on the Esplanade. Also, don’t forget to go to Gray Street and visit Chez Misty. This French crepe shop has a full menu of crepes and pupuccino for dogs, as well as savory and sweet crepes for humans. There are sofas for dogs outside, while there is also an indoor off-leash lounge.
Chez Misty isn’t just a regular pancake, they also have Paddle and Brunch events for adventurous kids. You will first enjoy a 1-hour stand-up paddling session with your pup, then have breakfast together at Chez Misty.
In the summer of 2022-23, Paddle and Brunch will be open several days a month, a mix of Saturdays and weekdays. See the 2023-24 calendar.Groups are limited to a minimum of four people and a dog, plus life jackets and SUP lessons from Karen from SUP to PUP. Of course lots of pictures are taken!
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Want more time to learn to paddleboard with your child? Explore the variety of SUPS for Pups lessons on offer, both in Bayside and on the Mornington Peninsula. They even offer swimming lessons with dogs for unsuspecting children!
A great place for a dog in central Melbourne is the Royal Victoria Botanic Gardens – Melbourne Gardens. Dogs on a lead are welcome to join you for a walk in the garden, whether in the ornamental pond, the fern stream or the ‘volcano’.
Another highlight of visiting the Botanical Gardens is enjoying the pool. Private guided tours are usually 30 minutes long and run between September and May. The boats can accommodate up to six passengers, and well-behaved dogs can join you for free. There’s even an Instagram account dedicated to the tour dogs!
It is best to book in advance, at least during the holiday season. Boats depart from the site in front of Terrace Cafe.
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Dogs are allowed off-leash daily, year-round, both on the beach and in the adjacent PA Burns Reserve off-leash park. However, dogs must be on a lead in the parking area and on the path to the beach, in addition to staying outside the protected area.
It is best to visit at low tide when it is possible to walk your dog away from the shore. Then use the dog wash area next to the car park, with different sprays at different heights for all sizes of dogs.
Yarra Bend Park is just 4km north-east of Melbourne’s CBD, but is home to the largest remaining woodland in central Melbourne. The park is located on both banks of the Yarra River, which uses a 12 km road through the park.
There are many trails in the park, from the 850m Bushland Circuit Trail to the 9.5km Dights Falls Trail and Westfield Extension. For a list, download the visitor brochure from the website. There are also many places to eat.
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Dogs are allowed in most areas of Yarra Bend Park, although there are some areas where they are excluded. There are also many off-leash areas – check for signs and make sure you always wear a leash. The best place for dogs to swim in the river is under the rocks.
Want to get your child out of the river? Head to Fairfield Boathouse where you can rent boats, canoes and kayaks and bring your pup. The tables outside the tea room are also dog friendly.
Daylesford is the most popular destination from Melbourne, but is still close enough for a day trip, and the journey from central Melbourne takes around 80 minutes. Famous for its mineral deposits and good food, the best thing to do in Daylesford is a walk around Daylesford Lake.
It takes about an hour to walk the entire circuit around the lake, which is flat and just under 3km long. There is plenty of parking on the road, on the Foreshore, Fulcher Street and Wombat Flat, or otherwise it is an easy walk from the town centre. Remember that dogs must be kept on a leash.
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Along the way, stop and drink from the local spring water. Take a short trip to Central Springs Reserve, where there is a historic pump that you can use to fill your bottle, or stop by Wombat Flat Mineral Spring.
A beautiful place in the Dandenong Ranges is the Olinda Tea House. Sitting high on the range, this architecturally stunning teahouse serves up a delightful treat, and not just for humans.
There’s also a special afternoon tea for four-legged guests, which includes a variety of foods such as peanut butter cookies and cherry chews, as well as pupacino. While people will appreciate the salty and sweet options as well as the tasteless.
After you’ve licked off all the crumbs, enjoy a stroll through the flowers and forest surrounding the teahouse. In the summer, when the weather is good, there are also options
