6 Days: Victoria's Phillip Island Self Drive [ST-SD18]
Starting at
Please call...
Highlights & Inclusions
  • Accommodation (Melbourne (2 Nights), Phillip Island (2)
  • Rental Car - For Self-Drive though Victoria. Base Rate only. Does not include taxes, insurance, fuel levies, drop off fees, or environmental fees
  • Day Tours are Optional (not included), but can easily be included on request
  • Visa Issuance for entry into Australia (US$15.00 per person) available on request
  • F.I.T. (Free & Independent Travel, i.e. this is not an Organized Group Tour)
  • Additional Accommodation, Sigthseeing Day Tours, International & Domestic Flights are available on request
  • Customize? Tell us what you want & our Travel Experts will design your vacation and give you a no-obligation Quote.
Itinerary Details
(Days 1 to 3) - 2 Nights Accommodation in Melbourne

Travel to your accommodation in Melbourne, Australia, where you will be staying whilst on vacation for 2 nights.

Your 4 Star vacation accommodation is located in the heart of Melbourne, Australia. Its suites are equipped with kitchenettes, air conditioning, and ensuite bathrooms. Most are facing on to the hotel’s private European style courtyard. The vacation accommodation is close to Chinatown. Or perhaps stroll to the Southern Cross Station and travel by tram throughout the city. For the less adventurous, Melbourne is the perfect launching pad for day tours to such places like Phillip Island and Penguins, or perhaps the Great Ocean Road.

Optional Day Tour (Not Included) - Great Ocean Road with Lunch (Full Day)

Enjoy one of the world’s great coastal drives, with its dramatic scenery of striking contrasts. The region boasts powerful seas, golden beaches, peaceful townships, giant cliffs and lush forests.

Travel by the city of Geelong and Corio Bay and pass world famous Bells Beach, home to World Surfing Championships. View the popular coastal townships of Torquay and Lorne – a surfer’s haven and retreat. See many fern filled gullies and river inlets on your journey, and tour the length of the Great Ocean Road passing towering limestone cliffs (including the Twelve Apostles), sweeping white beaches and stunning forest scenery. Visit Port Campbell, a charming fishing village and summer holiday resort and continue to the remnants of London Bridge. Don’t forget extra camera batteries as you visit natural spectacles called Razorback and Island Arch. Upon returning, see the spectacular night lights of Melbourne as you cross the West Gate Bridge after having an unforgettable day.

Departs Melbourne at 8:00 AM
Returns to Melbourne at approximately 7:30 PM

Optional Tour (Not Included) - Colonial Tram Car Early Dinner

As you cruise the scenic streets of Melbourne, you will enjoy fine cuisine and drink the very best of Australian wines. The atmosphere is cosy, the service friendly and the decor as inviting as the colonial period these trams reflect.



The Colonial Tramcar Restaurant officially commenced operation in August 1983. These glossy, burgundy restaurants on wheels are the first travelling tramcar restaurants in the world and ensure a delightful innovative approach to dining. Dining aboard the Tramcar is not only a culinary delight, but also a trip into a little piece of Victoria’s history.



The tram is air-conditioned for total comfort and piped music helps to create a unique mood on wheels. Smart casual, suit or similar dress is appropriate when dining.

Early Dinner 5:45-7:15pm (Daily)

Also available: Lunch 1:00-3:00pm (On Request); Late Dinner 8:35-11:30pm (Daily)

(Please note that a surcharge will apply for Christmas Day Luncheon and New Years Eve Late dinner.)

Optional Day Tour (Not Included) - Melbourne Classic Bike Tour

Take a unique opportunity to participate in a phenomenal bike tour of Melbourne.

There is no other experience in town that shows you as much or entertains you like the Melbourne Classic! We will take you to all of the iconic sights, and tons of other sights you may miss on your own. Our expert guides will give you the information you need to get the most out of your trip to Melbourne.
We are the experts, so sit back and let us do all the work! We’ll entertain you as we leisurely ride through Melbourne’s character filled districts like Fitzroy, Carlton, Southbank and Docklands. We will visit major sites like The Southern Star, Queen Victoria Markets, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Victoria Parliament, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Federation Square and many more sites! We’ll even stop to take in a funky Fitzroy cafĂ© for a quick drink! (But just for a little while…there’s a lot to see on this tour.)

INCLUSIONS
-Super comfortable bicycle (men’s, women’s, children’s, baby seats and trail alongs)
-Custom, shiny red helmets
-Bicycle mounted bags for small items (camera, wallet, etc.)
-Secure bag storage (while you are out on the tour)
-Rain ponchos (if necessary)
-Fun, entertaining guide knowledgeable in the city and surrounds

Departs 1030A – (Duration 3.5 – 4 hours)

(Days 3 to 5) - Car Rental, Self Drive to Phillip Island

Discover Australia as you travel by rental car for 2 days.

As part of your vacation self-drive Australia and explore our stunning landscapes, coastlines, regional towns and wildlife. Stop and meet the locals, maybe enjoy a counter meal at a local Aussie pub, or relax on the beach while sampling some takeaway fish & chips from the local deli or servo. During one of your rest stops try to spot a kangaroo, emu or even a Koala in the wild.

Please bring a valid American drivers license with you and be aware that the Australians drives on the left hand side of the road.

Base rate only paid by About Australia. GPS, Insurance, Premium Location Surcharge, Fuel and Fees to driver’s credit card.

(Day 3) - Self Drive - Melbourne to Phillip Island & Return

Enjoy your drive through regional Victoria, Australia: starting in Melbourne, then passing by the Puffing Billy Steam Train, on route to Phillip Island.

Melbourne to Phillip Island passing by the Puffing Billy Steam Train Station (approx 2.5 hrs) Depart Melbourne and head south east towards Phillip Island. Along the way, we suggest stopping off at the Puffing Billy Steam Railway to ride on a historic steam train.

When most people think of Phillip Island they think of Penguins, but you might be surprised to hear that there is so much more offered here. Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is fun for the whole family. You can race around on the go kart track or you can strap in for the real deal and ride in a race car with a professional race car driver! Stroll around the Koala Conservation Centre and enjoy the bushwalking tracks where you can spot native Aussie animals in a natural environment.

Note: Make sure you have spare time at least 1 hour prior to sunset. The Penguin Parade begins at sunset and is truly a must see at the Phillip Island Nature Park. Stay on Phillip Island. Continue on to your next Australian destination.


View Larger Map

(Days 3 to 5) - 2 Nights Accommodation in Phillip Island

Next stop along your coastal self-drive is Phillip Island, Victoria, where you will spend 2 nights.

Just a 90 minute drive from Melbourne and conveniently located in the centre of Phillip Island, this resort is only 2kms from the Cowes shopping precinct with its safe bay beaches and only 3kms from the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit and the popular patrolled surf beach of Smith’s Beach. With family friendly facilities including a restaurant and bar, a wood fired Pizzeria, outdoor swimming and toddler’s pool, gym, spa, sauna, Kidz Zone game room, playground, tennis, BBQs and kilometres of walking tracks, you will truly enjoy this resort!

Optional Day Tour (Not Included) - Grand Prix Circuit

Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is just 90 minutes southeast of Melbourne and has a range of activities that will simply drop your jaw and dazzle your eyes.

This is your chance to experience the iconic venue in the flesh. Let rip in a go-kart on our 760m replica Grand Prix track, or buckle in for the real deal; an adrenalin-amping triple Hot Lap lightning ride around the Phillip Island circuit with an experienced racing driver.

Revisit the heart-pumping history of the venue within the Visitor Centre’s History of Motorsport Display. Follow in the footsteps of motorcycle racing champions on the Guided Circuit Tour, allowing you exclusive access to off-limits areas trackside, including Race Control, Media Centre, Pit lane, Pit Roof and, where every racer would love to finish, the winner’s podium being sprayed with champagne.

The ride is only half the experience.

Optional Day Tour (Not Included) - Koala Conservation Centre

Do you want to see a koala up close in its natural environment? Come visit the treetop & woodland boardwalks at the Koala Conservation Centre.

Experience wild koalas in their natural habitat and stroll through Aussie bushland at this environmentally sustainable centre dedicated to koala conservation on six hectares. Originally established in 1991, the centre is dedicated to koala research and conservation and has played a vital role in ensuring there is a protected koala population on Phillip Island.

Enjoy 2 boardwalks, the Koala Boardwalk and the Woodland Boardwalk. On the bushwalking tracks, keep an eye out for wallabies, echidnas, birds and other Aussie wildlife. Learn about the amazing lives of koalas in the interactive Visitor’s Centre. The Koala Conservation Centre is also home to a host of Australian Wildlife such as wallabies, nocturnal brushtail and ringtail possums, echidnas and over 80 species of birds.

Open 10am to 5pm daily (2pm Christmas Day)

Photo Credit: Koala Conservation Centre; Phillip Island Nature Park

Customize your Self Drive to Regional Victoria via Phillip Island?

Remember, this road trip is fully customizable. Combine it with other destinations, add accommodation, sigthseeing tours and flights (international &/or domestic).

Just let us know what you want and our Travel Experts will design your complete itinerary with a ‘no-obligation’ quote.

  • a) All prices are USD$/person (including all Taxes). Subject to availability and seasonality. Other Conditions Apply (see Terms and Conditions).
  • b) Land Content Only represents the pricing for the full itinerary as detailed, except the International Flights from the USA (and return) are NOT included.
  • c) An Infant (Lapchild) must be less than 2 years old on the date of departure. Infant must travel with at least one adult. An infant with a seat pays the price of a Child.
  • d) A Child must be aged between 2-11 years on the date of departure. Child must travel with at least one adult.