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The Best Things to Do in Warrnambool, Plus Where to Eat, Drink and Stay
Discover the best things to do in Warrnambool, from whale watching and hot springs to standout dining and stays.
The best things to do in Warrnambool start with winter whales at Logans Beach, geothermal bathing at Deep Blue Hot Springs and shipwreck stories at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. Beyond the coast, find standout dinners at Lost Cat Dining on Liebig Street and Lot 17 on Timor Street, plus date scones worth crossing town for at Rough Diamond. Around three hours from Melbourne, this is a city that has long outgrown its Great Ocean Road stopover reputation.
By eight in the morning, Warrnambool is already moving. Coffee travels along Liebig Street, shopfronts are opening and the Southern Ocean is making itself known before you even see it. The wind here has opinions.
That ocean shapes everything, but Warrnambool is far more than a seaside stop. Handsome old bluestone buildings, excellent coffee and a deep affection for local institutions coexist with new restaurants and wine bars. It can feel sophisticated one minute and delightfully daggy the next. In 2025, it was named Victoria’s Top Tourism Town.
In This Guide
Best Things to Do in Warrnambool
Watch Southern Right Whales at Logans Beach
Every winter, Logans Beach becomes a nursery. Female Southern Right whales leave sub-Antarctic waters to give birth off Warrnambool, sometimes bringing their calves within 100 metres of shore while males and younger whales remain further out. Between June and September, locals keep an eye on the sightings and return more than once; an empty horizon at breakfast can look very different by afternoon. Take binoculars, use the dune-top viewing platform and dress for the wind. When a black back finally breaks the grey water, everyone notices.
Where: Logans Beach, Warrnambool
Cost: Free
Best For: Free, Nature lovers, Families, Outdoor, Visitors
Need To Know: Southern Right whale season generally runs from June to September, although sightings aren’t guaranteed. Use the dune-top viewing platform.
Deep Blue Hot Springs
Some 850 metres beneath Warrnambool sits the Dilwyn Aquifer, a water source estimated to be around 50 million years old. Deep Blue Hot Springs draws its mineral-rich geothermal water directly from it, filling 18 outdoor pools, sensory caves and waterfalls beside the Southern Ocean. Temperatures move between roughly 35 and 41°C, with a cold plunge waiting when you’ve gone too far. The best session is after dark, when steam catches the coastal air and the caves glow beneath the water.
Sitchu Tip: Pack your own towel and robe. Hire costs extra, and it adds up quickly for two.
Where: Deep Blue Hot Springs, Warrnambool
Cost: From $33 per adult for early-morning sessions; daytime from $46, twilight from $57
Best For: Couples, Date night, Weekend plans, Unique experiences
Need To Know: Book ahead. Twilight sessions are for ages 16 and over, and children under five cannot enter the Hot Springs Sanctuary.
For more places to bathe, explore our guide to the best hot springs in Victoria.
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village
At Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, start with the peacock. The four-million-dollar Minton porcelain bird survived the 1878 wreck of the Loch Ard, despite only two of the 54 people aboard making it ashore, and now sits among Australia’s richest collection of shipwreck artefacts. Outside, more than 40 buildings recreate Warrnambool’s 19th-century port, cobblestones climbing towards the lighthouse and cannon above Lady Bay. Return after dusk for Tales of the Shipwreck Coast, when lanterns lead through the darkened village before stories of Country, whaling and shipwreck are cast across a nine-metre water wall.
Where: Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, Warrnambool
Cost: From $21.40 per adult; Tales of the Shipwreck Coast from $34.30 per adult
Best For: Families, Cultural, Rainy day, Visitors
Need To Know: The evening sound-and-light show requires a separate booking. Combined day-and-night packages are available.
Walk the Coast from Lady Bay to Thunder Point
The sea has never been background scenery in Warrnambool. In the 1880s, its port handled more cargo than Melbourne’s, yet more than 29 known shipwrecks lie around Lady Bay. Today, start at the 1890 Breakwater and follow the coast west. At Stingray Bay, the Merri River meets the sea and low tide exposes white sand and rockpools; at high tide, the little beach can disappear almost entirely. Cross the footbridge into Thunder Point, where weathered sandstone breaks into coves and inlets. Save the final stretch for sunset. The west-facing headland gets the full Southern Ocean show.
Where: Lady Bay to Thunder Point, Warrnambool
Cost: Free
Best For: Free, Outdoor, Active, Nature lovers
Need To Know: Low tide is best for exploring Stingray Bay’s rockpools. Swim only at patrolled beaches, between the flags.
Meet Warrnambool’s Penguin Protectors
Warrnambool’s most famous conservation story began when foxes pushed Middle Island’s Little Penguin colony to fewer than 10 birds. In 2006, Maremma guardian dogs were introduced to deter predators, creating a world-first approach now known as the Warrnambool Method and inspiring the film Oddball. The island remains closed to visitors, but Penguin Protectors sessions share the project’s story and provide the chance to meet one of its Maremmas. Ticket proceeds support the dogs and ongoing penguin conservation.
Where: Warrnambool Breakwater, Warrnambool
Cost: From $22.60 per adult; children aged five to 15 from $8.40
Best For: Families, Kids, Unique experiences, Nature lovers
Need To Know: Book for a scheduled session, which includes an educational presentation and a chance to meet a Maremma dog. Middle Island itself is closed to visitors.
The Fresh Market Warrnambool
If your trip lands on the first or third Sunday of the month, start at The Fresh Market Warrnambool. Stalls gather beside Lake Pertobe with south-west Victorian produce, sourdough, cheese, honey, preserves and breakfast worth eating on the grass. It’s a neat snapshot of the region before 10am: growers behind the tables, coffee in hand, locals doing their weekly shop and the Southern Ocean only a few minutes away. Check the dates before you book; missing it by a day would be deeply annoying.
Where: The Fresh Market, Warrnambool
Cost: Free entry
Best For: Families, Locals, Weekend plans
Need To Know: Held beside Lake Pertobe on the first and third Sunday of the month, generally from 8am to 1pm.
Art, History and Culture in Warrnambool
Warrnambool Art Gallery
Warrnambool was collecting art before Federation. Warrnambool Art Gallery began in 1886, when retired police inspector Joseph Archibald opened a room behind the Mechanics Institute filled with paintings and museum curios. More than 5,000 works now span colonial landscapes, Clarice Beckett and the Angry Penguins through to contemporary Australian art. Its present home opened in 1986 as a memorial to Sir Fletcher Jones, tying another piece of Warrnambool history into the walls. Entry is free; allow an hour, longer if the coastal weather turns.
Where: Warrnambool Art Gallery, Warrnambool
Cost: Free general admission
Best For: Cultural, Free, Rainy day
Need To Know: Some special exhibitions may require paid admission.
Fletcher Jones Gardens & the Silver Ball
The Silver Ball is Warrnambool shorthand. Rising 40 metres above Raglan Parade, the 1967 water tower was designed by Fletcher Jones’ eldest son Ralph as part of the clothing factory’s fire system, and somehow became a city icon. Below it, the Fletcher Jones Gardens began in 1949 on a former quarry and rubbish dump, transformed into lawns, ponds, pergolas and flower beds for factory workers and the public. The factory later became Warrnambool’s largest employer, with staff sharing ownership. Walk the gardens, then look up: this is industrial history with a wonderfully odd silhouette.
Where: Fletcher Jones Gardens, Warrnambool
Cost: Free
Best For: Free, Cultural, Outdoor
Warrnambool Botanic Gardens
Before William Guilfoyle reshaped how Victorians thought a garden should look, he tested some of those ideas in Warrnambool. Warrnambool Botanic Gardens was his first botanic-garden layout, its sweeping lawns and curved paths still remarkably intact nearly 150 years later. Ancient trees make this one of the loveliest places to disappear when the coastal wind picks up; deeper in, ducks circle the lily pond and one of only three surviving botanic-garden ferneries in Victoria hides beneath the canopy. Bring lunch and lose an hour.
Where: Warrnambool Botanic Gardens, Warrnambool
Cost: Free
Best For: Free, Families, Outdoor, Nature lovers
Need To Know: Dogs are not permitted in the gardens.
Moyjil / Point Ritchie
At the mouth of the Hopkins River, Moyjil / Point Ritchie holds more history beneath your feet than its headland first lets on. Aboriginal people have gathered eels, shellfish and other food here for thousands of years, leaving middens and traces of campfires through the dunes. Deeper again sit shells and fire-blackened stones in sediments dated to around 120,000 years ago, their human origins still fiercely debated. Walk the headland for views across Lady Bay and the Southern Ocean, but read the signs slowly. Few Warrnambool landscapes collapse culture, geology and deep time quite like this one.
Where: Moyjil / Point Ritchie, Warrnambool
Cost: Free
Best For: Cultural, Free, Nature lovers, Outdoor
Need To Know: This is a culturally significant Aboriginal site. Stay on designated paths and respect the interpretive signage.
See a Show at the Lighthouse Theatre
Lighthouse Theatre nearly had a very different ending. Built as Warrnambool’s Town Hall in 1891 after a £50 design competition, it was declared unsafe in 1977 and came close to demolition before the city fought for its future. Today, the Victorian bones remain around a 584-seat theatre, contemporary glass foyer and smaller studio, with touring music, comedy, dance and homegrown productions filling the calendar. Check what’s on before your trip; seeing the old Town Hall full again feels like part of the Warrnambool story.
Where: Lighthouse Theatre, Warrnambool
Cost: Ticket prices vary by performance
Best For: Cultural, Date night, Groups
Need To Know: Check the performance calendar and book tickets ahead of your visit.
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Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve
Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve is a landscape rebuilt from a painting. After much of the crater was cleared following European settlement, an 1855 Eugene von Guérard work helped guide its extraordinary revegetation decades later. Today, emus cross walking tracks and koalas sit above wetlands formed inside a volcano that erupted around 30,000 years ago. Known as Koroitj to Eastern Maar peoples, this is Country first. Book a Worn Gundidj cultural tour in advance, then look back across the crater from Von Guérard Lookout and see how closely art and landscape now align.
Where: Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve, Tower Hill
Cost: Free reserve entry; cultural tours ticketed
Best For: Nature lovers, Cultural, Families, Free
Need To Know: As of November 2026, Parks Victoria lists the visitor centre as closed. Book cultural experiences separately and keep your distance from wildlife.
Hopkins Falls
Just 15 minutes from Warrnambool, Hopkins Falls spreads across a broad basalt shelf before dropping 11 metres into the river below. It’s one of Victoria’s widest waterfalls, stretching roughly 90 metres across, and at its most impressive after winter rain. In early summer, watch for an altogether smaller spectacle: baby short-finned eels making their way upstream, sometimes climbing the wet rock beside the falls. There are viewing platforms and picnic facilities, though the waterfall is reason enough to make the detour.
Where: Hopkins Falls, Wangoom
Cost: Free
Best For: Free, Nature lovers, Families, Outdoor
Need To Know: Viewing platforms and picnic facilities are available. Water flow varies with rainfall, generally strongest during winter and spring.
Bay of Islands Coastal Park
Save some Great Ocean Road appetite for the stretch west of Peterborough. Bay of Islands Coastal Park runs towards Warrnambool through pale limestone stacks, little coves and headlands with a fraction of the Twelve Apostles traffic. Grey weather suits it: the lighter rock holds the soft, overcast light beautifully. Stop at Bay of Islands, Bay of Martyrs and Childers Cove, watching for Hooded Plovers on the sand and Southern Right whales offshore in winter. Admire the beaches rather than swimming; they’re wild, unpatrolled and exposed to rough Southern Ocean water.
Where: Bay of Islands Coastal Park, near Peterborough
Cost: Free
Best For: Free, Nature lovers, Outdoor, Visitors
Need To Know: Beaches throughout the coastal park are unpatrolled and exposed to hazardous Southern Ocean conditions. Swimming is not recommended.
Warrnambool Wildlife Encounters
At Warrnambool Wildlife Encounters in Cudgee, the introductions are a little more personal. Kangaroos, koalas, wombats and dingoes are among the native animals visitors can meet during guided sessions, with small group sizes allowing time to learn about each species. Conservation is part of the conversation, too. Book ahead rather than turning up on a whim; capacity is limited, especially during school holidays, and the animals have a schedule of their own.
Where: Warrnambool Wildlife Encounters, Cudgee
Cost: From $45 per adult; children aged two to 16 from $22
Best For: Families, Kids, Nature lovers, Unique experiences
Need To Know: Book ahead, particularly during school holidays. Peanuts and almonds are used as animal treats, and the operator advises against attending if you have severe nut allergies.
Best Restaurants and Bars in Warrnambool
Lost Cat Dining
Lost Cat Dining is a homecoming story disguised as one of Warrnambool’s best dinners. Chef Zac Nicholson grew up here before spending years in Melbourne kitchens, including Rockpool Bar & Grill; he returned with partner Jasmine Leung and named the restaurant after Larry, their long-lost family cat.
Jasmine runs the floor while Zac cooks with the seasons, much of the produce coming from nearby growers. Wood-grilled steak lands with umami butter and chips; mussels come piled onto toast with nduja; vegetables are treated with the same attention as everything else. It feels polished without losing its family bones. On Friday and Saturday nights, head upstairs to Larry’s Lounge for burgers and a looser second act.
Suburb: Warrnambool
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Best For: Date night, Special occasion, Wine lovers
Need To Know: Book ahead for weekend dinner.
69 Liebig Street, Warrnambool
Lot 17
There’s something satisfyingly full-circle about Lot 17. Nicole Goldson grew up in Warrnambool, where her parents ran a pizza shop in the ’80s; years later, she and husband Hugh have opened one of the city’s most interesting new dining rooms inside a Timor Street building dating back to the 1850s. Old wallpaper, letters and other relics uncovered during the renovation now hang on a memory wall.
Hugh has cooked in a Michelin-starred London kitchen, but the food here skips the formality. Seasonal plates are made for passing around the table, recently including grilled zucchini with basil and yoghurt, charred pork collar and gnocchi with pesto and eggplant, alongside a wine list looking largely to Victoria and South Australia. Come on Sunday and surrender the ordering entirely: lunch becomes a chef-led shared feast with no regular menu.
Suburb: Warrnambool
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Best For: Long lunch, Group dining, Wine lovers, Weekend plans
Need To Know: Reservations are recommended for the Sunday chef-led lunch.
132 Timor Street, Warrnambool
The Dart & Marlin
The Dart & Marlin has occupied an old Timor Street painter’s shop since 2016, its name borrowed from owner David de Carteret’s fisherman stepfather and a taxidermy marlin that once hung above his workbench with a dart in its mouth. Inside, original floorboards lead to a leafy courtyard made for long summer nights and live music. The kitchen deals in stone-baked pizzas, handmade pasta and local produce; behind the bar, Grampians and Pyrenees wines keep the regional story going.
Suburb: Warrnambool
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Pizza, Pasta
Best For: Group dining, Outdoor dining, Locals
Need To Know: Check the venue’s live music programme before visiting.
216 Timor Street, Warrnambool
Tendril Wine Store
Tendril Wine Store changes character as afternoon gives way to evening. By day, the Fairy Street shop is stacked with bottles that make wine people stop mid-shelf: Jean-François Ganevat from the Jura, Michael Dhillon’s Macedon Pinot, Sorrenberg Gamay and plenty closer to home. Later in the week, glasses appear and the kitchen starts sending snacks across the counter. In winter, that might mean confit duck under a snowfall of Koroit truffle. Knowledgeable without becoming reverential, it’s the place to buy one bottle and somehow stay for another glass.
Suburb: Warrnambool
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Date night, Locals
Need To Know: Retail wine sales operate during the day, with drinks and snacks typically served from 4pm Thursday to Saturday.
120 Fairy Street, Warrnambool
Frolic Lane
Frolic Lane knows how to use a building. Upstairs, sky-high ceilings frame the wine bar; downstairs, the sandstone Speakeasy occupies the historic food store of the Chambers Building; out back, old Cobb & Co stables now hold the venue’s gin still. Between them sit secret corners, an open-fire cocktail garden, live music and the occasional drag bingo. This is Warrnambool after dark, spread across a small maze of rooms. Order a pizza, start upstairs, then head below once the night gets going.
Suburb: Warrnambool
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cocktail bar, Pizza
Best For: Cocktail lovers, Late night, Group dining
Need To Know: Check the venue’s programme for live music, drag bingo and special events.
95 Kepler Street, Warrnambool
Best Cafes and Bakeries in Warrnambool
Rough Diamond
Rough Diamond has been serving old-school cool and excellent brekkies for nearly a decade. The toasted Turkish roll stacked with bacon, Swiss and red-eye BBQ sauce is a local legend, while falafel plates, smoked salmon and a standout chicken-melt toastie keep the menu lively.
Sitchu Tip: Don’t miss their date scones, freshly baked daily, and served warm with melting butter.
Suburb: Warrnambool
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cafe, Breakfast
Best For: Breakfast, Quick bite, Locals
203 Koroit Street, Warrnambool
ToTo Town
ToTo Town is where Warrnambool breakfast takes a Turkish turn. The room fills early with locals over strong coffee, while the menu moves through hummus, dukkah, roasted eggplant and burnt butter alongside the usual eggs and sourdough. Order the Ottoman Breakfast: poached eggs over hummus with roasted eggplant, black-sesame burnt butter and toast. The brekky roll has its own following, too. Small, busy and deeply embedded in Kepler Street mornings, ToTo plays a cheery part in the neighbourhood’s routine.
Suburb: Warrnambool
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Turkish, Breakfast
Best For: Breakfast, Brunch, Locals
Unit 1/49 Kepler Street, Warrnambool
Day Kitty
Long before plant-based cafes became standard issue, Day Kitty was doing things differently on Kepler Street. Warrnambool sisters Victoria and Elizabeth Carey left careers in science to open the cafe in 2014, taking over the old Flaherty’s Chocolate Shop and building the menu around organic vegetarian food.
The organic okonomiyaki has become a signature, layered with miso mayo, Japanese barbecue sauce, avocado and house pickles; regulars also rate the Mexican bowl, cold-pressed juices and raw vegan sweets. Shelves of organic groceries turn a coffee stop into a pantry restock, too. More than a decade on, Day Kitty feels less like a health-food trend than a Warrnambool original.
Suburb: Warrnambool
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Vegetarian, Plant-based
Best For: Breakfast, Brunch, Locals
52B Kepler Street, Warrnambool
Wilba & Co.
Wilba & Co. is already pouring Padre in East Warrnambool while much of the city is still waking up. This is coffee folded into the machinery of a regional morning: locals grabbing breakfast on the run, others settling in before the day begins. Order the chilli scrambled eggs or Wilba Benedict, add a house-made pretzel for later, and scan the cabinet for cinnamon scrolls, muffins and hot jam doughnuts. Heading out early for whales, a coastal walk or the Great Ocean Road? Start here.
Suburb: East Warrnambool
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cafe, Bakery
Best For: Breakfast, Quick bite, Locals
Need To Know: Weekday coffee service starts at 6am.
8 Nicholson Street, Warrnambool
Koko Avenue
Koko Avenue sits a little outside Warrnambool’s cafe cluster, in the Raglan Parade shopping strip, and that’s part of its appeal. There’s room for prams, easy parking and a steady stream of locals coming through for Proud Mary coffee rather than a photogenic detour. Breakfast runs all day: smashed avo, acai bowls and the Big Koko are dependable orders, while lunch regulars swear by the sausage roll or focaccia with salad.
Suburb: Warrnambool
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cafe, Breakfast
Best For: Families, Breakfast, Brunch
Shop 13/1–49 Raglan Parade, Warrnambool
Jane Dough Bakery
Jane Dough Bakery shares The Warehouse with Piccolo Coffee Roasters, which means very good things happen under one Raglan Parade roof: pastry, naturally leavened bread and coffee roasted metres away. Pastry chef William Jane trained under Piero Brunetti and worked across Europe and India before returning home to Warrnambool. His weekly doughnut flavours shift with the seasons, while local produce regularly works its way into danishes, cakes and savouries. Order whatever has just left the oven, then add a sourdough loaf for later.
Suburb: Warrnambool
Price Guide: $–$$
Cuisine: Bakery, Patisserie
Best For: Quick bite, Breakfast, Locals
719 Raglan Parade, Warrnambool
Ilma Cakes & Co
Ilma Cakes & Co. is named for the owner’s grandmother, which explains something about the mood here: baking as affection, not spectacle. Everything is made in Warrnambool, from loaded cookies and slices to celebration cakes, but Thursday and Friday are the days to know. That’s when croissants made from scratch with St David Dairy cultured butter hit the cabinet, plain or filled, until they sell out. Add coffee, then leave with something boxed for later. You’ll be glad you did.
Suburb: Warrnambool
Price Guide: $–$$
Cuisine: Bakery, Patisserie
Best For: Quick bite, Locals, Weekend plans
115A Fairy Street, Warrnambool
Where to Stay in Warrnambool
Deep Blue Hotel & Hot Springs
At Deep Blue Hotel & Hot Springs, Warrnambool’s geothermal story follows you upstairs. The 80 rooms are heated using geothermal energy, with ocean-view kings and queens looking towards the Southern Ocean and larger penthouses opening the horizon further. Downstairs, the original indoor bathhouse has been drawing on the mineral-rich water beneath the city since 2007, while the 18-pool outdoor hot springs sit alongside it. Book bathing separately from your room, then choose the latest session you can: steam, cold coastal air and bed only a few minutes away.
Location: Deep Blue Hotel & Hot Springs, Warrnambool
Price Guide: From $99 per night
Best For: Couples, Wellness, Coastal, Weekend escape
Need To Know: Hot springs admission is booked separately unless included in your accommodation package.
Book your stay with Deep Blue Hotel
Book your stay with Booking.com
The Landing
The Landing hides an unexpected past beneath all that linen and candlelight: the building was once a helicopter hangar and service area. Now it’s made entirely for two, with a king bed, deep indoor bath and twin cast-iron tubs outside facing the Merri River flats. At dusk, light the fire and switch on the open-air cinema; in the morning, follow the path 200 metres down to the river and wander towards historic Wollaston Bridge. Industrial bones, birdsong, bathwater and a very lovely reason to stay in.
Location: The Landing, Warrnambool
Price Guide: From $244 per night
Best For: Couples, Special occasion, Weekend escape, Honeymoon
Need To Know: Designed for two guests. Direct bookings require a 50% deposit, with the balance due seven days before arrival.
Book your stay with The Landing
Henna
Henna catches Warrnambool at both ends of the day: morning sun in the courtyard, long afternoon light through the front windows. Inside, green velvet, vinyl and an open fireplace surround two bedrooms, while the main suite puts a freestanding bath beside the bed. Local details run through the stay, from Port Fairy-made Flockhart sticky chai to Warrnambool bath products. Town is a 10-minute walk away; on cold evenings, the record player, fireplace and deep bath can happily take over instead.
Location: Henna, Warrnambool
Price Guide: From $230 per night for the two-bedroom property
Best For: Couples, Girls’ trip, Weekend escape
Need To Know: The two-bedroom configuration sleeps four. Its central location near the railway line may mean some street and train noise.
Book your stay with Booking.com
Book your stay with Warrnambool Retreats
The Bushfield Villa
Ten minutes from Warrnambool, The Bushfield Villa trades ocean views for vineyard rows, gum trees and the occasional Highland cow wandering into frame. The one-bedroom, adults-only stay was created by a local Bushfield family and looks across their own small vineyard to the valley beyond. Inside, natural light and warm Mediterranean tones keep things simple; outside, a freestanding bath faces the view. There’s another bath indoors, but on a clear evening, the one under open sky is the whole point.
Location: The Bushfield Villa, Bushfield
Price Guide: From $299 per night
Best For: Couples, Wine lovers, Weekend escape, Special occasion
Need To Know: Adults-only accommodation for two, with a minimum two-night stay.
Stone Keepers Run
Stone Keepers Run is a riverside homestead in Allansford, where seven bedrooms are spread across the original house and bluestone dairy. There’s room for 14, with a kitchen built for feeding everyone and enough sitting rooms to escape them occasionally. The Hopkins River runs past the property, with kayaking and fishing for those inclined to leave the verandah. It’s the sort of place that makes organising a weekend with the extended family seem like an excellent idea.
Location: Stone Keepers Run, Allansford
Price Guide: From $580 per night
Best For: Families, Dog-friendly, Weekend escape, Nature lovers
Need To Know: Sleeps up to 14 guests across seven bedrooms, with a minimum two-night stay. Dogs are welcome, although pet fees may apply.
Book your stay with Stone Keepers Run
Port Cottage, Port Campbell
Port Cottage is one of Port Campbell’s original beach houses, around 45 minutes east of Warrnambool, rescued from disrepair by local farming couple Georgie and Richard Selman in 2020. They kept the old floorplan, then filled it with linen, records, books and references to the Shipwreck Coast outside. Port Campbell National Park sits opposite, with the beach and village an easy walk away. Back home, there’s a deep bath, fire and outdoor shower, with the ocean close enough to hear after dark.
Location: Port Cottage, Port Campbell
Price Guide: From $420 per night
Best For: Families, Coastal, Beach, Weekend escape
Need To Know: This three-bedroom property accommodates up to six guests. Port Campbell is approximately 45 minutes east of Warrnambool.
Book your stay with Port Stays
Book your stay with Booking.com
Frequently Asked Questions About Visiting Warrnambool
Warrnambool is best known for Southern Right whales, which return to Logans Beach between June and September, sometimes swimming close to shore. Its Southern Ocean coastline, particularly Thunder Point and Lady Bay, is a draw, alongside the shipwreck history preserved at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. Beyond the water, visitors enjoy geothermal bathing at Deep Blue Hot Springs, the Fletcher Jones Silver Ball and dinners at Lost Cat Dining and Lot 17. In 2025, Warrnambool won Victoria’s Top Tourism Town award.
Winter is the best time to visit Warrnambool for whale watching, with Southern Right whales returning to Logans Beach between June and September to give birth and nurse their calves. Cooler weather makes Deep Blue Hot Springs appealing, while rainfall can bring Hopkins Falls to its best. Summer is for swimming between the flags at Lady Bay, walking out to Thunder Point and dining outdoors at The Dart & Marlin. Autumn and spring are alternatives for exploring without peak-season crowds.
Two days is a minimum here, although three allows you to explore beyond the city. Spend the first day walking from Lady Bay to Thunder Point, visiting Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village and booking dinner at Lost Cat Dining or Lot 17. On day two, visit Deep Blue Hot Springs and Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve, stopping for coffee on Kepler Street. Add a third day for Bay of Islands Coastal Park, Hopkins Falls or a drive along the Great Ocean Road.
Yes, you can swim in Warrnambool, but beach choice matters. Lady Bay is the main option, with a patrolled swimming area near the surf lifesaving club during the warmer months. Always swim between the red and yellow flags when lifeguards are present. Stingray Bay reveals white sand and rockpools at low tide, though tides and currents require care. Beaches around Bay of Islands Coastal Park are unpatrolled and exposed to Southern Ocean conditions, so they are best explored from shore.
For dinner, book Lost Cat Dining on Liebig Street for Zac Nicholson’s seasonal cooking or Lot 17 on Timor Street for shared plates and a chef-led Sunday lunch. The Dart & Marlin does pizza, handmade pasta and drinks in a leafy courtyard, while Tendril Wine Store is worth visiting for an interesting glass. For breakfast, Rough Diamond is known for warm date scones, and ToTo Town puts a Turkish spin on the classics. Jane Dough Bakery handles pastries and sourdough.
There is plenty to do in Warrnambool with kids, from exploring the recreated 19th-century port at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village to meeting native animals at Warrnambool Wildlife Encounters in Cudgee. Penguin Protectors sessions explain how Maremma dogs helped save Middle Island’s Little Penguins, with opportunities to meet one of the dogs. At low tide, Stingray Bay has rockpools to explore; Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve is another favourite for spotting emus and koalas. Check booking requirements and age restrictions for experiences.
You leave Warrnambool remembering oddly specific things: steam lifting into cold coastal air, the first black curve of a whale breaking the water at Logans Beach, a warm date scone, the silver Fletcher Jones ball hovering above Raglan Parade. That is the pleasure of this place. The big-ticket reasons get you here; the smaller details are what stay with you.
Keep travelling with our guide to Victoria’s best road trips, or plot another night along the coast with the best stays on the Great Ocean Road.
