With a population of 97,937, Ballarat is a must-see destination in Victoria, Australia. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Ballarat has to offer.
Ballarat Central is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Ballarat. These include popular favourites such as Pancho (213 Mair St), Mitchell Harris Wines (38 Doveton St N) and Meigas (33 Armstrong St). If you’re looking for affordable options, Higher Society (413 Sturt St) and Ragazzone (319 Mair Street) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Moon and Mountain (220 Mair St) and Common Ground (306 Howitt Street) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Ballarat.
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Ballarat in February, when the average temperature is 18 °C, and the highest can go up to 25 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is July, when it can get as cold as 4 °C, with an average temperature of 6 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in June, when precipitation is around 70 mm. In contrast, January is usually the driest month of the year in Ballarat, with an average rainfall of 30 mm.
Although Ballarat doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Melbourne Avalon (AVV), which is located 76 km from Ballarat.
Another option to get to Ballarat is to pick up a car rental from Melbourne, which is about 102 km from Ballarat. You’ll find branches of Bargain Car Rentals and Europcar, among others, in Melbourne.
Greyhound Australia operates bus routes to Ballarat. From Canberra, the bus ride to Ballarat takes 772 km and will cost you around C$ 227. From Sydney, the ticket costs about C$ 245 for a journey of 1159 km.
From 5-star hotels such as the The Provincial Boutique Hotel to great affordable options like the Sovereign Hill Hotel, Ballarat offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around C$ 126 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to C$ 191 and up for a 5-star experience. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Ballarat, with prices from C$ 46 to C$ 962 per night. Ballarat Central is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Ballarat are about 49% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.
Expect to pay C$ 1.53 per litre in Ballarat (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between C$ 18.26 and C$ 24.35. The most frequently booked car type in Ballarat is Standard (Class Commercial Truck or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy rental cars (Suzuki Swift or similar) are, on average, 39% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.