Located just over an hour northwest of Melbourne, getting to Daylesford is easy as it appears all roads from Melbourne lead to Dalyesford. In fact, there are a number of routes from Melbourne to Dalyesford that travel along the Hume, Calder and Western Highways and Tullamarine Freeway, all of which will get to you Dalyesford and the Macedon Ranges within an hour to an hour and a half.
From the Melbourne CBD, drive over the Westgate Bridge and turn onto the Western Ring Road, taking the left Western Highway exit showing signs to Ballarat. Once you’re on the Western Highway drive for about an hour until you see the Ballan/Daylesford turnoff. Take the left exit and then turn right, following the signs all the way into Daylesford.
Alternatively, you can also travel via the Bolte Bridge and the Citylink before taking the exit to the Calder Freeway. Once on the Calder Freeway, take the exit towards the township of Woodend. Following the signs to Daylesford, pass through Woodend and Trentham before fishing up in Daylesford. If you’re travelling from the Melbourne Airport you’ll take the Calder Highway to the township of Woodend then turn left and follow the signs to Dalyesford.
Once you arrive in Dalyesford there is a surprisingly extensive range of well-maintained back roads that weave through the region to meet the peaceful day spas, health retreats, luxury accommodation, art galleries, wineries, country pubs and cafes. If you have a car whilst in Daylesford, these make for great day trips and offer scenic drives to a number of nearby townships and natural attractions.
If you wish to travel to Daylesford by public transport, Melbourne’s excellent V/line services operates a number of train lines within the area and there are also a number of local bus companies that run services between all major towns, stopping at these train stations.
