Match your mood to the perfect Victorian escape

Victoria doesn’t just cater to destinations — it caters to moods, and a diversity in experiences. What if your next holiday wasn’t just about where you go, but how you come home — rested, recharged, inspired?

Victoria may be compact in size, but that’s precisely its charm — offering a rich tapestry of experiences in every direction, all within easy reach. From world-class dining and hidden bars to vibrant laneways and lush gardens, Melbourne delivers big-city energy with small-city ease.

Beyond the city, an array of regions — each with its own landscape, lakeside village, and unexpected delight — invites you to explore something a little different.

Here’s your mood-based guide to finding the right escape, right now.

Need a new perspective? Hit the museums

For a fresh lens on the world, Melbourne’s cultural treasures await. Wander the NGV, where Old Masters meet provocative new voices. Explore ACMI, where film, gaming, and digital culture collide in vivid, playful exhibitions.

Just 90 minutes from Melbourne, Ballarat’s Sovereign Hill offers a time-travel twist — step into living history with immersive experiences: pan for gold, ride a horse-drawn carriage, and uncover the grit and rebellion that forged Victoria’s golden era.

Need romance? Sip your way through the wine regions

Victoria is made for slow, shared moments. For wine lovers, Red Hill is a cool-climate haven nestled in the heart of the Mornington Peninsula, famed for its elegant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. With over 60 wineries and 50 cellar doors, curated tastings, Tuscan-style dining, rolling hills and coastal charm, it’s a dream location for weekend wanderers, and just 90 minutes from Melbourne. Stay overnight at a luxury spa retreat and enjoy your pinot pickings from the day.

For something unforgettable, take a sunrise hot-air balloon ride at sunset from Melbourne across the iconic Yarra River, MCG and city streets, or the Bellarine Peninsula — floating over a patchwork of vineyards as the world wakes below.

Need cultural stimulation? Join a First Nations tour

From street style to sacred stories, Aboriginal Melbourne offers a fresh lens on culture, creativity, and connection — all within the city’s vibrant heart.

Start at the Koorie Heritage Trust in Federation Square, a dynamic cultural centre where contemporary and historic Aboriginal art sits alongside powerful exhibitions and handcrafted gifts by Indigenous makers. But the real magic lies just outside its doors. Join one of their Aboriginal Walking Tours and follow a local guide through Birrarung Marr and the banks of the Yarra, uncovering stories of Country, resistance, and renewal. These tours offer more than facts—they’re a living dialogue with the world’s oldest continuous culture, revealing how Narrm (Melbourne) has long been a meeting place for ceremony, trade, and storytelling.

For a deeper connection to land, the Aboriginal Heritage Walk at the Royal Botanic Gardens invites you to explore native plants and sustainable living through the eyes of Victoria’s First Peoples. At Melbourne Museum, Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre blends tradition and technology in immersive exhibits—from possum skin cloaks to digital storytelling.

Aboriginal creativity pulses through the city’s fashion scene too. Discover bold jewellery at Haus of Dizzy and statement streetwear at Clothing the Gaps, where activism meets design with unapologetic flair.

These aren’t just tours — they’re an invitation to see Victoria through another lens.

Need to energise? Hit the laneways — and the festivals.

Melbourne thrums with creative energy, from Hosier Lane’s kaleidoscope of street art to its underground jazz bars and rooftop speakeasies. Craving a dose of joy? Join the crowds at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival — one of the world’s largest — or immerse yourself in the colour and creativity of Midsumma, Australia’s leading LGBTQI+ arts festival.

Where to stay

Sparkling passion: InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto — heritage glamour meets rooftop romance in this neo-Gothic city icon.

Urban immersion: Holiday Inn Express Melbourne Little Collins — a sleek CBD stay, just steps away from laneways, Marvel Stadium, and Melbourne’s best bites.

Ready for a new state of mind?

From alpine peaks to First Nations journeys, from vineyard sunrises to late-night laneways, Victoria offers more than just a change of scenery — it offers a change of state. Pick your mood, pack your bags, and discover how every moment here lingers, long after you’ve gone.

Visit Victoria — every bit different. Book your accommodation at IHG Hotels & Resorts.