11 fun things to do in the King Valley, Victoria
Nestled within the Victorian High Country, this beautiful valley is one of the most underrated parts of the state. Discover things to do in the King Valley, from driving its famed ‘Prosecco Road’, to feasting on many gourmet goodies.
Do you love epic views, nature, top notch nosh and most importantly, a particular Italian variety of sparkling wine?
If you answered yes to all of the above, you should absolutely plan a trip to Victoria’s King Valley.
Not quite as well known as say the Yarra Valley, this beautiful part of Victoria’s High Country is best known for its ‘Prosecco Road’.
This is a trail you can drive (or cycle) down, dropping into local family-run wineries on the way.
Wine time aside, there’s plenty of other things to do in the King Valley.
Let’s find out why you should prioritise a visit to this part of the state, like, yesterday.
Discover things to do in the King Valley:
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Fabulous things to do in the King Valley
1. Drive the King Valley Prosecco Road
Of all the fun things to do in the King Valley, this is the reason most people visit.
‘Prosecco Road’ isn’t one singular road. It’s a wine trail you can follow, dropping in to the five wineries of the King Valley that count prosecco among their varietals.
These are:
Interested in the history? Winemaker Otto Dal Zotto grew up in Italy, specifically in the town of Valdobbiadene, where prosecco originates. He planted the first prosecco vines in the King Valley in 1999.
All five wineries now produce this fresh, delicious sparkling.
You’ll also find plenty of other much-loved wines available for tastings and purchase, including pinot grigio, sangiovese and tempranillo.
Discover the distance between wineries and plan your trip with this map:
It goes without saying, but please drink responsibly if you are driving.
Dive deeper and learn more about the history of this region with a wine and food pairing at Pizzini Wines.
2. Dine fine at winery restaurants
Alongside great grapes, these King Valley wineries have some fantastic onsite eateries.
Book in for Trattoria Dining at Dal Zotto.
Much of the produce used in dishes at Brown Brother’s award-winning restaurant hails from the winery’s own kitchen garden.
Pizzini even has a cooking school – A tavola!, where you can learn how to make the perfect pasta or delicately delicious gnocchi.
3. Visit a distillery or brewery
Wine not your thing? Don’t worry. There’s plenty of other enjoyable things to do in the King Valley.
If you’ll jump for juniper, drop into Hurdle Creek Still in Milawa, just up the road from Brown Brothers. Keep an eye out for Hobbledehoy Distillery and Cafe in Whitfield. They currently operate as a cafe, but have a distillery coming soon.
Mead more your thing? Make a beeline to Walkabout Apiaries, to try their Whitehead’s Mead.
Or, hop on over to King Valley Brewing for delicious, locally brewed craft beer.
4. Drop into Milawa for gourmet goodies
Pack your esky and make a stop in the small town of Milawa, to load up on all sorts of delicious produce. This is definitely one of the best things to do in the King Valley.
Milawa Cheese Co is the big draw card. Pop in to try samples or pick up a few small wheels of cheese. They pair perfectly with sourdough from Milawa Bread.
I’m personally a big fan of Milawa Mustards. Their hot mustard is just chef’s kiss.
Find out more about the Milawa Gourmet Region.
Milawa is an ideal stopover on the drive from Melbourne to Newcastle.
5. Pedal to produce
Don’t even think about calories consumed. Combine eating just about every delicious thing in Milawa with exercise, as you Pedal to Produce in the High Country.
Milawa’s Gourmet Ride is a 10 kilometre return journey that should take you around an hour to complete.
Pick up a map from a local store in Milawa and ride out to Sam Miranda Winery in Oxley.
Along with produce picking, there’s plenty of places to stop for a gourmet lunch.
Bikes can be borrowed from Brown Brothers or hired in Milawa. You can also rent a basket to fill with food, or just have your wares delivered to the Milawa Cheese Company, for pick up later.
6. Ride a rail trail
Victoria is full of decommissioned railway lines that have been turned into rail trails. These are ideal for walking, or better yet, riding on and link up some of the nicest places to visit in regional Vic.
The Murray to Mountains Rail Trail is a 100km sealed road which cuts through Milawa. It’s one of the best developed rail trails in the state and offers up some beautiful sights.
Explore bits and pieces of the trail or ride the whole thing.
Download the rail map to find out more.
7. Take in the view at Powers Lookout
For more gorgeous views, head to this lookout, just past Whitfield.
Its named after notorious bushranger Harry Power, who hid out here in the 1860s.
There’s two lookouts. The first is extremely accessible. The second is a short walk to the northernmost point of the escarpment.
From either, you’ll take in views across the King Valley.
8. Hike to Paradise Falls
20 minutes from Whitfield is a beautiful waterfall, just 500 metres from a car park.
It’s best viewed after rainfall, when it should be at full flow.
Gather goodies from Milawa and bring them here for a peaceful picnic. It’s definitely one of the top King Valley attractions.
9. Grab a hearty meal at a cosy pub
Looking for things to do in the King Valley in winter?
Drop into Mountain View Hotel for a lovely pub meal.
You can also stay in the pub, after completing the drive down Prosecco Road.
10. Time your visit with La Dolce Vita Festival
Who doesn’t love a good festival?
La Dolce Vita is held in late November, paying homages to the Italian heritage of those who now call the King Valley home.
Time your visit to the region with the festival, to celebrate the good life.
11. See where Ned Kelly had his last standoff
On the other side of the valley is the town of Glenrowan, best known for being the setting of the Kelly Gang’s last famed standoff.
Pop into the town to see the Kelly-related sites and make sure you snap a photo next to the giant statue of Ned.
Where to stay in the King Valley
There’s plenty of options for places to stay in the King Valley, to suit most budgets.
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You could also pop into the King Valley after staying in a nearby Shacky or the Alpine Region.
Getting to the King Valley
The King Valley is around a three-hour drive from Melbourne. You’re best off getting there by car.
Australia is not renowned for its public transport, especially outside of the cities.
You can catch a train from Melbourne to Wangaratta, the biggest town in the region. Yet then how will you travel onto Prosecco Road and sample all the delicious beverages?
Your best bet would be to hire a car from Melbourne and drive out to the Valley (or hop in your own, obviously).
You’m travel up the Hume Freeway, which can become quite monotonous after awhile.
There are plenty of service stations to stop at along the way and do make sure to give yourself at least a half hour break. Stop, revive and survive and all that.
As you can see, there’s plenty of things to do in the King Valley, Victoria. There’s definitely plenty of reasons to prioritise a trip to this underrated part of the state.
For more to do in Victoria, see my guides to Bendigo, Ballarat and some lovely small towns in Victoria. And discover the best books to read before visiting Australia.
Have you been to Milawa? Or any other wine regions in Australia?
Fancy checking out this area of Oz some day? Pin this post for future reference!
You probably know South Australia has plenty of wine regions, and I have been wine tasting in most of them over the years. I have never been to a wine region in Victoria, but I think I need to get on it as soon as I am back in the country. Kings Valley looks like a great place to start. I want to stay in that Yurt, and anywhere that has wine AND cheese is my kind of place. Love the sunrise/sunset photos!
Thanks Josie! Yeah you definitely have a wealth of choice – I’ve never been to any in SA! There’s so many in Vic too, I think I’ll easily be kept busy with them alone for awhile. And yeah – anywhere that has good cheese gets a tick in my book, too!
I’m not a wine tasting kind of girl (though cheese is – yum 😀 ) but staying in that yurt is definitely my kind of thing! That just looks absolutely fabulous! And oh my, the sunset and sunrise, gorgeous!!
It was a great weekend and worth heading out that way just for the cheese!