Bendigo

winery

The Bridge Vineyard

A highly-rated winery in Heathcote, VIC with a perfect 5-star Google rating. Their philosophy centers on creating wines that are "best enjoyed with anyone, anywhere, anytime," emphasizing approachable, versatile wines for every occasion.

distillery

Twisted Cellar

This nano-distillery in Bendigo specializes in premium vodka, including their signature Twisted Snake variety. With a perfect 5-star Google rating, they offer visitors access to their small-batch distillation process in a welcoming tasting room environment.

winery

Sandhurst Ridge

Three-generation family-run winery in Myers Flat producing intensely flavoured, handcrafted wines rooted in Italian winemaking heritage. Offers cellar door tastings Friday to Sunday and vineyard cottages.

winery

Panacea Estate

Peter's Welshmans Reef vineyard leans hard into Shiraz — standard, reserve, sparkling, rosé — with a pet nat and semillon rounding out a range that runs from $28 to $55. Open Saturdays and most Sundays. The rolling-hills setting doubles as a wedding venue with on-site accommodation, making it a logical base for a Central Victorian weekend.

winery

Byronsvale Vineyard & Accommodation Bendigo

The Burke family's 52-year-old Shiraz vines — the oldest in the Bendigo region — are the draw here. Denise Langford and her parents are rewiring and reposting the vineyard under organic practices after buying it in 2016, with their first vintage, a 2017 Shiraz, taking gold at the Victorian Wine Show. Stay in the converted 1870s stone stables, now three self-contained apartments.

winery

Munari Wines

Family-owned winery nestled in the Mt Ida Range foothills, producing award-winning cool climate wines including Vermentino, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Cellar door offers tastings of their consistently praised, fruit-rich wines.

winery

Vin du Van Estate

This French-inspired winery in Mandurang offers award-winning wines, relaxed tastings in their cellar door, and weekend dining featuring gourmet pizzas and grazing boards. Open Saturdays and Sundays from 11am-5pm, they also provide unique accommodation in a vintage caravan.

winery

Chateau Dore Winery & Receptions

Built in 1866, this historic winery in Bendigo's Mandurang Valley is renowned as Central Victoria's most beautiful garden wedding setting. Located just 90 minutes from Melbourne CBD, hosts Nicole and Glenn Walker provide exceptional hospitality across acres of established gardens and lawns for weddings, private functions, and live music events.

winery

Ellis Wines

A boutique winery in Bendigo producing premium wines with exceptional attention to quality and craftsmanship. With an outstanding 4.9-star rating, this family-operated vineyard offers intimate tastings and showcases the best of central Victorian winemaking traditions.

winery

M. Chapoutier Australia Winery & Cellar Door

Bringing over 200 years of Rhône Valley winemaking heritage to Victoria's Heathcote region, this Australian outpost of the renowned French Maison M. Chapoutier produces exceptional Shiraz wines displaying great elegance and mineral purity. The winery combines traditional French techniques with Australian terroir, guided by core values of respect, audacity, and generosity.

cidery

Henry of Harcourt

The Henry family grows more than forty varieties of apple and pear across their Harcourt orchard, then turns them into traditional cider and perry — no additives, no shortcuts. Stop in for a tasting and Drew Henry will likely explain why, as he puts it, cider making is a job fit for a drover's dog.

winery

Jasper Hill Vineyard

Ron and Elva Laughton planted these two unirrigated Heathcote blocks in 1975 — Emily's Paddock facing east, Georgia's facing west — in 650-million-year-old Cambrian basalt soil. Now run by daughter Emily and husband Nick, the organic vineyard ferments Shiraz, Nebbiolo and Fiano on natural yeasts, four to six weeks on skins, then twelve months in French and Austrian oak.

winery

Vinea Marson

A multi-generational winery in Heathcote specialising in Italian and French varietals, including Friulian heritage wines. The cellar door offers wine and food experiences in the region's "Little Italy" precinct.

winery

Silver Spoon Estate

Geologist-turned-winemaker Peter Young chose this Mount Camel site after reading a geology map and finding a fault line running through it — the Silver Spoon, namesake of a nearby abandoned gold-era mine. The estate runs off-grid, grows Shiraz, Viognier, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Tempranillo, and pours at a cellar door and bistro completed in 2021.

cidery

Harcourt Perry & Cider Makers

Award-winning cidery in Barkers Creek specializing in 100% natural apple and pear ciders made from locally grown Harcourt fruit. Their range includes traditional ciders, perry, sparkling juices, vinegars, and spirits, all produced without concentrates or added sugar using fruit grown in the region's distinctive granite soils.

brewery

True Brew

East Bendigo brewery that has since added a distillery to its operation. The Hard Cocky RTD range — Lemon Squeezy, Fruit Fizz, Ouzo and Cola among them — sits alongside house vodka and amaretto at $45 a bottle. Kegs available for home use. Saturday nights, the whole brewery hires out.

distillery

Envy Distilling

A small craft distillery in Ladys Pass owned by Nathan and Vanessa, specializing in award-winning grape-based gin using traditional alembic distilling methods. Their bronze medal-winning Picnic Gin features complex floral notes, and visitors can enjoy gin flights and cocktails at their Distillery Door tasting room.

winery

Water Wheel Vineyards

Celebrating over 40 years of winemaking excellence, this Bendigo winery specializes in rich reds and refreshing whites. Located in Bridgewater with a heritage cellar door.

winery

Sanguine Estate Wines - Heathcote

This family-owned boutique winery holds a 5 RED star James Halliday rating and crafts award-winning wines inspired by Heathcote's unique terroir. Open Wednesday to Sunday, their cellar door offers generous tastings of balanced, sophisticated wines including acclaimed Shiraz and rosé varieties.

winery

Harcourt Valley Vineyards

Bendigo's most awarded winery with over 500 medals and 35 trophies, offering an extensive range of wines including Riesling, Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Located 30 minutes from Bendigo, this 5-star rated venue also features a picturesque function centre perfect for weddings and events.

brewery

Brewers Collective

This downtown Bendigo microbrewery and taproom crafts fresh, hand-made beers in small batches using their custom-built nano-brewery. With creatively named brews like Uncle Monty, Hazel Amazeballs, and Ironbark, plus rotating seasonal offerings, they deliver honest service and great local beer to satisfy any thirst.

brewery

Bendigo Brewing

An independent brewery in Bendigo, VIC serving craft beer "the Bendigo Way." This local favorite has earned an impressive 4.8/5 Google rating from customers who appreciate their authentic approach to brewing.

winery

Mandurang Valley Wines

Established in 1976 in historic vineyard country south-east of Bendigo, this family-owned winery specialises in award-winning wines with a focus on Grenache and sparkling varieties. The cellar door offers tastings and a curated wine range.

winery

Heathcote Winery

Operating since 1978, this pioneering Heathcote winery handcrafts medal-winning wines from the region's ancient terroir. The cellar door is housed in a historic 1850s mining produce store, offering visitors a tasting experience rooted in local heritage.

winery

Boomtown Winery & Bistro

Boomtown operates out of The Mill, a converted industrial site in Castlemaine, pouring wines grown and made locally alongside a bistro menu written fresh each week. The cellar door runs Thursday to Sunday — no booking required. The bistro, open Friday and Saturday evenings, is worth planning around.

winery

St Anne's Winery Bendigo

Family winery in Ravenswood with three generations of winemaking expertise, offering award-winning wines from crisp whites to full-bodied reds, fortifieds and sparkling varieties. Features cellar door tastings and an on-site restaurant serving weekend dining experiences.

brewery

Love Shack Brewing Co

A public bar and brewery serving tap beer and great grub to the thirsty folks of Castlemaine seven days a week. This local brewing company combines craft beer production with a welcoming bistro atmosphere, earning a solid 4.6/5 rating from visitors.

brewery

Shedshaker Brewing Company

A proudly independent brewery in Castlemaine's Mill precinct serving fresh, flavourful beers brewed onsite alongside Italian-inspired food designed for sharing. Features live music every weekend and relaxed Sunday afternoon gigs, creating a vibrant gathering place for lazy afternoons or lively evenings.

brewery

Shedshaker Brewing

Doug and Jacqueline's brewery has outgrown its original shed in The Mill precinct, moving a few doors down to a larger taproom with sixteen house beers on tap. The Italian-inspired kitchen and weekend live music have made the move too. Still fiercely independent, still Castlemaine to its core.

winery

Coliban Valley Wines

Greg tends the vines; Helen, a trained microbiologist turned winemaker, produces everything in the shed. Four hectares of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Riesling grow on deep granitic soil, dry-farmed since 2003. Hand-picked, basket-pressed, aged in French oak — the cellar door, when open, operates among the barrels. The label is an oil painting of the vineyard at dusk.

winery

Sutton Grange Winery

Multi-award-winning organic winery in Bendigo producing acclaimed Syrah and Rosé. The cellar door offers tastings and lunch with vineyard views, and their Fairbank Rosé has won Halliday's Best Rosé award three consecutive years.

brewery

Palling Bros Brewery

Heathcote's Palling Bros pours a tight range of small-batch beers — the Berried Treasure Raspberry Sour (a Berliner Weisse, AIBA gold 2025) is the one to start with. Friday to Sunday only, with hotdogs and burgers on the kitchen menu. The onsite Rood Henry's Art Space shows works by artists who identify with a disability.

winery

Connor Park Winery

Small Bendigo producer crafting Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon from estate vineyards in one of Victoria's warmest wine regions. Connor Park Winery's cellar door offers an intimate tasting experience with wines that reflect the bold, rich character of Bendigo's ancient quartz-riddled soils and warm continental climate.

winery

Balgownie Estate

Award-winning Yarra Valley winery with over 50 years of heritage, offering cool-climate wines, cellar door tastings, luxury accommodation, fine dining and vineyard views.

winery

The Urban Cellar

Bendigo's only venue to combine a working distillery and winery under one roof, open just Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons. The program runs from cocktail masterclasses and high tea to paint-and-sip sessions. Since June 2025, it also houses The Smash Club — Bendigo's first smash rooms, for those with something to get out of their system.

Museum

Star Cinema

Run as a non-profit community project out of the heritage-listed Eaglehawk Town Hall — eight kilometres north of Bendigo, in a goldfields suburb that was once an independent borough. The original Star Pictures cinema operated in the same building from the early 20th century until television closed it in the 1960s; it was revived in 2005 by volunteers using the original projection room. Crimson couches, knitted rugs over your knees, licensed bar with local wines, antique Town Hall furniture. Independent and arthouse programming seven nights a week.

distillery

Morris Lane Distillery

A craft distillery in East Bendigo producing premium spirits with a focus on quality and local character. Located in Victoria's historic goldfields region, they create distinctive beverages that reflect the area's rich heritage and natural resources.

distillery

Maidenii Vermouth

Australia's oldest producer of vermouth, crafting small-batch dry, sweet and extra dry expressions using native Australian botanicals blended with local base wine. Made in collaboration with Sebastien Derbomez and Gilles Lapalus, Maidenii draws on French traditions reimagined through the prism of uniquely Australian ingredients.

Museum

Bendigo Tramways

Heritage tramway operating vintage trams through central Bendigo. The depot houses a collection of restored trams and offers a talking tram tour of the city's historic sights.

Museum

Discovery Science & Technology Centre Bendigo

Discovery Science & Technology Centre Bendigo is a regionally significant museum in Bendigo, VIC. The museum explores themes of science technology. Core activities include education, exhibition. The venue is family-oriented and features interactive exhibits. Visitors can enjoy cafe, shop, family friendly, workshops. Nearby towns include Castlemaine, Maldon, Heathcote.

Gallery

Central Goldfields Art Gallery

Community gallery in a historic goldfields town presenting exhibitions of local and regional artists. Part of the Central Goldfields Shire's cultural heritage precinct.

Gallery

Castlemaine State Festival Gallery

The Castlemaine Market Building, a magnificent 1862 Greek Revival structure at the heart of the goldfields town, serves as a major exhibition venue for the celebrated Castlemaine State Festival — a biennial arts event that fills the town with exhibitions, performances and creative exchange.

Heritage Site

Carisbrook Historic Mine

Carisbrook and the surrounding Central Victorian goldfields preserve a remarkable concentration of 19th-century mining landscapes — mine shafts, Chinese-built water races, engine mounts and alluvial workings that together form one of the most authentic gold rush heritage environments in Australia.

Gallery

La Trobe Art Institute

La Trobe Art Institute in Bendigo is the visual arts research facility of La Trobe University, presenting exhibitions that bridge contemporary art practice with academic inquiry. The gallery features a changing program of curated shows alongside the university's art collection, with a focus on fostering creative dialogue between artists, students and the broader Bendigo community.

Gallery

Bendigo Art Gallery

One of Australia's finest regional galleries, Bendigo Art Gallery is known for staging internationally significant fashion and costume exhibitions alongside its permanent collection of 19th-century Australian art.

Museum

Golden Dragon Museum

Documents the Chinese-Australian heritage of the Bendigo goldfields. Houses Sun Loong, the world's longest imperial dragon, and Dai Gum San, a heritage Chinese precinct.

Gallery

Castlemaine Art Museum

Founded by community subscription in 1913 and housed in a heritage-listed art deco building since 1931, this Castlemaine institution holds one of regional Victoria's more serious permanent collections: tonal realism paintings of national significance, strong work by women artists, and First Nations cultural material alongside colonial-era artefacts. Free entry, open daily.

Botanical Garden

Bendigo Botanic Gardens

Bendigo Botanic Gardens sprawls across a beautiful property in White Hills, featuring historic avenues of elms, a significant cacti and succulents collection, ferneries and peaceful lakeside walks.

Museum

Central Deborah Gold Mine Bendigo

Central Deborah Gold Mine Bendigo is a nationally significant museum in Bendigo, VIC. The museum explores themes of mining geology, industrial heritage, social history. Core activities include exhibition, education. The venue is housed in a historic building and provides immersive experiences. Visitors can enjoy guided tours, tours, accessible. Notable for being long established. Nearby towns include Castlemaine, Maldon, Heathcote.

Museum

Goldfields Railway & Museum

Goldfields Railway & Museum is a heritage-listed museum in Maldon, VIC. The museum explores themes of mining geology, transport, social history. Core activities include exhibition, conservation, community. The venue is housed in a historic building and features outdoor spaces. Visitors can enjoy guided tours, cafe, picnic area, accessible. Nearby towns include Castlemaine, Newstead, Chewton.

Cultural Centre

The Capital Theatre Bendigo

The Capital Theatre Bendigo is a heritage-listed cultural centre in Bendigo, VIC. Core activities include performance, education. Visitors can enjoy events, cafe, accessible. Notable for being long established. Nearby towns include Castlemaine, Maldon, Heathcote.

Botanical Garden

Castlemaine Botanical Gardens

Castlemaine Botanical Gardens  showcases collections focused on environmental, natural history, architecture. Core activities include conservation, education, community. Visitors can enjoy free entry, picnic area, gardens, accessible, parking. Nearby towns include Chewton, Newstead, Bendigo. Admission is free.

Cultural Centre

Ulumbarra Theatre Bendigo

Ulumbarra Theatre Bendigo is a heritage-listed cultural centre in Bendigo, VIC. The cultural centre explores themes of social history, architecture. Core activities include performance, exhibition, education. Visitors can enjoy events, cafe, accessible, guided tours. Notable for being long established. Nearby towns include Castlemaine, Maldon, Heathcote.

Museum

Dunolly Goldfields Historical Museum

Dunolly Goldfields Historical Museum is a heritage-listed museum in Dunolly, VIC. The museum explores themes of mining geology, social history, local history. Core activities include exhibition, conservation. The venue serves as a community hub and is housed in a historic building. Visitors can enjoy tours, accessible. Notable for being long established. Nearby towns include Tarnagulla, Kingower, Castlemaine. Admission is free.

Heritage Site

Bendigo Pottery

When Scottish immigrant George Guthrie stumbled on a clay deposit on the Bendigo goldfields in the 1850s, he reportedly declared it perfect for pots — and built Australia's oldest working pottery on the spot. Still operating in Epsom, the site spans working studios, a museum of Australian ceramics, and hands-on clay sessions. The Heritage and Organic Collections sell from the gallery shop.

Heritage Site

Maryborough Railway Station Visitor Centre

Maryborough Railway Station Visitor Centre is a heritage-listed heritage site in Maryborough, VIC. The heritage site explores themes of transport, architecture, social history. Core activities include exhibition, community. The venue serves as a community hub. Visitors can enjoy guided tours, cafe, shop, accessible. Notable for being architecturally significant. Nearby towns include Creswick, Clunes, Castlemaine.