Canonical: https://peninsulainsider.com.au/explore/plans/ridge-to-sea-two-night-escape/ Publisher: Peninsula Insider Published: unknown Modified: unknown Format: public main text, generated from the canonical page; imagery and interactive controls omitted. Dates and caveats below retain their page meaning; this format is not a new fact check. [Plans]() Weekend (2 nights) [Red Hill]() # Ridge to Sea: A Two-Night Peninsula Escape Start in Red Hill wine country, finish at the southern tip, and let the weekend widen as it goes. Couples Food & wine · Coastal [See both stays →]() - Photo · Two Palms Australia, courtesy of Visit Victoria - Photo · Peter Foster, courtesy of Visit Victoria - Photo · Peter Tarasiuk, courtesy of Visit Victoria - Photo · Jesse Hisco, courtesy of Visit Victoria - Photo · Two Palms Australia, courtesy of Visit Victoria - Photo · Peter Foster, courtesy of Visit Victoria - Photo · Peter Tarasiuk, courtesy of Visit Victoria - Photo · Jesse Hisco, courtesy of Visit Victoria - Photo · Two Palms Australia, courtesy of Visit Victoria 1 of 9 1 / 9 A grassy path between vine rows leads to the glass-fronted restaurant and umbrellas at Montalto, beneath tall pine trees Montalto Vineyard & Olive Grove, Red Hill, Mornington Peninsula. Photo · Two Palms Australia, courtesy of Visit Victoria At a glance Use this as a route, then confirm bookings, park access and weather for your dates. My Trip drive times cover mapped stops, excluding your journey here and home. **Duration** Weekend (2 nights) **Best for** Couples **Theme** Food & wine · Coastal **Starting base** Red Hill **Best season** Year-round **Night 1** [Jackalope Hotel]() **Night 2** [Hotel Sorrento]() **Budget** Flexible budget **Stops** 6 sequenced stops [See first stay →]() Start with lunch and a night on the ridge, then move south for the coast and a second night in Sorrento. Each day changes register: vineyards first, a coastal walk next, Point Nepean to finish. Book the two stays and lunches before arranging the rest. Day two has the most moving parts, so have an unhurried breakfast near your stay and leave the short coastal stop out if lunch runs long. ## Day 1 Vineyards and your first stay - Midday ### [Montalto Vineyard & Olive Grove]() Reserve The Restaurant for Friday to Sunday lunch, or use the walk-in Piazza on another day. Confirm sculpture park hours before arriving. - Evening ### [Jackalope Hotel]() Check in on the ridge and commit to the theatrical version of the Peninsula for night one. Night 1 · Where you sleep Stay at Jackalope Hotel tonight. Confirm check-in and dinner for your date before you travel. [See Jackalope Hotel →]() ## Day 2 Coast and a second base - Midday ### [Polperro]() Keep lunch lighter today. Polperro Restaurant and Cellar Door are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays; check service times and book lunch before setting your itinerary. - Afternoon ### [Cape Schanck Boardwalk]() Choose the shorter Cape Schanck boardwalk and lookouts if daylight, weather and park access suit after lunch. Leave the two-hour Bushrangers Bay walk for a morning start. - Night ### [Hotel Sorrento]() Sleep at the tip with a bay-view drink before dinner downstairs or nearby. Night 2 · Where you sleep Stay at Hotel Sorrento tonight. Confirm check-in and dinner for your date before you travel. [See Hotel Sorrento →]() ## Day 3 Point Nepean and home - Morning ### [Point Nepean Fort Walk]() Finish with the long view over the Heads before heading back to Melbourne. ## Booking checklist - essential First night at Jackalope and second night at Hotel Sorrento - recommended Montalto Restaurant Friday to Sunday or the daily Piazza, plus Polperro lunch availability Sleep here ## Your two overnight bases [All stays →]() Photo: Peter Foster, courtesy of Visit Victoria Hotel [Merricks North]() ### [Jackalope Hotel]() 166 Balnarring Rd, Merricks North VIC 3926 An art-led vineyard hotel in Merricks North, with Doot Doot Doot dining and room choices from Terrace to Lair. anniversary weekend escape [Read notes]() [View stay]() Exterior photographed in 2006. Photo: Biatch / Wikimedia Commons (public domain) [Source]() Hotel [Sorrento]() ### [Hotel Sorrento]() 5-15 Hotham Rd, Sorrento VIC 3943 A Sorrento clifftop hotel with restored limestone rooms, contemporary suites, a guest-only pool and several dining spaces. weekend escape waterfront [Read notes]() [View stay]() Move the trip outside ## Explore stops inside this plan [Explore →]() [Lookout]() [Cape Schanck]() ### [Cape Schanck Boardwalk]() Cape Schanck gives you basalt formations, pounding water and lighthouse views within a compact coastal precinct. Several lookouts offer views over the geological formations, while the wooden staircase and boardwalk descend to the beach and rock platform. The descent includes stairs, so distinguish a lookout visit from the full route down and back when planning around mobility. Choose your route and allow time for the return climb, pauses and conditions. Check Parks Victoria's current visitor advice and follow on-site signs before setting out. [Open the guide →]() [Attraction]() [Point Nepean]() ### [Point Nepean Fort Walk]() Point Nepean rewards people who are happy to walk a little further than the average Peninsula day-tripper. The road and paths out toward Fort Nepean unfold through old quarantine buildings, scrub, and cliff-edge lookouts before the whole place gives way to bunkers and artillery emplacements looking straight across the Heads. It is a history lesson, a coastline walk, and a very good excuse to leave Sorrento for the afternoon. Hire bikes if you want to cover more ground, but walking keeps the mood right. Choose your starting point and route before estimating the time needed, including the return journey. This listing does not define one fixed circuit. Fort paths and interiors include steps and uneven surfaces; do not assume that every section is accessible. Check Parks Victoria's current conditions before visiting, as individual tracks, beach access points and fort interiors can be restricted. Notices checked on 1 October 2026 reported a closed section of the Engine House walking track and no entry inside the Engine House; access to its exterior was via stairs from the Parade Ground. The Bend beach access steps and track were also closed, with Bay Beach Walk visitors continuing to Fort Nepean directed onto Coles Track at Observatory Point. These are restrictions on specific sections, not a whole-park closure. Follow the latest official advice and on-site signs. [Open the guide →]() Further reading ## Journal pieces that sharpen this version of the Peninsula [Journal →]() Slow Peninsula 7 min ### [A Flinders Weekend: The Case for the Quiet Side of the Peninsula]() 4 April 2026 When Red Hill is booked out and Sorrento feels like a queue, there is another version of the Peninsula weekend that runs south of everything, closer to the ocean, and slower on purpose. Editor's Letter 8 min ### [A Winter Peninsula Weekend: The Case for Coming in July]() 13 April 2026 Short days, cheap rooms, empty dining rooms, a fire in every cellar door with a hearth, and a coast that looks like a different country in a southerly. Winter is the Peninsula's most underrated season and the one that gives the region back to the people who actually live here. Try another shape ## More ways to explore the Peninsula [All plans →]() Sorrento Back Beach, Mornington Peninsula. Photo: SHERPA Projects Pty Ltd, courtesy of Visit Victoria Plan ### [The Sorrento Off-Season Weekend]() Two nights based in Sorrento, with the back beach, Point Nepean and a village dinner. The second evening takes you out to Pt. Leo Estate. Two-night escape · Best for couple · Sorrento [View Plan →]() Cape Schanck, Mornington Peninsula. Photo: Courtesy of Visit Victoria Plan ### [Flinders and the Cape: A One-Night Reset]() For people who want salt air, one excellent meal, and just enough structure to stop planning. One-night escape · Best for couple · Flinders [View Plan →]() Alba Thermal Springs & Spa, Fingal, Mornington Peninsula. Photo: Courtesy of Visit Victoria Plan ### [A Peninsula Wellness Weekend]() Thermal pools, a coastal walk and vineyard meals, with two nights to slow down at the same Red Hill stay. Two-night escape · Best for couple · Peninsula [View Plan →]() ## The Insider Note More good Peninsula ideas for your next escape. Places we would go, things worth doing and selected guides, straight to your inbox. Independent editorial. Sent when there is something worth knowing. 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