The 25 best things to do
1. Peninsula Hot Springs
The thermal springs complex at Fingal, the peninsula's most visited paid attraction. More than 60 bathing experiences across a hillside site. Book well ahead for peak weekends — same-day availability in summer is rare. Full guide at Peninsula Hot Springs and Alba.
Best for: Couples, winter visits, anyone who hasn't been before.
2. Sorrento Back Beach
Sorrento Back Beach is Bass Strait facing: ocean surf, rock shelves, dramatic cliff framing. No calm-water swimming. One of the Peninsula's best sunset locations. Parking fills quickly in summer from 11am. Pair with Coppins Track for a clifftop walk before or after.
Best for: Non-swimmers who want beach drama, surfers, walkers.
3. The Two Bays Walking Track
Two Bays Walking Track runs 26 km from Dromana on the bay to Cape Schanck on the ocean. Most walkers do sections rather than the full route. The Greens Bush section is the best standalone. Read the Two Bays Walk deep guide for section planning.
Best for: Serious walkers, nature lovers, those with a full day.
4. A winery lunch in Red Hill or Main Ridge
This is not a specific entity — it's a mode of spending a hinterland afternoon. Montalto, Ten Minutes by Tractor, and Polperro are the anchors. How to build a Red Hill Saturday lays out the full sequence. Reserve well in advance; walk-in lunch at the better tables is not realistic in summer.
Best for: Food-and-wine visitors, birthdays, long lunches.
5. Arthurs Seat Eagle gondola
Arthurs Seat Eagle climbs 305 metres from Dromana to the summit of Arthurs Seat with 360-degree views over both bay and ocean. 15 minutes each way. Read the full Arthurs Seat Eagle visitor guide before you go.
Best for: Families, first-timers, anyone who wants the orientating aerial view.
6. Golf at Moonah Links or The National
Moonah Links and The National are the Peninsula's two marquee public-access courses, side by side at Cape Schanck. Moonah Links (Open and Legends courses) has the better ocean views and is more accessible for mid-handicap players. The National ranks among Australia's top courses but is expensive and exposed. Full ranking at the Peninsula's golf courses.
Best for: Golfers with a mid-to-low handicap; anyone wanting a bucket-list round.
7. Cape Schanck boardwalk
Cape Schanck boardwalk drops from the Cape Schanck lighthouse to a wave-cut platform with blowholes and basalt columns. Twenty minutes each way from the car park. Parks Victoria entry fee applies for the lighthouse precinct. Free to walk the boardwalk itself.
Best for: Families, quick walkers, anyone wanting coastal drama with minimal effort.
8. Bushrangers Bay walk
Bushrangers Bay walk is one of the Peninsula's most consistently rewarding short walks — a 6 km return through coastal scrub to a remote bay that sees far fewer visitors than Cape Schanck. Read the Bushrangers Bay walk guide.
Best for: Walkers who want somewhere genuinely quiet.
9. Point Nepean National Park
Point Nepean National Park covers the peninsula's western tip — a former quarantine station and military base, now open as a national park. The Point Nepean fort walk is the main circuit. Requires a Parks Victoria entry fee; book ahead in summer.
Best for: History, coastal walking, end-of-land drama.
10. Alba Thermal Springs
Alba Thermal Springs is Peninsula Hot Springs' newer, smaller competitor at Rye. Fewer pools, quieter atmosphere, better booking availability than its bigger rival. See the direct comparison at Peninsula Hot Springs vs Alba.
Best for: Those who find Peninsula Hot Springs too crowded or too expensive.
11. Ashcombe Maze and Lavender Gardens
Ashcombe Maze at Shoreham — a hedge maze surrounded by lavender gardens, open year-round. One of the Peninsula's most photogenic stops and more engaging than it sounds.
Best for: Families, garden enthusiasts, photographers.
12. Red Hill Community Market
Red Hill Market runs on the first Saturday of each month at Red Hill Showgrounds. The best of the Peninsula's markets for produce, local craft, and prepared food. Arrive before 9am in summer. Full comparison at Peninsula markets.
Best for: A hinterland Saturday morning anchor.
13. Swimming at Balnarring or Mount Martha
Both Balnarring Beach and Mount Martha Beach offer bay-side calm water swimming in a lower-crowd setting than Sorrento or Safety Beach. Balnarring suits families with toddlers; Mount Martha has better cafés nearby. Full guide at the Peninsula's best beaches.
Best for: Families, toddler-age children, uncrowded swimming.
14. Mornington foreshore walk and town
Mornington foreshore walk runs along the harbour esplanade with good café access. The town has a walkable main street with genuine independent retailers. See the Mornington day guide.
Best for: Bay-town day visits, walkers, families.
15. A spa day
Spa by Jackalope is the Peninsula's design-forward standalone spa. Endota Spa Mornington offers a more accessible price point and a broader treatment menu. Full guide at day spas and wellness.
Best for: Those who want something beyond the hot springs pools.
16. Portsea Front Beach and Hotel
Portsea Front Beach is calm bay water at the tip of the Peninsula, next to the Portsea Hotel. Smaller and quieter than Sorrento's equivalent. The Hotel has one of the Peninsula's best beer-garden setups.
Best for: A quiet bay afternoon combined with lunch or afternoon drinks.
17. Safety Beach foreshore
Safety Beach foreshore is a long bay-side beach near Dromana with calm water and strong birdwatching opportunities. Less touristed than Sorrento or Portsea.
Best for: Families, early-morning walkers, those staying in the Dromana corridor.
18. Balnarring Market
Balnarring Farmers Market runs on the third Saturday of each month. Smaller than Red Hill Market, more food-producer focused, less crafts. Full calendar at Peninsula markets.
Best for: Food-focused market visitors.
19. Rye Ocean Beach
Rye Ocean Beach is accessible and has surf life-saving patrol in season, making it the easiest of the ocean beaches to reach from the Peninsula's mid-section. Less dramatic than Sorrento Back Beach but more swimmer-appropriate when conditions allow.
Best for: Supervised surf swimming, families who want some ocean energy.
20. Mornington Peninsula National Park coastal walk
The national park runs the ocean-facing coast from Portsea to Cape Schanck. Pick any cliff-top section — the walk between Sorrento Back Beach and Blairgowrie ocean beach is consistently recommended. No fees on most foreshore sections.
Best for: Those who want coastal walking without a specific destination.
21. Wine tasting in Merricks and Main Ridge
Main Ridge's small-block, cool-climate pinot is genuinely world-competitive. Paringa Estate and Foxeys Hangout are the accessible starting points. For a more structured experience, read how to plan a Red Hill Saturday.
Best for: Wine-engaged visitors, those who want cellar door conversation rather than a production-line tasting.
22. Gunnamatta Ocean Beach
Gunnamatta Ocean Beach is the Peninsula's rawest surf beach — long, exposed, and unpatrolled outside summer. Not a swimming beach for most visitors. The drama is the point: dune systems, isolated feel, powerful surf.
Best for: Experienced surfers, photographers, anyone who wants the Peninsula with its crowd-pleasing face removed.
23. Dromana Beach
Dromana Beach is bay-side, calm, central, and underappreciated. The town has decent cafés and the Arthurs Seat gondola departs 3 km up the hill. Pairs naturally with Arthurs Seat Eagle.
Best for: Families combining beach with a gondola trip.
24. Moonlit Sanctuary wildlife park
A nocturnal wildlife sanctuary in Pearcedale. Daytime and nocturnal tours available. Unusual — genuinely nocturnal experiences of native fauna are rare anywhere in Victoria.
Best for: Families with children 5+, wildlife enthusiasts, night-time experiences.
25. The Peninsula orientation drive
The Peninsula orientation drive is not a destination but a sequence: a half-day route that covers the key geographic transitions from Mornington to Cape Schanck to Sorrento. Recommended for first-timers before committing to any specific itinerary.
Best for: First-time visitors with half a day to orient themselves.
Also consider
Last fact-verified 23 April 2026
FAQ
What is the single most popular thing to do on the Mornington Peninsula?
Peninsula Hot Springs at Fingal. It is consistently the Peninsula's highest-demand paid experience and requires advance booking, particularly on weekends.
What can you do on the Mornington Peninsula for free?
Most beaches are free. The national park foreshore walks are largely free. Cape Schanck boardwalk is free; the lighthouse precinct charges an entry fee. See the full free Peninsula guide.
What are the best things to do on a rainy day on the Mornington Peninsula?
Hot springs (Peninsula Hot Springs and Alba both operate in all weather), spa days, cellar-door lunches, and galleries. See rainy-day plans for a full list.
What's the best thing to do on the Mornington Peninsula with kids?
Arthurs Seat Eagle for the gondola, Ashcombe Maze for engagement, and Balnarring Beach or Safety Beach for easy swimming. See the with-kids guide.
Where should I base myself on the Mornington Peninsula?
Sorrento and Red Hill are the two strongest bases for different kinds of trips. Sorrento suits beach-focused visitors; Red Hill suits hinterland-focused visits. See where to base yourself.