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🗺️ Farm Day Trips guide
Things to Do Near the Lavender Farm of Daylesford & Hepburn Springs, Victoria
Lavandula's lavender peaks from January into early autumn, 10 minutes from Daylesford's 2.6 km lake circuit and the Sunday market at the old station.
7 places · updated October 17, 2026
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Daylesford and Hepburn Springs sit in the hills of central Victoria, about 90 minutes from Melbourne, in country shaped by the gold rush and by mineral water. Captain Hepburn found the Hepburn Mineral Spring in 1836, and the railway that arrived in 1880 brought visitors to the springs. You can still pump a taste of untreated spring water at Tipperary Springs, Sailors Falls and Central Springs by Lake Daylesford. Lakes, botanic gardens, forest tracks and a volcanic crater are all within about 15 minutes. This is the Southern Hemisphere, so summer runs December to February and autumn March to May.
Lavandula Swiss Italian Farm, at 350 Hepburn-Newstead Road in Shepherds Flat, is about 10 minutes north of Daylesford. It opens every day (weekdays 10 to 4, weekends 9 to 5) for a small gate fee. Visitors come for the hand-built stone buildings, cobbled courtyards, olive groves, Highland cows and alpacas, and lunch at Maria's Trattoria. The lavender is at its peak from January into early autumn. Leashed dogs are welcome outside the indoor dining areas, and ramps and wide paths make it easy with a wheelchair or pram.
The lavender farms
- Lavandula Swiss Italian FarmLavender farm · Shepherds Flat
January to early autumn
Open daily with a small gate fee; self-guided wandering, trattoria, deli, weekend pizza, pre-booked picnics, feast nights and functions.
Best time to visit
For Lavandula's lavender at its peak, come January to early autumn; the farm itself is open daily all year. In early autumn (March to April), the elms and poplars planted in Mount Franklin's crater turn color. In winter (June to August), Sailors Falls is at its best, a twin waterfall the park recommends seeing in mid-winter, and Attwoods Wines lights a fire in its tasting room. The Daylesford Sunday Market runs every Sunday from 8 to 1, February through December 2026 (not in January), except Christmas Day and days of catastrophic fire danger. In the warmer months, roughly November to March, the Lake House opens its Lagoon Deck. The lake and garden walks suit any season. Weekends are busiest, and Hepburn Distillery, Attwoods and Hepburn Springs Brewing Co. open only from Thursday or Friday to Monday.
Places to see nearby parks, trails, beaches and landmarks
- Lake Daylesford🏞️ Park · Daylesford · about 6 mi, 12 min drive
An easy 2.6 km circuit (about 45 minutes) from the Leggatt Street car park, passing the Wombat Flat and Central Springs mineral water pumps. A 3 km Goldfields Track loop leaves from Central Springs Reserve, below the lake's south-west corner.
- Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens🌷 Garden · Daylesford · about 7 mi, 13 min drive
A mature English-style garden on the hill above town. A 1 km loop (about 30 minutes) from the southern gate off Central Springs Road follows Elm Circuit Drive and the Wildwoods Walk.
- Jubilee Lake🏞️ Park · Daylesford · about 8 mi, 15 min drive
An easy 1.6 km loop (about 45 minutes) around the lake, past an avenue of elms, the Jubilee mineral spring, a rotunda and an old railway bridge.
- Daylesford Sunday Market🌉 Landmark · Daylesford · about 7 mi, 13 min drive
Up to 130 stalls of fresh produce, flowers, crafts, bric-a-brac and antiques at the old railway station, 18 Raglan Street, run with the Daylesford Spa Country Railway. The market is dog-friendly for leashed dogs, and parking is free.
Sundays 8 a.m.–1 p.m., February–December 2026 (not January)
gold coin donation requested
- Tipperary Springs🏞️ Park · Daylesford · about 5 mi, 10 min drive
A mineral springs day area in Hepburn Regional Park, between Daylesford and Hepburn Springs, where leashed dogs are allowed. Storm damage has closed the east side of the Twin Bridges to Tipperary Springs track until further notice.
- Sailors Falls💧 Waterfall · Daylesford · about 9 mi, 17 min drive
A twin waterfall in Hepburn Regional Park, best in mid-winter, seen from the Mineral Springs Loop Walk on a steep track. It has its own mineral spring and an all-abilities toilet.
- Mount Franklin (Lalgambuk)🌉 Landmark · Franklinford · about 4 mi, 10 min drive
A small volcanic crater with a day visitor area. The 1.7 km Lalgambuk Summit Loop follows the ridgeline with glimpses of the country around, and the trees planted in the crater turn color in early autumn.
- Trentham Falls💧 Waterfall · Trentham · about 19 mi, 30 min drive
Central Victoria's highest single-drop waterfall, falling more than 32 m over a basalt cliff. Steps or a gently sloping 70 m path lead from the car park to a viewing platform with benches (about 5 minutes).
- Domino Rail Trail🥾 Trail · Trentham · about 19 mi, 30 min drive
A mostly flat old rail line through Wombat State Forest, about 6 km each way between Trentham and Lyonville (12 km return, about 3 hours).
Where to stop: farms, food and stays
- Wombat Hill HouseCafé or coffee shop · Daylesford
Café inside Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, open daily 8 to 3, walk-in only, with picnic baskets to borrow.
- Lake HouseRestaurant · Daylesford
Daylesford's lakeside restaurant, open since 1984, serving dinner nightly and lunch Friday to Monday.
- Daylesford Cider CompanyCidery (21+) · Musk
Certified organic heritage-apple cidery in Musk, pouring tasting paddles daily 10 to 5, with wood-fired pizza at lunch.
- Hepburn DistilleryDistillery (21+) · Daylesford
Distillery in a former hardware store making gin, vodka and whiskey, with tasting flights Thursday to Monday.
- Hepburn Springs Brewing Co.Brewery or taproom (21+) · Hepburn Springs
Family brewpub pouring 16 rotating taps Friday to Monday, with dogs welcome on the front deck.
- Attwoods WinesWinery or vineyard (21+) · Glenlyon
Glenlyon winery making cool-climate pinot noir and chardonnay, with Friday-to-Monday tastings and a fire in winter.
A one-day plan
- 10:00 AMLavandula Swiss Italian Farm
Pay the gate fee and wander the courtyards, lavender rows and olive groves, and visit the animals; about 1 hour 15 minutes.
- 11:25 AMMount Franklin (Lalgambuk) · about 10 min drive
Walk the 1.7 km summit loop around the crater; about 45 minutes.
- 12:30 PMWombat Hill House · about 15 min drive
Lunch in the botanic gardens, then walk the 1 km gardens loop; about 1 hour 15 minutes.
- 1:50 PMLake Daylesford · about 5 min drive
Walk the 2.6 km lake circuit and try the mineral water at Central Springs; about 45 minutes.
- 2:50 PMDaylesford Cider Company · about 10 min drive
A tasting paddle at the Musk cellar door (with a designated driver); about 45 minutes.
- 3:50 PMSailors Falls · about 10 min drive
Take the short, steep track to the twin falls and the spring; about 30 minutes.
- 4:35 PMTipperary Springs · about 15 min drive
Finish at the springs in Hepburn Regional Park; about 30 minutes.
Tips
- The mineral water is untreated, so taste it rather than drinking it all day. At the pumps, work the handle several times before the water flows.
- Storm damage has closed the Blowhole to Golden Spring track and the east side of the Twin Bridges to Tipperary Springs track until further notice. Check Parks Victoria's changed conditions before a long walk.
- Lavandula's gate fee is A$5 for adults and A$1 for children 5 to 18 (2026), and it's waived if you book Maria's Trattoria.
- For the Sunday market, park free off Raglan Street or in the paddock off East Street, and bring a gold coin for the entry donation.
- The Daylesford Regional Visitor Information Centre at 98 Vincent Street opens daily 10 to 4 and has the self-guided history walk map.
Checked in October 2026 against official park, tourism and business websites. How we check listings
Questions
When does the lavender bloom near Daylesford?
Lavandula says its lavender is at its peak from January into early autumn, roughly January to March in the Southern Hemisphere.
How much does it cost to visit Lavandula?
As published for 2026: A$5 for adults, A$1 for children 5 to 18, free for under-5s, or a A$10 season pass. The fee is waived for trattoria or event bookings.
Can I bring my dog?
Lavandula welcomes dogs on a lead, but not in its indoor dining areas. The Daylesford Sunday Market welcomes leashed dogs, and leashed dogs are allowed at Tipperary Springs.
When is the Daylesford Sunday Market?
Every Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., February through December 2026, at the railway station on Raglan Street. It doesn't run on Christmas Day or on days of catastrophic fire danger.
🪪 Collect a stamp at every stop
The free Lavender Passport keeps a stamp for each farm and stop you visit, in real life and in the Lavender Farm Simulator. At the farm, play Field Quest to collect plant varieties as you walk, climb the leaderboards and unlock sponsor rewards.
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