Things to do in Mildura
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Mildura
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months, warm enough for the river and cool enough for Mungo, Hattah and the Pink Lakes.
Winter is cool, bright and underrated for culture and outback days, but the river is for looking at.
Summer heat regularly passes 35 degrees and heatwaves pass 40, so sightseeing becomes a morning sport.
Shoulder months with warm days, easier bookings and long evenings for riverfront walks and dinners.
What's on
- Murray River International Music Festival January
Classical program across Mildura venues, often paired with dinners.
- Mildura Wentworth Arts Festival March
Regional arts festival with visual art, theatre, workshops and outdoor events.
- Mildura Writers Festival July, four days
Australian and international writers with intimate dinners showcasing local food and wine.
- Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph August
Held at Merbein, judging the best vanilla slice with live music and market stalls.
- Mildura Wentworth Country Music Festival Late September to early October
Nine days of independent country artists across venues in Mildura and Wentworth, much of it free.
- Mildura Show October, three days
Produce, sheep shearing, dog jumping, live bands and fireworks at the Mildura Showgrounds.
- Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show November
Industry week for alternative grape varieties with public tastings around it.
Best things to do in Mildura
Trail of Lights
Bruce Munro lights fill Lock Island after dark with 12500 swaying lights on a quiet walk beside the Murray.
Mildura Paddle Steamers
A historic paddle vessel cruise through Lock 11 that shows how the weir and lock made Mildura work.
Lock 11
Watch boats transit the lock from the island walkway between the lock and the Mildura Weir, free and central.
Mildura Arts Centre
A free regional gallery, theatre and sculpture garden anchored by Rio Vista Historic House in one precinct.
Fossey's Ginporium and Whisky Distillery
Guided gin and whisky tastings using local produce, a short walk from Feast Street dinner options.
Orange World
A tractor train through working citrus groves with old sorting machinery, fresh juice and preserves.
Australian Inland Botanic Gardens
A huge semi arid botanic garden of native plantings, roses and desert peas across the river from Mildura.
Sunraysia Cellar Door
Local Sunraysia producers poured in one town tasting room, the efficient way to choose a winery to visit.
Where to stay in Mildura
CBD, Langtree Avenue and Seventh Street
first trip, food trips and no car
Walk to Feast Street, Fossey's, the cellar door and the riverfront from the Grand, Quest and Seventh Street motels.
Riverfront, Hugh King Drive and Cureton Avenue
river mornings and walks
On the paths by Lock 11 and the Arts Centre, a short walk back into Feast Street for dinner.
Riverside and Cabarita
families and caravanners
Holiday park space, pools and river access a few kilometres downstream, with driving required for dinner.
Think twice about
- Fifteenth Street and Calder Highway motel strip
Highway noise and no evening dining within walking distance. A dead zone for a visitor, not a safety warning.
- Far Deakin Avenue and airport side accommodation
Car dependent and industrial in feel, with a drive into town for everything. Fine for a work night, poor as a holiday base.
Best restaurants in Mildura
Stefano's Restaurant
A cellar degustation of Murray Darling produce and cucina povera cooking, Mildura's defining serious dinner.
Botanica Cuisine By Dag Demarkow & Co
Quiet modern Australian dining on local produce, known for Murray cod and pork belly with vanilla mash.
Trentham Estate Winery Restaurant
The region's best long lunch, estate wines and produce led food on lawns directly above the Murray.
Thai-Riffic
Modern Thai on Feast Street with crispy pork and fried barramundi, sustained by years of local repeat custom.
Andy's Kitchen
Generous Asian dishes from an open kitchen, eaten by a winter fire or in the Bali hut garden in summer.
Pizza Cafe at the Grand
Central, relaxed pizza and Italian staples at the Grand, dependable for families, groups and late arrivals.
blk.mlk specialty coffee
The specialty coffee cafe Mildura locals point visitors to, busy in the mornings for good reason.
Twenty Seven Cafe + Providore
Cafe breakfast, cakes and a providore shelf of local produce, good for edible souvenirs in one stop.
Outdoor things to do in Mildura
Discover Mildura - Day Tours
The best supported guided day to Mungo National Park and its Walls of China, with interpretation included.
Murray-Sunset National Park
Free entry Mallee park whose salt lakes can turn pink in late summer, with walks and camping between them.
Hattah-Kulkyne National Park
Murray floodplain lakes, red gums and famous birdlife south of Mildura, best when the Hattah lakes hold water.
Perry Sandhills
Ancient red dunes near Wentworth for walking, photography and sandboarding, best at sunset in cooler light.
Kings Billabong
Still billabong water among river red gums for a dawn kayak, with parrots and reflections away from ski boats.
Mildura Golf Resort
The main in town 18 hole championship round over red sand, with practice facilities and a fairway bistro.
Red Cliffs Golf Club
A peaceful volunteer kept par 72 bushland course with very low green fees, Sunraysia golf at its best value.
All Seasons Houseboats
Hire a houseboat for days on the Murray, mooring, swimming, fishing and cooking as the river sets the pace.
Best hotels in Mildura
Quality Hotel Mildura Grand
Historic central hotel with a rose garden and pool, and Stefano's in its cellars, but rooms can be variable.
Quest Mildura
Reliable serviced apartments near Feast Street with kitchens, parking and a pool, best for longer stays.
Commodore Motel Mildura
A modernised motel directly opposite the Murray, seconds from the river and minutes from Feast Street.
NRMA Mildura Riverside Holiday Park
Cabins and sites by the river with a pool and family facilities, the cheap tier done properly in Mildura.
7th Street Motel
A simple central motel a short walk from Feast Street, for spending on food and tours instead of the room.
Is Mildura expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | A$130 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | A$220 a person |
| Splurge | A$380 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Trail of Lights: weeks ahead
- Mildura Paddle Steamers: a few days ahead
- Fossey's Ginporium and Whisky Distillery: a few days ahead
- Trentham Estate Winery: a few days ahead
- Discover Mildura - Day Tours: weeks ahead
- Mildura Golf Resort: a few days ahead
- All Seasons Houseboats: weeks ahead
- Quality Hotel Mildura Grand: weeks ahead
- Book Stefano's weeks ahead for weekends, before flights if it is the point of the trip.
- Check Trail of Lights and FOSO operating nights first, then plan dinners around them.
- Book Mungo tours, houseboats and holiday park cabins well ahead for school holidays and festivals.
Is Mildura safe?
- Murray River beaches are not patrolled, so swim at recognised beaches, never dive and keep children close.
- Do not swim at the Wentworth confluence or after drinking, and keep a sober driver on boats.
- Carry at least two litres of water per person on park days and expect patchy phone coverage.
- Emergency number is 000 and Mildura Base Public Hospital is in town.
Mildura travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- The Province is permanently closed in current listings despite older guides recommending it.
- Do not expect a Barossa style cellar door crawl from the small Sunraysia visitor wine scene.
- The Grand Hotel is historic and central, not a polished luxury product, so book a garden facing superior room.
- A river beach stop is an hour or a morning, not a whole day plan on its own.
Getting around Mildura: public transport and more
- Walk the CBD, Feast Street, riverfront, Lock 11 and Arts Centre as one cluster.
- Hire a car for Mungo, the Pink Lakes, Hattah, Trentham, Wentworth and the botanic gardens.
- Mildura Airport is about 9 to 10 km from the centre, and Melbourne is about 550 km by road.
- Avoid remote Mallee roads at dusk and night where possible because kangaroos are a real hazard.
Who Mildura suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Mildura your trip
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