Beechworth Itinerary Ideas
Beechworth has a charm that is infectious. Is it the mountain air, tall stories from it's golden history or relaxed country atmosphere? Is it being able to reconnect with nature, family, friends or finding time for yourself, it is hard to say. But take time to wonder through history, explore our picturesque village, and discover a new favorite bike ride or walking trail.
Food lovers are well catered for with farm gate produce, olive groves, boutique vineyards and Beechworth Honey tastings. Provenance is one of the region best hatted restaurants, but thats not the only must do dining experiences, eat a pretzel from Bridge Road Brewer, freshly churned ice-cream from the Ice Creamery or take away pizza with artisan dough and a special blend of cheese.
Visit Northeast Victoria
With so many towns and villages to discover that are within a 45 minute drive from Beechworth,
why not make us your base and stay a little longer to explore in North East Victoria.
Guided Tours
Asylum Ghost Tours
Mayday Hills Lunatic Asylum Day Time Tour
Your guides on this 90 minute tour of the historic buildings of the former Mayday Hills Lunatic Asylum will impart their knowledge and stories from the patients who resided in the facility. Some stories encompass patients memories, local tales, urban myths, and the treatments the residence underwent.
Ghost Tours of Mayday Hills Lunatic Asylum
After darkness falls the 90 minute tour begins with your host guiding you through the many abandoned hallways, cells, common rooms, surgeries, and punishment areas where so much horror has occurred over the history of Mayday Hill Lunatic Asylum.
The tour encompasses facility history, memories, local tales, urban myths, and stories of the supernatural. So guests must be 13 yo and over to attend, bookings are essential.
Paranormal Tours of Mayday Hills Lunatic Asylum
When all is quiet your quest begins using the latest ghost hunting equipment and lead by experienced guides who will attempt to find out who, or what haunts the foreboding asylum. Regardless of your experience there will be whispered tales of spirits and an entertaining exploration of the most haunted areas of the asylum.
This tour is for over 18 yo only.
Old Beechworth Gaol Tours
Rogues, Ratbags and Mongrel Dogs tour
The Old Beechworth Gaol is more than just the Ned Kelly story with many other characters spending time behind bars, and more than a few characters who helped keep them there.
The Rogues, Ratbags and Mongrel Dogs tour is the perfect way to get behind the walls of the Old Beechworth Gaol and see what life would have been like behind bars.
Visitor Information Centre Tours
Echoes of History Guided Tour
Walk the streets of Beechworth and learn about the rich history of gold rush town, including the story of Robert O'Hara Burke, the role of the Golden Horseshoes in the election of the Ovens Golden Fields first parliamentary representative and tales from Beechworth's China Town.
Tour departs daily at 10.15am from the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre and runs for approximately 90 minutes.
Ned Kelly Walking Tour
A victim of police persecution or was he a bank robbing bush ranger? The Ned Kelly Walking Tour tells the tale of this childhood hero who saved a young child's life to becoming Victoria and New South Wales most wanted bush ranger. Tour highlights include the house where Magistrate William Henry Foster who presided over Ned Kelly's committal hearing in the Beechworth Court lived, and the site where Ned Kelly won a bare-knuckle boxing match that lasted 20 rounds.
Tour departs daily at 1.15pm from the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre and runs for approximately 90 minutes
Indigo EPIC Trail
The 56km trail between Beechworth and Yackandandah comprises two loops in a figure eight style built to an intermediate blue rating.
It's fast, fun and challenging in sections, set in a breathtaking Australian Forest landscape.
Are you up for the Challenge?
Children's Activities
Beechworth offers many activities for children to experience and have fun on their holiday.
Here are some of our suggestions:
Taste the range of honey and try and find the Queen Bee in the working hive at Beechworth Honey Shop .
- Purchase a Gold Ticket and explore the historic precinct which includes:
- See Ned Kelly's armor in the Burke Museum.
- Learn morse code and send a telegram at the Telegraph Station.
- Visit the Kelly Vault.
- Tour the interactive Courthouse.
- Watch their eyes light up at the Beechworth Sweat Co.
- Go on a Family Bike Ride.
- Swim in Lake Sambell or the Woolshed Falls rock pools.
- Go on a Ned Kelly Bushranger guided tour which leaves daily at 1.30pm from the Information Centre.
- In season take the kids berry picking at Beechworth Berries or High Grove in Stanley.
- Go for a Bush walk through Beechworth Historic Park around the Gorge.
- Climb Mt Pilot to the lookout.
- Eat a Bee Sting at Beechworth Bakery.
- Visit the historic Beechworth Gaol.
Galleries, Artists and Music
Beechworth Arts Council
Host many events throughout the year, with the Spring Arts running from the month of November being the major artist event for the calendar. Visit their website for further information.
Old Stone Hall Gallery
The Circa 1857 Stone Hall is the studio of photographer Erin Davis Hartwig and has been been transformed into an exhibition space which showcases artists from the North East Region working in variety of art practices, including painting, sculpture, illustration, photography and installation.
The Old Stone Hall is located on the corner of Ford St and William St Beechworth.
Arcadia Gallery
Arcadia aim is to feature work handmade by selected artists, makers and designers and to provide a connection between the artist and our customers. Located in 91 Ford St Beechworth.
Dryspring Gallery
Original artworks and photography by Joy Cresp, Glen Johnson and other local artists. Located at 12A Camp St Beechworth.
Beechworth Botanica - Held over Easter
The very best of fine botanical art will be on show at the town Hall and on offer for sale during Easter in Beechworth. This exhibition will showcase the superb paintings from regional and interstate artists, with works displaying a wide variety of both exotic and Australian native botanical specimens.
Tanswells Hotel
Located in Ford St, local musicians frequent this venue most nights to play, while on weekend the hotel hosts band from 8.30pm.
Lake Sambell
On a warm day Lake Sambell is the perfect place to find a shady spot to relax.
Cool off with a swim out to the pontoon, kayak or paddleboard around the lake.
Dangle a line and catch a fish or let the children run wild in the playground.
A walk around the lake at sunrise is a wonderful way to start your day.
Local Markets
Beechworth Farmers Market - 1st Saturday of the Month
As the seasons change so does the bounty gathered by local growers and producers.
The Beechworth Farmer's Market, held on the first Saturday of each month from 8am-12noon, at Christ Church on the Hill, Ford Street Beechworth.
Easter Markets
Beechworth Golden Horseshoes Rotary Easter Market - Easter Saturday
With close to 100 stall this is the largest market of the year. There are stalls offering a wide range of arts and crafts, jeweley, clothing and general household items. As well as dinning options and food stalls.
The market held in the shade of the old pine trees in Queen Victoria Park, from 9am to 4pm.
Quercus Flea Market - Easter Sunday
Wander through the markets variety of handmade, second hand and quirky goods on offer, from 10am to 4pm ,at 30 Ford Street, Beechworth.
Night Market - Easter Sunday
Beginning a 5pm and entry via gold coin donation, the stunning gardens of The Old Priory will be bustling with vintage and artisan market stalls. Sit back and enjoy the musical entertainment with a local wines and marchetta-style food.
The Old Priory is located at 8 Priory Lane, Beechworth.
Twitching (Bird Watching)
Just sitting on the veranda of Golden Heritage Accommodation you'll find an abundance of bird life including, kookaburras, blue wren, rosellas and parrots. Listen carefully and you'll even here our resident owl.
The Chiltern and Beechworth regions are one of the premier bird-watching areas in southern Australia.
The district has exceptional bird diversity due to the high quality of habitat protected in the Chiltern Mount Pilot National Park, Chiltern Iron Bark and Beechworth Historic Park.
More than 220 species have been recorded in the area, 180 of them residents or regular visitors.
The highlights of birding in the district are threatened woodland species such as Regent Honeyeater, Swift Parrot, Turquoise Parrot and Square-tailed Kite.
Some of the best places to spot birdlife are Chiltern Valley Rd No 1, No 2 Dams, and Wenkes Rd wetland. Beechworth's Lake Sambell and The Ponds of Wooldshed Rd are also excellent locations
In Mt Pilot National Park, look for Lappins Dam, off Lappins Track, 100m from its junction with Donchi Hill Road in the north west of the park.
Or Green Hill Dam, next to Green Hills Road, between Pipeline Track and Battery Hill Road in the north east of the park.
Cyanide Dam, off Cyanide Road at the Honeyeater Picnic Ground on the south side of the park.
Some of the species to look for include:
| White Plumed Honeyeaters |
| Regent Honeyeater |
| Fuscous Honeyeater |
| Yellow Tufted Honeyeater |
| Painted Honeyeater |
| Black Chinned Honeyeater |
| Eastern Spinebill |
| Weebill |
| Buff rumped Thornbill |
| Red-capped Robin |
| Hooded Robin |
| White Throated Gerygone |
| White Throated Warbler |
| White Throated Nightjar |
| White Throated Treecreeper |
| Sittella |
| Turquoise Parrot |
| Swift Parrot |
| Square TaiIed Kite |
| Barking Owl |
| Powerful Owl |
| Diamond Firetail |
| Chestnut Rumped Hylacola |
Fishing
Beechworth popular fishing destination with Lake Sambell stocked regularly with various fish species, as well Lake Kerferd and numerous smaller lakes which have self-sustaining populations of redfin and golden perch.
Located in the heart of Beechworth, the lake is stocked annually with Golden Perch and twice yearly with Rainbow Trout. A self-sustaining population of Redfin can also be caught here along with Trout Cod.
Trout Cod have been stocked into Lake Sambell and Lake Kerford since 2008, and are currently the only two places in Victoria where it is legal to catch this species as they are protected everywhere else. A bag limit of one fish per person measuring between 40-50cm can the taken home, while everything else must be released.
Lake Kerferd
The lake is fed from a tiny stream, which carries a self-sustaining population of very small Brown Trout and Redfin. Trout Cod are regularly stocked, while Golden Perch numbers are dwindling.
To get to Lake Kerferd, follow the signs towards Stanley and turn left into Hurdle Flat Rd, then into Lake Kerferd Rd.
Golf Courses
Beechworth Golf Club
Located in the tranquil surrounds of Baarmutha Park on the edge of Beechworth, this 18-hole sand greens course is available for visitors to play without booking. Green fees are payable and can be placed in the box next to the club rooms.