Kick-off your leisurely weekend away with a classic brunch. Cliffy’s Emporium, in the town’s centre, has existed in one form or another for more than 70 years, first as a general store supporting the local farming community. Now, its equally important purpose is serving up fresh coffee using beans from Melbourne-based Rosso Roasting Co, Billy Tea by the award-winning Cottage Herbalist and breakfast classics until 3pm. The brunch menu begins lightly with bircher muesli then takes it all the way to a cheeseburger – Turkish eggs with cardamom yoghurt and roti sit at the halfway mark. Add an Espresso Spritz (Montenegro, tonic, espresso) and you’ll feel yourself slipping into holiday mode one bite at a time. After you’ve eaten your fill, browse the venue’s original timber shelves, which are stacked with locally made preserves, handcrafted keepsakes and freshly picked produce.

Tumbling from a high basalt outcrop, Sailors Falls plummets into a fern-lined gully before taking a gentler route through the rock pools of Sailors Creek. The waterfall is located within Hepburn Regional Park, just six kilometres from Daylesford and easily reachable from the carpark. Take a picnic and have lunch to the sound of flowing water, then embark on the 1.4 kilometre loop from the stairs to the base of the falls. You’ll see remnants of an old water race – a channel originally used to separate gold from sediment – left by treasure-seeking sailors back in the 1850s. Make sure to bring an empty bottle to drink the naturally fizzy mineral water that pours from a tap in the picnic area. 

The proprietors of local institution Cliffy’s and now-shuttered trattoria Beppe’s came together in 2024 to revive the circa-1914 Daylesford Hotel, the grande dame of Burke Square. They secured ex-Quay chef Rob Kabboord, whose menu walks a clever line between gastro-pub and gourmet, from chicken parma to more decadent offerings including duck leg rillettes and oysters by the dozen – find them at the white-tableclothed Bistro. For more relaxed fare, a woodfire oven slings pizza that’s available for takeaway and the taps pour boutique brews. And if the deep green and timber surrounds prove too pleasant to depart, check into one of the refurbished rooms upstairs.

The appeal of natural spring bathing has been noted by everyone from the Romans to the bourgeoisie of the 19th century, but it’s the Japanese who have turned it into a custom. At Shizuka Ryokan, guests can stay in one of six traditional Ryokan Rooms, complete with futon beds, tatami mat flooring, rice paper screens and kotatsu (low tables). Book a Japanese Bathing Ritual Package to luxuriate in a private timber rotenburo (outdoor bath) before a 60-minute massage. Snack on matcha shortbreads and green tea afterwards, but don’t overdo it – a five-course omakase banquet served in your room or in the airy dining room awaits. 

The sprawling Macedon wine region has the high altitude and cold conditions required to produce the topnotch sparkling dubbed Macedon Brut by wineries including Hanging Rock Winery. Located a 45-minute drive from Daylesford, the vineyard has a convivial cellar door where visitors can sample the wares, no reservation required. Pick up a bottle of your favourite drop and a platter of local produce – including estate-grown beef and artisanal cheeses – then spend an idyllic afternoon picnicking on the lawn.

A 10-minute drive north of Daylesford is a little patch of central Europe. If you’re visiting between January and late autumn, you might smell Lavandula Swiss-Italian Farm before you reach it. For a $5 ($1 for kids) gate fee, visitors are invited to roam the country gardens, wander through historical buildings and meet farm animals including alpacas, Swiss brown cows and bantam chickens. But it’s the fragrant fields of swaying purple lavender that might capture the bulk of your attention. Watch the gardeners harvest the plants with half-moon sickles before sampling the results of their work in the form of lavender oil from the farm shop. Don’t leave without sampling the lavender scones at Maria’s Trattoria, the on-site restaurant.

Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa’s mineral-rich waters and menu of indulgent treatments have drawn leisure-seekers since 1895. Established in 2023, the Wellness Villas within Hepburn Spa Retreat take it to the next level. Designed to make you feel like you’re floating on air, each villa is stocked with salts and scrubs for the spa bath, a cloud mattress topper, yoga mats and blocks, Headspace meditation app, aromatherapy oils and there’s also a dedicated Wellness Concierge. 

Don’t let its diminutive size fool you: Bar Merenda is a powerhouse. The menu, conveyed via a chalkboard missive from the kitchen, is an ode to the seasons and produce grown by a community of local farmers, growers and fishermen. Share plates, such as farina with spring greens and goat curd, and smoked eel with potatoes drizzled in aioli, have a Mediterranean bent, while the wine list spans boutique wineries from Victoria to the rest of Australia and Europe. Owners Andy Ainsworth and Clare O’Flynn, who moved from Sydney in search of a quieter setting, got more than they bargained for with their little regional wine bar – in addition to a nightly full house they’ve also scored a Chef’s Hat.