Queenscliff sits at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay, so a lot of the town is about the water: the harbour, the Sorrento ferry, fishing charters, diving and the beaches at the end of Hesse Street. The rest is a compact heritage streetscape you can walk in an afternoon.
Fort Queenscliff still runs guided tours of the 19th-century fortifications. The Maritime Museum and Historical Museum are both in town and easy to pair with a walk down Hesse Street. The Bellarine Railway runs heritage trains from Queenscliff station to Drysdale; special days and the current timetable are on the railway's website.
The Queenscliff Music Festival is the big weekend of the year. The Blue Water Challenge is usually in January. For a day that leaves town, take the Queenscliff–Sorrento ferry across the heads, or follow the coast toward Point Lonsdale and Ocean Grove. The Great Ocean Road starts further west at Torquay; Queenscliff is a good overnight stop on the way, not on the road itself.
Visiting with children? Browse the family guide for train experiences, local museums and seaside ideas. The Marine and Freshwater Discovery Centre is not open to the general public during school terms; check the VFA school holiday program before planning a visit. Our free day planner can help put a few stops together.