Top things to do in the Murray River Region

Things to do in the Murray River region centre on the river itself: paddlesteamer cruises from the Port of Echuca, guided rides along the Murray and Campaspe rivers, and gardens and attractions in the towns and farmland beside it. The main categories are Murray River cruises and Murray region attractions, alongside guided rides in Echuca and Moama.

Paddlesteamer cruises from Echuca

In the 1800s, paddlesteamers were the main way of moving cargo and passengers along the Murray, and the Port of Echuca is where that history still shows. Today the river cruises leave from Echuca and give you the port from the water rather than the bank.

The Wharf to Winery cruise with lunch boards at the Riverboat Dock on Watson Street, Echuca, at 11.15am for an 11.30am departure. The historic PS Canberra paddlesteamer makes a 30-minute cruise downstream to Morrisons Restaurant and Winery, where lunch is a 2-course meal with a glass of local wine and wine tastings, before the boat returns to Echuca. It is a 3-hour outing in all, and the group size is capped at 34 people.

More river trips are listed under cruises on the Murray River.

Guided eBike rides around Echuca Moama

For a way to see both banks of the river, the 90-minute guided eBike tour of Echuca Moama runs on cycling paths beside the Murray and Campaspe rivers, crosses the old and new Echuca Moama bridges and stops at Horseshoe Lagoon and Moama Beach. The guide covers the paddlesteamer era and gives tips on cafes, restaurants and things to do. Tours run Monday to Saturday at 10.30am or 1.30pm, and the fitness and intensity levels are moderate.

The tour meets on Murray Esplanade near the Port of Echuca Discovery Centre, and the paddlesteamer ticket office is also on Murray Esplanade, so a ride and a cruise can share a day.

Gardens and attractions along the river

Cactus Country is on the Murray Valley Highway at Strathmerton, near the New South Wales border. The garden has eight trails and more than 4000 plant varieties, a cafe and courtyard, and a cactus cake and cactus ice cream on the menu. The operator says October and November are the best months to visit, when the garden is in flower. Pets on a leash are welcome and the garden is wheelchair accessible, though wet conditions make it harder going.

Other places to visit are listed under attractions in the Murray region.

About the Murray River

The Murray rises in the Snowy Mountains and runs about 2,530 kilometres, making it the main stream of the Murray-Darling Basin. Albury, Echuca and Mildura are among the towns on its banks, and for much of its length it forms the border between Victoria and New South Wales.

That scale is why a Murray trip usually centres on one stretch of the river. Echuca and Moama sit on the Victoria and New South Wales border, and the experiences on this page are in that part of the region.

Planning a day on the Murray

A paddlesteamer lunch cruise takes up the middle of the day, from the 11.15am boarding to the return to Echuca, so an eBike ride works best on a separate morning. For more across the state, see the things to do in Regional Victoria.

Pick the part of the Murray you'd like to see and book your Echuca cruise or ride online.