9 Of The Best Dandenong Ranges Stays For Your 2026 Rural Getaway

Mountain views, a garden to die for, and sunrises you’ll be talking about for months to come. Hell yeah, we’re in! Sky Bath Cottage is the kind of pad to snap up if you love getting out in nature, but love it even more if it comes with a contemporary kitchen, a designer sofa and uber comfy beds. 

Head into this two-bedroom Dandenong Ranges Airbnb and you’ll be greeted by hand-crafted furniture and large windows that look out to the gorgeous surroundings. We reckon the front deck is the best spot to be. It’s got beanbags where you can sip on your morning brew while drinking in that incredible view. 

Grab those walking shoes and go for a stroll among the gum trees. You’ll likely see some local residents like Crimson Rosellas and King Parrots. Looking to amp up the romance? The picturesque Kalorama Picnic Ground is a stroll away, and the perfect spot for bubbles and a cheese plate.

Call this full-restored art deco cottage home and prepare to be wowed. Woolrich Historic Garden Cottage is a five-star rated Dandenong Ranges Airbnb that's big on vintage charm, and it sits on its own five acres of lush green garden which just calls out for some Insta snapping. Inside, expect wooden floors, leadlight windows and ornate ceiling roses, plus French doors that open from the living space on to a private deck with lovely garden and mountain views.

Your accommodation adjoins the stunning Cloudehill Gardens where guests can enjoy private walks, plus the legends that own your pad provide a complimentary voucher for use at Seasons Restaurant at Cloudehill during your stay. Back at your home away from home, there's only one thing left to do. Head out back and jump in the jacuzzi for a long, hot soak.

A 40-minute drive east from the Dandenong Ranges, just 300m from the Yarra River and sitting among a canopy of tree ferns you'll find Gingers on the Hill—a perfect family getaway spot. You’re a riverside stroll to the township of Warburton and yet you’re wrapped up in rugged nature here.

Expect a four bedroom, two bathroom home that’s split into two wings, with a dining, lounge and kitchen space in the middle. Crank up the indoor fireplace and take your pick from the huge board game, puzzle and movie selection, or head out to your huge outdoor balcony and get the Weber barbecue sizzling. There’s hammock swing chairs for whiling away an hour or two and day beds for a quick post-meal snooze. 

But wait up… there’s more. Kids will adore the outdoor  nature play space, with its hidden fairy houses, tepee cubby and tree swing. While the whole fam will dig into the complimentary breakfast hamper filled with local goodies. You get a welcome gift too, plus there’s yoga mats and ten toboggans (yep, really) for you to use, in case it snows.

Treat your favourite one to a stay at Chapel Sanctuary in the Hills and get ready to go gorgeously rustic for a while. This one-bedroom cottage was once a chapel for local nuns. Today, it’s a charming spot where couples and solo travellers can go big on chill time. 

Your Airbnb sits on a property alongside the owner’s main home but it has its own private entrance and curtains for privacy. The cosy living space is cute, with wooden floors and an indoor fireplace for cooler nights (kindling and wood provided). Potter outside and you’ll find a lovely little deck, plus an outdoor bath tucked away for starlit soaks. 

You’re close to all the fun stuff here: wander the Sassafras and Olinda shops, catch a movie at the vintage cinema in Belgrave, or if food and wine’s your thing, you can be at Yarra Valley Winery within 15 minutes and get tucked in.

Gorgeous, grand and with oodles of space for the whole gang, Merrylee is the Dandenong Ranges large group stay you need on your radar. Set in an almost-acre of landscaped gardens, this renovated home has three bathrooms and three living areas to ramble around (one with a screen for movie nights). Plus there’s five actual bedrooms—a recipe for smooth living if ever there was one.

The deck is the heart of this Airbnb, it wraps around to the front of the home with heaps of windows and French doors to potter through. Wander outside and you’ll find three more areas to explore—including a big central deck with a dining table capable of handling that epic group feast.

In the market for some much-needed R&R? Forest Retreat is a highly-rated stay that delivers it by the bucketload. The Airbnb sits on the doorstep of the Dandenong Ranges and comes with some tempting extras that will take your getaway to the next level.

This newly-renovated accommodation offers four bedrooms and two bathrooms, plus a spacious deck where you can relax with a glass of something special and enjoy the treetop view. That’s all before you’ve checked out the massage room—and, yes, you can book yourself a treatment for an additional fee. (We’re talking things like the Rejuvenate Facial, Deep Muscle Healing Body Massage, and Hot Stone Massage). That’s not all, either. This place comes with a wood-fired sauna set among the trees. Bliss.

Perched next to the local strawberry farm, Silvan Acres is described as a "mountain bike haven" in the Dandenong Ranges. The quaint studio Airbnb rests on a bountiful green paddock with the bush as your backdrop and is fully equipped with a sleek kitchen, bathroom (with a tub) and lounge room. Naturally, there's a heap of mountain bike and hiking trails you can access from the property, so make sure you pack those comfy shoes.

The studio reflects its rustic environment with lots of warm wood from the timber floors to soft furnishings throughout. Down the road, you'll find a selection of the Yarra Valley's top wineries, so you can get those tastings booked, stat. Plus, guests who stay three nights or more receive a complimentary bottle of local wine. Yum!

If you're after a cosy and uber romantic stay for two, Violet's Cottage is the spot for you. The light-filled Airbnb has been excellently curated with plenty of retro-chic furnishings from brass tapware, plant life and vintage couches and chairs.

Super private and flanked by the lush native rainforest landscape of the Dandenong Ranges, it's an ideal retreat for escaping the city and reconnecting with nature—and yet you're a short drive from all the touristy stuff if it takes your fancy.

Leave city living behind and immerse yourself in a cottage adventure with the whole crew at The Cottage, a three-bed stay in the Dandenong Ranges. Tucked away in a mountain ash forest, this pet-friendly heritage stay can sleep eight comfortably—and that’s not even including the dog!

You’re just 100 metres from the iconic Puffing Billy railway here so you can watch the steam train rolling on by. Old Olinda Golf Course dog park is also close by for when playtime with the pup calls. Back at your timber-clad home, grab a bottle of red and head out to your covered outdoor patio area, where there’s a barbecue just waiting to be fired up for burgers.