Yarra Valley Tour

“I stumbled upon A Petite Tour, from the first email, it had exceeded my expectations. Nothing was too much trouble, and they were very patient with my million emails and questions. The tour itself went without a hitch – Bryce was fun to talk to, and went the extra mile to make sure our day was perfect. Even running through the rain at the final stop didn’t dampen the fun.” – SS

Tour Highlights

亞拉酒莊一日遊

Yarra Valley is one of the most famous wine producing regions in Australia, blessed with year-round cool climate and generous rainfall, its superior natural conditions have produced some of the best wine in Australia. With a selection of more than 100 wineries, Yarra Valley is a popular weekend retreat destination for Melbournians, from the elegant French-heritaged Domaine Chandon sparkling wine to family-owned wineries with their own unique touch!

Choose from a wide range of red and white wine, or get funky and try out aromatic blueberry wine, apple and pear cider! Yarra Valley will certainly offer something that satisfies your palate.

Yarra Valley is also brimful of fun outdoors activities.

  • Puffing Billy or Healesville Sanctuary (optional activity)

  • 2 – 3 Yarra Valley wineries tasting

  • Delicious lunch in Yarra Valley (at own expense)

  • Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery

  • Yarra Valley Dairy or Fruit Picking

Please refer to the Additional Tour Options section for more travel ideas.

Start time

9 am

Finish time

6:30 PM

Inclusion

  • Transport
  • Hotel Transfers
  • Friendly Guide
  • Bottled Water
  • Child Safety Chair (if required)
  • Heaps of Fun
  • Car Park
  • Toll Fee

Hotel Transfer

Our guide will greet you at the hotel on the morning of your tour. Upon return to Melbourne, you can choose to be transferred to either hotel or any restaurant within CBD

Price

AUD $779

for 8 Seater Mercedes

(Suitable for 1 to 7 passengers)

AUD $979

for 12 Seater Vehicle

(Suitable for 8 to 11 passengers)

For a group booking of more than 11 people, please contact us for a quote.

Have more questions?

Please see our Frequently Asked Questions.

Tour Itinerary

1

Yarra Valley

Your tour guide will greet you at the hotel.

Travel northeasterly from Melbourne, Yarra Valley is approx. an hour’s drive from Melbourne CBD. It is an ultimate relaxation while indulge in some of the finest wine and food in Victoria.

In autumn you will have a chance to taste freshly picked fruits and watch trees lining up with spectacles of orange, red and yellow leaves between March and May.

2

Morning Optional Activity

Yarra Valley offers visitors a wide selection of fun activities to choose from.

If you are a wine lover, our flexible Yarra Valley private tour can include a few more wineries in your itinerary. With more than 100 wineries, Yarra Valley has something for everyone’s palate. In addition, you can find here blueberry wine, apple and pear cider, gin distillery. (Tasting fees may apply for some wineries,  discount is offered on any purchase to offset your tasting fee)

Furthermore, Yarra Valley provides many fun outdoors activities for families, for instance: Puffing Billy Steam Railway at Mt Dandenong, Healesville Sanctuary, seasonal fruit picking, skydive and more. Please refer to Additional Tour Options section for more travel ideas. 

Note: most of Yarra Valley attractions and wineries close at 5 pm.

3

Yarra Valley Wineries

Yarra Valley Wine Tasting

Yarra Valley is one of the major wine producing regions in Australia. Its superior natural location, coupled with year-round cool climate and generous precipitation have made it home to more than 100 wineries, range from  family-run wineries span across multiple generations to internationally renowned vineyards, such as: Domaine Chandon and TarraWarra. Yarra Valley is best known for its Pinot Noir, sparkling wine, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. With the very first winery in Yarra Valley opened its doors in 1838,  it’s not hard to see the locals’ profound love for quality wine. In addition, the  valley produces organic vegetables, fruits, fresh salmon, trout, beef and more. Enjoy a mouth-watering lunch made from fresh local produce over a glass of full-bodies Yarra Valley Pinot Noir.

Recommended Wineries:

Domaine Chandon

Domaine Chandon is one of the most famous wineries in Yarra Valley, it has an alluring vineyard inspired by French horticulture, the French-concepted winery first opened in 1986 and belongs to the prestigious Moet & Chandon family which is owned by LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Domaine Chandon is best known for its sparkling wines, despite its close identity to champagne, the term “champagne” only applies to sparkling wine produced from grapes grown in the Champagne region (in France) and following its specific fermentation process. The magnificent vineyard, with its endless rows of grapevines and the still lake in the backdrop, making Domaine Chandon one of the most Instagrammable spots in Yarra Valley. From the lush crawling ivy across the outdoors hallway to the red-and-gold leaves in autumn, Domaine Chandon is certainly a spot you do not want to miss in Yarra Valley. Walk to the back of hallway, a series of interactive touch screens elaborate in details of the wine making and storage process, you can also visit the barrel room and riddling hall, a rare opportunity to get a snapshot of the wine making process!

Domaine Chandon has a tasting fee of $25. 

Oakridge

Oakridge was nominated as Australia’s best winery in 2012 by “The Age”, the term “Oakridge” originates from a ridge of oak trees planted at the front of the vineyard. At the cellar door, enjoy the panoramic views of the expansive vineyard while the aroma from wine waking up in your mouth.

4

Enjoy a Delicious Lunch

Yarra Valley Cuisines

Yarra Valley is a gourmet paradise, many wineries have their own restaurants onsite, serving mostly modern Australian and Italian dishes, our guide will recommend restaurants based on your dietary preference. Most of the restaurants have a la carte and degustation menus, for larger groups, it’s advised to make a booking in advance. Savour the delicious food with fresh ingredients sourced directly from the valley.

Our recommended restaurant:

Meletos

Meletos is best-known for its wood-fired pizzas, the restaurant makes incredible pizzas topped with fresh and organic ingredients sourced within Yarra Valley, it also serves various entrees and mains, making it one of the best choices for lunch. Adjacent to the restaurant is Napoleone Brewery & Ciderhouse, the brewery grows its own apples and pears on the estate, it harvests them seasonally and brews a mixture of crisp apple and pear cider which are very popular with travellers looking for something sweet and great complement to the appetizing pizzas.

For a $25 tasting fee, you can sample 4 different types of beer and cider of your selection.

5

Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery

Looking for the best dessert in Yarra Valley after a satisfying lunch? Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery makes a wide variety of chocolates, from exquisite handmade chocolates of different flavours to meter-long gigantic chocolate bars. If you like Easter chocolate eggs, you can find them here all year round. The chocolaterie frequently introduces new products with free tasting, the premium range includes chocolates made of cocoa imported from exotic locations, such as: Venezuela and Ghana, chocolate truffles and more;  you also get to see how sweets are made through the delicate chocolate crafting process onsite. Whereas the ice-creamery serves quality gelatos made in-house.

The chocolaterie features a gorgeous lawn that is great for relaxation and outdoors activities, kids love to run on the grass and kick a soccer ball with friends and family. Visitors will also be delighted by the beautiful scenery of endless green pasture and rolling hills in the distance.

6

Yarra Valley Diary

The verdant pasture in Yarra Valley is ideal for dairy producers.  With constant supply of rich and fine quality milk, Yarra Valley Dairy makes exceptional farmhouse cheeses. There is a wide selection of cheeses available free for sampling, e.g. Gouda, Brie, Blue Cheese, Cheddar, marinated cheese etc. The dairy shop also sells quality local farm products, such as: olive oil and jams.

6

Fruit or Berries Picking (Seasonal)

strawberries yarra valley

Gifted with fertile land and generous precipitation, Yarra Valley and its surrounds are home to numerous orchards and berry farms. From late November to early January, the sweet and juicy Victorian cherries attract large crowds of visitors, roll up your sleeves and pick your own fruits! In addition, blueberry, strawberry and boysenberry are also available for picking,

1) Rayner’s Orchard has up to 450 different types of fruits, including peaches, plums, apricots, kiwis, lemons, citrus and many more. The orchard offers one-hour Tractor Tour, visitors can explore the entire orchard on tractor accompanied by its experienced staff. There are generally 8-12 types of fruits available for picking at any time of the year. The fruits you pick will be weighed and purchased at the end of tour.

Tractor Tour cost: $ 42.50 for adults / $ 34.50 for children over 5 years old

2) Blue Hill Cherries & Berries

The sweet and juicy Victorian cherries and strawberries become ripe for picking around end of November, the picking window lasts till mid January for cherries and March for strawberries.

Blue Hill is a major cherry and strawberry farm with proximity to Yarra Valley, the farm also produces rare varieties, such as: raspberries, blackberries, Boysenberries, Youngberries and Loganberries.

Cherries Farm admission: Adult AUD $15 / Children (3-14 years) AUD $7.5

Cherries are sold for AUD $15 per kg. (berry prices may vary each year)

ADDITIONAL TOUR OPTIONS:

Puffing Billy Steam Railway traverses through the lush rainforest of Dandenong Ranges National Park. The trains were first operated in 1900 for the transportation of local agriculture and logging products. The railway consists of five stations, namely Belgrave, Menzies Creek, Emerald, Lakeside and Gembrook. A complete journey would take approximately 2 hours,  25 minutes of journey between each two stations on average. Despite the conundrum caused by the landslide in 1953, the railway’s gradually re-opened sections of its track over the years, thanks to the Victorian State Government and its Preservation Society. This has seen Puffing Billy gaining tremendous popularity with families all around the world. The steam trains kept their original steam engines dated back 1912, they slowly traverse through the lush Dandenong Ranges fern forest, experience the fragrance from the local flora and fern trees while enjoy the stunning scenery along the historic railway.

Puffing Billy Steam Train tickets:

One hour from Belgrave to Lakeside: AUD $ 42 adult / AUD $22 child (4-15 years old).

If your travel date is on a public holiday, a school holiday in Victoria or Saturday and Sunday, Puffing Billy only have round-trip ticket options available. In this case, the ticket price will increase by AUD 20 for adults and AUD 10 for children, and your train ticket will become a round-trip ticket. However due to travel schedules, you only have enough time for a one-way train journey.

Healesville Sanctuary is a wildlife park located in Healesville, right on the edge of Yarra Valley. It is home to many native and endangered Australian animals, range from mammals, reptiles, birds and nocturnal living creatures. At Healesville Sanctuary, get up close to cute wallabies and kangaroos, watch adorable koalas nibbling away at eucalyptus leaves; observe echidnas (also known as Spiny Anteater) crawling on the topsoil and sluggishly finding its mid-day snack; learn about the world’s 2nd largest living bird after ostrich – Emu and spot platypus swimming swiftly across the water. The footpaths within the zoo are shaded by dense gum trees and vegetations, it’s ideal for a good afternoon walk.

Healesville Sanctuary admission tickets:

Adult AUD $46 / Children (4-15 years old) AUD$ 23.

Free entry for children on weekends & public holidays.

Warratina Lavender Farm

Originally a cherry farm, the former owner’s passion for lavender has transformed it into a heavenly lavender garden, with over 10,000 lavender plants.

Take a stroll in the lavender field, breathe in the fragrance from the lavender plants while admire their fleeting beauty. In addition, the cafe also serves delectable lavender-flavoured ice cream and scones.

The best time for viewing is between end of November and end of January.

1000 Steps (Kokoda Track Memorial Walk) – a scenic trek in the heart of Mt Dandenong, the 3 km trail adorned with historical plaques is popular with fitness enthusiasts, it will give you a glimpse of the hardship and physical difficulty Australian soldiers endured on the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea during World War II. The stunning walk trail is surrounded by dense rainforest and fern trees, it is popular with keen hikers.

This attraction involves stair-climbing activity and requires reasonable level of fitness, round trip takes approximately 1 to 1.5 hours.

Yarra Valley Sky Dive

Skydive from one of the most beautiful wine regions in Australia, only a short drive from Melbourne, you can experience the thrill of free fall from up to 15,000 feet off ground. The tandem skydive will be accompanied by an experienced instructor, the adrenaline pumping activity will provide you with feelings that are indescribable! Video and photo options available to capture this unforgettable experience.

A Petite Tour can include skydive in your Yarra Valley private tour itinerary, unlike direct booking on the offical website with upfront full payment, we only require an extra $50 deposit to secure your skydive spot.

Cost: $379 per person

Handicam Video & Photos: $179 per person

Handicam Photos: $129 per person

For more information, please refer their official website, Yarra Valley Skydive

Yarra Valley Hot Air Balloon

Enjoy an awe-inspiring experience and the stunning natural scenery of Yarra Valley with a hot air balloon ride! Take part in the pre take-off preparations and admire the unbelievable valley views at sunrise. When the balloon ride concludes, indulge in your complementary champagne breakfast before we begin your Yarra Valley private tour.

Hot air balloon ride costs: Adult AUD$ 429 / Child AUD$349, multiple hot air ballon ride packages available.

We would generally depart at 4 am from Melbourne CBD as arrival is expected 2 hours before sunrise at the meeting point in Yarra Valley.

Minimum age requirement: 7 year old and minimum height requirement: 130 cm.

Additional tour fees: AUD $390

National Rhododendron Gardens are large botanic gardens located next to the tranquil town of Olinda, collectively they occupy a total area of 36 hectares. The gardens have more than 15,000 rhododendrons, 3,000 camellias, 250,000 daffodils and countless others floral species blossom one after another throughout the year, the landscape in the gardens evolves over the changing of seasons, it is a fantastic place for a leisurely walk.

The best time to visit is between early October and end of December as the flowers blossom in spring. Recommended time: 45 minutes – 1.5 hours.

Additional Tour Description

Yarra Valley is a famous wine producing region located 45 km northeast of Melbourne CBD, named after Yarra River which flows across the valley. Its cool climate has made it ideal for wine making, as a result, a thriving wine sector has been established with more than 100 wineries. Yarra Valley offers a wide varieties of wine to match your palate. The region is well-known for sauvignon blanc, sparkling wine, chardonnay and pinot noir. In addition, this region boasts some of the best restaurants in Victoria, you can enjoy delicious food made from organic produce sourced locally complemented by a glass of silky red wine.

Mount Dandenong is a national park located 35 km east of Melbourne CBD, it is a popular weekend getaway for locals thanks to its lush rainforest and mountainous terrain. There are a number of gorgeous gardens on the mountain, the most famous ones are National Rhododendron Gardens and William Ricketts Sanctuary, supplemented with beautiful orchards and berry farms, making Mt Dandenong one of the favourite holiday destinations near Melbourne. Its 633 meters high observatory offers spectacular views of the nearby areas and metropolitan Melbourne.

Sweet and Personal

Sweet & Personal

A Petite Tour creates fun and memorable travel experience by providing quality tour services! Every trip is bespoke to what you would like to see and do. With flexible itinerary and attention for detail, we want to create happy moments for more families, a trip that is right for everyone!

Local Expertise

Travel Experts

Our guides are friendly and fun, tap into our expansive knowledge about Australia and travel, tailor an unforgettable travel experience. English, Mandarin & Cantonese tour service are available.

Comfort & Convenience

Comfort & Convenience

Travel in comfort and style, Mercedes Benz luxury vehicles , free hotel & airport transfers on full-day tour. Ticket pre-booking to secure your spot in advance, restaurant recommendations and more!

Family Oriented

Inclusive Culture

Organise a holiday for a big group is hard-work, we do our best to help, no overtime surcharge or compulsory tips,  bottled water, child safety chairs/wheelchair, umbrellas and more. You can count on us!