The Yarra Valley With Kids and Non-Drinkers: Ages, Rules and Days That Work
The short answer. Yes, you can bring children, but only on the right tour. Minimum ages run from 3 to 18 depending on the day, and in Victoria nobody under 18 may drink. Choose a day with chocolate, cheese, kangaroos or the sanctuary, and the non-drinkers in your group get a full day too.
The worry most parents have is simple: will we be turned away, and will the children be bored? Neither needs to happen. Check the tour's minimum age before you book, choose stops that are not all tastings, and know the law on licensed venues. This guide covers all three, with the Yarra Valley wine and food tours that work for a mixed group.
What Victoria's law allows
The legal drinking age in Victoria is 18, and it is against the law to supply alcohol to anyone younger. Under-18s may be on licensed premises when they are with a responsible adult, such as a parent or guardian, or when they are having a meal. Staff check ID for anyone who looks under 25.
- Children can come into a cellar door with you, but they cannot taste.
- Passing a glass to a teenager is illegal, and secondary supply carries fines over A$25,000.
- Carry ID for young-looking adults in your group, or they may be refused a pour.
The minimum age on each kind of day
Each operator sets its own age limit. These are the limits the listings state, as of September 2026.
| Day | Youngest traveller | Stops without wine |
|---|---|---|
| Chandon and kangaroos, 11:30 start | 3 | Cheese, chocolate, kangaroos at dusk |
| Wine, chocolate and gin from the Arts Centre | 4 | Fruit and jam, up to 12 chocolates |
| Four-winery days with lunch | 5 | Lunch |
| Wine, cider, gin and chocolate from Spring Street | 6 | Chocolate |
| Wine, gin, whisky and chocolate from Flinders Street | 7 | Ten chocolates, gelato to buy |
| Fruit, wine and chocolate from Federation Square | 14 | Fruit, chocolate |
| Half days, lunch-and-gin day, bike day, private day | 18 | None for children |
Every fare shown is per person; no child fare was listed. Check the price for your party when you pick a date.
The best day for young children
The Chandon and kangaroo tour is the one to look at first. It takes children from 3, it leaves Federation Square at 11:30 so nobody is rushed out of bed, and it has 11 guests at most. The day includes cheese at a family dairy and a chocolate tasting. It ends at golden hour with a walk out to find wild kangaroos. One traveller from China called it a good day out for families.
Sightings are common, but wildlife is never guaranteed. If a child will be heartbroken without a kangaroo, read the next section.
A sure thing: Healesville Sanctuary
Healesville Sanctuary is open 9am to 5pm every day, and its open habitats close at 4:30pm. Adults pay A$58. Children aged 4 to 15 pay A$29 on weekdays and nothing on weekends and holidays, and under-4s are free. Its trails include Kangaroo Country, Koala Forest and the World of the Platypus.
The Redwoods tour has a wildlife option with sanctuary entry in the fare, after a walk in the Cement Creek redwoods. Its listing does not state a minimum age, so ask the operator before you book with young children. The animals are on Yarra Valley wildlife.
Stops that suit non-drinkers
A non-drinker pays the same fare as everyone else, so choose a day that gives them something too.
- Yarra Valley Chocolaterie: free entry, open 9am to 5pm, and a tasting stop on most wine and food days.
- Yarra Valley Dairy: soft cheese at 70 McMeikans Road, Yering, open 10:30am to 5pm.
- St Huberts cellar door: the Flinders Street tour offers beer or cider instead of wine here.
- Strawberry and fruit farms: several full days open with a fruit tasting.
- Cement Creek redwoods: a forest walk near Warburton, with accessible trails.
More stops without a glass are on things to do in the Yarra Valley.
Feeding a family on a wine day
Lunch is the cost that catches families, because most wine and food days do not include it. The operators put a winery lunch at about A$25–35 on one tour and A$25–45 à la carte on another. Multiply that by your family before you compare fares. On the late-start Chandon day, you buy lunch from the lounge menu at Chandon, and the operator warns that dietary options can be limited in the valley.
If you would rather know the total before you go, choose a day with lunch in the fare. The full-day wine tour with a winery lunch includes a one-course meal and takes children from 5. Pack snacks either way: a chocolate tasting is not a meal.
What to pack for children
- Water bottles and hats, because summer afternoons in the valley are warm.
- A warm layer, because the kangaroo stop is at dusk.
- Photo ID for every adult, because staff check anyone who looks under 25.
- Cash and a card, for gelato, cheese or fruit to take home.
Leave the stroller at home on the Flinders Street tour: strollers, large bags and luggage are not allowed on board.
Days for families with older children
With children of 5 and over, the four-winery day with a sit-down winery lunch puts lunch in the fare, from $134. Nobody has to find a table for a hungry family. From 7, the wine, gin, whisky and chocolate tour costs from $91 and stops for ten chocolates, though your family buys its own lunch.
Whatever you book, bring water, hats and layers. Valley mornings are cool, and January afternoons at Coldstream average 28.2 °C. The months are on Yarra Valley weather, and the basics are in how to visit the Yarra Valley.
Days a family can share
Yarra Valley: Wine, Chandon & Food Tour Inc Kangaroo Safari
An 11:30 start, sparkling wine at Chandon, cheese, Yering Station, chocolate and a dusk stop for kangaroos.
From $138 per person
Check Availability
Yarra Valley Wine & Winery Tour from Melbourne - All Inclusive!
Four wineries from central Melbourne, with lunch and a glass of wine at Balgownie Estate or a similar winery in the fare.
From $134 per person
Check Availability
Melbourne: Yarra Valley Redwoods Tour with Wine or Wildlife
Warburton and the Cement Creek redwoods, then a winery lunch or Healesville Sanctuary entry.
From $127 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: match the youngest traveller's age to the tour first, then pick the stops they will enjoy. Every fare sits side by side on Yarra Valley Tours.