Yarra Valley Tours: FAQs
Lunch and what the fares include, half days, pickups, ages, gin, kangaroos, cancellation and getting there. Choosing between Yarra Valley wine tasting tours? The answers below settle most of it.
Two answers matter more than the rest. The valley has no ticket of its own, so what you are really comparing is what each fare pours and whether lunch is in it. And every stop serves alcohol, so the drinking age of 18 decides which days suit a family.
Do you need tickets to visit the Yarra Valley?
No. The Yarra Valley is a wine region with no gate and no ticket. You pay for tastings at each cellar door, or a tour fare covers the tastings, the transport and a guide or driver.
How much do Yarra Valley wine tours cost?
Shared tours start from about $70 per person and run to about $253 for the guided bike day. The private brunch day starts at about $493 per person. Each card shows the current fare and whether lunch is in it.
Which Yarra Valley tours include lunch?
The four-winery day with lunch at Balgownie Estate or a similar winery, the full-day tour with a one-course winery lunch, the two-course lunch tour with a gin or beer option, the bike tour and the private brunch day all put a meal in the fare. On the others you buy lunch on the day.
Is there a half-day wine tour in the Yarra Valley?
Yes. The five-hour small-group tour visits three wineries and runs in the morning or the afternoon, from Arts Centre Melbourne or from Lilydale. If you would rather keep your morning, the Chandon and kangaroo tour leaves Federation Square at 11:30.
How far is the Yarra Valley from Melbourne?
About an hour's drive from the centre of Melbourne. A full-day tour runs about eight hours door to door, and a half day about five.
Are there private tours in the Yarra Valley?
Yes. The private day starts with a sparkling wine brunch at Chandon, then cheese at Yarra Valley Dairy, three wineries and a gin paddle at Four Pillars, with pickup from your accommodation. It takes groups of 2 to 10 and runs from 2 February to 5 November.
Where do tours pick up in Melbourne?
Most meet at a kerb in the centre: Federation Square, the Ian Potter Centre on Flinders Street, Arts Centre Melbourne on St Kilda Road, Spring Street opposite the Hotel Windsor, or the Immigration Museum. The grazing tour collects from six CBD hotels, and the private day from your accommodation.
Can children come on a wine tour?
On some. The Chandon and kangaroo tour takes children from 3, the four-winery lunch days from 5, and the wine, gin, whisky and chocolate day from 7. The half-day tours, the lunch-and-gin tour, the bike tour and the private day are for adults 18 and over. In Victoria no one under 18 may drink alcohol.
Can I cancel my booking?
Yes. Every tour we list refunds in full if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start. Inside that window the fare is not refunded.
Will I see kangaroos?
Sightings are common on the Chandon and kangaroo tour, which stops at a known spot at dusk, but its own listing says wildlife is never guaranteed. For animals you are sure to see, the Redwoods tour's wildlife option includes entry to Healesville Sanctuary.
How do I book a tour?
Choose your tour, pick a date on the operator's booking page and pay there. Your reservation confirmation carries the meeting point and the operator's contact. There are no Yarra Valley ticket prices to add on top: the fare covers the tastings it lists.
How much is lunch if it is not in the fare?
The operators put it at about A$25 to A$35 at a winery restaurant on one tour, and A$25 to A$45 à la carte on another. Bring a card, and check whether your tour stops where you want to eat.
What time do the full-day tours leave?
Most leave central Melbourne between 8:00 and 9:30. The Flinders Street and Spring Street departures leave at 9:00 sharp and do not wait, so arrive by 8:35 or 8:45 as each listing asks.
Which tours include gin tasting?
The wine, cider, gin and chocolate tour includes a gin paddle at Four Pillars, and so does the private day. The grazing tour pours gin with pizza at Stag Lane Distillery. On most others, gin is an extra you pay for on the day.
What is the best month for a valley wine tour?
Tours run all year. At Coldstream, January averages a 28.2 °C maximum and July 13.5 °C, and February has the fewest rain days. Pack water and a hat in summer, and a warm layer from May to September.
How far ahead should I book?
As soon as your date is fixed, especially for a weekend. Groups are capped at between 8 and 24, and free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead means booking early costs you little.
Why can the same day show two different prices?
Some operators sell the same day through more than one booking channel, and each channel sets its own fare. Compare what each listing includes: one may name cellar door fees or a coffee that the other leaves out.
Which tours visit the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie?
Most of the wine and food days stop there, as do the lunch-and-gin tour and the Redwoods day. Entry to the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie is free, and it opens 9am to 5pm every day except Christmas Day.
How old do you have to be to drink on a tour?
18, the legal drinking age in Victoria. Staff check ID for anyone who looks under 25, so carry photo ID even if you are well past it.
Are the tours wheelchair accessible?
No tour we list is described as wheelchair accessible. If you use a wheelchair, ask the operator what they can arrange before you book.
What should I wear on a wine tour?
Layers and comfortable shoes. Valley mornings are cool even when the afternoon is warm, and one operator warns about flies in summer.
How do I get to the Yarra Valley without a car?
Metro trains on the Lilydale line run to Lilydale, at the valley's edge, and the bike tour offers free pickup at Lilydale railway station. The wineries beyond are spread out, so plan onward transport or join a tour.
Where does the bike tour start?
At the Woori Yallock Station car park at 10:00, with free pickup from Lilydale railway station. Pickup from accommodation in the valley costs A$30 per person.
Is there a visitor centre in the Yarra Valley?
Not a traditional one. The region has community-run centres, including the Warburton Waterwheel Visitor Information Centre at 3400 Warburton Highway, and digital kiosks at Healesville Sanctuary, the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Yarra Glen.
When was Victoria's first vineyard planted?
In 1838, at Yering Station, by the Scottish-born Ryrie brothers. The cellar door there still pours wine today.
How many wineries are in the Yarra Valley?
Over eighty, according to Wine Yarra Valley, the regional wine body. Most tours pour at three to five of them in a day.
What grapes is the Yarra Valley known for?
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon are the main varieties, and some of the fruit goes into sparkling wine. It is a cool-climate region.
What are Chandon's opening hours?
The Chandon cellar door at 727 Maroondah Highway, Coldstream, opens 11am to 4:30pm daily. It closes on 25 and 26 December.
What are Yering Station's opening hours?
The cellar door opens 10am to 5pm daily. It sits in the Old Winery that Paul de Castella built in 1859.
Do tours stop at Four Pillars Gin in Healesville?
Some do. The distillery at 2 Lilydale Road opens at 10:30am daily and closes at 5:30pm from Sunday to Thursday and at 9pm on Friday and Saturday.
How much is Healesville Sanctuary in 2026?
A$58 for adults and A$44 concession. Children aged 4 to 15 pay A$29 on weekdays and enter free on weekends and holidays. The sanctuary opens 9am to 5pm every day of the year.
Is Healesville Sanctuary entry included on any tour?
Yes, on the wildlife option of the Redwoods tour. Its winery option swaps the sanctuary for a winery lunch and tasting.
Where are the redwoods near the Yarra Valley?
At Cement Creek, about 15 minutes' drive from Warburton, inside Yarra Ranges National Park. Over 1,470 Californian redwoods were planted there in the 1930s, and some now stand above 55 metres. The car parks fill by about 10am on busy days.
How long is the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail?
The Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail runs 40 km, along the old Warburton railway line. Walkers, cyclists and horse riders all share it.
Can you take a hot air balloon flight over the Yarra Valley?
Yes. Balloon operators fly at sunrise in calm weather, and passengers meet about 90 minutes before dawn. No tour we list includes a flight, so book it directly.
Still deciding? The fares sit side by side on Yarra Valley Tours, the practical detail is on visiting the Yarra Valley, and what travellers made of each day is in the reviews.