★★★★★
Yarra Valley wine and food tour · Chandon and kangaroos at dusk
Good value, and the highlight was the kangaroos: there were so many.
Tamsyn · New Zealand · May 2026
Yarra Valley: Wine, Chandon & Food Tour Inc Kangaroo Safari
Lunch not includedFrom MelbourneMax 11 guests
Your morning stays in Melbourne, and your evening ends with kangaroos. The van leaves Federation Square at 11:30 with 11 guests at most. You sip sparkling wine at Chandon, taste cheese, wine at Yering Station and chocolate, then walk out at golden hour to find wild kangaroos. Lunch is yours to buy.
Sparkling wine, cheese and kangaroos from an 11:30 start
An 11:30 departure
Time for a Melbourne breakfast or a morning of shopping first.
A glass of sparkling wine at Chandon
At your table with a view, then lunch from the lounge menu.
Yering Station
A private tasting where Victoria's first vineyard was planted, in 1838.
Cheese and chocolate
Soft cheeses made on site, then a private chocolate tasting.
Kangaroos at dusk
A walk towards wild kangaroos at a spot the guide knows.
Eleven guests at most
One van, one guide, rated 5.0 for the guide by travellers.
Sparkling wine at Chandon, lunch at your own cost
Chandon comes first after the drive, and it is the stop that sets this day apart. You get a complimentary glass of sparkling wine at a table with a view. The guide talks you through how sparkling wine is made. Then you have time to buy lunch from the lounge menu and look round the boutique.
Lunch is not in the fare, so budget for it. Travellers asked for clearer notes on what each tasting includes, so here it is plainly: a glass at Chandon, a cheese tasting, a wine tasting at Yering Station and a chocolate tasting are in. Lunch and anything else you buy are not.
Cheese, Yering Station and the Chocolaterie
After Chandon you taste soft cheeses at a small family-owned dairy, all made on site. At Yering Station, the estate where Victoria's first vineyard was planted in 1838, you get a private tasting of cool-climate wines, including Pinot Noir. Then the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie gives you a private tasting and free time in a shop of over 200 chocolate, truffle and ice cream products.
The day starts with a stop to buy strawberries for everyone to share. One traveller visited out of season and found the fruit came from outside the valley, so treat it as a bonus. For other shorter days side by side, see the Yarra Valley half-day wine tours.
Kangaroos at dusk, and what nobody can promise
As the sun goes down, the van heads into the lower valley, where kangaroos rest during the day. You stop at a known spot and walk as close as you can for photographs. Reviews mention them again and again, and one New Zealander said there were so many. But wild animals are wild: sightings are common, and wildlife is never guaranteed.
An 11:30 start from Federation Square
- 11:30, Federation Square. The van leaves for the one-hour drive, with a stop to buy strawberries on the way.
- Chandon, about an hour. A glass of sparkling wine, and lunch at your own cost.
- A small family dairy. A tasting of soft cheeses made on site.
- Yering Station, about an hour. A private tasting of cool-climate wines.
- Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, about an hour. A private chocolate tasting and time in the shop.
- Golden hour, about an hour. A walk out to find wild kangaroos as the sun sets.
- Early evening, Federation Square. About an hour's drive back to the city.
Who this suits, and who needs a sure sighting
Book this if
You want your morning in Melbourne and the valley in the afternoon light. It suits couples, friends and families with children aged 3 and over, who will enjoy the chocolate and the kangaroos while you taste. You like a small van and a guide who knows the animals as well as the wine.
Book something else if
You want lunch in the fare: the wine tour with a two-course lunch and a gin option includes one, for adults. If seeing Australian animals up close has to be certain, the Redwoods tour with its wildlife option includes Healesville Sanctuary entry. If you want more wineries for less, the wine, gin, whisky and chocolate tour leaves at 9:00.
What the fare covers
In the fare
- Chocolate tastings at the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie
- Wine tasting
- Cheese tasting
- Local guide
- Minivan transport
Not in the fare
- Lunch
- Personal expenses
Meeting point: behind Federation Square at 11:30
You meet behind Federation Square, on the corner of Flinders Street and Russell Street, in the bus and coach pick-up zone. Look for the white bus branded Yarra Valley Touring. Arrive a few minutes before 11:30.
The van brings you back to the same spot in the early evening. Every Melbourne meeting point is on the Yarra Valley map, and the animals you might meet are on Yarra Valley wildlife.
Know before you go
- Lunch is not in the fare. You buy it from the lounge menu at Chandon or at another stop, and dietary options can be limited in the valley.
- Look for the white bus. It is branded Yarra Valley Touring and waits behind Federation Square, on the corner of Flinders and Russell Streets.
- Kangaroos are likely, not certain. The listing calls sightings common and says wildlife is never guaranteed.
- Children from 3 are welcome. Only adults 18 and over may buy or drink alcohol in Victoria.
- Pack ID, water, a camera and cash. That is the operator's own list, and the ID matters at every tasting.
- Not for wheelchair users. The listing rules it out, and the dusk stop means a walk towards the kangaroos.
What travellers said about Chandon and the kangaroos
★★★★★
Yarra Valley wine and food tour · Chandon and kangaroos at dusk
They were a small group of seven, and Elliott made the day heaps of fun. He was informative and a careful driver too.
Simone · Australia · May 2026
★★★★★
Yarra Valley wine and food tour · Chandon and kangaroos at dusk
The strawberry stop felt pointless out of season, with fruit from outside the valley, but the rest of the day and the kangaroos were excellent.
Andrew · New Zealand · July 2026
Frequently asked questions
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.
Is lunch included?
No. You buy lunch from the lounge menu at Chandon or at another stop. For a day with the meal in the fare, see the wine tour with a two-course lunch, for adults 18 and over.
Can children come?
Yes, from age 3, and only adults 18 and over may drink alcohol in Victoria. For a longer day with more cellar doors, the wine, gin, whisky and chocolate tour takes children from 7.
Why does it start so late?
So you have the morning free in Melbourne. The late start also puts the last stop at golden hour, which the operator picks for the best chance of kangaroos.
Other ways into the valley
Ready for Chandon and kangaroos at dusk?
Check dates for the 11:30 start, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Check availability