Yarra Valley Wine Tours from Melbourne

The Yarra Valley lies about an hour's drive east of Melbourne, near enough for a day of cool-climate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and sparkling wine while someone else handles the winding country roads. Among the wine tours we describe, the most common length is about 8 hours, and the shortest take about 7. Melbourne departures on our list come to 23 Yarra Valley wine tours. Taken together, the tours on this page hold more than 3,689 reviews and an average score of 4.9 out of 5.

Full day with gin, beer and chocolate

Two of the tours we describe spend about 8 hours in the valley and mix wineries with other tastings. "Tastings at 4 venues: 2-3 wineries, a gin distillery + private chocolate tasting", one listing notes, and its gin option pours the paddles at Four Pillars Distillery. Both leave room to shape the day; on one you tell the guide what you want to do, and on the other the group splits up at some stops.

Full day with a winery restaurant lunch

A guided day of about 8 hours covers all wine tastings at premium Yarra Valley wineries and sits down for a one-course lunch at a winery restaurant, with a glass of wine. Transport runs both ways from Melbourne, and the vineyards look out over rolling hills.

Chandon sparkling, a cheese lunch and kangaroos

About 7 hours long, this format includes a tasting of three Chandon sparkling wines, among them the sparkling Shiraz. Lunch is charcuterie and fresh cheeses made at Coldstream Dairy; a guide-driver based in the Yarra Valley leads the afternoon, and a sunset kangaroo safari is included.

Wine and chocolate day, and a bus from your hotel

Two more formats stay simple. One is a wine and chocolate tasting day of about 7 hours, with a guide for the whole day, air-conditioned transport and pickup and return in the city centre; the other lasts about 8 hours, collects you at your hotel and travels by bus with free WiFi and an English-speaking guide.

Table data is indicative and comes from the GuruWalk catalogue. Each activity's current details, including availability, are the ones shown on its listing when you book.

The formats we describe fill 7 to 8 hours, and the full day with a winery lunch is the one that pairs the tastings with a sit-down meal. Among the tours on this page, "Melbourne: Yarra Valley Wine, Gin, Whisky and Chocolate Tour" has gathered the most feedback, with more than 1,543 reviews and a score of 4.9 out of 5.

Departures from the Melbourne CBD

One of the tours with gin and chocolate leaves daily from Parliament Station in the Melbourne CBD, inside the free tram zone; the wine and chocolate day picks you up in the city centre and brings you back, and the bus tour collects you at your hotel. The winery lunch day travels to and from Melbourne, so check the meeting point on the listing before the day.

Cool mornings at the cellar doors

Mornings in the Yarra Valley are cooler than in central Melbourne. Wear comfortable walking shoes for the cellar doors and bring a light jacket or a few layers.

Four Pillars and Chandon fill up fast

Walk-in visits to the busiest names, such as the Four Pillars gin distillery or Domaine Chandon's sparkling cellars, fill up fast. If either stop matters to you, pick a tour that states it: among the tours we describe, one adds Four Pillars on its gin option and another includes a Chandon tasting.