Yarra ValleyWine Tours
An hour from Melbourne's CBD and Victoria's oldest wine country: the Yarra Valley's cool Burgundian climate produces Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that have made it one of the most seriously watched regions in the country.
Choosing your Yarra Valley wine tour
The Yarra Valley is Melbourne's wine region, an hour east of the city, and its tour scene is built for exactly that closeness: more than 25 operators run everything from $70 driver-only days to $340 luxury curation. Private tours dominate here, with 28 operators offering dedicated private days led by the likes of TripAdvisor's number one rated local operator. Luxury formats add estate lunches at Yering Station and Balgownie, winemaker tastings, and three separate helicopter operators. Short on time? A half-day tour covers 3 cellar doors and has you back in Melbourne by mid afternoon.
Coming from Melbourne
Most tours depart from Melbourne CBD with hotel and suburb pickups, and the hour-long run up the Maroondah Highway is short enough that the day belongs to the wineries, not the bus. Our Yarra Valley tours from Melbourne guide compares departure options and formats, the cost guide breaks down what you get at every price point, and the hot air balloon guide covers the sunrise-flight-then-cellar-doors combination the region is famous for.
Occasions, dogs, and the rest
Celebrating? Operators run dedicated formats for a hens weekend with a sparkling-first itinerary, a milestone birthday, and corporate team days an hour from the office. Bringing the dog? Our dog-friendly wineries guide lists the cellar doors where that works. Browse the operators below, filter by style, duration, or occasion, and enquire directly with the ones that fit your dates.
Experiences
30 itineraries
Dreamscape Tours
Group winery tours across Melbourne's four wine regions — party bus, host and lunch sorted.
Duration
Full day
For the Love of Grape Wine Tours
Private Mornington Peninsula wine tours from $139pp — handpicked venues, door-to-door.
Duration
Half Day around 4.5 hours / Full Day around 7 hours
Capacity
Max 29
Vinetrekker
Four contrasting wineries, a balloon flight option, and a leisurely pace — the Yarra Valley without rushing.
Duration
Full day (8:30am - 5:30pm)
Unique Wine Tours
Unique Wine Tours
Private group winery days across Melbourne's four wine regions — bus, host and tastings sorted.
The Yarra Valley Touring Company
The Yarra Valley Touring Company
Oysters and bubbles at Chandon, a 3-course lunch at Yering Station — private Yarra Valley done properly.
Duration
Full day
Capacity
Max 11
Melbourne Heli
Melbourne Heli
Helicopter winery tours from Melbourne to the Yarra Valley and beyond.
Duration
Half or full day
The Helicopter Group
The Helicopter Group
Melbourne helicopter wine tours and charters to the Yarra Valley.
Duration
Half or full day
Wine Compass
Wine Compass
Tailored private and small-group wine tours — Heathcote, Yarra Valley and Mornington.
Duration
Full day
Epicurean Tours
Epicurean Tours
Premium small-group Yarra Valley and Mornington food and wine tours.
Duration
Full day
Wilsons Wine Tours
Wilsons Wine Tours
Geelong-owned wine tour operator — private or public, always a fun day.
Duration
Full day
Big Grape Winery Tours
Big Grape Winery Tours
Private, personalised Yarra Valley winery tours — your day, your way.
Duration
Full day
Chauffeur Drive Melbourne
Chauffeur Drive Melbourne
Luxury chauffeured Yarra Valley wine tours for two — tastings, cheese and a three-course lunch.
Duration
Full day or overnight
Local Way Tours
Local Way Tours
Small-group Mornington Peninsula food and wine days, led by a local guide.
Duration
Full day
Melbourne Private Tours
Melbourne Private Tours
Behind-the-scenes barrel room access in the Yarra Valley — Ecotourism certified.
Duration
8 hours
Melbourne Touring Company
Melbourne Touring Company
Award-winning Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula wine tours from $195pp.
Duration
9 hours
Capacity
Max 24
Elevate Wine Tours — Yarra Valley
Elevate Wine Tours — Yarra Valley
Sip, relax, repeat — private Yarra Valley wine tours for groups up to 11.
Capacity
Max 11
88 Luxury Tours
88 Luxury Tours
Private Melbourne wine touring tailored exactly to your group.
Duration
Full day
Capacity
Max 11
Yarra Valley Winery Tours
Yarra Valley Winery Tours
Private Yarra Valley wine tours from Lilydale — your group, your pace.
Duration
Full day
Yarra Valley Wine Tasting Tours
Yarra Valley Wine Tasting Tours
Three wineries, Rochford lunch with a glass of wine, the Chocolaterie — all from $165.
Duration
Full day or half day
Yarra Valley Cellar Door Tours
Yarra Valley Cellar Door Tours
Small group luxury tours with winemaker tastings — the Yarra Valley through the eyes of the people who make it.
Duration
Full day
Capacity
Max 12
Winery Day Tours
Winery Day Tours
Driver only, tastings included, or the full food and wine package — the Yarra Valley at three price points.
Duration
Full day
Capacity
Max 60
TeePee Tours
TeePee Tours
Six private tour packages, your music, your snacks — the Yarra Valley exactly how you want it.
Duration
Full day
Red Carpet Wine Tours
Red Carpet Wine Tours
Five Yarra Valley wineries, all tastings covered, $109 — daily from Federation Square.
Duration
Full day
Evergreen Winery Tours
Evergreen Winery Tours
Boutique wineries, brewery options, hens parties and half days — the Yarra Valley for every group.
Duration
Half day or full day
Capacity
Max 20
Dancing Kangaroo Tours
Dancing Kangaroo Tours
TripAdvisor's #1 Yarra Valley wine tour — gin, strawberries, boutique wineries and no bad days.
Duration
Full day
Chillout Travel Winery Tours
Chillout Travel Winery Tours
Chandon, Soumah, a two-course lunch and zero stress — the Yarra Valley the easy way.
Duration
Full day
Australian Wine Tour Company
Australian Wine Tour Company
Five Yarra Valley wineries, a long lunch at Balgownie, and an overnight option if one day isn't enough.
Duration
Full day
Capacity
Max 24
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Yarra Valley wine tour cost?
Shared group day tours run from $70 to $170 per person including tastings at 4 to 5 cellar doors, with most sitting between $100 and $145. Luxury chauffeured days run $180 to $340, and half-day formats start around $100. Driver-only private hire from $70 per person is the cheapest way for a group to tour.
Do Yarra Valley wine tours pick up from Melbourne CBD?
Yes, almost all of them. Operators collect from Melbourne CBD hotels and inner suburbs, and the drive takes about an hour each way. Several also pick up from Yarra Valley accommodation for visitors staying in the region.
How many wineries can you visit in one day?
Full-day tours cover 4 to 5 cellar doors with a lunch stop; half-day tours cover 3. The valley's wineries cluster around Yarra Glen, Coldstream, and Healesville, so travel between stops is short.
Are private wine tours worth it in the Yarra Valley?
The Yarra has Australia's most accessible private touring: 28 operators run private days, and formats start from $70 per person for driver-only hire. Because the drive from Melbourne is short, the private premium is smaller here than in any other major region.
Can you combine a hot air balloon flight with a wine tour?
Yes, it is the region's signature combination: a sunrise balloon flight over the valley followed by cellar doors from mid-morning. Some operators bundle both, and helicopter winery tours from Melbourne are also available for the airborne version of the day.
When is the best time to visit the Yarra Valley?
Year-round. Vintage runs late summer into autumn and is the busiest, most atmospheric period; winter pairs Pinot and open fires at the cellar doors; spring brings mild weather and green vineyard views. Summer weekends book out first, so enquire ahead.
The Dossier
The valley is 60 to 80km east of Melbourne, about 60 to 75 minutes via the Eastern Freeway and Maroondah Highway. The drive is a gradual unwinding: outer suburbs giving way to farmland, then the folded hills and state forests of the Great Dividing Range. It's the closest great wine region to a major Australian capital, which means weekends fill quickly. Wednesday to Friday touring is an entirely different experience.
October and November, when the valley is emerald green and the weather is unpredictable in the best possible way, is the window most regulars quietly prefer. Harvest runs late March through May: Pinot Noir typically in March, Chardonnay to mid-April. Winter (June to August) is when the chefs and winemakers take their holidays; fires are lit by 11am in most cellar doors.
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay drive the region's reputation: elegant, cool-climate expressions with real ageing potential, quite different from warmer regions to the north. The food scene is legitimately world-class; the valley feeds Melbourne's best restaurant kitchens and has developed a farm-to-table culture entirely its own. Cellar doors range from the grandly scaled (Domaine Chandon, De Bortoli) to intimate single-hectare producers who open by appointment only.
Curated Reads
Tell us what you're after
Send one enquiry and we'll match you with the right Yarra Valley operator for your group. No cost, no obligation.
Not sure which operator?
We'll match you with the right tour