Yarra Valley is an amazing place where I enjoyed each part of it. The guide Rob made this trip more exciting, he described the history of every single place throughout the trip.
See The Best Of The Yarra Valley From All Angles
Get ready for a spectacular day as you take in the rolling green hills of the Yarra Valley from every angle. If you’re looking for an unforgettable experience, this is it. From the hot-air ballooning start with Global Ballooning(opens in a new tab) through to lunch and wine at one of Australia’s best locations, you will get a perfect introduction to everything the Valley has to offer.
Note: Indicative times of 4:00 am to 6:30 pm would apply but will be confirmed prior to the date of travel. Pick up is from Pullman on the Park Hotel, Wellington Pde, East Melbourne.
Tour Details
Everything You Need To Know
Price
Per Adult: $720
Per Child (6-12 yo): $570
Start time
4:00 am
Finish time
6:30 pm
Meeting place
Pick-up from Pullman on the Park Hotel, Wellington Pde, East Melbourne.
Inclusions
Transport, hot-air balloon experience with breakfast, tastings at Oakridge, Payten and Jones and Medhurst Wineries, main course, a la carte lunch with a glass of wine and coffee at the stunning Yering Station Winery, wine and cheese flight at De Bortoli Winery, bottled water, guide and GST.
Note
Want to do this tour privately? No problem! Contact us for options.
Itinerary
An Early Start
The Yarra Valley is one of Australia’s most famous hot-air ballooning destinations, so get ready to generate some incredible memories. Your day starts very early, pre-dawn when you depart from Pullman on the Park Hotel in East Melbourne for the Yarra Valley where you’ll be transferred to the designated balloon-briefing site.
Get Ready to Fly
Get hands-on and assist with the balloon launch or freely enjoy capturing the experience through photos. And then, you’re airbound! You’ll silently drift above Yarra Glen, the vineyards and the meandering Yarra River. After flying for approximately 1 hour, you’ll descend to pack up the balloon before travelling through to Balgownie Estate Vineyard for a hearty champagne breakfast.
De Bortoli Vineyard Wine & Cheese Flight
You’ll be collected from Balgownie Estate for the short and scenic ride through to the De Bortoli Vineyard at Dixons Creek. This is an elegant start to the day as you’ll enjoy a pairing of selected wines and cheeses at the Valley’s largest producer.
Yering Station Vineyard Lunch & Tasting
It’s then on to Yering Station, site of Victoria’s first vineyard in 1838. You’ll enjoy a tasting of their estate wines in the original winery (circa 1859) that also features local artworks and produce before adjourning to their stunning restaurant for lunch. With its world class views and cuisine, you’ll have an a la carte selection from which to select your main course meal and glass of wine.
Payten & Jones Winery Tasting
After lunch, it’s a change of pace with a visit to Payten & Jones, one of the smaller producers in the Yarra Valley. Behn Payten and Troy Jones produce small batch, approachable wines with personality that include the familiar chardonnay and pinot noir, together with syrah and some mediterranean varietals.
Coldstream Hills Vineyard Tasting
The afternoon continues with a visit to the Oakridge Vineyard at Coldstream. Established in 1978 in the souther and cooler part of the Valley, they moved own the hill to establish their 25 acres vineyard. Their wines are beautifully crafted and have enjoyed success at numerous wine shows, especially the chardonnay and pinot noir.
Medhurst Vineyard Tasting
The final stop for the day is at the charming Medhurst Vineyard. Established in 1999, the family owned vineyard of 35 acres has a delightful elevation in the foothills of the Warramate Ranges and produces a small selection of elegant table wines.
Journey Home
At the end of your Yarra Valley wine and food tour, there is just one thing for you to do – enjoy the ride back to base, taking an alternative route to the one you travelled this morning.
On days when Medhurst Vineyard is closed (Tuesday & Wednesday), visits instead would be made to Punt Road, Dominique Portet or Hubert Estate Vineyards.
What Our Guests Have Said
Best in Melbourne for quality food and wine experiences. Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and other locations. They choose very good wineries, lunch at Yering Station and very knowledgeable guides. Healesville Sanctuary is an option and this is self guided and easily done with the map whilst other people are doing the full winery tour.
Great experience. Our guide Paul was really passionate, knowledgeable and always made us feel really comfortable. We learned so much from him in just a few hours. You could tell that Paul is a kind and generous soul and has acquired long term relationship and connections with the people at the Yarra Valley, which made the experience even more special. […] We would not change anything about this tour and will definitely come back with friends.