Wine Tours · Tour
Yarra Valley Day Tour from Melbourne: Wineries, Four Pillars Gin and Chocolate Tasting
Ratings collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
MelbourneThis small-group day in the Yarra Valley is built around choice. Tripadvisor voted it the number one tour in Melbourne and Australia in 2026, and it is run as a social, flexible day where guests sample wine, gin, cider, beer and chocolate their own way. The bus collects guests in the Melbourne CBD at Parliament Station and drives about 60 minutes into the valley. Tastings are included at four venues: two wineries, a gin distillery and a private chocolate session. At each stop there are several options to pick from, and the guide splits the group when tastes differ. The day includes wine and cider at a boutique family-run vineyard, a full wine tasting at a 40-acre Italian-style estate, gin paddles at Four Pillars and a private 25-minute chocolate tasting at Yarra Valley Chocolaterie. Beer drinkers can swap in the local craft brewery. Those who want more wine can choose Payten and Jones instead.
What's included
- Flexible itinerary - choose between options at each stop, group can split
- BYO food and drinks welcome on the bus
- Water on board
- Gin paddles at Four Pillars Distillery (4 gins with mixer)
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- Tastings at four venues (5–6 wines or offerings per venue)
- Fun, charismatic and knowledgeable guide
- Private chocolate tasting - 25 minutes, 10–12 chocolates, dedicated room
- 24-seat bus or 13-seat van
- Collaborative Spotify playlist - everyone adds their own songs
Itinerary
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74 Spring St, East Melbourne
Put 'HOTEL WINDSOR' into a maps app to find the spot. Meet at the bus stop directly across from Hotel Windsor, 74 Spring Street, East Melbourne, above Parliament Station, by 8:45 AM. Look for a large white Mitsubishi Rosa bus, license plate BS07ED.
Bus stop opposite Hotel Windsor, Spring Street
Be at the bus stop across the road from Hotel Windsor, 74 Spring Street, East Melbourne, by 8:45 AM. The guide checks everyone in and briefs the group, and the bus leaves by 8:55 AM at the latest. Search 'Hotel Windsor' in a maps app and cross the road. Parliament Station is directly below, in the free tram zone.
Yarra Valley
About 60 minutes by bus, from the Melbourne suburbs through vineyard country into the Yarra Valley. The guide starts a Spotify playlist and guests can add songs from their own phones.
First stop
A small family-run boutique vineyard with a rustic cellar door. Guests try 5-6 wines, including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz, plus the house Pink Lady Apple Cider. Good views, and an easy start to the day.
Italian-style winery, Coldstream
A 40-acre Italian-style winery known for some of the best wines in the valley, including a Tempranillo. Tastings often take place on the terrace, probably the best photo spot of the day.
St Huberts Cellar Door
Option 1, choose 1 of 2 (first group choice of the day): St Huberts 'Quarters' or Domaine Chandon. St Huberts has a full bistro menu (approx. A$25-35), an indigenous art gallery and optional wine and whisky tastings. The group is split if opinions differ.
Domaine Chandon
Option 2, choose 1 of 2: Domaine Chandon's lounge bar instead of St Huberts, with 80 minutes for lunch or drinks at your own expense. It serves only sparkling wine, no beer or still wine, and the food is smaller and pricier than at St Huberts Estate: oysters and cheeseboards, not steaks or burgers. Tell the guide before the tour if you want lunch here so a booking can be made. The lounge menu differs from the restaurant, which is a 3-hour set menu with no time on this tour. A 5-minute photo stop is possible, and most people come for a glass and the scenery.
Four Pillars Distillery
Option 1, choose 1 of 3: Four Pillars serves a gin paddle of 4 gins with mixer, included. The group can split across the three venues.
Payten & Jones Wines
Option 2, choose 1 of 3: Payten & Jones pours an intimate tasting of 5 wines, often by the owners. The group can split across the three venues.
Watts River (Option 3)
Option 3, choose 1 of 3: Watts River, a local favourite, serves a paddle of 4 craft beers. The group can split across the three venues.
Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery
Option 1, choose 1 of 2: a private 25-minute tasting of 10-12 chocolates in a dedicated room, then free time to browse and buy.
Yarrawood Estate
Option 2, choose 1 of 2: a glass of wine with panoramic vineyard views for those who want to keep drinking. Drinks are at your own expense.
Return to Parliament Station
The bus returns to Parliament Station and Hotel Windsor between 4:50 PM and 5:15 PM, depending on traffic.
74 Spring St, East Melbourne
Not included
- Stop at a winery restaurant, order and pay individually (approx. A$25–35)
- Drinks at the lunch venue and final optional stop
- Hotel pickup - easy central Melbourne CBD pickup at Parliament Station (free tram zone)
Good to know
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
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- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Meeting point: Bus stop directly across from Hotel Windsor, 74 Spring Street, East Melbourne - above Parliament Station. Arrive by 8:45 AM
- What to wear: Comfortable clothes and a layer - mornings in the valley can be cool
- BYO food and drinks welcome on the bus; esky provided for bottles purchased at venues
- Every tasting option throughout the day is exactly that - an option. Your guide reads the group and adjusts
- Groups usually 10–20 people; max 22 on the main bus, 13 on the smaller van
- Not wheelchair accessible; no space for luggage, prams, or pushchairs
- Children welcome; full adult price applies on public group tours
- Up to 23 travelers per booking.
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Guiding available in: en.
Reviews
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Ratings collected by Viator and Tripadvisor