Melbourne: Brighton Beach, Healesville & Puffing Billy Steam Train
Four stops in one day: from beach huts to platypus tank to a 120-year-old steam train
You visit Brighton Beach's 82 colorful bathing boxes, spend time at Healesville Sanctuary spotting koalas and the world's only platypus tank, taste wine at Rochford in the Yarra Valley, and ride the historic Puffing Billy Steam Train through the Dandenong Ranges. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, along with entry to the sanctuary and your train ticket. Wine tasting is separate. The full day includes transport time between each stop.
Options for this experience
3 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Melbourne beach, wildlife, wine, and train
- Visit Brighton Beach bathing boxes
- Explore Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary
- Taste wines at Rochford Winery
- Ride Puffing Billy Steam Train
- Brighton Beach 40m
- Healesville Sanctuary Entry included 2h 30m
- Puffing Billy Railway Entry included 30m
What’s included
- Friendly driver/guide.
- admission to Healesville Sanctuary.
- one-way ticket for Puffing Billy Steam Train.
- air-conditioned vehicle with transport between Brighton Beach, the sanctuary, Rochford Winery and the train station.
- hotel pickup and drop-off.
Times
Next departure: 6 Feb 2027
1 departing soon ›Before you book
Operated by Extragreen Holidays
Prices and times updated yesterday
Traveler reviews
The experience
You're standing in front of 82 painted wooden boxes lined up along Brighton Beach, and the light is doing that thing where it bounces off the water and makes everything look like a postcard someone sent you years ago. The driver points out which ones are heritage-listed, which ones tourists always miss, and you're already thinking about which angle will work for a photo. This is how the day starts, not with a speech, but with something you can touch and frame and remember.
Then it's into the air-conditioned vehicle and out toward Healesville Sanctuary, where the platypus tank is the only one in the world and the koalas are close enough that you stop breathing for a second. The Birds of Prey show happens mid-morning, and an eagle actually lands near the crowd, not on cue, just because it does. You see kangaroos the way they actually move, not posed. The sanctuary takes up a solid chunk of the morning, and your guide knows which animals are active at which time, so you're not standing in front of empty enclosures wondering if you missed something.
Rochford Winery sits in the Yarra Valley, Victoria's oldest wine region, and you taste on your own dime. That's the trade-off for not being herded through a tasting menu. The vineyard itself is worth the stop. You can see why people stay in this region for a whole weekend. After that, the Puffing Billy Steam Train is waiting. It's narrow-gauge, 120 years old, and you dangle your feet out the side as it chugs through the Dandenong Ranges. The engine roars, the rainforest closes in, and the whole thing feels like you've stepped into a film from another era. The ride is one-way, so you're not doubling back. The day keeps moving forward.
The driver handles all the logistics: pickups, timing between stops, knowing which attractions are worth lingering at and which ones you can move through faster. If Puffing Billy gets cancelled due to extreme heat or fire restrictions, you get a refund for that portion and the rest of the tour continues. It's not ideal, but it's honest about what can happen in Australian summer. The whole day runs long (most of the time is actually transport between the four spots), but that's the only way you fit all four into one trip from Melbourne.
Is this one for you?Book this if you want Melbourne's main day-trip highlights (beach, wildlife, wine country and a heritage train) without arranging four separate bookings and working out the timing yourself. The fixed itinerary and included transport are what make it possible to see all four in one day.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 15 years); Infant (under 4).
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
How long is the Puffing Billy train ride?
The itinerary specifies a one-way ticket, but the exact duration of the ride itself is not detailed in the tour information.
Is lunch included?
No. The tour includes entry to Healesville Sanctuary and the Puffing Billy train ticket, but meals are not mentioned as part of the package.
What happens if the train is cancelled?
If Puffing Billy is cancelled due to high temperatures, extreme weather, fire restrictions or other unforeseen circumstances, a refund of $45 per adult and $22.50 per child is issued for that portion. All other activities continue as planned.
Is wine tasting included?
No. The tour stops at Rochford Winery in the Yarra Valley, but wine tasting is at your own expense.
What's included in the tour price?
A driver/guide, admission to Healesville Sanctuary, a one-way Puffing Billy Steam Train ticket, and air-conditioned transport between attractions.
Can infants come on this tour?
Yes. Infants are required to sit on an adult's lap during the tour.
Is this tour suitable for people with limited fitness?
Yes, it's suitable for all physical fitness levels. Most of the day involves transport and guided stops rather than strenuous walking.
What time does the tour start and end?
Specific start and end times are not provided in the tour details.
Melbourne: Brighton Beach, Healesville & Puffing Billy Steam Train
10h–13h · EN
from AU$ 212 per person
≈ US$ 151 in your currency
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