Yarra Valley e-Bike Tour: 40km Rail Trail with Wine & Lunch

Pedal through vineyards and forests instead of watching them pass a bus window

This is a 40km guided e-bike tour along the historic Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail in the Yarra Valley, where you ride through farmland, charming towns and native forest on an electric fat-tyre bike. The route includes morning tea with local produce at Carriage Café, a wine tasting at a local winery or stop at the Home Hotel in Launching Place, and a two-course lunch with a welcome drink at the Alpine Hotel in Warburton. The tour runs for 7 hours and includes a safety briefing, helmet, bike, water, and return bus transfer to Lilydale or your accommodation. A live English-speaking guide leads the group and shares local stories and wildlife insights along the way.

Step-by-step itinerary

e-Bike ride through Yarra Valley

• Start at Lilydale Train Station
• Safety briefing and check-in
• Ride through Lilydale, Mt Evelyn, Wandin
• Stop at Carriage Café for morning tea
• Continue ride towards Launching Place
• Enjoy wine tasting or visit Home Hotel
• Ride through Yarra Junction, Wesburn, Millgrove
• Arrive in Warburton and enter Alpine Hotel
• Have lunch with local drinks included

The experience

What makes this different from a winery tour bus is that you're actually moving through the landscape instead of watching it. The 40km Rail Trail follows a historic railway line that once carried produce from the Yarra Valley, now a flat, gentle path through towering gums, rolling farmland and vineyards. The e-bikes do the heavy lifting. You get the ride without the strain, which means you can focus on the scenery, the towns you pass through (Lilydale, Mt Evelyn, Wandin, Launching Place, Yarra Junction, Wesburn, Millgrove), and the people riding alongside you. The guide brings local history and Australian wildlife into the ride with stories and insights as you go.

The stops are built into the route. You arrive at Carriage Café in Seville by bike: literally riding into a restored Victorian train carriage that sits on the Rail Trail itself. Morning tea includes a freshly made coffee or cool drink and a generous spread of local produce. Later, depending on the day, you either do a wine tasting at a local winery or visit the Home Hotel in Launching Place, a former post office built in 1883 that's become a local landmark. The final stretch takes you through river flats and forests to Warburton, where you ride straight into the Alpine Hotel, originally built in 1885 and recently restored. Lunch is a two-course meal (your choice of main dish plus an entrée or dessert) with a welcome drink of local beer, wine or soft drink included.

The whole day runs 7 hours from the safety briefing at Lilydale Train Station to the finish at the Alpine Hotel. You get a helmet, an Ampd Bros Ace+ fat-tyre e-bike, bottled water throughout, and a return bus transfer back to Lilydale or your accommodation. The group stays together with a ride leader checking in before departure and throughout the day. Minimum age is 16, and you need to be at least 155cm tall and under 130kg. The tour suits all fitness levels because the e-bike handles the gradient.

What’s included

• Ampd Bros Ace+ fat-tyre e-bike and helmet.
• safety briefing and guide in English.
• morning tea with local produce at Carriage Café.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• wine tasting at a local winery or stop at the Home Hotel.
• two-course lunch at the Alpine Hotel with your choice of main dish plus entrée or dessert, plus a welcome drink of local beer, wine or soft drink.
• return bus transfer to Lilydale Train Station or your accommodation.

Before you book

Days and timesSaturdayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (16 to 75 years) · Under 16: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Yarra Valley X

Is this one for you?You ride the entire 40km yourself on an e-bike with a live guide leading the group, so this suits anyone who wants to be in the landscape rather than watching it pass. The electric motor means you don't need to be a strong cyclist or worry about the distance. It's built for all fitness levels and all ages from 16 up, as long as you're comfortable on a bike for a full day with stops built in to rest and refuel.

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Top questions

What's the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail actually like to ride?

The Rail Trail follows a historic railway line through the Yarra Valley with gentle gradients, towering gums, rolling farmland and vineyards. You pass through charming country towns including Mt Evelyn, Wandin, Launching Place, Yarra Junction, Wesburn and Millgrove on a flat, peaceful path designed for cyclists and walkers.

Can I do this ride if I'm not very fit?

Yes. The e-bikes provide electric power so you don't have to break a sweat on the 40km distance. The tour is suitable for all fitness levels because the motor handles the work. You control the pace and the guide adjusts stops to keep the group together.

What happens at Carriage Café and is it really inside a train carriage?

Carriage Café sits directly on the Rail Trail in Seville and is housed in a beautifully restored Victorian passenger train carriage. You ride your e-bike straight in, park it, and settle in for morning tea with a freshly made barista coffee or cool drink and a generous selection of local produce, all included.

Where do we stop for wine, and what's included in the tasting?

The wine tasting happens at a unique local winery in Launching Place, or depending on the day you visit the Home Hotel instead, a former post office built in 1883 with local character. The wine tasting is included in your tour price. Any additional purchases at venues are separate.

What's the lunch at the Alpine Hotel in Warburton, and is it included?

Lunch is a two-course meal at the Alpine Hotel, a historic building originally built in 1885 and recently restored. You choose your main dish plus either an entrée or dessert, with a welcome drink of local beer, wine or soft drink included. Everything is part of your tour price.

How do I get back to Lilydale or my accommodation after the ride finishes?

A return bus transfer is included in your tour. You can be dropped back at Lilydale Train Station or at your local accommodation in the Yarra Valley area, so you don't need to arrange your own transport home.