Melbourne: Yarra Valley Wine, Gin & Chocolate Tour

One Day, Four Wineries, Ten Chocolates: The Yarra Valley Route

You're picked up from Flinders Street at 9am and driven an hour into the Yarra Valley to taste wines at two wineries, sample ten handmade chocolates at the Chocolaterie, and eat lunch at a restaurant with a full menu you choose from. The tour splits by preference (wine, gin, or whisky), so you're not forced through a tasting you don't want. You're back in Melbourne by late afternoon, and the driver takes music requests on the way.

Step-by-step itinerary

Yarra Valley wine and chocolate tour

• Meet guide at Ian Potter Centre
• Depart promptly at 9am
• Drive 60 minutes to first winery
• Wine tasting at Soumah winery
• Wine or spirit tasting at St Huberts
• Photo stop at Chandon sparkling wine
• Lunch at Quarters restaurant, Hubert Estate
• Chocolate tasting at Yarra Valley Chocolaterie
• Wine tasting at Balgownie Estate
• Return to Melbourne

The experience

Most days in Melbourne you're either in the city or you're not. This tour splits the difference. You leave the CBD at 9am sharp and by mid-morning you're standing in a vineyard looking out at the Warramate Hills, a glass of Pinot Noir in your hand. The drive takes an hour, half freeway and half through Warrandyte's countryside, which means you actually see the landscape change instead of just hearing about it. Pickup happens at the Ian Potter Centre on Flinders Street, two minutes from the main train station, and the bus (either a 14-seater or 22-seater Mercedes) leaves on time whether everyone's arrived or not, so you show up early.

The wine stops are fixed. You taste five wines at Soumah first, looking over the rolling hills, then move to St Huberts where you get four more, and if wine isn't your thing, they'll swap in beer, cider, or offer gin and whisky tastings for a small extra fee. The flexibility here is real: the tour splits depending on what people want, so you're not forced through a gin tasting if you'd rather stick with wine. Lunch lands at Quarters restaurant inside Hubert Estate, where the menu runs to steaks, handmade pasta, and woodfired pizza, but you pay for what you eat: nothing's included in the tour price, which means you choose your own meal instead of getting locked into a set menu. There's an indigenous art gallery downstairs if you want to wander after eating.

On the way to lunch you can pull into Chandon for photos and shopping (no tasting booked there), and if the Chocolaterie isn't calling you, the driver will take you to Yarrawood Estate or Balgownie early so you can grab a drink before the group arrives. The chocolate stop itself is the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery: a guided tasting of ten different handmade chocolates out of their 500, plus you can watch the chocolatiers working and buy gelato to take with you. The last winery is Balgownie Estate, five wines tasted with views across the valley, though if you'd rather just sit with a coffee or a glass and soak in the ambience, that's an option too. The whole day runs about eight hours, and the driver takes music requests on the drive back.

This works on rainy Melbourne days. It's the kind of thing to do when you're stuck indoors anyway. The tour runs seven days a week, and the reviews are thousands of five-star ratings deep, which usually means the timing works, the stops don't drag, and people actually enjoy the people they're grouped with. Groups stay small enough that the guide can split you up if half the group wants gin and the other half wants wine, so you're not all herded through the same tasting room.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel or city pickup at Flinders Street, transport in an air-conditioned Mercedes bus with a driver who takes music requests, guided wine tastings at Soumah and St Huberts (five wines each), a guided chocolate tasting of ten handmade chocolates at the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery, a wine tasting at Balgownie Estate, lunch at Quarters restaurant (food and drink paid separately), and a stop at Chandon for photos and browsing. Optional gin and whisky tastings are available at St Huberts for an extra fee.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

AgesAdult (7 and older) · Under 7: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 28

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

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

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Red Carpet Wine Tours

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want to taste wine across multiple Yarra Valley wineries and see the region's landscape without arranging your own transport or bookings: the fixed schedule and small groups mean you're not managing logistics, just showing up at Flinders Street and following the itinerary.

Traveler reviews

4.97★★★★★★★★★★

5,271 verified traveler reviews

5 ★5,148

4 ★115

3 ★5

2 ★1

1 ★2

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What time does the tour start and where do I get picked up?

Pickup is at 8:35am at the Ian Potter Centre on Flinders Street (opposite 154 Flinders Street, two minutes from Flinders Street Railway Station). The bus leaves at 9am sharp, so late arrivals can't be waited for.

Is lunch included in the tour price?

No. Lunch is at Quarters restaurant inside Hubert Estate, and you pay for what you order from their menu. This gives you freedom to choose your own meal instead of a set menu.

What if I don't want to do the chocolate tasting?

You can ask the driver at lunch, and they'll take you to Yarrawood Estate or Balgownie Estate instead, where you can buy yourself a drink.

Can I do a gin or whisky tasting instead of wine?

Yes. Gin and whisky tastings are available at St Huberts Cellar Door for a small additional fee.

How long is the tour?

About eight hours from pickup to drop-off, including the drive to and from the Yarra Valley.

What's included in the price?

Transport in an air-conditioned Mercedes bus, wine tastings at Soumah and St Huberts, a guided chocolate tasting at the Chocolaterie, a wine tasting at Balgownie Estate, and the driver.

Can I bring my own food for lunch?

Yes, but you'll need to eat it away from Hubert Estate's grounds. The group eats together at the restaurant.

What if it's raining?

The tour runs rain or shine, seven days a week. It's actually a good option on rainy Melbourne days since you're mostly indoors at wineries and the Chocolaterie.

Are there any restrictions on what I can bring?

No suitcases, wheelchairs, or baby strollers are permitted on the bus.

Can the group split up during tastings?

Yes. The tour has flexibility to split the group depending on preferences for wine, gin, food, and chocolate, so you're not forced through a tasting you don't want.