The Best Things to Do in the Yarra Valley

Well-loved for its world-class wines, there’s more to the Yarra Valley than meets the eye.

It only takes an hour or so to drive from Melbourne to one of Australia’s best wine regions and while some come for day trips to the cellar door there are many more things to do in the Yarra Valley beyond enjoying a top drop.

1. Let Driven Indulgence be your designated driver on a winery tour

Go on a winery tour with Driven Indulgence.

Your vehicle or theirs, take the stress out of wine tasting by booking a private tour from your Yarra Valley accommodation with Driven Indulgence . Design your own itinerary or choose one of their ‘hidden gems’ tours, then sit back and enjoy a day meandering around Victoria’s first wine region home of more than 90 cellar doors.

2. Wander through inspirational gardens

the Coombe Estate in Yarra Valley — Coombe Yarra Valley, the former estate of operatic legend Dame Nellie Melba, invites you to experience its historic charm. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Alwoyn Gardens in Yarra Glen is the seven wonders of the Yarra Valley’s gardening scene.

With seven distinctive gardens including a formal parterre with its tightly clipped geometrical shape, The French Provincial featuring lavender and sunflowers, and a glorious central archway planted with highly scented wisteria and Pierre de Ronsard roses, it’s a gem for garden lovers. Across at Coombe Yarra Valley , Melba’s garden tour will send your heart singing, literally. As the former home of operatic legend, Dame Nellie Melba, and still under the stewardship of her direct descendants, expect to be wowed by old world trees (including an oak more than 180 years old), terraced lawns and rambling roses.

3. Pick up a treasure from a farmers’ market

the exterior of Punt Road Winery, Yarra Valley — Don’t miss the Yarra Valley Farmers’ Market at Punt Road Winery. (Image: Visit Victoria)

In a region based on growing and making, it stands to reason there are great farmers’ markets. The Yarra Glen Racecourse Market oozing with charm and creativity is held on the first Sunday of the month. Wander around the labyrinth of stalls where everything sold needs to pass muster on the market’s philosophy – ‘fresh, home-made, good value and great quality’. If you’re in the Yarra Valley on the third Sunday of the month, don’t miss the Yarra Valley Farmers’ Market held in the scenic grounds of Punt Road Winery where handmade goodies abound and you’ll have the chance to meet the makers. Additionally, keep your eyes open for honesty boxes where you can pick up fresh produce from farm gates.

4. Step back in time at Gulf Station

the Gulf Station, Yarra Valley — The historic Gulf Station in Yarra Glen is one of the country’s oldest farms.

A self-guided tour around one of the oldest and most intact farms in the country is a snapshot into the life of the pioneers of agriculture. Simply known as the Gulf , the station was built in the 1840s and was owned by one family for over 100 years. Now under the care of the National Trust, you can plan a visit on the first Thursday and last Sunday of the month in addition to one of the special events including ‘lost traditions’ day, where demonstrations include butter churning, sheep shearing and horses working the fields.

5. Drive over the Black Spur

a white car driving along the Black Spur — Winding between dense nature, Black Spur offers a scenic drive in the region. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Starting in Healesville, this classic drive winds along 27.5 kilometres of lush forest linking the Yarra Valley with the mountainous areas of Northern Victoria. Lined with the tallest flowering tree on the planet – mountain ash, towering above iridescent green ferns the road zig-zags its way up the Great Dividing Range. Along the way make a stop at Badger Weir to breathe in the scent of the forest and listen to birdsong. The 1.5km walking trail will take you amongst ancient tree ferns along Coranderrk Creek, or there’s a more difficult 3km loop. At the base of the Black Spur, relax at Fernshaw a spacious picnic area surrounded by forest.

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6. Cook up a storm

Seasonal menus with an Italian or French flair are the signature of the Yarra Valley Cooking School hands-on cooking sessions. Gaze across rows of grapes from the purpose-built kitchen as you learn the tricks of the trade during the three-hour class culminating in dining on the fruits of your labour with delicacies like; carrot and mascarpone galette, salt-crusted sea snapper with summer salad, followed by peach clafoutis. Book well ahead and for extra fun, gather a group together and make a day of it.

7. Groove along to one of Rochford Estate’s legendary concerts

If you think most of the action in the Yarra Valley happens during the day, a concert at Rochford Estate will soon have you rocking. Set amidst the family-owned architectural masterpiece, with a capacity of 12,000 people, the Rochford Estate amphitheatre is the home of live music in the Yarra Valley. Over the years, blockbuster names like Elton John, Simple Minds, John Farnham, Cold Chisel and Simple Minds have graced the stage, and fans wait with bated breath (with fingers on speed dial ready to book) when a new concert series is announced. The indoor Rochford Concert Lounge adds another dimension to the music scene with dinner shows featuring local talent playing tribute song lists.

8. Have a berry nice time

a hand holding blueberries, Yarra Valley — The summer season is the best time to pick blueberries. (Image: Getty/Iuliia Pilipeichenko)

Go for the blueberries, and stay for the fun-filled gardens including the super kid-friendly dinosaur trail, and the miniatures garden dedicated to gnomes. Tucked away in Steels Creek, minutes away from Yarra Glen, Oasis Theme Gardens and Blueberry Farm welcomes visitors over the summer season. Once you’ve tasted blueberries straight from the farm, there’s no going back.

9. Take to the skies in a hot air balloon

a hot air balloon over Yarra Valley — Hot air ballooning is a unique experience that is not to be missed when visiting the Yarra Valley. (Image: Visit Victoria)

If you’ve ever dreamt of taking a hot air balloon ride, the Yarra Valley is the place . Protected by the surrounding mountain ranges, stable climatic conditions create the perfect scenario at sunrise to take to the skies float above the valley filled with a patchwork quilt of vineyards, farmland and forests. Make up for the early start by adding in the post-flight breakfast and toast the day with a glass of sparkling.

10. Admire TarraWarra Museum of Art’s fine collection

a man sitting while admiring art inside TarraWarra Museum of Art — TarraWarra Museum of Art presents stimulating and innovative exhibitions. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Designed by acclaimed Australian architect, Allan Powell, to harmonise with the contours and colours of the landscape, the not-for-profit TarraWarra Museum of Art is a work of art in itself. Within the rammed earth walls, the gallery is home to one of the country’s most important collections of Australian art from the 1930s to the present day with pieces by artists including Arthur Boyd, Fred Williams, Charles Blackman, Brett Whitely and Sidney Nolan. The gallery has a robust calendar of exhibitions and with TarraWarra Estate next door, book a table for a lunch where you’ll enjoy an innovative menu featuring local produce.

11. Meet all your favourite Australian animals at Healesville Sanctuary

kangaroos at Healesville Sanctuary — See some of Victoria’s cutest wildlife at Healesville Sanctuary. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Loved by locals and visitors alike, sprawling across 28 hectares of bushland, Healesville Sanctuary is ‘the’ place to connect with around 140 species of Australia’s unique wildlife.

Meander through the various habitats to spot everything from kangaroos to lyrebirds, Tasmanian devils, green-bellied parrots and platypus. Hear from experts about the plight to fight the extinction of native species, book a close-up experience with an animal, go to a keeper talk, or avoid the crowds and take the VIP Sanctuary Tour that includes reserve seating at the ever-popular Spirit of the Skies bird presentation.

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12. Connect to Country

Hand in hand with learning about Australian animals, Healesville Sanctuary also focuses on Indigenous history. The Yarra Valley is home to the Wurundjeri people from the Kulin Nation, and the self-guided Wurundjeri Walk was created in consultation with present-day Elders and spiritual custodians of the land. Celebrating the life of revered Elder, and accomplished artist, William Barak, the self-guided walk passes an ancient scar tree and bark canoe in conjunction with soundscapes of four generations of Elders reflecting on family stories. If you go on a Sunday, you can listen to Murrundindi (Wurundjeri Elder) play the didgeridoo, and find out what makes a boomerang come back.

13. Visit a winery and an Indigenous art gallery at the same time

an aerial view of Hubert Estate, Yarra Valley — The Indigenous art gallery is surrounded by vineyards. (Image: Visit Victoria)

One of the stalwarts of the valley, Hubert Estate has been making wine for over 100 years and along the way adding innovative experiences for visitors to enjoy. Initiated by Adam Knight and Gerry Ryan OAM, who share a passion for Australian Indigenous art, the Hubert Gallery of Art houses works from more than 20 Indigenous communities and includes paintings, sculptures and Marebu (woven mats). The gallery is open seven days a week and conveniently located in the same building as the stylish cellar door.

14. Taste cheese straight from the farm at Yarra Valley Dairy

farmhouse cheeses at Yarra Valley Dairy — Sample a range of fresh cow and goat milk cheeses at Yarra Valley Dairy. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Wine and cheese are a winning combination, and in the Yarra Valley, you can taste both directly from the source. At the Yarra Valley Dairy fresh cow milk from resident cows and goat milk from the neighbouring region of Mansfield are used to create a range inspired by the farmhouse cheeses of France and Italy. Take a seat by the window and watch the world (and cows) go by over a cheese plate with local baked bread and charcuterie.

15. Have a Willy Wonka moment in a real chocolate factory

edible art on display at the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery — Some of the edible art on offer at the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery. (Image: Visit Victoria)

The Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery makes more than 400 different chocolate products, and thanks to the large viewing windows you can watch their chocolatiers at work before enjoying a free chocolate tasting. Learn how to make your own chocolate in one of their hands-on classes, or if you’re travelling with kids, they can lick their fingers in the Junior Chocolatiers class for six-to-12-year-olds. For an off-the-scale chocolatey experience, make it a date for one of the special Chocolaterie High Teas, a decadent twist on a classic.

16. Be-GIN instead of wine

a array of Four Pillars Gin bottles on display — Since its launch in 2013, Four Pillars has become Australia’s most famous spirit. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Wine isn’t the only drink winning awards, as one of Australia’s leading spirit houses, Four Pillars has a long list of international gold and best gin awards to its name. Centrally located in Healesville, the impressive building is a hive of activity seven days a week. Delve into the intricacies of distilling on a behind-the-scenes tour; snag a table in the mezzanine bar for a Four Pillars signature tasting flight, or go all out and book ahead for a distillery gin masterclass and leave with a generous goodie bag to keep the good vibes rolling. And thanks to their Bandwagon range, non-drinkers can enjoy alcohol-free cocktails.

Discover the best restaurants in the Yarra Valley.

Originally written by Amanda Woods and updated by Jocelyn Pride

Located just an hour north-west of Melbourne, the largely undiscovered Macedon Ranges quietly pours some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines and serves up some of Victoria’s best food.

Mention the Macedon Ranges and most people will think of day spas and mineral springs around Daylesford, cosy weekends away in the countryside or the famous Hanging Rock (of enigmatic picnic fame). Or they won’t have heard of the Macedon Ranges at all.

But this cool-climate destination has been inconspicuously building a profile as a high-quality food and wine region and is beginning to draw serious attention from oenophiles and epicureans alike.

The rise of Macedon Ranges wine

liquid gold barrels at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — Barrels of liquid gold at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

With elevations ranging from 300 to 800 metres, Macedon Ranges vineyards are among the highest in the country. This altitude, combined with significant day/night temperature swings, makes for a slow ripening season, in turn nurturing wines that embody elegance and structure. Think crisp chardonnays, subtle yet complex pinot noirs and delicate sparkling wines, along with niche varietals, such as gamay and nebbiolo.

Despite the region’s natural advantages – which vary from estate to estate, as each site embodies unique terroir depending on its position in relation to the Great Dividing Range, soil make-up and altitude – the Macedon Ranges has remained something of an insider’s secret. Unlike Victoria’s Yarra Valley or Mornington Peninsula, you won’t find large tour buses here and there’s no mass marketing drawing crowds.

Many of the 40-odd wineries are family-run operations with modest yields, meaning the wineries maintain a personal touch (if you visit a cellar door, you’ll likely chat to the owner or winemaker themselves) and a tight sales circle that often doesn’t go far beyond said cellar door. And that’s part of the charm.

Though wines from the Macedon Ranges are just starting to gain more widespread recognition in Australia, the first vines were planted in the 1860s, with a handful of operators then setting up business in the 1970s and ’80s. The industry surged again in the 1990s and early 2000s with the entry of wineries, such as Mount Towrong, which has an Italian slant in both its wine and food offering, and Curly Flat , now one of the largest estates.

Meet the new generation of local winemakers

the Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. — The Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Then, within the last 15 years, a new crop of vignerons like Andrew Wood at Kyneton Ridge Estate , whose vineyard in 2024 was the first in the Macedon Ranges to be certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Australia; Geoff Plahn and Samantha Reid at Paramoor , who have an impressive cellar door with a roaring fire and studded leather couches in an old Clydesdale barn; and Ollie Rapson and Renata Morello at Lyons Will , who rapidly expanded a small vineyard to focus on top-shelf riesling, gamay, pinot noir and chardonnay, have taken ownership of local estates.

Going back to the early days, Llew Knight’s family was one of the pioneers of the 1970s, replacing sheep with vines at Granite Hills when the wool industry dwindled. Knight is proud of the fact that all their wines are made with grapes from their estate, including a light, peppery shiraz (some Macedon wineries purchase fruit from nearby warmer areas, such as Heathcote, particularly to make shiraz) and a European-style grüner veltliner. And, as many other wineries in the region do, he relies on natural acid for balance, rather than an additive, which is often required in warmer regions. “It’s all about understanding and respecting your climate to get the best out of your wines,” he says.

farm animals atKyneton Ridge Estate — Curious residents at Kyneton Ridge Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Throughout the Macedon Ranges, there’s a growing focus on sustainability and natural and low-intervention wines, with producers, such as Brian Martin at Hunter Gatherer making waves in regenerative viticulture. Martin previously worked in senior roles at Australia’s largest sparkling winemaking facility, and now applies that expertise and his own nous to natural, hands‑off, wild-fermented wines, including pét‑nat, riesling and pinot noir. “Wild fermentation brings more complexity,” he says. “Instead of introducing one species of yeast, you can have thousands and they add different characteristics to the wine.”

the vineyard at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The estate’s vineyard, where cool-climate grapes are grown. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Most producers also focus on nurturing their grapes in-field and prune and pick by hand, thus avoiding the introduction of impurities and the need to meddle too much in the winery. “The better the quality of the fruit, the less you have to interfere with the natural winemaking process,” says Wood.

Given the small yields, there’s also little room for error, meaning producers place immense focus on quality. “You’re never going to compete in the middle [in a small region] – you’ve got to aim for the top,” says Curly Flat owner Jeni Kolkka. “Big wineries try to do things as fast as possible, but we’re in no rush,” adds Troy Walsh, owner and winemaker at Attwoods . “We don’t use commercial yeasts; everything is hand-harvested and everything is bottled here, so we bottle only when we’re ready, not when a big truck arrives.” That’s why, when you do see a Macedon Ranges product on a restaurant wine list, it’s usually towards the pointy end.

Come for the wine, stay for the food

pouring sauce onto a dish at Lake HouseDaylesford — Dining at Lake House Daylesford is a treat. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

If wine is the quiet achiever of the Macedon Ranges, then food is its not-so-secret weapon. In fact, the area has more hatted restaurants than any other region in Victoria. A pioneer of the area’s gourmet food movement is region cheerleader Alla Wolf-Tasker, culinary icon and founder of Daylesford’s Lake House.

For more than three decades, Wolf-Tasker has championed local producers and helped define what regional fine dining can look like in Australia. Her influence is palpable, not just in the two-hatted Lake House kitchen, but in the broader ethos of the region’s dining scene, as a wave of high-quality restaurants have followed her lead to become true destination diners.

the Midnight Starling restaurant in Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The hatted Midnight Starling restaurant is located in Kyneton. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

It’s easy to eat well, whether at other hatted restaurants, such as Midnight Starling in the quaint town of Kyneton, or at the wineries themselves, like Le Bouchon at Attwoods, where Walsh is inspired by his time working in France in both his food offering and winemaking.

The beauty of dining and wine touring in the Macedon Ranges is that it feels intimate and unhurried. You’re likely to meet the winemaker, hear about the trials of the latest vintage firsthand, and taste wines that never make it to city shelves. And that’s worth getting out of the city for – even if it is just an hour down the road.

Delicate dishes on the menu at Midnight Starling. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

the accommodation at Cleveland Estate, Macedon Ranges — Stay at the Cleveland Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Soak up vineyard views from Cleveland Estate near Lancefield , embrace retro charm at Kyneton Springs Motel or indulge in lakeside luxury at the Lake House .

Eating there

Enjoy a four-course menu at the one-hatted Surly Goat in Hepburn Springs, Japanese-inspired fare at Kuzu in Woodend or unpretentious fine dining at Mount Monument , which also has a sculpture park.

Drinking there

wine tasting at PassingClouds Winery, Macedon Ranges — A tasting at Passing Clouds Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Settle in for a tasting at Boomtown in Castlemaine, sample local drops at the cosy Woodend Cellar & Bar or wine-hop around the many cellar doors, such as Passing Clouds .

the Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar signage — Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Playing there

a scenic river in Castlemaine — Idyllic scenes at Castlemaine. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Wander through the seasonal splendour of Forest Glade Gardens , hike to the summit of Hanging Rock, or stroll around the tranquil Sanatorium Lake.

purple flowers hanging from a tree — Purple flowers hanging from a tree. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

16 of the best things to do in the Yarra Valley