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Yarra Valley Tour: Chocolates, Wine, and Penguins
4.5
35 Ratings
Yarra Glen
Explore Australia’s wildlife and landscapes: Penguin Parade, Brighton Beach Boxes, Mt Dandenong views, and close encounters with koalas and kangaroos.
Explore Australia’s wildlife and landscapes: Penguin Parade, Brighton Beach Boxes, Mt Dandenong views, and close encounters with koalas and kangaroos.
Duration:
13 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
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Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery - Located in the scenic Yarra Valley, just an hour from Melbourne, the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery is a paradise for chocolate enthusiasts. With expansive grounds, breathtaking vineyard vistas, and a plethora of sweet delights, this family-friendly spot promises a truly indulgent experience.
-…
- Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery - Located in the scenic Yarra Valley, just an hour from Melbourne, the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery is a paradise for chocolate enthusiasts. With expansive grounds, breathtaking vineyard vistas, and a plethora of sweet delights, this family-friendly spot promises a truly indulgent experience.
- Yarra Valley - Situated in the heart of Gruyere, within the esteemed Yarra Valley wine region, Yarra Valley Winery provides an intimate and memorable wine experience. This boutique winery offers stunning vineyard views, award-winning wines, and warm hospitality, making it a must-visit for wine aficionados and travelers alike.
- Puffing Billy Railway - Puffing Billy is an authentic relic from the early 20th century. Originally one of four narrow-gauge lines opened in 1900 to serve the remote farms and communities of the Dandenong Ranges, it was closed by a landslide in 1953. A dedicated group of volunteers worked tirelessly to restore it, and Puffing Billy was revived as a preserved heritage railway, providing visitors with a unique and genuine steam train experience.
- Maru Koala and Animal Park - Maru Koala and Animal Park is a family-friendly wildlife sanctuary where visitors can interact closely with Australia’s iconic native animals, including koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, and more. Unlike larger zoos, Maru offers a personal, hands-on experience, making it ideal for children and animal enthusiasts. (Subject to the train schedule, not guaranteed to operate)
- Phillip Island Nature Parks - Penguin Parade - The Penguin Parade is one of Australia’s most iconic wildlife experiences, offering a front-row view of the nightly spectacle of Little Penguins (the world’s smallest penguin species) waddling ashore at sunset. This remarkable natural event attracts over 500,000 visitors each year.
What's Included
- Entrance fees
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Entrance fees
- In-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
- Entrance fees
- Alcoholic beverages
- Meals
- Entrance fees
- Alcoholic beverages
- Meals
Additional Information
Departure is scheduled between 8–11 AM, depending on Puffing Billy ticket availability. The exact time will be emailed by 9 PM the day before. In case of extreme weather causing Puffing Billy’s suspension, apply on the platform for a $60 refund; the rest of the itinerary remains unchanged.
Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery: Enjoy handcrafted…
Departure is scheduled between 8–11 AM, depending on Puffing Billy ticket availability. The exact time will be emailed by 9 PM the day before. In case of extreme weather causing Puffing Billy’s suspension, apply on the platform for a $60 refund; the rest of the itinerary remains unchanged.
Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery: Enjoy handcrafted chocolates and ice creams for a delightful treat.
Local Venue & Wine Tasting (Optional, Own Expense): Optionally pair with Yarra Valley’s cool-climate wines.
Puffing Billy Vintage Steam Train: Experience a ride on the vintage narrow-gauge steam train through temperate rainforest.
Maru Koala Park (Optional, Own Expense, Subject to the train schedule, not guaranteed): Encounter Australia’s wildlife—kangaroos, koalas in eucalyptus trees, and unique native species.
Penguin Parade: Witness the world’s smallest wild penguins return to their nests, a magical way to end the day.
Location
Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery
35 Old Healesville Rd, Cnr Melba Highway
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.5
(35 Ratings)
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1 star
Happiness61401178595
Mar 30, 2026
We love the tour! We love Joe! - Booking this day tour (30 March 2026) was one of the best decisions we have made! Joe, our tour guide, was exceptional! He has a light energy that made the 13hours tour fun and exciting! Everything was smooth! He wasn't only a tour guide and driver, he became a friend! He's the best! The tour itself was soooooo worth it, but having Joe was even more amazing! 11/10
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Olga_m
Mar 9, 2026
Best Guide Eric. - A very enjoyable tour.
Eric our guide/driver was very informative and friendly.
Couldn't ask for a nicer person.
He was knowledgeable and helpful.
Eric gave us time and recommendations on what to do and where to sit for best view.
Thank you Eric!
Highly recommend this Tour.
Review provided by Viator
Mayccm2018
Feb 24, 2026
Excellent trip - Got the wrong pickup messages at the beginning. The guide, Shin, was very well-organized, knowledgeable, helpful and attentive. He also provided free bottled water and drinks. The pickup van was clean and comfortable. Quick visit the chocolate factory. The nearby lake was very beautiful. I did not have wine tasting because just joined similar tasting two day before. Then, I admired nearby scenery instead. Regrettably, we did not have time to visit Maru Koala and Animal Park due to schedule of Puffing Billy Railway. Excellent unique experiences - dangled legs outside the carriage. Great Penguin Parade at Philip Island. Shin also let us take pictures when saw kangaroos. Overall excellent experiences.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sarah_w
Feb 13, 2026
Great fun, interesting and good value for money - It's a very long day, but very interesting and a lot of fun. William, our driver and guide provided a lot of information and ensured we were fully informed of ways to get the most out of each stop. Thank you William, I would recommend this trip as good value and great fun.
Review provided by Viator
Sally_n
Jan 24, 2026
Great guide/driver - William our driver/guide was great and made the trip for us.It was a very long day over 12 hours but worth it for the experience especially the little penguins
Review provided by Viator
Erin_f
Jan 8, 2026
It’s worth noting this is... - It’s worth noting this is a long day and you might not make it back to Melbourne until well after midnight.
In saying that it’s a great day out. And the drive is quite pretty, especially through the Yarra.
William was a lovely guide who was eager to make sure everyone had a good time. Puffing Billy is the highlight, but it’s worth doing the Rochford tasting.
Lunch at the chocolate venue is fine but try and take dinner with you to the penguins as the food there is bad.
If you’re keen to do all these activities, this is a compact day trip that delivers.
Review provided by Viator
Meifang_c
Jan 5, 2026
William was a very good... - William was a very good tour guide! He gave us clear instructions and gave us good tips for every location.
Review provided by Viator
Manu_t
Jan 13, 2026
Cool. - Shin is a good guide! Communicated good advice. On the other hand, cover yourself in the penguins... Thank you.
Review provided by Viator
Tourist18291038069
Feb 12, 2026
DON’T DO IT - BADLY ORGANISED & COSTLY - This was an incredibly badly organised trip. The puffing billy train ride was cancelled but we weren’t notified until after the cut off time to cancel. The add ons, chocolate tasting is basically turn up and get offered a few crumbs of chocolate then hang around to go the wine tasting, which you pay for. Again, utterly rubbish, no alternative for those that can’t / don’t drink alcohol. Then on to a totally crap zoo, arriving 30 minutes before it closed. Then on to Phillip Island, arriving just in time to see the little guys cross the beech. Would suggest scrap the chocolate visit & the wine tasting, arrive at the zoo with time to actually look around and arrive MUCH earlier at Phillip Island so that you can actually have time at the visitor centre. In all honesty, I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS TOUR. IT WAS NOT GOOD!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Robynlt9708ry
Feb 6, 2026
Unhappy 🙁 - We didn’t go on this tour as I didn’t get the message for the pickup until the next morning as it was sent late in the afternoon & was charging my phone & thought on our ticket was 11am we rang both numbers with out any answer, so I would like to suggest the pickup message to be sent out earlier, & better customer service to ring up, so we are very disappointed with the outcome & the loss of the money, so we didn’t get to enjoy the trip😢
Review provided by Tripadvisor
