One day. No driving. Just tastings.

This Yarra Valley experience is built for an easy, small-group day out with transfers from central Melbourne and tastings handled for you. I like that it mixes real local producers—wine, chocolate, fruit, and optional gin—without turning the schedule into a mad dash. The tradeoff to keep in mind: lunch isn’t included, and a couple add-on tastings at St Hubert Estate can cost extra.

What I really like is the balance. You get hosted winery time at iconic Yering Station, then a second tasting stop at Yering Farm Wines (plus apple cider). You also get a guided chocolate session at Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery with up to 12 chocolate creations, which is a fun change from the usual wine-only rhythm—and the guides named in day-of experiences like Shauny, Danny, Stefan, and Posi are often praised for keeping the vibe relaxed and moving smoothly.

A possible drawback is that you’re buying lunch on the day (at Quarters in St Hubert Estate), and some tastings there can add up. If you’re the type who orders a lot, plan a bit of extra spending money.

Quick reasons this Yarra Valley day works

• Small group (max 20, often 10–20) keeps tastings calmer and questions easier to ask.
• Tasting fees are handled for the included stops, so you’re not hunting down extra payments between venues.
• Yarra Farm Fresh strawberry stop plus a complimentary punnet of strawberries (limited time) makes it feel more local than a generic wine circuit.
• Guided chocolate tastings with up to 12 creations gives you variety without requiring a sweet-tooth IQ test.
• Optional gin flight (with mixer) at Stag Lane or Four Pillars lets you tailor the day.
• St Hubert Estate lunch time + browsing means you’re not only standing in tasting rooms all day.

Price and logistics: what $93.24 buys you (and what it doesn’t)

At $93.24 per person, this is best viewed as a “day of multiple tastings + transport” deal. You’re paying for the structure: central pickup/drop-off, a set itinerary, and included tasting fees for the stops built into the day.

What’s not included is the meal. Lunch at St Hubert Estate is at Quarters, and you purchase mains and drinks yourself. Also, tastings at St Hubert Estate after lunch—like extra wine, gin, or whisky—can cost extra (usually around A$15 per person). So if you want a long tasting menu, your final spend will be more than the headline price.

One more practical detail: there’s no hotel pickup or drop-off. You meet at Arts Centre Melbourne Spire (Southbank) and return to ACMI/Federation Square area. That’s easy if you’re staying central, and annoying if you’re not.

Meet at Arts Centre Melbourne Spire: how the day starts

The day begins with a simple meeting plan. You arrive by 8:45am at Arts Centre Melbourne Spire, and the meeting point is by the cafe stand in front called Protagonist. Departure is sharp at 9:00am, so if you’re coming in from elsewhere, give yourself padding.

Then it’s straight onto the road. The tour runs about 8 hours 30 minutes and aims to get you back to Melbourne by 5:30pm (or earlier). That timing matters if you like a full morning and a relaxed evening—this tour is designed to get you home while it’s still light enough to do something easy afterward.

You’ll also get a mobile ticket, which helps on a day when you’re bouncing between venues and don’t want extra paperwork.

Yarra Farm Fresh: strawberries and seasonal fruit like a local

Most days start with Yarra Farm Fresh. This is where the tour shifts from “wine country bus ride” into “food-first Yarra Valley.” You’ll have about 40 minutes, and it’s focused on fresh fruit—especially strawberries—plus seasonal fruit and local jams.

If you’re worried about it being too “small and random,” don’t. The strawberry stop is one of the best ways to break up the day before alcohol starts flowing. It also gives you something tangible to remember later, since the region’s fruit character is a big part of Yarra Valley’s identity.

There’s also a nice bonus offer: a complimentary punnet of strawberries is included per booking for a limited time (subject to availability until 28 Feb 2026).

Yering Station winery tastings: the classic icon stop

After the fruit, you head to Yering Station for wine tastings. This is about 50 minutes and it’s positioned as one of the iconic Yarra Valley estates—the kind of place that gives context fast, because it feels established and purpose-built for visitors.

This stop is valuable because it’s not just about sampling. You’re also getting a guided tasting experience, and the pacing usually helps you understand what you’re tasting: style, acidity, aroma, and how Yarra Valley’s cooler-climate character shows up in the glass.

One thing to keep your expectations realistic: tastings are time-limited. Even if the pours are generous, you won’t be doing a slow, deep session. If you’re the type who wants to learn one grape really well, consider buying a bottle you love and doing a personal follow-up later.

St Hubert Estate lunch at Quarters: where your budget gets real

Then comes lunch at St Hubert Estate, at Quarters. Lunch time is around 11:45am, and it’s the one part of the day you plan around yourself—so eat breakfast before you go, because you’ll likely still be hungry once you arrive.

You’ll have about 1 hour here. The practical win is that you’re not locked only into lunch. There’s also time to explore parts of the estate, including the cellar door, wine shop, and an indigenous art gallery. That browsing time is what turns the day from “tasting rooms on a schedule” into something more like a real estate visit.

The financial watch-out: lunch is your cost. And if you want more than what’s included, additional tastings after lunch at St Hubert Estate—whisky, gins, or wine—require an extra fee (usually about A$15 per person). If you already upgraded your ticket for gin flight earlier, you can keep it lighter here.

Yering Farm Wines: rustic pours plus apple cider

Next up is Yering Farm Wines for wine tastings, with a refresh built in: apple cider. It’s about 45 minutes.

This is one of the stops I’d recommend for variety. Wine people often like having a non-wine option to reset your palate, and the cider gives you a different flavor angle without derailing the day. It’s also described as a charming rustic stop, which usually means the atmosphere is less formal than some of the bigger estates.

One detail to know: sometimes the apple cider tasting can change if the venue is unavailable due to private events or closures. If that happens, a substitute winery may be visited and the apple cider tasting might not be included. That’s rare, but it’s why I always tell friends to keep their itinerary flexible in their head.

Chocolate at Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery: up to 12 creations

If wine starts to blur, chocolate fixes that fast. At Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery, you’ll get a guided tasting session with up to 12 hand-crafted chocolate creations. The stop is 45 minutes.

This is more than “here’s a sample.” A guided tasting helps you compare textures and flavors—dark vs milk, fruit vs nut profiles, and how sweetness shifts between bites. It also gives you a late-day mood boost because chocolate tastings often feel lighter (mentally, not necessarily physically).

A small practical tip: pace yourself. If you’re doing optional gin later, too much chocolate sweetness can make gin flavors seem sharper. That doesn’t ruin anything, but it can shift what you notice in your glass.

Gin distillery flight: choose Stag Lane or Four Pillars

Gin is the optional upgrade. If you choose the full tasting experience, you’ll get a guided gin flight with a mixer at a distillery stop that depends on the day.

• Stag Lane Farm Distillery is visited on Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
• Four Pillars Distillery is visited on Tuesday and Wednesday only.

The gin flight time is about 45 minutes, and it’s described as a guided session served with a mixer. If you’re a gin fan, this stop can be the highlight because it adds a totally different set of aromas—botanicals instead of grapes.

Also, the itinerary has a nice built-in adjustment: if nobody in your group chooses the gin distillery experience, the tour extends the final stop by 15 minutes and departs earlier for a smoother return. So you won’t feel like you got “cut” even if you skip it.

How the pacing feels in real life: a day that stays fun

The whole tour is structured as multiple producer stops with short to medium tasting windows:

• fruit and jam (40 minutes)
• one iconic winery tasting (50 minutes)
• lunch and browsing (about 1 hour)
• second winery tasting (45 minutes)
• chocolate guided tasting (45 minutes)
• optional gin flight (45 minutes)

That pacing means you’re constantly doing something, but it’s not the kind of schedule where you’re sprinting across acres. Still, it’s a full day. Expect to be standing for tastings, walking between venues, and keeping your energy up through lunch.

The tour also uses a small group size (max 20) which helps a lot. Smaller groups tend to mean less waiting at doors and more time for staff to answer your questions.

Value check: included tastings vs extras at St Hubert

Here’s the honest way to judge value: the included tastings are doing real work for the price, because you’re not paying tasting fees at every step. The day is also set up so you don’t have to handle driving, booking, and transport between producers.

Your “extra” costs to plan for are mostly these:

• Lunch at Quarters (buy your own mains and drinks)
• Optional additional tastings at St Hubert Estate (usually around A$15 per person)
• Gin tasting flight only if you pick the full tasting option (otherwise gin distillery participation is optional)

If you want both wine and gin, this tour can be a strong deal because you’d otherwise need separate reservations and transport planning across multiple venues. If you only want one type of tasting—say, only wine and not gin—then it’s still a good value, but you’ll want to keep an eye on St Hubert’s optional add-ons so the day doesn’t creep beyond what you planned.

Practical tips so you enjoy every stop

A few things make a difference on Yarra Valley days:

• Bring a light layer. Even if Melbourne starts mild, you can feel temperature shifts throughout the day.
• Eat breakfast. Lunch is around 11:45am, and lunch is not included.
• If you’re skipping gin, you’ll still enjoy the late-day timing, but don’t plan a super late dinner reservation right after returning.
• In summer, plan for heat. The tour notes that it can be hot/sunny, and alcohol plus heat can wear you out faster.
• If you have mobility concerns, take the accessibility note seriously. The tour states it isn’t suitable for people with mobility issues, particularly due to climbing stairs at some experiences.

Who should book this Yarra Valley wine + chocolate + gin tour?

Book it if you want:

• a one-day taste of Yarra Valley without driving
• a mix of wine + fruit + chocolate (not just wine)
• the option to add gin with a guided flight
• a smaller-group vibe with less chaos

Skip it if:

• you hate alcohol in general or you’re sensitive to hot weather with alcohol
• you need fully step-free access
• you’re expecting lunch and all additional tastings to be included in the base price

Also, kids aged 4 to 17 can join, but they won’t be served alcoholic tastings. That can work for families who want the scenery and the food stops, as long as you plan around the non-alcohol portion.

Should you book this tour or not?

I think you should book it if you’re aiming for a balanced, guided day: fruit early, wineries in the middle, chocolate as the palate reset, and optional gin if that’s your thing. The small-group setup and the included tasting fees are the reasons this feels like value rather than just “paying for a bus.”

I’d hesitate only if you’re very budget-tight, because lunch and some extra tastings at St Hubert Estate can add cost. If you’re okay planning for that, you’ll likely end the day with enough flavors to remember—and enough variety that it doesn’t feel like the same sip repeated five times.

FAQ

FAQ

What time do we meet and when does the tour depart?

You meet at 8:45am at Arts Centre Melbourne Spire, in front of the cafe stand called Protagonist. The tour aims to depart at 9:00am sharp.

Where does the tour start and where does it end?

It starts at Arts Centre Melbourne Spire (Southbank) and ends at ACMI / Federation Square area in Melbourne. The tour typically returns by 5:30pm or earlier.

Is lunch included?

No. Lunch at St Hubert Estate at Quarters is not included. You can buy mains and drinks there.

Are tasting fees included?

Yes. The tour is described as including tasting fees for the included tastings, so you shouldn’t need to pay separately at each included stop.

Do I have to pay extra for gin?

Gin is tied to the full tasting experience upgrade. The gin flight at the distillery is optional and requires choosing that full option.

Which gin distillery will we visit?

It depends on the day:

• Stag Lane Farm Distillery on Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
• Four Pillars Distillery on Tuesday and Wednesday

What is included in the chocolate stop?

You get a guided chocolate tasting at Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery, with up to 12 chocolate creations.

Is there a strawberry farm stop?

Yes. You visit Yarra Farm Fresh to enjoy fresh strawberries (and seasonal fruits and local jams). A complimentary punnet of strawberries is included per booking for a limited time.

What should I eat before joining the tour?

Lunch is around 11:45am and isn’t included, so it’s recommended that you eat breakfast before you go.

Is the tour suitable for kids or people with mobility issues?

Children 4 to 17 can join but won’t be served alcohol tastings. The tour also notes it is not suitable for people with mobility issues, particularly due to stairs.