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Yarra Valley Wildlife and Wine Tour: Koalas, Kangaroos, and Tastings
4.9
311 Ratings
Melbourne
Experience the best of the Yarra Valley on this full-day tour from Melbourne. Visit Healesville Sanctuary to see native wildlife, enjoy a delicious lunch and wine tasting at Yering Station Vineyard, and end the day with cheese and wine at De Bortoli Winery.
Experience the best of the Yarra Valley on this full-day tour from Melbourne. Visit Healesville Sanctuary to see native wildlife, enjoy a delicious lunch and wine tasting at Yering Station Vineyard, and end the day with cheese and wine at De Bortoli Winery.
Duration:
10 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Healesville Sanctuary - Home to more than 200 species of Australian native animals and set amidst natural bushland, the Healesville Sanctuary is the ideal place to observe our iconic wildlife up close. An enhancement to the visit is a Kangaroo Encounter where you have the opportunity with a keeper to feed and pat these adorable animals (if the…
- Healesville Sanctuary - Home to more than 200 species of Australian native animals and set amidst natural bushland, the Healesville Sanctuary is the ideal place to observe our iconic wildlife up close. An enhancement to the visit is a Kangaroo Encounter where you have the opportunity with a keeper to feed and pat these adorable animals (if the animal allows). A Koala Encounter is also available but there’s no touching or feeding involved, just an opportunity to get some amazing up close pictures. An additional fee applies for these encounters . Please advise if you wish to book this.
- Yering Station - You’ll enjoy a tasting of estate and reserve wines in the historic cellar door before adjourning to the modern light filled restaurant for an a la carte, main course meal, glass of wine and coffee.
- De Bortoli Winery - Set on more than 450 acres of vineyard clad hills, the visit to the De Bortoli Vineyard is a terrific end to the day. The wine tasting includes their estate and premium wines together with their iconic dessert wine, Noble One. The tasting is enhanced with a pairing of selected cheeses.
What's Included
- Admission to Healesville Sanctuary
- Complimentary bottled water
- Convenient hotel pickup and drop-off
- Expert driver/guide assistance
- Enjoyable lunch with a glass of wine
- Comfortable in-vehicle air conditioning
- Engaging live commentary during the tour
- Admission to Healesville Sanctuary
- Complimentary bottled water
- Convenient hotel pickup and drop-off
- Expert driver/guide assistance
- Enjoyable lunch with a glass of wine
- Comfortable in-vehicle air conditioning
- Engaging live commentary during the tour
What's Not Included
- Purchases of a personal nature.
- Koala Encounter (currently AUD$30 per person per animal)
- Purchases of a personal nature.
- Koala Encounter (currently AUD$30 per person per animal)
Additional Information
Embark on an intimate group tour, blending Victoria’s globally recognized Yarra Valley wine tasting experience with the observation of local wildlife. Depart from Melbourne on a journey to the Healesville Sanctuary, a refuge created for the preservation of threatened animal species. Spend your morning witnessing the habits of quintessential Australian…
Embark on an intimate group tour, blending Victoria’s globally recognized Yarra Valley wine tasting experience with the observation of local wildlife. Depart from Melbourne on a journey to the Healesville Sanctuary, a refuge created for the preservation of threatened animal species. Spend your morning witnessing the habits of quintessential Australian animals like kangaroos, koalas, emus, and other native species.
Come early afternoon, head over to the Yering Station Vineyard for a delightful main course lunch complemented by wine tasting. The day comes to a close with a cheese and wine session at the De Bortoli Winery.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Does not include meals for infants
- Must be 18 years old or older to drink
- Please advise of any specific dietary requirements when booking
- Collapsible wheelchairs with removable wheels are welcome providing there is someone with the passenger who can help them board and disembark
- Operates rain or shine; please dress appropriately
- Encounters with a kangaroo, koala, wombat or dingo are available at extra cost. Please enquire if interested although places are limited
Location
3000
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
4.9
(311 Ratings)
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Learner100
Jul 4, 2025
Well organized tour. The guide was very knowledgeable and accommodating. We had a nice lunch & tour at a good winery - Well run tour. Good attractions. Lunch and wine tasting at a well respected winery. Also the tour to Australia wildlife sanctuary was world class
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karen_b
Jun 20, 2025
This was the perfect day... - This was the perfect day tour. Spent the morning with native animals at the sanctuary. The bird flyover is not to be missed. In the afternoon we had tastings at 2 wineries and a lovely lunch. Rob knew his stuff.
Review provided by Viator
Chantsuda
Jun 8, 2025
Wonderful trip : ) - Such an enjoyable trip : ) The tour included visits to Healsville Sanctuary and the two wineries - Yering Station and De Bertoli, each offering a unique experience. What impressed me are the wine paring with different kinds of cheese at De Bertoli where you got a chance to taste their dessert wine, Noble One year 2020 and 2000! and also my first time tasting Shiraz with Viognier at Yering Station. Shiraz is actually not my favourite but when it comes with Viognier, it is quite smooth. Most importantly, Paul, our tour guide is such a good host with excellent information of wine and overall Melbourne. Just book the trip with Paul, no need to think : )
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Josephcx3860bu
May 12, 2025
Great day of wine and wildlife to explore more of Australia beyond Melbourne city - This was a great experience. Paul as the guide was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, making sure all of us had a fun time during the day.
The Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary was such a cool experience - it's definitely worth splurging for the Koala or Kangaroo experience if possible, but the setup of the sanctuary was extremely well set up, and such a great format for both self-guiding and more formal expert led sessions.
The two wineries were very good - enjoyed tastings and food at both (lunch at Yering Station and cheese with wine at Debortoli). Definitely brought a few bottles of wine home with me afterwards to enjoy at a later date and to remember the experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kari_g
Apr 19, 2025
Absolutely stellar experience - Six stars (if I could!) Would recommend 1000%.
I organized this trip as part of a family wedding reunion week and Paul expertly balanced our needs to socialize with fascinating insights about local politics and history of the Yarra Valley. A truly VIP experience.
The tour itself was so well-organized! Paul was equally knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the animal conservation sanctuary as he was about the two vineyards. His insights about the sanctuary animals added so much to the experience and his relationships with the wineries made us feel so welcome.
The gourmet lunch was such a treat! Much better than we expected from a tour.
Just one portion of the tour would have been exceptional on its own; as a full day, it is impossible to exceed. Every detail was perfect.
Review provided by Viator
Adsi20
Apr 17, 2025
Excellent tour - Excellent - highly recommended.
Rob was a great and friendly guide - lots of interesting info.
Small group size (5 in total) and very comfortable transportation.
Healesville sanctuary worth a visit (entry included) to see native animals.
Lunch excellent with good choices.
Wineries we visited offered different experiences - particularly liked the wine and cheese pairing at DeBortoli
Saw kangaroos ++ on way back!
Overall memorable experience and 5 stars well deserved
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Slotowngirl2013
Mar 24, 2025
Great day trip from Melbourne - This was a fun all day adventure from Melbourne. Our guide, Adrian, made the van ride go quickly with his knowledge of area history, Australian animals, and wine in the Yarra Valley. The time at the animal sanctuary was just right for seeing everything but not feeling rushed. The bird show was absolutely charming. The birds only participate if they want to. Lunch after wine tasting at the first winery was delicious and the venue is beautiful. The cheese and wine pairing at the second winery was the perfect end to the day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Heidirothaguinis
Mar 23, 2025
Spectacular Experience! - Wow! What an amazing day! Paul was a wonderful guide, providing details about the area, history, and escorting my husband and I (with one other couple) through the animal sanctuary! It felt like a private tour & was totally worth the price! The lunch was incredible with multiple delicious choices. And the restaurant/vineyard was beautiful & great wines to try. The second vineyard also offered lovely wines & an amazing cheese pairing. The day was not complete until we saw groups of hopping kangaroos across the fields! Truly a memorable day!! Thank you Paul!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karen_g
Mar 12, 2025
Wildlife and Wine a great combination! - We had a terrific time on the Wildlife and Wine Tour with our Tour Guide, Cam! Great guy, very personable and knowledgeable. We loved the combination of the Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary, a delicious lunch with beautiful views of the Yarra Valley, and a few wine tastings to follow.
The Sanctuary does good work, and it’s a reasonable size to cover in a few hours. We saw most of the animals you’d expect to see on a trip to Australia.
The wineries were beautiful and every tasting was special. We would recommend making this trip a must in Melbourne if Cam is your guide, you’ll be sure to have a great time!
Review provided by Viator
Tommp3995tm
Mar 10, 2025
Excellent wine tasting and lunch - The sanctuary was very interesting, but the highlight was the wineries. They were all great and the wines, lunch, and cheese tasting were very good.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
