Yarra Valley day trip from Melbourne: a simple plan

A Yarra Valley day trip works best when you pick a few stops and keep the driving short. The valley sits north-east of Melbourne. You can see wineries, one of Victoria's best-known wildlife parks and a country town in a single day, with time for lunch.

This plan links them in a sensible order and explains how to get home safely after a day of tastings.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Yarra Valley; Wikipedia, Healesville, Victoria.

How far is it?

Healesville, the main town of the valley, is about 52 km from Melbourne, and about 22 km from Lilydale. Plan on roughly an hour on the road each way, a little more at peak times.

That means you can leave the city by 8.30 am, be at your first stop before 10, and still be back for dinner. Do not try to cram in more than three or four stops. The pleasure of this trip is the slow pace.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Healesville, Victoria. Drive times are our own estimate and vary with traffic.

A simple order for the day

Here is a plan that keeps the driving short.

1. Morning, 9.30 am: a first cellar door near Coldstream, often the first stop for wine visitors.
2. Late morning: a second winery, or a coffee stop in a small town.
3. Lunch: a long table meal at a winery restaurant or a cafe in Healesville.
4. Afternoon, 2 pm: Healesville Sanctuary, while you can still walk comfortably.
5. Late afternoon: head home before the traffic builds.

Put the wine first and the animals second if the day is hot. Put the sanctuary first if you have children with you, since they tire early.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Yarra Valley. Timings are our suggestion.

The wineries

Wine has a long history here. The valley's wine industry is one of the oldest in Australia, and it was Victoria's first planted wine region, starting with a vineyard at Yering Station in 1838. Today there are around 160 wineries, and the area is known for cool-climate wines, especially chardonnay and pinot noir, as well as sparkling wine.

Some practical tips for tasting days:

• Check opening times before you go. Many cellar doors open around 10 am and close in the late afternoon.
• Call ahead for lunch tables on weekends, since the popular ones fill up.
• Choose two or three wineries, not six. Each visit takes about an hour if you taste, chat and buy.
• Spit or sip small. Tasting pours are small, but they add up over a day.
• Ask about freight. Most cellar doors can send a case home so you do not have to carry it.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Yarra Valley (wine).

Healesville and the sanctuary

Healesville is a good place to stop for lunch. It began as a settlement on the Watts River in the 1860s and was surveyed as a town in 1864. It was named after Richard Heales, who was Premier of Victoria from 1860 to 1861. Its main street still has older buildings, and the town is a handy base for the region's food and wine.

Healesville Sanctuary became the Sir Colin MacKenzie Sanctuary in 1934. It is a native wildlife park run by the Victorian zoo authority. You can see platypus, Tasmanian devils, koalas, kangaroos, dingoes and over 200 kinds of native birds.

The sanctuary is also known for its work with animals. The first platypus born in captivity was bred there in 1943. Allow two to three hours for a relaxed visit, and check the sanctuary's current opening times and entry fee before you leave home.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Healesville, Victoria; Wikipedia, Healesville Sanctuary.

Getting there and back safely

Wine and driving do not mix. The simplest fix is to decide on your plan before you leave Melbourne, not at the third winery.

• Book a driver or a guided tour. Several operators run small group day trips from the city. This lets everyone taste freely.
• Take turns. If you drive yourselves, name one person who does not drink at all that day.
• Take the train and a taxi. The suburban line runs as far as Lilydale. You would need a taxi or a booked transfer for the rest of the trip, so arrange it early.
• Stay overnight. If you want a relaxed day, book a room in Healesville or Yarra Glen and drive home the next morning.

Yarra Glen is one of the valley's major towns. It is a pleasant final stop if you have time and a driver who has not been tasting.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Yarra Valley; Wikipedia, Healesville, Victoria. Transport advice is our own general guidance.

Other things to add

If you have more time, the valley has more to offer. The Lilydale to Warburton rail trail follows an old railway line for 38 km and suits walkers and cyclists.

These are better as a second trip. A day trip that tries to do everything ends up as a day spent in the car. Pick the wineries and the sanctuary, leave the rest for another weekend, and take your time.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail.

Sources

1. Wikipedia, Yarra Valley: en.wikipedia.org
2. Wikipedia, Healesville, Victoria: en.wikipedia.org
3. Wikipedia, Yarra Valley (wine): en.wikipedia.org
4. Wikipedia, Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail: en.wikipedia.org
5. Wikipedia, Healesville Sanctuary: en.wikipedia.org