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The Ultimate Guide to the Yarra Valley
Adventure out into this beautiful valley where a world of wine, art and luxury accommodation awaits.
Just an hour from Melbourne, the Yarra Valley has emerged as one of Victoria’s most polished escapes, and right now, it is firmly in demand. As peak summer sets in, Australians are increasingly opting for holidays with softer edges. Expedia’s latest Summer Travel Outlook shows travellers moving away from crowded beaches and back-to-back itineraries, instead seeking cooler air, gentler landscapes and a sense of space that feels increasingly rare. The Yarra Valley has become the clear frontrunner, recording an impressive 85 per cent rise in accommodation demand.
It is easy to see why. Vineyards unfurl across rolling hills, cellar doors anchor long afternoons, and destination dining turns weekends into rituals worth repeating. Cherry orchards, twilight tastings and tiny-home stays add to the appeal, creating a style of luxury that feels relaxed rather than showy. Whether you are planning a romantic getaway, a wine-led weekend or a design-minded retreat, this guide brings together the best wineries, restaurants, stays and experiences in the Yarra Valley right now.
Things to Do Yarra Valley: Wineries
CHANDON
An essential Yarra Valley stop, CHANDON pairs world-class sparkling wine with one of the region’s most beautifully designed cellar doors. The pastel-hued tasting room opens to sweeping vineyard views, creating an effortless setting for lingering over a flute or two. Tastings span Chandon’s classic méthode traditionnelle styles alongside limited releases, best enjoyed slowly on the terrace with the valley spread out before you.
727 Maroondah Highway, Coldstream
Helen’s Hill Estate
Helen’s Hill Estate is a relaxed, food-forward winery at the gateway to the Yarra Valley, best known for its elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and cool-climate Shiraz. Book a guided cellar door tasting, then settle in at the Deck Bistro for wood-fired pizzas and seasonal plates served with vineyard views. It’s an easy, generous stop designed for long lunches and unhurried afternoons.
16 Ingram Road, Lilydale
St Hubert’s Estate
Architecturally striking and deeply rooted in Yarra Valley history, St Hubert’s Estate balances heritage with contemporary polish. The cellar door sits at the gateway to the region, making it a natural first stop. Tastings showcase the estate’s acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon alongside elegant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, often paired with local cheese and charcuterie for a considered introduction to the valley’s cool-climate strengths.
1-3 St Huberts Road, Coldstream
Yering Station
Victoria’s oldest vineyard remains one of its most compelling. Established in 1838, Yering Station’s historic cellar door offers tastings that feel both informative and unpretentious. Guests are guided through a broad portfolio spanning sparkling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with a focus on understanding style and site. The estate restaurant makes this an easy one-stop destination for those keen to combine wine education with refined dining.
38 Melba Highway, Yering
Giant Steps
A pilgrimage site for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay devotees, Giant Steps delivers precision, purity and place in every glass. The upstairs tasting room in Healesville offers a refined look at both regional and single-vineyard wines, each shaped by minimalist winemaking and exceptional fruit. Tastings reveal the nuance between sites, making this a must for anyone wanting to understand the Yarra Valley at a deeper level.
314 Maroondah Highway, Healesville
Panton Hill
Set among rolling Yarra Valley hills, Panton Hill Winery pairs rustic charm with a distinctly European sensibility. Striking, Southern Europe–inspired architecture frames a relaxed cellar door pouring estate wines across dry, sweet, sparkling and fortified styles. Light plates round out the experience, making it an easy, transportive weekend escape that feels blissfully removed from Melbourne, yet close enough for a leisurely day trip.
145 Manuka Road, Panton Hill
Fin Wines
For those drawn to natural wine, Fin Wines offers a relaxed, low-intervention tasting experience set among the hills of Dixons Creek. Open on the first weekend of each month, tastings feature six seasonal wines served simply, often alongside smoked almonds. The range shifts regularly, with chillable reds, skin-contact whites and experimental releases reflecting a thoughtful, soil-first approach to winemaking.
119 Lorimers Lane, Dixons Creek
Things to Do Yarra Valley: Restaurants & Winery Restaurants
Zoncello
A newer arrival in Healesville, Zoncello is the dedicated home of Zonzo’s cult limoncello spritzes. Bright, energetic and unapologetically fun, the space leans into aperitivo culture with spritzes on tap, wood-fired pizzas and antipasti designed for sharing. It’s a late-afternoon favourite that brings a distinctly European essence to the valley.
316–334 Maroondah Highway, Healesville
Coombe Yarra Valley – Melba Estate
Set on seven acres in Coldstream, Coombe Yarra Valley is the former home of Dame Nellie Melba and a richly storied Yarra Valley destination. The restaurant sits within the beautifully restored motor house, complete with its historic clock tower. Menus highlight fresh local and estate-grown produce, paired with elegant Coombe wines, all enjoyed alongside sweeping views of landscaped gardens, Melba’s courtyard and glimpses of Victoria’s oldest in-ground swimming pool.
673-675 Maroondah Highway, Coldstream
Jayden Ong
Jayden Ong’s Healesville cellar bar offers one of the most intimate and thoughtful tasting experiences in the valley. His wines are detailed, expressive and finely tuned, sitting comfortably alongside a carefully curated selection of international bottles. Tastings here feel personal and exploratory, appealing to serious wine lovers seeking something beyond the mainstream. It’s a small space with a quietly stellar reputation.
8 Hunter Road, Healesville
Levantine Hill
Levantine Hill pairs architectural drama with one of the valley’s most ambitious dining experiences. Begin with a benchmark wine tasting, then settle in for a Mediterranean-leaning lunch designed to match the estate’s rare and premium wines. Polished without feeling stiff, it’s a destination built for long, celebratory meals and special-occasion indulgence.
882 Maroondah Highway, Coldstream
Seville Estate
First planted in 1972, Seville Estate has built a fine reputation for premium estate grown and made wine. But we’re even bigger fans of their on-site restaurant, which plays host to a series of visionary chefs who create unique menus that pair perfectly with the estate’s wines. The limited time nature of these chefs-in-residence ensure that each meal at Seville Estate is a flavourful experience, a little like being invited to the best dinner party ever.
65 Linwood Road, Seville
1309 at Balgownie Estate
Set within Balgownie Estate, 1309 Restaurant, Bar & Deck centres on contemporary seasonal dining paired with award-winning estate wines and sweeping vineyard views. Menus shift with the harvest, matching refined modern Australian dishes to thoughtful wine pairings. Start with a drink on the deck as the sun drops over the vines, then settle in for a relaxed Yarra Valley dining experience.
1309 Melba Highway, Yarra Glen
Meletos
Housed within restored vignerons’ quarters, Meletos blends regional charm with contemporary polish. The restaurant champions seasonal produce across relaxed, beautifully executed menus, while the adjoining brewery and cafe extend its appeal from morning through evening. With orchards, vineyards and a boutique hotel on site, Meletos works just as well for a lingering lunch as it does for a weekend base.
12 St Huberts Road, Coldstream
Zonzo Estate
Zonzo Estate delivers Italian hospitality at its most convivial. Long lunches unfold around wood-fired pizzas, handmade pasta and generous pours of estate wine, enjoyed indoors by the fire or outdoors overlooking the vines. In warmer months, a shared bottle of Zoncello, the estate’s limoncello-Prosecco spritz, feels almost compulsory. It’s relaxed, lively and endlessly enjoyable.
957 Healesville-Yarra Glen Road, Yarra Glen
Quarters at St Hubert’s Estate
Set among the vines at Hubert Estate, Quarters is made for long, leisurely meals that unfold at their own pace. The menu leans modern Australian with European accents, spanning wood-fired pizzas, handmade pastas and generous share plates designed for the table. Vineyard views, a relaxed mood and excellent wine pairings make it a natural choice for a Yarra Valley lunch that gently stretches into the afternoon.
1-3 St Huberts Road, Coldstream
Healesville Hotel
Grand, old-school and proudly sprawling, this classic country pub delivers exactly the sort of Yarra Valley detour worth building a day around. With a public bar, dining room and an unmissable garden primed for long afternoons, Healesville Hotel carries an easy old-world charm that feels reassuringly timeless. After a vineyard-hopping day, settle in for some of the region’s most reliable pub fare. Expect freshly shucked oysters and nduja sausage rolls alongside broccoli spaghetti, tuna crudo, burrata, perfectly cooked steaks and a cheeseburger that knows its place on the table.
256 Maroondah Highway, Healesville
Things to Do Yarra Valley: Accommodation
Re’em
One of the valley’s most refined boutique stays, Re’em offers 16 luxury rooms overlooking vineyards and landscaped gardens. Interiors are sleek and modern, many with deep soaking tubs positioned for vineyard views. With a cellar door and fine-dining restaurant on site, it’s an indulgent base for couples seeking a polished, all-in-one Yarra Valley escape.
Book your stay with Booking.com
12-14 Spring Lane, Gruyere
Balgownie Estate
Balgownie Estate is a winery and accommodation destination spanning two distinctive regions. In the Yarra Valley, one of the area’s largest hotels pairs 70 rooms and suites with a brand-new modern Australian restaurant and a Halliday five-star winery. Guests can explore wines from estate vineyards in the Yarra Valley and Bendigo, where Balgownie’s winemaking story began in 1969, all within a refined, all-in-one escape.
Book your stay with Balgownie Estate
Book your stay with Booking.com
1309 Melba Highway, Yarra Glen
Yarrawalla Vineyard Cottage
With vineyard views and an easygoing vibe, Yarrawalla Vineyard Cottage is a private Yarra Valley escape shaped by four generations of creative and farming lives. Surrounded by rolling pastures and vines, it sits within walking distance of leading wineries, food hubs and concerts, with Healesville just ten minutes away. Inside, open-plan living, generous queen bedrooms dressed in luxe linen, a crackling fireplace and thoughtful welcome hampers create a stay that feels polished, personal and quietly indulgent.
Book your stay with Yarrawalla Vineyard Cottage
Address available upon request
Seville Estate
Accommodation at Seville Estate ranges from vineyard apartments designed for couples to a spacious homestead suited to groups. Each option places guests directly within the landscape, with balconies and windows opening onto vines, gardens and distant hills. It’s a quietly luxurious way to stay close to the region’s wine, food and natural beauty.
Book your stay with Seville Estate
Book your stay with Booking.com
65 Linwood Road, Seville
The Farmhouse at Meletos
Set among vineyards and apple orchards, The Farmhouse at Meletos delivers Tuscan-inspired elegance across 23 individually styled rooms. Expect layered textures, thoughtful design and uninterrupted rural views. Guests enjoy breakfast at Meletos Café and easy access to the estate’s dining, brewery and surrounding wineries, making it an effortless and immersive stay.
12 St Huberts Road, Coldstream
Kangaroo Manor
For complete privacy, Kangaroo Manor offers a striking architectural retreat set across 40 acres of bushland. Floor-to-ceiling glass draws the landscape inside, with a pool, river access and expansive living spaces creating a true sense of escape. Ideal for milestone weekends or group stays, it’s luxury defined by space, silence and scenery.
Book your stay with Booking.com
Yarra Junction, Yarra Valley
Yarra Valley Experiences Worth Planning Around
Hot Air Ballooning
Seeing the Yarra Valley from above is unforgettable. Sunrise balloon flights float over vineyards, farmland and mist-covered hills as the light shifts across the landscape. It’s a serene, cinematic experience that suits romantic occasions and bucket-list itineraries alike, often finished with a celebratory breakfast once you touch down.
TarraWarra Museum of Art
A cultural counterpoint to the region’s wine focus, TarraWarra Museum of Art pairs contemporary exhibitions with vineyard views. The gallery’s changing program and sculptural grounds make it a rewarding stop between cellar doors, especially for those keen to balance indulgence with creative exploration.
313 Healesville-Yarra Glen Road, Healesville
Four Pillars Gin Distillery
Based in Healesville, Four Pillars has become a global name in gin. Tastings and cocktails showcase their signature use of native botanicals, while the bar offers a lively, design-led space for an afternoon pause. It’s a spirited addition to a wine-heavy itinerary.
2A Old Lilydale Road, Healesville
Market Days
Just behind Healesville main street, Coronation Park hosts local organic growers selling their produce at Healesville Organic Farmers Market every Saturday morning. Head on down to have a chat with the farmers about the ‘real food’ they have on offer and what’s in season. You might also be lucky enough to have the chocolate van For Fudge Sake stop by for a little extra treat.
Coronation Park, River Street, Healesville
Pack a Picnic Like a Healesville Local
For a picnic lunch done right, locals head straight to Kitchen & Butcher, affectionately known as K&B. This is where you build your own grazing spread, choosing exactly what the mood calls for from a generous selection of gourmet cheeses, cured meats and deli treats. Once your bag is packed, take it for a short drive to Maroondah Reservoir Park for wide-open lawns and water views, or duck into the forest-fringed calm of Donnelly’s Weir Picnic Area for something a little quieter. Simple, satisfying, and a true taste of the Yarra Valley.
258 Maroondah Highway, Healesville
Take in Some Nature
The best offering the Yarra Valley serves its locals and visitors is the visual feast and calming presence of its surrounding nature. Take an early morning walk through the many parklands, or drive around and watch the heartwarming display of vast open fields play out from your window. Venture a little further, and you’ll be blindsided by the beauty of Keppel Falls in Marysville and the iconic Black Spur Drive.
If you’ve enjoyed our guide to the best things to do in the Yarra Valley and are looking for more viniferous ventures, be sure to check out our other essential guide to Victoria’s best wine regions. Looking for inspiration closer to home? Head out to one of Melbourne’s best wine bars for a tipple or three.
