Yarra Valley Foodies Tour with Chandon & Kangaroo Safari!

Chasing kangaroos starts with cheese. This small-group Yarra Valley tour strings together Chandon, Yering Station, dairy cheese, and chocolate, then finishes with a short drive where you can spot wild kangaroos. I especially like the Chandon lounge views and the fact that the day is built around multiple tastings, not just one winery stop.

One heads-up: the tour includes tastings, but lunch at Chandon and extra Chandon wine are on you, so it can cost more if you order food or start adding bottles.

Key Highlights You’ll Actually Notice

• Up to 12 people: easier conversation, more personal pacing, and quicker attention at tastings
• Chandon in the mix: you’ll get sparkling-wine time, plus scenic lounge vibes
• Cheese and chocolate aren’t afterthoughts: generous tastings at Yarra Valley Dairy and the Chocolaterie
• Wine tasting at Yering Station: included pours that match the classic cool-climate style
• Kangaroo safari near the end: a focused 30-minute window to scan for wildlife

Entering Yarra Valley Food Mode From Melbourne

This is a great way to turn one Melbourne day into a proper Yarra Valley run without messing with parking, driving, and timing. Your day starts around late morning, with pickup at Federation Square, and you’ll be on the move for about 7 hours total. The vibe is casual and food-forward, with wine and wildlife as the supporting stars.

The tour works especially well if you like variety. You’re not stuck doing the same style of stop all afternoon. You jump from farm-fresh produce to a sparkling-wine venue, then to onsite cheese tasting, then to a chocolate and ice cream stop, and finally to the kangaroo safari.

How the Small Group Changes the Day

The group size stays under control—maximum 12 travelers—which matters more than it sounds. With a smaller crew, you’re less likely to feel like you’re waiting around while big-bus groups shuffle through. It also keeps the pace comfortable. In the feedback I’ve seen, guides like Aliot, Craig, Kurt, Curt, Tom, Stephen, and Steven consistently get called out for being organized, friendly, and willing to share local context between stops.

That local talk matters on this kind of tour because the Yarra Valley can feel big and spread out if you’re driving yourself. Hearing what you’re looking at—vineyard roots, why certain wine styles dominate, what to watch for in the countryside—helps you connect the tasting experience to the place.

Stop 1: Farm Fresh Produce for Strawberries (and Possibly More)

Before you even hit the wine part of the valley, you make a quick farm stop. It’s short—about 15 minutes—but it’s the kind of warm-up that keeps the day from feeling like a straight-up alcohol parade.

You’ll try fresh strawberries from a strawberry farm. One of the perks here is that it anchors the whole “foodies” theme early: fruit first, then cheese, then chocolate. A couple of guide notes from the day also mention cherries at the farm stand area, so if you see them and they’re available, it’s worth sampling whatever’s seasonal that day.

Practical tip: this is a quick hit, so if you’re hungry, grab what you can during the tasting window. You won’t linger long before you’re back on the bus.

Domaine Chandon: Sparkling Wine, Scenic Views, and Lunch Choices

Next up is Domaine Chandon, a brand many people connect with Australia’s sparkling scene. You’ll have a table in a lounge area with Yarra Valley views, and you can sample sparkling wine here. This is also where you can choose to spend more: Chandon wine can be purchased as an additional expense, and lunch at Chandon is also on your own.

This stop tends to be a favorite because it’s not just “taste and move on.” You get time to sit, look out over the valley, and slow down for a bit. The tasting format can be ideal for small groups too—less bottlenecking, more time to compare styles.

What to know before you go: if you’re hoping for a huge, wine-focused training session, this part is more about a relaxing sparkling experience. You’ll get choices, but you won’t be spending the entire hour only on wine deep-dives. The payoff is the setting and the enjoyment.

Yarra Valley Dairy Cheese Tasting: Cows, Goats, and Onsite Flavor

After Chandon, the tour shifts hard into cheese territory at Yarra Valley Dairy. This is where the tour earns its foodies title. The tasting window lasts about 1 hour, and you’ll sample a range of cheeses made onsite, including cows and goats cheese.

That mix is important. If you love cheese, this is where you’ll notice differences quickly—soft vs firmer textures, tang levels, and how the flavors change from cheese to cheese. Guides also tend to explain what you’re tasting as you go, which makes the tasting feel like something you understand, not just something you try.

Practical tip: wear or bring something you can sit with comfortably. Cheese tastings can be satisfying enough that you’ll want to pace your bites. Also, if you’re bringing a camera, you’ll likely have scenic moments earlier in the day too, but cheese stops can be good for close-up shots of samples and tasting boards.

Yering Station: Cool-Climate Wines at a Historic Vineyard Home

Then it’s back to wine at Yering Station, where the experience is centered on classic cool-climate styles. Your tasting here runs about 1 hour and includes multiple pours. Expect Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Shiraz, plus additional options depending on what’s being served that day.

One of the reasons this stop works is that it feels tied to the region’s identity. This is a historic location—described as the home of Victoria’s first vineyard—and the tasting is presented as part of that broader story, not just as a random lineup of glasses.

If you’re not a heavy wine drinker, don’t panic. One of the standout things about this tour is that it’s not a wine-only itinerary. You still get meaningful tastings and full-value food stops with cheese and chocolate, so you won’t feel like you paid for something you skipped by choice.

Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery: The Sweet Stop That Steals the Show

If you like chocolate, you need to treat this stop as a main event. At the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery, you get an exclusive private chocolate tasting first, then free time to visit the shop and cafe.

This is one of the places that shows up again and again in people’s favorites. The description I keep seeing is basically: think fun, playful chocolate setting, and plenty of variety. One note calls it like a Willie Wonka dream, which tells you the energy level. Even if you’re not an ice cream person, the tasting alone is a real break from wineries—cool, sweet, and very easy to enjoy.

Practical tip: if you want to keep your tasting happy, don’t arrive starving. With all the earlier tastings, you’ll probably be full enough to enjoy chocolate without feeling like you’re forcing sugar. If you do want to buy extra items for later, this is your moment.

Kangaroo Safari at the End: 30 Minutes of Wildlife Watching

The final act is the Kangaroo Safari. You’ll head to a spot designed for wildlife viewing, often described as a secret spot, and then spend about 30 minutes scanning for kangaroos.

This is also when the day “clicks” for many people. You go from tasting and chatting to silent-looking-for-movement time. And the goal is clear: you want to see them out in the wild, not in a zoo setting.

A few notes from the experience: people have talked about seeing kangaroos close up and also seeing a lot of them—sometimes in the hundreds on the day of their visit. That’s not something you can guarantee every time, but the setup is clearly geared for high odds.

Practical tip for photos: keep your eyes up and your lens ready, but don’t forget to look with your own eyes too. The best moments can be fast.

Timing and Pacing: How You Avoid Feeling Rushed

Your pickup is at 11:30 am at Federation Square, and the tour cycles back to the same meeting point at the end. The total time is about 7 hours. Even though that sounds like a long day on paper, the stop durations are balanced: quick farm start, an hour at each main tasting site, then chocolate time, then a short safari window.

This helps you actually enjoy the day instead of just collecting stamps. Several guides are described as attentive and personable, with enough downtime at tasting locations that you can drink, taste, and take in views without feeling trapped in a schedule.

Weather note: one review mentions rain near the end, but the safari stop still happened. Bring a light layer and a small rain option if you’re traveling in cooler or changeable months.

Price and Value: Why $125.52 Can Make Sense

The price is $125.52 per person, and the “value” argument here isn’t just the price tag—it’s what you get packaged together.

At minimum, you’re paying for:

• Round-trip transfers from Melbourne
• Multiple included tastings (cheese, chocolate, and wine tastings at Yering Station)
• A kangaroo safari stop with no admission fee listed for that portion

The only things called out as not included are lunch (at Chandon, on your own) and some optional spending like additional Chandon sparkling wine purchases.

So if your ideal day includes guided transport plus several tastings, this is often a good deal. If your ideal day is wine-only, you may find it leans more toward food and fun than a full-on cellar crawl. One comment even spells it out: it’s not a pure wine tasting tour. That’s fair. It’s a food and tasting tour that happens to include wine.

Who Should Book This Yarra Valley Foodies Tour

Book it if:

• You want a mix of cheese, chocolate, and wine, not just wineries
• You’d like to see wild kangaroos without driving yourself
• You value a small group and a guide who brings the day to life

You might skip it if:

• You only care about deep, extended wine tasting sessions and plan to buy most of your own bottles at each stop
• You strongly dislike alcohol and don’t want any wine presence at all (there are wine tastings included, plus Chandon offers more for purchase)

Also, this is an easy fit if you’re traveling in a group with mixed interests. Cheese and chocolate lovers get full value. Wine people get tastings. Wildlife watchers get the safari finish.

Quick Tips to Make Your Day Smoother

• Bring a light layer for comfort in case the evening air turns cool.
• If you’re photographing kangaroos, plan on standing or scanning—keep one camera hand free.
• At Chandon, decide early if you want to stay with included tastings or if you’re adding lunch and extra bottles.
• Pace your cheese and chocolate. You’ll enjoy it more if you don’t go from strawberries straight into full sugar overload.

Should You Book It?

Yes, if you want a guided Yarra Valley day that mixes views, tastings, and wildlife without you planning routes or timing stops. The best part is how the day balances fun and flavor: Chandon for sparkling and scenery, Yarra Valley Dairy for real cheese tasting, Yering Station for classic cool-climate pours, and the Chocolaterie for a sweet finish—then the safari for the wild finale.

If you’re a hardcore wine person chasing hours of tasting flights, you might feel it’s more “foodies with wine” than “wine trip first.” But for most people, this is one of the easier ways to get a lot of Yarra Valley highlights in a single afternoon-to-evening flow.

FAQ

How long is the tour?

It runs for about 7 hours.

What time does the tour start, and where do we meet?

Pickup starts at 11:30 am at the Federation Square Bus & Coach Pickup Drop-off Zone on Russell Ct, Melbourne.

What’s included in the price?

The tour includes round-trip transfers, strawberry sampling at the first stop, Chandon ticket admission (tastings included), cheese tastings at Yarra Valley Dairy, wine tastings at Yering Station, and a private chocolate tasting plus time at the Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery. Kangaroo safari entry is listed as free.

Is lunch included at Chandon?

No. Lunch at Chandon is at your own expense.

Can I buy Chandon sparkling wine?

Yes. Sampling is included, but Chandon sparkling wine can be purchased for an additional cost.

How many people are on the tour?

The group maximum is 12 travelers.

Do I need to drive to see kangaroos?

No. The tour includes transfers from Melbourne and then takes you to the kangaroo viewing spot near the end of the day.