A Perfect Shore Excursion or Arrival Tour
Your ship will arrive in Melbourne’s port at 8:00 am, and at 9:00 you may descend from the gangway onto the pier. You will experience an entertaining trip through the greenest city in Australia, and then visit the most interesting sights in suburban Melbourne.
Melbourne City Sights
You will be driven through the centre of Melbourne and on the way, learn briefly about the history of the city’s foundation. You will see preserved buildings with colonial architecture and the city’s modern buildings. Your guide will tell you about the stages of Melbourne’s development, about the long-standing rivalry with Sydney and show you the historically significant houses and structures. You will see:
- Parliament House
- The Treasury
- The Royal Exhibition Building
- The Queen Victoria Market
Afternoon Adventure: Choose Your Experience
For the second part of your day, choose between two fantastic options. Please inform us while booking which of the two options you would prefer.
Option A: Dandenong Rainforest & Puffing Billy Steam Train
Then you will go to Dandenong National Park, located 40 minutes outside of Melbourne. There a walk under the canopy of giant eucalyptus trees in this tropical forest await you. Giant ferns and relict trees are home to many unique Australian animals. This forest is inhabited by colourful Rosella parrots and noisy cockatoos. You can feed the sociable birds from a designated platform. A pleasant activity during the trip will be a ride on the Puffing Billy steam train which will take you through the rainforest, and the most colourful and picturesque areas of the Dandenong park.
In the park you will make a stop for a lunch of pie in the ‘Pie in the Sky’ or a cafe in the ‘Grants Picnic Area’.
Option B: Yarra Valley Wineries, Cheese & Chocolate
Moving forward you will make your way to the charming Yarra river valley, which is famous for its wineries. The vast slopes of the valley are dotted with gardens and vineyards, here many varieties including Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Shiraz, and Cabernet are grown. More than 80 wineries produce magnificent red, white and sparkling wines, popular both here and overseas. After a couple of wine tasting, we can make a stop for a picnic at one of the wineries or have some lunch at one of the valley’s restaurants. During the trip through the Yarra Valley, you will also visit a dairy farm, where you can try the farmer’s’ soft local cheeses. At the end of the tour, you will visit a chocolate factory that produces delicacies popular among Australians. In the shop at the factory, you will be offered to try cakes, sweets and sweet desserts over a cup of fragrant tea or coffee. Take along a bag of local sweets to extend the pleasure of this journey for evening tea or morning coffee on another day.
Option C: Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary
If you are not tempted by wine, cheese, and chocolate tastings, after lunch you can go to one of the oldest wildlife parks in Victoria. In the Healesville Nature Reserve are many Australian animals both commonly known, like kangaroos and koalas and somewhat rare animals like Tasmanian devils, platypuses, and bilbies. To familiarise yourself with all animals at the park you will need about two hours.
We have adapted itineraries for old seniors or families with small kids
At the end of the tour, you will be taken back to the station pier by 17:00.
Inclusions and Highlights: Hotel or Station Pier pick-up and drop-off, Birds feeding, Stop for famous Australian pie in a local café.
Duration: 8 hours.
Price for Luxury Tour: from $900 AUD including GST 10% TAX for 2 pax
+ Attraction Tickets (Puffing Billy tickets cost ; Healesville Sanctuary tickets cost ; Wine tastings cost ). Please use form below for different numbers of people instant quotation.