6 hours
The classic
One large cellar door to open, a long lunch at a winery restaurant, then two smaller producers on the way home. Unhurried, and the version most couples want.
- One large cellar door
- Long lunch
- Two smaller producers
Flagship day hire · Melbourne to the Yarra Valley
Yarra Valley wine day with your own car and driver.
Taste everything. Drive nothing. Nobody in the group has to be the designated driver.
1 hour
From Melbourne
90+
Cellar doors
6–8 hrs
Private hire
The Yarra Valley is Victoria's oldest wine region, 50 to 65 kilometres north-east of Melbourne — around an hour's drive. It holds more than 90 cellar doors across the valley floor, the Upper Yarra and the Healesville end, alongside a gin distillery, artisan cheese and chocolate makers, Healesville Sanctuary and sunrise hot air ballooning. ME CABS runs it as a private 6 to 8 hour hire: your choice of stops, your own pace, and one fixed fare agreed before you leave — so nobody in the group has to be the designated driver.
Opening hours confirmed for your specific date before the day is set
Why this day needs a driver
In a self-driving group of four, one person tastes nothing all day.
Every other day trip we run is about scenery or timing. This one is about a legal constraint, and everyone in the car knows it before they leave the house.
The Victorian limit
0.05 BAC for a full licence holder. Zero for learner and probationary drivers, and for anyone driving a commercial passenger vehicle, heavy vehicle or bus.
Why it bites here
Tasting flights run five to eight wines per cellar door. Across three or four cellar doors that adds up faster than most people expect, even with spitting.
It is not only your call
Cellar doors are licensed venues. Under responsible service obligations they can and do stop serving.
What it costs the group
The nominated driver in a self-drive group spends the day at the counter watching. With a private driver, everyone in the car tastes.
That is the whole proposition. You do not have to think about it today.
The region
Victoria's oldest wine region, an hour from the city.
Some of this changes what your day can contain — in particular, which days of the week the smaller names actually open their doors.
The planning fact most pages leave out
Many Yarra Valley cellar doors keep weekend-weighted hours — commonly Friday to Sunday, roughly 11am to 5pm — with limited or appointment-only weekday opening. A guest who plans a Tuesday around four boutique names will find half of them shut. We confirm opening hours and booking requirements for your specific date before the day is set.
- 01
Distance
50–65 km north-east of the Melbourne CBD via the Eastern Freeway and Maroondah Highway. Around an hour to the first cellar doors, a little longer to Healesville.
- 02
Heritage
Victoria's oldest wine region. The first vines were planted at Yering Station in 1838, which makes it the birthplace of Victorian winemaking.
- 03
Scale
More than 90 cellar doors open to visitors, drawn from roughly 150 producers across the region.
- 04
Climate and style
One of Australia's coolest mainland wine climates. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the signature varieties, with méthode traditionnelle sparkling, and leaner cool-climate Cabernet, Shiraz and Gamay.
- 05
Three sub-areas
The valley floor around Yarra Glen, Coldstream and Yering holds most of the famous names in one easy loop. The Upper Yarra is higher, cooler and more boutique. Healesville is a walkable main street with several cellar doors, the gin distillery and the best casual food.
- 06
Tasting fees
Typically $10–$25 per person for a flight of five to eight wines, usually credited against a purchase. Premium and private tastings cost more and must be booked. These are venue charges, paid at the counter, and are not part of our fare.
The Yarra Valley is the Country of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people. We acknowledge them as its Traditional Owners, and pay respect to Elders past and present.
What you can do
Everything worth stopping for.
Times are how long you spend on the ground. Pick the three or four that appeal — the builder underneath will total the day for you.
Cellar doors
The large estates · 6 stops
The names most guests arrive already knowing — sparkling at Chandon, Victoria's first vineyard at Yering, and the estates with restaurants attached.
Domaine Chandon
Most visited in the valleyGreen Point, Coldstream
60–90 min
Domaine Chandon
Most visited in the valleyGreen Point, Coldstream
On the ground · 60–90 min
Established in 1986 by the French house Moët & Chandon, and now Australia's best-known premium sparkling producer. Guided tastings of méthode traditionnelle sparkling, a formal building with a contemporary tasting room, lounge bar, restaurant and boutique, and a view down the vineyard that does a great deal of the work. Production tours show how the sparkling is actually made. Cellar door and restaurant open daily from late morning. The reliable opener for guests who have never done a cellar door before.
Yering Station
Yering · Victoria's first vineyard, 1838
60–120 min with lunch
Yering Station
Yering · Victoria's first vineyard, 1838
On the ground · 60–120 min with lunch
Heritage buildings and contemporary architecture on the site where Victorian wine began. The cellar door pours the full estate range — Yering Station, Barak's Bridge, Yarra Edge and the Yarrabank sparkling made in partnership with a Champagne house. Award-winning restaurant, produce store and gallery, plus a monthly farmers' market on the grounds. Spacious lawns make it one of the few big names that works with children in tow.
De Bortoli
Dixons Creek · north of the valley floor
60–120 min
De Bortoli
Dixons Creek · north of the valley floor
On the ground · 60–120 min
One of Australia's largest family-owned wine companies, founded in 1928, on the Yarra estate since 1987 and still run by the third generation. Cellar door open daily 10am–5pm. Options range from a seated tasting at the bar to a Premium Wine Tasting of eight estate and single-vineyard wines (about 30 minutes) and a Private Gourmet Tasting in the Trophy Room with a dedicated wine expert and matched cheeses (about an hour). Locale restaurant serves Italian, and the cheese room is a genuine highlight. Home of Noble One, one of Australia's most awarded dessert wines. It sits about 20 km from the main cluster — worth the detour, but plan for it.
Oakridge Wines
882 Maroondah Highway, Coldstream
60–120 min
Oakridge Wines
882 Maroondah Highway, Coldstream
On the ground · 60–120 min
The valley's most critically decorated single-vineyard producer — the 864 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are spoken of in the same breath as premium Burgundy. Floor-to-ceiling vineyard views and one of the best restaurants in the region. The stop for guests who actually want to talk about the wine.
TarraWarra Estate & Museum of Art
Healesville
90–120 min for both
TarraWarra Estate & Museum of Art
Healesville
On the ground · 90–120 min for both
Elegant cool-climate wines from a hilltop site, paired with a serious not-for-profit public art gallery that has been showing modern and contemporary Australian art since 2003. The single best answer for a mixed group where not everyone is there for the wine. The gift shop and grounds are worth the walk. The new upper car park sits closest to the museum, with accessible bays by the entrance and lift access inside.
Rochford Wines
Coldstream · 7 min from Healesville Sanctuary
60–90 min
Rochford Wines
Coldstream · 7 min from Healesville Sanctuary
On the ground · 60–90 min
A large indoor and outdoor cellar door with a restaurant and a natural amphitheatre that hosts major summer concerts. It is also a meeting point for some balloon operators. The practical pairing when the day includes Healesville Sanctuary.
Cellar doors
Boutique and personal · 5 stops
Smaller rooms where somebody who makes the wine is usually pouring it. These are also the ones most likely to keep weekend-only hours, so they are checked for your date.
Giant Steps
Healesville main street
45–60 min
Giant Steps
Healesville main street
On the ground · 45–60 min
Precise single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot in a relaxed, urban-feeling room. The wine-geek stop, and walkable to Four Pillars and Innocent Bystander — a natural cluster for the second half of the day.
Coldstream Hills
673–675 Maroondah Highway, Coldstream
45–60 min
Coldstream Hills
673–675 Maroondah Highway, Coldstream
On the ground · 45–60 min
Founded in 1985 by the wine critic and writer James Halliday, and still known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Open Thursday to Monday, 10am–5pm, and closed Tuesday and Wednesday — we confirm for your date.
Coombe Yarra Valley
10 St Huberts Rd, Coldstream
90 min with lunch
Coombe Yarra Valley
10 St Huberts Rd, Coldstream
On the ground · 90 min with lunch
The former home of Dame Nellie Melba — heritage gardens, history, art and a restaurant alongside the cellar door. A strong choice for older guests and anyone who wants context beyond the glass.
Levantine Hill
Coldstream
90–150 min
Levantine Hill
Coldstream
On the ground · 90–150 min
Striking architecture and destination fine dining. The stop for a milestone occasion — book well ahead.
Zonzo Estate
Yarra Glen
90–120 min
Zonzo Estate
Yarra Glen
On the ground · 90–120 min
Italian-style, wood-fired pizza, easy-drinking Pinot Gris and long shared tables. The most relaxed group venue in the valley, and the usual answer for hens parties and birthdays.
Beyond wine
Gin, cheese, chocolate and gardens · 6 stops
What the day is made of when not everybody in the car drinks — a distillery door, a dairy, a chocolatier, and a garden to walk off lunch in.
Four Pillars Gin
The best non-wine stopHealesville
45–75 min
Four Pillars Gin
The best non-wine stopHealesville
On the ground · 45–75 min
Australia's most decorated craft gin distillery, with a distillery door, tastings, guided tours and a gin lab experience in an industrial-chic space on the Healesville strip. It resets the palate mid-day and gives non-wine drinkers a real stop rather than a polite wait.
Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery
Yarra Glen · free tastings
45–60 min
Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery
Yarra Glen · free tastings
On the ground · 45–60 min
Open 9am–5pm daily except Christmas Day. Viewing windows onto the chocolate kitchen, a large tasting counter, artisan ice cream and a café with valley views. The Chocolaterie also runs hands-on classes — a one-hour chocolate discovery experience, a make-your-own gourmet chocolate bar session, and pastry workshops. The reliable family and wet-weather stop, and it costs nothing to walk in.
Yarra Valley Dairy
Yering
45–60 min
Yarra Valley Dairy
Yering
On the ground · 45–60 min
Artisan cheese in an old milking shed — the Persian feta is the one people take home. Tastings, platters and a farm shop. It pairs perfectly as a light lunch between two cellar doors instead of a full sit-down meal.
Alowyn Gardens
Yarra Glen
45–60 min
Alowyn Gardens
Yarra Glen
On the ground · 45–60 min
Formal gardens with a wisteria arbour, a silver birch forest and a walled potager. Spectacular in spring and autumn, quiet in winter. Ticketed and seasonal — the loveliest stop for guests who aren't drinking.
Breweries and cider
Across the valley
45–60 min
Breweries and cider
Across the valley
On the ground · 45–60 min
Napoleone Brewery & Ciderhouse, Coldstream Brewery and Watts River Brewing in Healesville — so beer drinkers know the day is not only wine.
Orchards and berry farms
Seasonal
60–90 min
Orchards and berry farms
Seasonal
On the ground · 60–90 min
CherryHill Orchards at Coldstream runs cherry picking through the November-to-January window and blossom events in spring. Rayners Orchard and Badger Creek Blueberry Farm have their own seasons. A genuine family draw that most wine-tour operators ignore entirely.
Wildlife and landscape
The wider valley · 5 stops
Past the vines: a sanctuary of native species, a mountain ash drive, a redwood plantation and a reservoir park. The half of the valley that has nothing to do with wine.
Healesville Sanctuary
Family anchorBadger Creek Rd, Healesville · Zoos Victoria
2 hrs for highlights, 3–4 for a full visit
Healesville Sanctuary
Family anchorBadger Creek Rd, Healesville · Zoos Victoria
On the ground · 2 hrs for highlights, 3–4 for a full visit
Around 30 hectares of bushland devoted entirely to Australian native species — more than 200 of them, including koalas, kangaroos, wombats, echidnas, dingoes, Tasmanian devils, birds of prey and platypus. Open 9am–5pm, 365 days a year. Don't miss Spirits of the Sky, the free-flight raptor and parrot presentation included with admission; the underwater platypus viewing — Healesville was the first place in the world to breed a platypus in human care; and the Australian Wildlife Health Centre, a working veterinary hospital treating well over 1,500 sick, injured and orphaned animals a year, with public viewing into the treatment rooms. Under the Victorian Government's Kids Go Free program, children under 16 enter free on weekends, Victorian public holidays and Victorian school holidays when accompanied by an adult. Wheelchairs are available for hire. On some event weekends the Sanctuary sells a separate event ticket and general admission is not available, so we check before the date.
Black Spur Drive
Healesville to Marysville
45–60 min return drive
Black Spur Drive
Healesville to Marysville
On the ground · 45–60 min return drive
A tight, cinematic road climbing through towering mountain ash and tree ferns — one of Victoria's great short drives, and far more comfortable from the back seat than the front. Wildlife is active at dusk along this stretch.
Redwood Forest, Warburton
Upper Yarra
45–60 min
Redwood Forest, Warburton
Upper Yarra
On the ground · 45–60 min
A planted grove of Californian redwoods rising above the Cement Creek, cathedral-quiet and unlike anything else in Victoria. Pairs with the Rainforest Gallery elevated walkway at Warburton.
Maroondah Reservoir Park
Healesville · free
30–45 min
Maroondah Reservoir Park
Healesville · free
On the ground · 30–45 min
Formal gardens, a dam wall lookout and easy paths. A quiet, no-cost stop that resets the day between tastings.
Yarra Valley Railway & the Warburton Rail Trail
Healesville · Lilydale to Warburton
60–90 min
Yarra Valley Railway & the Warburton Rail Trail
Healesville · Lilydale to Warburton
On the ground · 60–90 min
Heritage rail motor rides from Healesville station, and a 40 km sealed rail trail through the Upper Yarra for guests who want to walk or cycle a section — we can drop at one end and collect at the other, which no coach can do.
Also worth naming
Innocent Bystander and Payten & Jones in Healesville, both walkable. Soumah, Tokar Estate, Medhurst, Punt Road, St Huberts, Dominique Portet, Balgownie Estate and Helen's Hill on the valley floor. Yeringberg for old-family heritage. Seville Estate, Pimpernel, Steels Gate and Helen & Joey in the cooler Upper Yarra. Name the three or four you want and we build the day around them.
Build your day
Tick the stops you want. We’ll shape the rest.
Three to five cellar doors is the sweet spot, with one proper meal break in the middle. Pick what you like the look of — send it to us and we will confirm what is open on your date.
Nothing picked yet. Tick a few above and your draft day appears here.
Times are an estimate — each stop’s own guide time, twenty minutes between stops, and an hour each way from Melbourne. Tasting fees and meals are paid at the venues and are not part of the fare.
Shaping the day
How many stops actually work.
The honest answer is fewer than most people put on the list, and the reason is the same every time: tasting is slow, and lunch is longer than you plan for.
- Three to five cellar doors is the sweet spot. Beyond that, palate fatigue is real and the visits get rushed.
- Allow 45 to 60 minutes per cellar door, and 90 minutes or more where you are eating.
- Keep one proper meal break in the middle, ideally at a winery restaurant. It changes the whole shape of the day.
- Mix the scale. One large polished estate to open, then two smaller family producers where the winemaker may pour for you.
- Cluster geographically. Yarra Glen and Coldstream sit close together; De Bortoli at Dixons Creek and the Upper Yarra estates each cost a real detour.
- Weekend peak is roughly noon to 3pm at the popular venues — start earlier, or go boutique in that window.
Five shapes that work
8 hours
The full valley
Four or five stops across wine, gin, cheese and chocolate, with lunch in the middle and time for the Chocolaterie or the Dairy on the way out. The trip that justifies a private car.
- Wine
- Gin
- Lunch
- Cheese
- Chocolate
10 hours
The dawn day
A pre-dawn transfer, the balloon flight, a sparkling breakfast, then an afternoon of cellar doors before an early evening return.
- Pre-dawn transfer
- Balloon flight
- Sparkling breakfast
- Afternoon cellar doors
7 hours
The family day
Healesville Sanctuary in the morning, the Chocolaterie, then one cellar door with lawns where children can run. Everyone gets their day.
- Healesville Sanctuary
- Chocolaterie
- One cellar door with lawns
Where not everyone drinks
The mixed group
TarraWarra for the art, Alowyn Gardens, Yarra Valley Dairy, the Chocolaterie and the Sanctuary carry a full day on their own — with two cellar doors folded in for those who want them.
- TarraWarra
- Alowyn Gardens
- Yarra Valley Dairy
- Chocolaterie
- Sanctuary
The dawn option
Hot air ballooning, and the early start it needs.
Flights meet roughly ninety minutes before sunrise, which in summer means leaving Melbourne while it is still dark. This is the version of the day where a private car stops being a convenience.
- The flight
- Approximately one hour in the air. The full experience runs about 3.5 to 4 hours from check-in to breakfast, including the drive to the launch site, inflation and pack-down.
- Meeting time
- About 1.5 hours before sunrise, which in summer means a very early start. Guests are usually invited to help with the balloon setup.
- Meeting points
- Operators launch from wind-dependent sites but muster at fixed points — Balgownie Estate at Yarra Glen, Rochford Wines and Chateau Yering are the ones in current use.
- What you see
- Vineyard corridors, the Yarra River, mist over farmland, the ranges to the north and the Melbourne skyline to the south. Kangaroos in the paddocks below are common.
- Breakfast
- Most operators offer a sparkling buffet breakfast at the landing-side estate as an add-on.
- Cost
- From around $495 per adult as at August 2026, rising with the operator, the package, and weekend or holiday dates. That is the operator's charge, paid to them, and is not part of our fare — check the current figure with them when you book.
- Physical requirements
- Guests must be able to climb into the basket using a step and stand for the full hour. Not suitable beyond around 20 weeks of pregnancy.
- The catch
- Flights are weather-dependent, and the pilot confirms or postpones the night before, usually by 6pm, by app or phone.
Tell us at the time of quoting if you want the balloon in the day. Pre-dawn pickups and what happens if the pilot stands the flight down are both settled in writing when we quote, so you know before you book — not at 6pm the night before.
When to go
Every season is a different valley.
The line at the foot of each panel is what that stretch of the year is actually for.
Dec–Feb
Long evenings, outdoor tastings, concerts at Rochford's amphitheatre and cherry picking at Coldstream. The busiest period — book everything.
The social version — lawns, shared tables, late light.
Feb–Apr
Vintage. Harvest is happening around you, with nets, machinery and cellars in full use. Cellar door staff are at their most animated.
The most interesting time to actually visit a working winery.
Apr–May
Vine colour turning across the whole valley, mild days and thinner crowds. Widely considered the best all-round window.
The photography and long-lunch trip.
Jun–Aug
Fires lit in cellar doors, truffle menus, winter festivals and snow on Mount Donna Buang. Balloon flights still run, and the air is at its clearest.
The cosy version, and the quietest cellar doors of the year.
Sep–Nov
Budburst, wisteria at Alowyn Gardens, blossom in the orchards and waterfalls running.
The gardens-and-green trip.
Why book it this way
One car, held for the day, and everybody tastes.
The alternatives are a nominated driver, a coach seat and a rideshare app. Here is honestly how each of them goes in a valley where the stops are twenty minutes apart.
Why trust us with the day
- Licensed commercial passenger vehicle operator with a fixed-fare promise — the fare you see is the fare you pay, agreed before departure, with no meter running while you are at the counter.
- We confirm opening hours and booking requirements for your specific date, so the day you are given is the day that exists.
- Under Victorian law, anyone driving a commercial passenger vehicle must be at zero blood alcohol. That is the standard the person driving you is held to.
- Cabcharge accepted, and MPTP recognised.
Why not drive yourselves
- One person in the group tastes nothing. That is the entire trade, and everyone feels it by the second cellar door.
- Cellar doors are spread across three sub-areas with narrow country roads between them, and wildlife is active at dusk.
- Wine you buy travels in the boot rather than being carried between venues.
- No parking, no navigation, and no argument about who drives home.
Why not a coach or bus tour
- A bus tour picks its own cellar doors, and they are usually the ones that can absorb fifty people at once. You pick yours.
- You control how long you stay. Loved the Pinot at a small family estate? Stay. Bored at the big one? Move on.
- Door-to-door from your hotel or address, not a CBD assembly point.
- Restaurants, private tastings and the gin lab can all be arranged to your timing rather than a group schedule.
Why not rideshare
- Rideshare does not hold a car for six hours in wine country, and coverage between cellar doors is thin.
- There is no reliable ride out of a Dixons Creek car park at 4pm on a Sunday.
- Surge pricing is not a fixed fare, and no rideshare driver waits while you finish a tasting.
Why dates go early
- Winery restaurants book out one to two weeks ahead on weekends, and hatted venues can need a month. Peak periods — Easter, Melbourne Cup weekend, October — run four to six weeks ahead.
- Balloon flights have limited capacity and are the first thing to sell out in summer.
- A full-day regional hire takes a vehicle and driver out of the metro fleet, so weekend dates go early.
- Group and mobility vehicles are limited in number and must be reserved.
Vehicle and group
Pick the car for the number of you.
Flex
1–3 guests
Standard sedan. Fine for a couple doing three cellar doors.
Plus
1–4 guests
Premium sedan or SUV. Our default recommendation — this is an occasion day and the car is part of it.
Group
5–7 guests plus purchases
People mover. The right call for celebrations, and the only sensible option once a group starts buying cases.
Mobility
Wheelchair passengers
Must be booked ahead. Most major cellar doors, the Chocolaterie and Healesville Sanctuary are accessible; some boutique and Upper Yarra venues are not.
- Broadly accessible
- Domaine Chandon, Yering Station, De Bortoli, Oakridge, Rochford, TarraWarra — whose upper car park has accessible bays by the entrance and lift access inside — the Chocolaterie, Healesville Sanctuary, where wheelchairs are available for hire, and Maroondah Reservoir Park.
- Confirm first
- Several small Upper Yarra cellar doors have steps, gravel or uneven ground, and some boutique venues open by appointment only.
- Not suitable
- Hot air ballooning, which requires climbing into the basket and standing for an hour.
Before you go
The practical part.
The things guests ring up about the night before.
Pickup
Door-to-door from any Melbourne hotel or address. A standard day typically departs between 9.00 and 10.00am.
Tasting fees and meals
Paid directly by you at each venue, and not included in the hire.
Spitting is normal
Every cellar door provides a spittoon and nobody thinks less of you for using it. First-time visitors genuinely don't know this.
Eat properly at lunch
The single best piece of advice on this page, and a good reason to book a winery restaurant rather than grazing.
Buying wine
Most cellar doors will ship, but your purchases can travel with you in the boot rather than being carried between venues.
Bookings
Larger groups almost always need a booking, and small venues are frequently appointment-only. Tell us the date and we will confirm what is open and what needs reserving.
Mobile coverage
Patchy through the Upper Yarra and along the Black Spur.
Under-18s
Welcome at most cellar doors with an adult but cannot taste. The Chocolaterie, the Sanctuary and the gardens are what make the day work for them.
Questions
What guests ask before they book.
How far is the Yarra Valley from Melbourne?
Between 50 and 65 kilometres north-east, around an hour by car via the Eastern Freeway and Maroondah Highway, a little longer to Healesville.
How many wineries can we visit in a day?
Three to five is the sweet spot. Allow 45 to 60 minutes at each, more where you are eating, and keep one proper meal break in the middle.
Do cellar doors charge for tastings?
Most charge around $10 to $25 per person for a flight of five to eight wines, usually credited against a purchase. Premium and private tastings cost more and need to be booked. These are venue charges, not part of our fare.
Do we need to book?
For restaurants, yes — one to two weeks ahead on weekends, and longer for hatted venues and peak dates. Many small cellar doors are appointment-only, and groups almost always need a booking. Tell us your date and we will confirm what is open and what needs reserving.
Which wines is the Yarra Valley known for?
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay above all, plus méthode traditionnelle sparkling and leaner cool-climate Cabernet, Shiraz and Gamay. It is Victoria's oldest wine region — the first vines went in at Yering Station in 1838.
What if some of our group doesn't drink?
The valley handles this better than most wine regions. Four Pillars gin, the Chocolaterie, Yarra Valley Dairy, Alowyn Gardens, TarraWarra's art museum and Healesville Sanctuary all stand on their own, and we build the day so nobody is just waiting.
Can we do a hot air balloon and wineries on the same day?
Yes — flights meet about 90 minutes before sunrise and run around 3.5 to 4 hours including breakfast, which leaves the afternoon for cellar doors. Because the pilot confirms or postpones the night before, tell us at the time of quoting and we will set out the pickup arrangement and what happens if the flight is stood down, in writing, before you book.
Is it good for children?
Yes, with the right stops. Healesville Sanctuary, the Chocolaterie, Alowyn Gardens and the wineries with open lawns make a full day. Children under 16 enter Healesville Sanctuary free on weekends, Victorian public holidays and Victorian school holidays when accompanied by an adult.
When is the best time to visit?
Autumn, from April to May, for vine colour, mild days and fewer crowds. Vintage from February to April is the most interesting time to see a winery working. Winter brings fires, truffle menus and the quietest cellar doors of the year.
What does it cost?
The day is quoted as a fixed fare before you book, based on the vehicle you need and how long the day runs. Tell us your date, how many guests and the stops you want, and we will put a figure in writing. Tasting fees, meals and any balloon flight are paid to the venues and are separate from the fare.
Plan the day
Tell us who is in the group and we will shape the stops.
We confirm what is open on your date, the fare is agreed before you leave, and nobody has to volunteer to drive home.
Dandenong Ranges
The natural pairing — the two regions adjoin, and Puffing Billy in the morning with two cellar doors after lunch is a genuine combined day.
Great Ocean Road
The long one — Twelve Apostles, koalas at Kennett River, 10 to 12 hours.
Mornington Peninsula
The other wine day. That one is about the water; this one is about the cellar doors.
Phillip Island
The Penguin Parade at sunset, timed backwards from your ticket.
Hourly hire
The parent service — a driver by the hour, anywhere in Melbourne.
Maxi taxi
People movers for five to seven guests, and the cases they buy.
Accessible transport
Wheelchair-accessible vehicles, booked ahead.
Attraction detail, opening hours and access notes come from Zoos Victoria, De Bortoli Wines, Global Ballooning Australia, Liberty Balloon Flights and Go Wild Ballooning, Visit Yarra Valley and Visit Victoria, and regional cellar-door guides. Victorian blood alcohol limits are per Victorian road law. Tasting fees and balloon costs are venue and operator charges, not ME CABS pricing. All are current as at 25 August 2026 and are re-verified before quoting.