3 Reasons a Yarra Valley Bus Tour is Actually Better Than Driving Your Own Car

The Yarra Valley is a premier destination for lovers of good wine and good food. The best way to experience these gastronomic wonders is in the comfort of a tour vehicle. You don’t have to worry about where you’re going, when you get there, you can leave that all to us, Teepee tours.

Let’s expand on that and give you three great reasons why a bus tour with us is so much better than driving yourself around the Yarra Valley.

1. Safety and Freedom

A bus tour allows everyone in your party to enjoy themselves. You can sample all you want from breweries, distilleries or world-class wineries.

We provide the designated driver who will get you to different locations safely. They are professional, courteous and can help you however you need. And at the end of the day they make sure you get back to Melbourne, or wherever we’ve picked you up from, safe and sound.

This allows everyone to enjoy the day without worrying how much you’ve drunk within an hour, or how strong each drink is. If you like a drop that you’ve tasted, have another.

The flip side to this is someone in your group has to be the designated driver. That person can enjoy the food, but they miss out on the main focus of the day, which are the world-class beverages that the Yarra Valley has to offer.

Another thing about taking your own car, someone has to sit in the back with no leg room. And you can only have 5 people. If your party is larger than that, then you’ll need more cars, which means more designated drivers.

So much easier and much more fun letting Teepee Tours take you there and back again.

2. Pre-Planned Itineraries

When thinking about touring the Yarra Valley, where do you go? Who decides what vineyards you’ll visit, where you’ll have lunch, how long you will stay? Teepee tours takes all the hassle of planning out of your hands, so you can sit back, relax and enjoy the next stop on your gastronomical tour.

We have seven different types of tours for you to choose from, the seventh being a choose-your-own-adventure tour! Or rather, create-your-own itinerary tour. We can help you plan the best places to go, if you need a mix of wine and beer, or you’re angling for the best food options, we can offer suggestions, and then take you there.

It is such a relief when someone does the planning, and the organising, and all you need to do is enjoy the food and drink.

If you choose to make your own itinerary, do you know all the places in the Yarra Valley you can go? We have some places off the beaten track you might not have heard of.

Sometimes you might make the best plans, but someone in your group will not like what you’ve decided.

The biggest cool thing about letting us plan and deliver your spectacular day in the Yarra Valley is that we know many of the owners of the wineries and distilleries. We get the best parking spot, can get you a reserved table and personalised service. We can make you feel special, like a VIP. Which you are.

3. Cost-Effective and Value-Packed

A tour booked with us is a package deal. You get a whole lot of fun wrapped into the one package. Paying in a package gets you a group discount and special offers that you couldn’t get if you rocked up with your own car on the day.

You don’t have to worry about the cost of petrol, any tolls, if we went on a tollway, and no risk of any fines or losing your licence after sipping the good brews all afternoon.

Our buses are comfortable, air-conditioned and driven by guides who know the area. Not only do you get driven to your soon-to-be new favourite places, you get some local knowledge and trivia as well.

The great thing about booking a tour with Teepee Tours is how flexible and customisable it can be. If you just want to taste some wines, or beer, without the food? We can handle that. Want simple fare, a grazing plate or full on pizzas and more? That can all be arranged.

Our team will work with you to deliver the day that you want. You can mix up breweries, distilleries, even visit the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie for a sweet treat.

Yarra Valley Tours: The Way You Want It 

View our Yarra Valley Tour page right here and go through the options available. Choose the Picnic Chiller, or go all in with The Fancy One. We guarantee that wandering around the Yarra Valley, enjoying the best food and wine in the world, with us, will be one of the best days of your life.

FAQ

Q: Are these private tours or will I be sharing with strangers? 

All the options on this page are private tours. Your group gets the vehicle entirely to yourselves with a personalised itinerary.

Q: What’s typically included in the tour price? 

Depending on the package, inclusions can range from wine tastings and a generous round of drinks at the final stop, through to shared charcuterie boards, pizza or 2–3 course restaurant lunches, and a glass of wine each. Transport and pickup/drop-off are always included.

Q: What’s the typical tour day structure? 

Most tours depart Melbourne around 9:30–9:45am, visit 4 venues across the day, and aim to return to your drop-off address by around 5:00–5:20pm

Q: Can I swap out venues I don’t like? 

Absolutely. You can replace any venue with one from their list of 100+ options, swap wine stops for gin, beer, cider, or even chocolate tastings, and add or remove stops as needed.

Q: Can someone just join for lunch without doing the full tour? 

Yes. Friends who want to drive themselves and only attend lunch won’t be charged the full tour price (they pay their own way at the lunch venue), and they don’t count toward your group numbers.

Q: How do I go about booking a tour? 

You can call them on 0423 237 833, fill in the online contact form, or go directly to the booking page. They’ll discuss your preferences, send options and pricing, then lock things in with a $100 non-refundable deposit.