South Gippsland Wine & Tapas Tour
from MELBOURNE
Enjoy a winery day tour from Melbourne, sipping wine overlooking the rolling green hills and sea-side vistas of Gippsland; where private cellar door wine tastings, charming village visits, gourmet tapas, and breath-taking scenery all await.
With the ease of a pickup & return from Melbourne – this is without a doubt the best Melbourne wine tour to experience a taste of Victoria’s Wine Regions. With our fun & friendly guide and luxury touring bus, you will enjoy three private cellar door wine tastings at some boutique and beautiful wineries together with some delicious gourmet food along the way.
☀ Visit three boutique wineries of the South Gippsland Region, each with a ‘meet-the-maker’ wine tasting experience
☀ A delicious gourmet grazing platter – including award winning local cheeses
☀ Explore the beautiful village of Loch, and get acquainted to the region with time for lunch
☀Journey in our Luxury Touring Mid-Coach
☀ Travel through the hinterland of beautiful South Gippsland, marvelling in its rolling green hills and sparkling blue waters
☀ Escorted the entire way by our fun and friendly local Melbourne/Gippsland tour leader
☀ Donation on your behalf to Greening Australia – as part of our Tours for Trees initiative!
Included
- Pickup from Melbourne, at the Melbourne Arts Centre
- All Transfers and Transport in air-conditioned comfort
- Local, experienced, and informative Tour Guide
- x3 Cellar Door Wine Tasting
- Time in the Charming Village of Loch
- Gourmet Cheese Platter
- All Taxes and Gratuities
Upgraded Extras
- Café Lunch in Loch – $35pp
Not-Included
- Meals other than what is stated
- Gratuities and Extras
Tour Cost
$175pp
Departure Time & Pickup Location
Please ensure you are at your Pickup Location at least 10 minutes PRIOR to your pickup time.
Contact us if you are unsure of your pickup location.
SUMMER SEASON (Nov – Mar)
9.30am – Melbourne: Arts Centre (100 St Kilda Road) – outside the big spire.
Tour Duration
This is a full-day bus tour, and we will be returning between at approximately 6.30pm
Number of Passengers on Board
We like to keep our groups at an easy to manage size – for both your enjoyment…and ours too. You can expect between 6-15 people on board our luxury midi bus.
What to Bring
- Something for the journey – ie. snacks, a book etc.
You will see some great sights, coupled with some great local commentary along the way. - Extra Purchase Money (optional) – we will feed you a bit on this tour. However, you may like to buy something from Loch whilst we are there.
Cancellation & Refunds
If we must cancel a tour ( ie. covid restrictions, lack of numbers) then you will be provided with the option for a:
- Full Refund
- Full Tour Credit
- Transfer of Tour Date
If you cancel a tour, the following conditions apply:
- 15+ Days- Full Refund Provided
- 8-14 Days- Full Credit Provided
- 1-7 Days – Full Credit Provided – less $25pp admin fee
- Within 24 Hours- No Refund/Credit Provided
We reserve the right to make any necessary changes either before or on the day to the itinerary that we deem necessary to ensure both passenger safety & enjoyment, and to ensure the tour is able to proceed. This includes, but not limited to, changes required to be made due to situations out of our control and changes that need to be made due to closure or unavailability of venues.
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YOUR JOURNEY
Meet your Bus & Guide at the Melbourne Arts Centre (beautiful landmark – we suggest a Coffee whilst you wait), and get ready to embark on a journey you won’t soon forget.
On you way to South Gippsland, we will stop in at Caldermeade Farm, giving you a chance to refuel with some coffee, and say hello to some cuddly little farm animals.
Our first winery for the day, and always a popular one – the Gippsland Wine Company!
Here we are given a taste of not just the award winning, cool-climate single vineyard wine; but also a taste as to what makes the South Gippsland Wine Region truly unique – it’s authenticity.
Mark, the owner and chief wine-o here, gives us a first hand look and an in-depth taste into his livelihood and his passion.
Accompanied with the wine is a taste of some of the finest cheese in Australia, grown right down the road at Prom Country Cheese.
Our next stop is in the charming South Gippsland Village of Loch. You have about an hour here to explore, indulge, and unwind, however no time is ever enough in this beautiful little hillside town.
- Enjoy some lunch, with plenty of great cafes and eateries to choose from – don’t worry I will point you in the right direction.
- Grab a coffee from one of the many amazing cafe’s.
- Browse some of the boutique country stores
- Simply breath in the fresh air, and relax, before we really kick into the day.
Down in little costal-Inverloch lies the Dirty Three Winery. Passionate wine-makers couple, Lisa and Marcus have developed some amazing local wines in their little patch in South Gippsland – specialising in their multi-dirt Pinot Noirs.
Enjoy a choice of paddles here, as you while-away the afternoon in this quaint and bougee setting.
This beautiful winery directly overlooks the vineyard and Western Port Bay!
It’s a sight to behold here, as we soak in the views, and soak in our last drop of fine wine before we depart.
Alas, all good things must come to an end.
We will probably make at least one stop in at a Maccas or similar on our return – as after all that wine, sometimes this is needed.
However, don’t think that the return journey will just be a boring drive home, we definitely do make the most of last bits of time together.
Sing along to some tunes, update “the gram”, or share some more good times with your ‘tour friends’.
We will get you back to your pickup location safe and sound.
We expect to be departing South Gippsland at approx 5.30pm
PRIVATE GROUP TOURS
Get your group together, and let us treat you to a day out!
You Choose the Date || You Choose Your Pickup Location || Just you (and your friends) on board!
Minimum Group Number = 8 Travellers
“Best wine tour ever, we even liked this more than our Yarra Valley Tour…!”
Are you ready to go where the locals go?
Journey with us, into the rolling hills of the picturesque South Gippsland hinterland, as you experience a Food and Wine Tour brimming with charm, authenticity, and a personal touch you won’t find elsewhere.
On this Melbourne wine tour, you will visit three boutique cellar door wineries, each with their own unique tasting experience, with grazing boards to go with.
You will visit a small-batch craft brewery, where you will indulge in Wood -Fried Pizzas and wet your lips with a delicious Beer or Cider Paddle.
And you will do it all whilst being escorted by our friendly tour guide in our luxury midi-coach.
Whether you are joining us from Melbourne as part of our public tour, or would prefer your own private tour with just you and your group on board (you choose the pickup location!), this winery tour will be one to remember!
As one of our travellers recently put it…
“Best wine tour ever! The focus on small wineries in a relatively un-commercialised region mean we received a bespoke experience directly with the wine makers themselves. Ray was a fantastic tour guide and we had an unbelievable amount of pure fun!”
Tour FAQ
PRIVATE TOURS
Yes, we allow you to choose one pickup location for your Melbourne wine tour group to be picked up and dropped off from.
We pickup from
-Melbourne Metro
-Mornington Peninsula
-South East Suburbs
-West & Central Gippsland
PUBLIC TOURS
Unfortunately, we cannot private custom pickups for our Public Days.
We pickup from the Arts Centre in Melbourne and also Club Officer, in Officer.
Above all, respect must be maintained at all times towards our driver, our bus, and your fellow travellers, and we do not allow glass on board.
We reserve the right at any time to order that drinks not be consumed.
Yes – of course.
Whether you are a single traveller, couple, or small group we guarantee you are going to enjoy yourself on our Gippsland winery tours.
FOR PRIVATE GROUPS ONLY
Technically we don’t have a minimum number, we would be more than happy to provide any of our tours to a group of x2 or more.
However, our Tour prices are based on a minimum of x6 passengers.
If there were to be less than this, then we would customise the tour and price to suit you.
ADDITIONAL PEOPLE
We are generally pretty flexible with this, and as long as our vehicle can handle the additional people, as well as our venues can handle the additional people – then the more the merrier!
REMOVING PEOPLE
We understand that when booking so far in advance that sometimes plans change for people. This is why we always try to remain as flexible and understanding as possible.
NO!
We don’t like to include any hidden fees or hidden additional charges on the day.
The price you see here is all that you need to pay.
However, a few things you might choose to bring if you wish…
- Camera – for those great photo ops (though your phone normally suffices)
- Drink Bottle – always good to stay hydrated
- Extra Money – just in case you want to buy some more drinks, or even some to take home
All we ask is that you let us know of these upon booking so we can ensure we have time to prepare.
PUBLIC TOUR
Payment is due at the time of booking in order to confirm your booking.
PRIVATE TOUR
We require a $200 deposit to secure your booking – full payment is then due 2 weeks prior to your departure.
If we, for some reason, can’t travel on the day then we will offer you a choice of the following…
- Full Refund
- Full Tour Credit
- Transfer of Tour Date
If a you cancel a tour, the following conditions apply:
- 8+ Days – Full Refund Provided
- 1-7 Days – Full Refund, less $25pp cancellation fee
- Within 24 hours of Departure – No refund.
Melbourne: Arts Centre (100 St Kilda Road)
Here at TOUR LOCAL we are…
- Family Owned & Operated – we are locals to Phillip Island and the wider Gippsland Region
- Experienced at what we do – with over 14 years in business, and a wealth of touring knowledge and expertise, you know you are in good hands
- Proud of our Fleet – your comfort and safety is our number one priority, so we ensure we only tour in the best buses going around
- Highly Awarded & Nationally Acclaimed – having won multiple awards, and been recognised at a national level
- Here for you – at the end of the day, your enjoyment is what we are here for; we are all about helping to create engaging, enjoyable, and memorable experiences that will stay with you for a lifetime.
Travel in Style
With our fleet of luxury vans & midi coaches, you know that when you are on a Melbourne bus tour with us, it’ll be one of comfort, style, and safety.
And of course, one of fun…as each one of our buses comes paired with one of our friendly and experienced Driver-Guides!