Unforgettable Yarra Valley gardens to visit

How do those secret gardens grow? Wander through the lush gardens of these rolling hills and find out.

A popular escape for many Melburnians, the Yarra Valley is also thrillingly close to Melbourne. In a blink, the roads pass from suburbia to a verdant oasis. With hills gently rolling between more than 70 cellar doors, and fresh produce at every turn, it has long been an obvious weekend retreat for those living in Victoria’s capital. And much the same can be said about the neighbouring Dandenong Ranges.

But wineries and scenic landscapes aside, it’s the marvellous gardens of the Yarra Valley and the Dandenong Ranges that deserve a turn in the spotlight. Read on to uncover the best.

vineyard, Yarra Valley gardens — One of the many vineyards striping the fertile Yarra Valley.

The Yarra Valley

Coombe The Melba Estate

Open to the public since 2014, the manicured three-hectare gardens at Coombe Estate , Yarra Valley, were once a well-kept secret, hidden behind a notably lengthy cypress hedge (some 600 metres long, to be precise). Today, they’re accessible only via guided tour, which is bookable alongside morning or afternoon tea, or lunch at this beautiful winery estate.

Feted opera singer Dame Nellie Melba – whose face you might have seen on the $100 note – took shelter from the bright lights of the stage here in the early 1900s. And it’s not hard to imagine how she may have found sanctuary among the leafy grounds, with its rare plants and old-world trees.

Explore her ultimate secret garden and you’ll trace winding cobbled paths, venture through hedge tunnels, view a succession of terraced lawns, wander through a rose arbour, and visit native, Italian and vegetable gardens.

It’s little wonder Coombe Estate houses one of the Yarra Valley’s best gardens: the blueprint was drawn up by none other than William Guilfoyle, architect of the Victorian Royal Botanic Gardens.

D - Block Pinot vines, Coombe Yarra Valley — Commanding views of Coombe Yarra Valley’s D Block Pinot vines. (Image: redfishbluefishphoto)

Alowyn Gardens

Alowyn Gardens is a two-decade dedication to creating almost three stunning hectares for visitors to enjoy. There are eight display areas here, including an edible garden, a French garden featuring a lavender field and a flower field, a birch and casuarina forest, a dreamy Instagram-friendly 100-metre-long wisteria arbour, and a mesmerising ornamental parterre garden that features box hedging laid out in symmetrical shapes.

So extensive and impressive are the grounds here, that you could easily dedicate an entire afternoon to their exploration.

Feeling inspired by the level of horticultural craftsmanship? Visit the Yarra Valley garden’s onsite nursery and pick up a few bulbs to plant at home.

Worked up an appetite from all the touring? Stop by Alowyn Gardens’ maple courtyard cafe and enjoy a freshly baked scone and a flat white.

Wisteria Archway, Alowyn Gardens — Gaze in awe at the stunning wisteria archway of Alowyn Gardens.

The Dandenong Ranges

Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden

Tucked alongside the small village of Olinda, the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden (formerly known as the National Rhododendron Garden) is no small patch of grass.

Nearly 40 hectares of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and other natives and exotics reside here, with the star of the show – the 15,000 multi-coloured Rhodies – popping into flower as spring reaches the Dandenongs and transforming the hillsides into a veritable sea of colour. It is, in fact, the largest collection of its kind in Australia.

This botanic garden is prime picnic real estate, so pack a hamper and set up a blanket on one of the lush green lawns.
And if you’d like to explore more of the park in your post-prandial daze (but don’t quite have the energy), hop on board the ‘Garden Explorer’ – a small electric open-air bus that offers a guided 25-minute tour of the grounds.

Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden is home to 15,000 rhododendrons, 12,000 azaleas, 3,000 camellias and 250,000 daffodils.

Cloudehill Nursery and Gardens

The hills come alive with bright flowers and woodlands at Cloudehill , which adjoins a nursery. The collection housed at this Dandenong Ranges garden is really rather eclectic, from giant 80-year-old European beech trees to Japanese weeping maples, cool temperate bamboos, so-called ‘wedding cake’ shrubs, ornamental grasses, bluebells and plenty more.

Cloudehill Nursery, Yarra Valley Gardens — Take a moment to unwind at the tranquil setting of Cloudehill Nursery and Gardens.

Between December and March, the venue hosts a number of twilight events, capitalising on the soft evening light that summer promises, not to mention the glorious green surrounds; in previous years the programme has included productions of Shakespeare, operatic performances, and string ensembles.

Cloudehill Nursery and Gardens is also home to a rustic restaurant, Seasons, that offers a beautiful outlook and promises fresh, seasonal produce grown in the property’s own kitchen garden.

lavenders in full bloom, Cloudehill Nursery at Yarra Valley gardens — Lavenders in bloom at the sight of spring.

Skyhigh Maze

If you like views with your gardens, then you’re in luck at the hills’ (literally) top spot, overlooking the city skyline and the towering Dandenong Ranges National Park.

The maze has four secrets to uncover, including (spoiler alert) sculptures, butterflies and illusions; it’s like brain training inside a lilly pilly hedge puzzle. And besides its namesake attraction, SkyHigh is also home to an English garden with mature blackwoods.

a wooden eagle sculpture at SkyHigh Maze, Mount Dandenong — You’ll find sculptures scattered across the maze.

If you’ve got kids then keep an eye on SkyHigh Maze’s website , as the Mount Dandenong attraction also hosts a series of ‘Children’s Festivals’ throughout the year that features activities and games.

the SkyHigh Maze in Mount Dandenong — Sky High maze will tickle your fancy if you love solving puzzles.

Events to look out for

Tesselaar Tulip Festival

More fun than you can poke a tulip at, the Tesselaar Tulip Festiva l is home to more than a million flowering blooms, plus market stalls and entertainment.

This annual event typically takes place between mid-September and mid-October, and across its four weeks of opening there’s a host of different themes to choose from, such as Turkish Weekend (expect Turkish art, dance, music and food), Children’s Week (think live shows from Kung Fu Panda, craft workshops and a petting zoo), and a Food, Wine and Jazz weekend (featuring complimentary wine tastings, naturally).

There’s also a tractor-train ride available, aimed at those with limited mobility issues, and children. BYO picnic and graze away your day on the lawn while overlooking the sea of flowers.

majestic floral carpet, Tesselaar Tulip Festival — Hundreds of colourful flower bulbs bloom during the Tesselaar Tulip Festival.

Warratina’s Harvest Lavender Festival

This four-hectare lavender farm in Wandin North, on the southernmost fringes of the Yarra Valley, plays host to a Harvest Festival every November to celebrate the start of the farm’s lavender season.

Aside from wandering through fragrant rows of the lilac plant, Warratina’s Harvest Lavender Festival also promises live music entertainment, a local maker’s market and more.

Warrantina's Harvest Lavender Festival — Lavender in full bloom.

Yarra Valley Spring Plant Fair

Only avid and aspiring gardeners need apply for this springtime event, held at Romantic Nursery in Wandin North.
More than 5,000 varieties of plants, many of them rare and not normally available to the general public, will be available to purchase during the two-day Yarra Valley Spring Plant Fair . The fair also offers a variety of talks by gardening experts and professional horticulturalists.

Cherryhill Blossom Festival

Forget Japan: this family-owned orchard is awash with a flurry of cherry blossom petals for just two fleeting weeks come spring, typically between late September and early October.

Visit CherryHill’s 34-hectare Wandin East orchard to witness these beautiful blooms in person, and enjoy the annual festival ’s food vans, live music, craft stalls and house blossom gelato.

ripe cherries, Cherryhill Orchards — Sweet and ripe cherries freshly picked from Cherryhill Orchards.

Details

Getting there

The Yarra Valley lies to the northeast of Melbourne, and the Dandenong Ranges to the east. Both destinations are approximately an hour’s drive from Melbourne.

Staying there

Stick with the garden theme, plus added wine, at Chateau Yering Hotel , the grand dame of the Yarra Valley.

fancy suite, Chateau Yering Hotel — Sleep like royalty at Chateau Yering Hotel’s fanciest suite.

This historic homestead’s 32 suites all feature a hefty dose of country estate chic, many offering garden views from their private balconies and verandas. The jewel in the crown of this estate’s gardens is the towering Chilean Wine Palm, which is classified on the National Trust Heritage Register.

There are worse places to hole up in than Beechmont Garden Retreat . Located in lovely Olinda, this spacious and stylish four-bedroom, three-bathroom home features naturalist nods throughout (think wallpaper featuring dragonfly and butterfly prints, floral arrangements in each and every direction, plants dotted throughout the property, and cushion covers with floral motifs).

But better still, it’s planted on a four-hectare estate that accommodates formal and rambling gardens.

Discover 18 of the best things to do in the Yarra Valley.

From natural wonders to historical sites, we’ve rounded up Victoria’s most epic icons that deserve a place on your itinerary.

Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park

From towering mountains to crystal cascades and ancient rock art sites, the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park is a playground for both outdoor adventurers and nature lovers. Don’t miss the views from the highest peak Mount William or the iconic Pinnacle.

Murray River

A paddle steamer down the Murray in Echuca — The wonders of the Murray are best experienced on board a paddle steamer. (Image: Visit Victoria)

A natural icon of majestic proportions, the Murray River flows for a staggering 2700 kilometres, making it one of the world’s longest navigable rivers. Meandering through Victoria before flowing out to sea at Goolwa in South Australia, the river is home to diverse wildlife, picturesque towns and secluded creeks and beaches.

Twelve Apostles, Port Campbell

the Twelve Apostles, Great Ocean Road — The Twelve Apostles are a star attraction on the Great Ocean Road. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

These limestone sea stacks are arguably Victoria’s most famous icon . After an $8-million upgrade to its lookout, The Blowhole near Loch Ard Gorge/Poombeeyt Kontapool (meaning breath of the whale) has recently reopened. A brand-new Twelve Apostles Visitor Experience Centre, complete with rooftop lookout, will open in 2026.

You Yangs, Geelong

kangaroos in You Yangs — Kangaroos enjoy dusk in the You Yangs. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Rising 300-plus metres from the flat volcanic plains between Melbourne/Naarm and Geelong, the You Yangs are massive granite boulders named for the local Wadawurrung word ‘Youang’, meaning ‘big hills’. Hiking, biking, rock climbing and horse-riding are popular within this regional park.

Redwood Forest, Yarra Valley

Near the town of Warburton, an extraordinary forest of some 1500 Californian Redwoods stands among native orchids, eucalypt trees and rich birdlife. Planted in the 1930s, these 55-metre-plus trees can live for 2000 years and will grow to be some of the world’s tallest.

Wilsons Promontory, Gippsland

the Wilsons Promontory — Wilsons Promontory is home to the incredible Skull Rock formation. (Image: Tourism Australia)

The Prom, as it’s known locally, is the southernmost tip of mainland Australia. This 50,000-hectare reserve comprises granite mountains and forest, fringed by sandy beaches and surrounded by a marine park rich in marine biodiversity. It’s also home to the incredible and imposing Skull Rock formation.

Hanging Rock Reserve, Macedon Ranges

This six-million-year-old volcanic rock  was thrown into the national spotlight thanks to the 1967 novel and consequent 1975 film based on the fictional disappearance of schoolgirls in 1901. Mystery aside, visitors can walk the steep 105-metre summit, fish for trout and go twitching.

Sovereign Hill, Ballarat

exploring Sovereign Hill — Step back in time at Sovereign Hill. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Cry ‘eureka!’ at Sovereign Hill , a living museum to the prosperous Gold Rush era of the 1850s, during which Ballarat produced the most gold in the world. Visitors to this much-loved attraction can walk historic  streets, enter a gold mine and try panning for the good stuff, too.

The Great Stupa, Bendigo

Who’d have thought the largest Buddhist temple in the Western world would be tucked away in Bendigo’s bushland? Welcoming visitors to explore, this sacred Buddhist pagoda is an epicentre for Tibetan culture, architecture, art and interfaith harmony.

Cape Schanck Lighthouse, Mornington Peninsula

the Cape Schanck Lighthouse from above — Heritage-listed Cape Schanck Lighthouse. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

Ensuring the safe passage of ships in the notoriously treacherous Bass Strait since 1859, this heritage-listed lighthouse overlooks dramatic volcanic coast and wild beaches. The surrounding reserve is home to a plethora of wildlife including little penguins, seals and echidnas.

Unforgettable gardens to visit in the Yarra Valley and its surrounds