This is the ultimate 3 Day Melbourne Itinerary for food lovers. From visiting the city’s cultural food hubs to touring the famous Yarra Valley wine regions – your taste buds will thank you.
If you are a lover of food and wine, and are planning a visit to Melbourne – you’ve picked the right city. Melbourne is known for its food scene as well as cafes, restaurants and bars. It has many nearby wine regions, the most famous of which is the Yarra Valley.
For food-lovers we have the ultimate three day itinerary for a visit to Melbourne. It includes some of Melbourne’s must-visit food destinations, an Indigenous food tour of the Botanical Gardens, as well as a day tour to the Yarra Valley. Read on to find out what treasures are waiting for you in Melbourne.
Food-lover’s Melbourne Itinerary
Day One: Explore Inner city Melbourne
Breakfast and coffee at an iconic Melbourne cafe – followed by an Indigenous food tour of the Botanical Gardens. Discover the vibes of Melbourne’s laneways then dine at the popular Chinatown precinct and enjoy the best of the city’s nightlife.
To start the day, head to one of Melbourne’s best known and best loved cafes – the Kettle Black. You’ll find this cafe and all its goodness in a Victorian style two level terrace home, just outside the city centre. It has a relaxed feel and a menu full of delicious dishes.
Next, head to Melbourne’s Royal Botanical Gardens, where you’ll find more than 50,000 plants and 8,500 different species. Take a self-guided tour of the gardens on the Aboriginal Heritage Walk. You will get a glimpse into Australia’s Indigenous culture through the local plants and how they were used for food, tools and medicine.
Next head to the city to explore Melbourne’s laneways. It’s here you’ll discover fantastic cafes and restaurants with a unique Melbourne vibe. We recommend Hardware Lane for it’s European feel and busy lunchtime vibe. Or Degraves Laneway for a uniquely Melbourne experience and its proximity to iconic Melbourne attractions such as Flinders Street Station, St Pauls Cathedral and Federation Square.
Enjoy a dinner in Melbourne’s Chinatown precinct – the oldest continually operating Chinatown in the southern hemisphere. Then catch a show in the Theatre Precinct, or head out to explore some of Melbourne’s best rooftop bars.
Day Two: Take a Tour to the Yarra Valley
Melbourne’s most popular wine region, the Yarra Valley, is a foodie haven! Not only are there excellent wineries to choose from, but an amazing array of local produce as well. Join our Yarra Valley Gourmet Tour to taste wines, cheese, chocolate and more – as well as indulge in a gourmet winery lunch.
Start with fruit wine and cheese
We start the Gourmet Tour with an exclusive farm gate visit at Yarra Farm Fresh. At this boutique, third-generation orchard, we’ll sample a range of seasonal fruits and other local produce. We will also learn a little about the wide range of farm-fresh fruits grown on the property.
Next, we travel to one of the valley’s true icons, Balgownie Estate where we’ll enjoy a tasting from their extensive range of quality wines. We’ll learn how to swirl, sniff, and slurp like true connoisseurs while tasting some of the very finest cool climate wines.
The amazing produce at the Yarra Valley Dairy will truly melt in your mouth. They specialise in soft cheeses and fetas – made right there in the century-old milking shed on the property. The cheeses here are truly stunning and will have your tastebuds working overtime!
Gourmet lunch, more wine and chocolate!
Our gourmet lunch is at the renowned Rochford Wines where our guests can choose from four different main meals – each using fresh, in-season local produce – with a glass of wine and tea or coffee. After lunch, take some time to explore the gift shop, or perhaps climb the spiral staircase to enjoy the panoramic views from Rochford’s famous lookout tower.
Next up, we make our way to Yering Station, where Victoria’s first grape vines were planted back in 1838. This winery is a member of the Australian Tourism Hall of Fame and a tasting of their exceptional wine range is not to be missed.
To finish the tour we’ll visit the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie where you’re welcomed with an exclusive chocolate tasting, displays of thousands of premium chocolates, and expert chocolatiers hard at work handcrafting their chocolate creations.
You can sit back and relax on the return journey to Melbourne, knowing that you have enjoyed the very best that a day tour to the Yarra Valley has to offer.
Explore the northern suburbs
Spend a day exploring north of the city centre where there are some fantastic suburbs with alternative vibes and multicultural food scenes. Start the day with some of Melbourne’s best coffee, before exploring the Melbourne Museum. Spend your afternoon and evening indulging at Melbourne’s Little Italy – Lygon Street. Then finish off the day with cocktails and dancing.
In Brunswick you can find everything from falafels to pizza and pasta. In Lygon Street Cartlon you can indulge at some of the best Italian restaurants in Melbourne. While Collingwood is one of the hippest suburbs offering excellent bars and cafes.
To start the day grab a coffee at Code Black and head to Carlton Gardens to explore the Melbourne Museum. It will give you an indepth look at the history of Melbourne and the buzzing food scene. As well as a whole host of exhibits, including the Science and Life Gallery or the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre.
Spend the afternoon relaxing and soaking in the city vibe at cafes or bars such as Lord Lygon Bar at Zagame’s House. Dine on fresh pasta or woodfired pizzas at your choice of Italian restaurants on Lygon Street. We recommend Carlton Wine Room for its fresh pasta and extensive wine list to match. Finish off a food-filled day with a creative cocktail at The Everleigh then enjoy a night of jazz and dancing at The Night Cat.
About Go West Tours
At Go West Tours we pride ourselves on exceeding industry standards for excellence and customer service. With 22 years in business, Go West Tours is still a family-owned and operated tour business and we are as committed to providing guests with an unforgettable experience as we were back in 2000.
Join us on a day tour from Melbourne to experience more of the city and surrounds.
Written by: Leah Furey – Digital Content Coordinator @gowest.com.au
