Make the Most of Your Yarra Valley Balloon Flight: What to Do After You Land
Your hot air balloon flight finishes just after sunrise – giving you a full day to explore the Yarra Valley at your own pace. Whether you’re craving great food, scenic views, adventure, family-friendly fun or a relaxed countryside afternoon, the region is filled with experiences worth adding to your mini holiday. Here’s your guide to the best ways to spend the rest of your day after your unforgettable ballooning experience.
Warburton Adventure Co. – Outdoor Adventure
If you’re seeking nature, thrills or fresh mountain air, Warburton Adventure Company has an experience for every adventurer. Choose from guided activities, shuttles or hire options, including rail trail riding, mountain biking, river sledding, river tubing, caving, abseiling and bushwalking. Their river sledding and tubing sessions along the Birrarung/Yarra River are iconic local summer favourites. Mountain bikers can enjoy gravity trails at Warburton Bike Park, or book vehicle-assisted rides to maximise the fun. With expert guides and options suitable for all fitness levels, it’s the perfect way to add excitement to your Yarra Valley day.
Rayner’s Orchard – Family-Friendly Fun
Rayner’s Orchard is one of the Yarra Valley’s most unique destinations, home to more than 450 varieties of fruit growing across the farm. Unlike orchards with a short harvest window, Rayner’s offers something delicious every day of the year – meaning every visit offers a new taste, a new season, a new surprise.
From peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines and cherries in the summer to apples, persimmons, pomegranates, figs, pears, guavas, feijoas, tamarillos and more throughout the year, the orchard is a living, evolving showcase of the valley’s freshest produce.
The signature Orchard Tour is the heart of the Rayner’s Orchard experience.
Guests climb aboard a tractor-drawn trailer and wind through the orchard as knowledgeable guides share interesting facts about the fruits, including how each one grows, ripens, and thrives.
The real highlight is the tasting. Guests enjoy unlimited fruit, including a few exotic varieties that are ripe on the day, picked straight from the tree and full of flavour. It is farm to table in its purest form, and a hands-on experience that suits every age group. Guests also get to enjoy other activities during the tour, such as cracking and tasting macadamia nuts, sampling a range of unique jams, and feeding the farm animals.
Fresh air, sunshine, and the simple pleasure of harvesting your own produce make this one of the most loved activities in the region.
After tasting your way through the orchard, the Peach Café welcomes guests with orchard-inspired dishes, fresh produce, homemade treats, and a peaceful atmosphere surrounded by nature. It’s the perfect way to unwind, reflect, and savour the flavours that make Rayner’s Orchard so special.
Local Way Tours – Explore With a Local
Local Way Tours offers small group curated experiences with daily departures from both Melbourne and the Yarra Valley. With the locals, guests can explore boutique wineries, sample artisanal cheeses and chocolates, and wander beneath the towering redwoods of the Yarra Valley.
Couples can enjoy a romantic day among the vines, while groups of friends uncover hidden gems together. And with daily departures, and no more than 15 travellers on board, it’s never been easier to experience the Yarra Valley in a personal, authentic, and truly memorable way.
Guests can book on a Local Way Tour that will pick them up from the end of their Global Ballooning adventure providing them a memorable day out, before returning them to Melbourne.
Araluen Lodge – Boutique Accommodation
If you’re extending your stay, Araluen offers one of the Yarra Valley’s most tranquil boutique accommodation options.
Surrounded by rolling hills and vineyard-dotted landscapes, the villa-style suites provide elevated views and a calm sense of seclusion. Beautifully appointed rooms and cosy shared spaces make it ideal for romantic getaways, special celebrations or restorative weekends away.
Araluen blends privacy, comfort and understated luxury – setting the tone for a rejuvenating overnight retreat.
Your sunrise balloon flight is just the beginning. With world-class food, adventure, nature, tours and boutique stays at your doorstep, the Yarra Valley is the perfect place to spend a full day exploring.
Start with the magic of hot air ballooning – then choose the next experience that speaks to you.
