Dandenong Ranges and Puffing Billy day tour
A heritage steam train through mountain ash and tree ferns, plus fern gullies and gardens in the Dandenong Ranges.
What the day looks like
The Dandenong Ranges sit about an hour east of Melbourne, a band of wet forest and hill villages high enough to be noticeably cooler and mistier than the city. The anchor is Puffing Billy, a narrow-gauge steam railway that has run on its original 1900 alignment from Belgrave since the line was saved by volunteers.
Around the railway the day is unhurried: fern gully walks under mountain ash, hillside gardens, and villages built for weekend visitors.
Stops usually included
- A Puffing Billy sector from Belgrave, typically toward Menzies Creek or Lakeside
- Sherbrooke Forest, for tall mountain ash and tree fern gullies
- Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens and its lake
- A lookout from Mount Dandenong back across Melbourne
- Olinda or Sassafras for a break
Good to know
Puffing Billy's timetable varies by day and season, and the full run through to Gembrook does not operate every day — the sector you travel depends on the departure your tour is scheduled against. The carriages are open-sided, so it is cold in the hills even when Melbourne is warm.
Highlights
- Puffing Billy heritage steam railway
- Sherbrooke Forest fern gullies and mountain ash
- Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens
- Lookouts from Mount Dandenong toward the city
- Village stops at Olinda and Sassafras
Meeting point
Central Melbourne pickup. Your exact pickup point and departure time are confirmed with your booking, and most full-day departures leave early in the morning.
From $145
- Duration
- Full day · approx. 9 hours
- Departs from
- Victoria / Dandenong Ranges
- Meeting point
- Central Melbourne pickup. Your exact pickup point and departure time are confirmed with your booking, and most full-day departures leave early in the morning.
Free cancellation up to 48 hours before departure. Inside 48 hours a charge may apply. Itineraries can be re-routed, shortened or rescheduled when weather, road conditions or park closures make a listed stop unsafe or unavailable.
Request this tour- Return transport from central Melbourne
- Air-conditioned vehicle with a driver-guide
- Commentary and stop times at the listed locations
- Time at the gardens and forest walks
- Meals, snacks and drinks unless stated
- Entry fees to attractions unless stated
- Travel insurance
- Gratuities
- Puffing Billy Railway fares
Free cancellation up to 48 hours before departure. Inside 48 hours a charge may apply. Itineraries can be re-routed, shortened or rescheduled when weather, road conditions or park closures make a listed stop unsafe or unavailable.
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