Puffing Billy with Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary Private Tour

This very informative tour is perfect for those wanting to get to know Australia. During this tour, you will visit the stunning Dandenong National Park, taking a trip through it in an old steam train, you will drive along the mountainside among giant eucalyptus trees and ferns. This tour is designed for the whole day, taking about 8 hours. In the morning we will meet you at your hotel and return you to it at the end of the tour. This tour includes an even mix of walking, travelling by car and stopping to rest, it is, therefore, suitable for tourists of different ages and physical fitness. A trip on an old steam train and acquaintance with the unusual wildlife of Australia will be especially interesting for children.

Tour Destinations

Dandenong National Park

Puffing Billy Train

Birds feeding platform

Olinda and Kallista Art Villages

Lunch with Australian pies

Healesville Sanctuary zoo

Dandenong National Park

Dandenong National park is a large area that consists of several previously separate parks. You will visit the Dandenong Mountain itself, which is a fairly low, elongated 600-meter ridge covered with eucalyptus rainforests. On the mountainside, among the trees, are several villages and old railroads – some of which you will visit.

Puffing Billy Train

The Puffing Billy is a real historical railway spanning 25 km from Belgrave to Gembrook. The journey from start to finish takes 1.5 hours. Today, it is a wonderful tourist attraction on which you can have a ride along the slopes of Dandenong Mountain. The track is laid through a wild rainforest under the canopy of colossal eucalyptus trees. The train will pass through a crevice in the mountains over a wooden bridge, which is one of the oldest functional wooden bridges in Australia. We recommend bringing your children to the Puffing Billy private your – they will be absolutely delighted with the opportunity to explore the conductor’s cabin and take pictures with the controls. All of the locomotives and wagons of the Puffing Billy are real, old, and have been carefully preserved and maintained for over one hundred years. This day private tour to Puffing Billy from Melbourne is an excellent opportunity to relax and recharge with nature’s energy.

Birds Feeding Platform

One of the popular destinations of the Park is the bird feeding platform at Grants picnic area. Cockatoo and Rosella parrots flock here for treats which you can feed to them from up close. Perfect for photo opportunities with beautiful birds.

Olinda and Kallista Art Villages

In addition to the hiking trails and observation platforms, there are a number of small cozy villages dotted throughout the park filled with numerous shops with souvenirs, farm goods and handicrafts. Kallista offers a variety of handmade goods – soaps, clothes, and wooden home decor. Olinda is a small town with many restaurants, cafes, artisanal and antique shops. You will have the opportunity to make a stop and have a short walk through the main streets.

Cafe Lunch and Australian Pies

For lunch, we will make a stop at one of Dandenong Park’s Cafes which has been awarded for producing the best pies in Australia. This cafe is famous for delicious handmade cakes with a variety of fillings. Try the traditional Australian meat pies flavoured with delicious sauces. In addition to pies chose from a selection of home-cooked dishes and desserts with Devonshire Tea. Here is where you will find the most delicious lunch in Dandenong.

Healesville Sanctuary Zoo

After lunch, you will start your Healesville Sanctuary private tour. It is one of Australia’s oldest zoos, where you will see over 200 species of Australian animals including but not limited to koalas, kangaroos, platypus, dingoes, wombats and emus. Have a wander through the tranquil tracks and explore this bushland haven for wildlife in a very naturalistic setting. You can head down to the Australian Wildlife Health Centre and meet real veterinarians and nurses as they treat sick, injured or orphaned animals in need of care. The Healesville Sanctuary also offers close-up encounters with native wildlife for an additional cost, availability is limited so please inquire if you are interested in booking this experience.

Upon finishing your tour you will be dropped off at your Melbourne hotel.

Book the Puffing Billy and Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary day private tour for your leisure. The fresh air and striking panoramic views of nature will impress you. You can get acquainted with Australia’s amazing wildlife and flora. You will be able to take a lot of photographs on viewing platforms in the forest and with animals for you to remember, in the Park’s most beautiful places.