Puffing Billy & Rainforest Tour from Melbourne
Description
Escape Melbourne on an unforgettable adventure with the Puffing Billy & Rainforest Tour. Begin at Grants Picnic Ground, where native birdlife and serene rainforest trails await. Then, board the iconic Puffing Billy Railway at Belgrave Station, and feel the thrill as you dangle your legs over open carriages during a magical one-hour journey through lush forests. At Lakeside Station, explore the Lakeside Visitor Centre, discover steam train history, and enjoy lunch (own expense) surrounded by picturesque views. Perfect for nature and history lovers, this tour promises timeless memories for all ages. *At times train may operate in reverse
Tour Options
Itinerary
Discover native birdlife and tranquil rainforest trails at Grants Picnic Ground, a serene escape in the Dandenong Ranges. This includes travel time from Melbourne to the Dandenong Ranges
Board Puffing Billy at Belgrave Station, a historic steam train that whisks you into the heart of the rainforest.
Enjoy a magical journey through lush forests on Puffing Billy, dangling your legs over open carriages for an unforgettable ride.
Explore the Lakeside Visitor Centre, learn Puffing Billy's history, and grab lunch (at own expense) while surrounded by the serene lakeside scenery.
Depart Lakeside and head back to Melbourne in the early afternoon
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Your pickup time may differ from the time shown on your voucher. Explore Australia Tours will contact you via email shortly after booking to confirm your exact pickup time. Pickup locations are selected at the time of booking: 7:25am – Mercure Melbourne Southbank, 9 Riverside Quay, Southbank 7:35am – Regent Theatre, 191 Collins Street, Melbourne 7:45am – Her Majesty's Theatre, 219 Exhibition Street, Melbourne 8:00am - Mail Exchange Hotel, 688 Bourke Street, Melbourne All tours are conducted in English. Guests can access pre-recorded audio and written tour information in 16 languages by downloading the free Explore Australia Language Translation App from Google Play or the App Store prior to departure. Your guide will provide a code on the day to unlock the content. Please bring your own headphones. Tours operate rain or shine. Estimated return time for the Puffing Billy & Rainforest is between 13:30 and 14:00.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(148)
We truly enjoyed our stops along the way to the train ride. Our driver, Anthony made sure we stopped at a park to see kangaroos up close. The experience was fun, and well organized. Anthony also made a stop to see the beautiful Mountsin Ash trees up close.
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! 🌟🚂 We’re thrilled you enjoyed the stops along the way and the Puffing Billy experience. Anthony will be delighted to hear your kind words, and we’re glad he could help you spot kangaroos and experience the beautiful Mountain Ash trees up close. We truly appreciate your support! 💜
Adam was great, told us stories and showed wild animals on the way! It was a fun train ride, could see a lot of great views
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! 🌟🚂 We’re thrilled to hear Adam made the journey fun with his stories and helped you spot some wildlife along the way. It’s fantastic to know you enjoyed the Puffing Billy ride and beautiful views. Thank you for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you again soon! 💜
This was an amazing experience. There is a little hike beforehand and then the train takes about an hour. Lots of fun pictures and our guide was incredible!
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! 🌟🚂 We’re thrilled to hear you had such an amazing experience on the Puffing Billy & Rainforest Tour. It’s great to know you enjoyed the rainforest walk, train ride and capturing plenty of fun memories along the way. We’re also delighted your guide helped make the day so special. Thank you for recommending us! 💜
The Puffing Billy train is a unique and thrilling experience! We were picked up by Margaret, our guide, in front of Her Majesty’s Theatre in a 20-passenger bus. We rode about an hour to the east of Melbourne to our first stop which was in the rain forest. After a quick 20-minutes in the forest, we were taken to the train station at Belgrave. Our group was lucky in that we got our own carriage and thus, everyone had the opportunity to sit along the rail, which we highly recommend (FYI: small children and pregnant women are not allowed to sit on the sill). The train rolls along at about 15 mph. The thrilling part comes along when the train crosses the bridge and there is no longer ground directly beneath your feet! We made a short stop at Menzies Creek to allow some passengers off. Then, we continued onwards to Lakeside. The total train ride lasted about an hour. Our group had about an hour at the Lakeside train station which houses a gift shop and small café. Afterwards, the drive back into town was about an hour and Margaret provided several convenient drop-off points.
Thank you so much for sharing such a detailed review! 🌟🚂 We’re delighted you enjoyed the Puffing Billy experience, rainforest walk and time at Lakeside. Margaret will be thrilled to hear your kind words and that she helped make the day enjoyable and well organised. We really appreciate your helpful tips and recommendation, and hope to welcome you again soon! 💜
Nathen was great and very supportive and enthusiastic and made the trip really enjoyable for us. We really enjoyed this experience and highly recommend it to everyone!!
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! 🌟🚂 We’re thrilled to hear Nathan made your Puffing Billy & Rainforest Tour so enjoyable with his enthusiasm and support. It’s fantastic to know you had such a great experience. Thank you for your kind recommendation, and we hope to welcome you again soon! 💜
Fantastic family activity. Timing was perfect for a half day activity, price was fair, tour guide was great.
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! 🌟🚂 We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the Puffing Billy & Rainforest Tour as a family and found the timing and value just right. It’s fantastic to know your guide helped make the experience so enjoyable. Thank you for recommending us! 💜
Tour guide Matt was fantastic. Great personality and highly informative.
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! 🌟🚂 We’re thrilled you enjoyed your day with us. Matt will be delighted to hear your kind words about his fantastic personality and informative approach. We truly appreciate your support and hope to welcome you again soon! 💜
Scenic pleasant trip with informative and polite guide/driver. Guide named Michael was punctual and helpful. Would recommend to friends and family
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! 🌟🚂 We’re delighted you enjoyed the scenic Puffing Billy & Rainforest Tour. Michael will be thrilled to hear your kind words about his punctuality, helpfulness and informative approach. Thank you for recommending us to your friends and family! 💜
Our tour guide was Nathan, he was very nice and knowledgeable went out of his way to take pictures of us upon request, had a nice stop at the rainforest.
Thank you so much for your lovely feedback! 🌟🚂 We’re delighted to hear Nathan made your Puffing Billy & Rainforest Tour so enjoyable. It’s wonderful to know he was friendly, knowledgeable and happy to help capture some special memories for you. We’re also glad you enjoyed the rainforest stop. Thank you for sharing your experience! 💜
The Puffing Billy Express is one of the best experiences to get to know the train and have the afternoon free for other activities. The recommendation, upon arriving at the food area you have to order soon because there are so many people and they take a long time to serve it
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! 🌟🚂 We’re glad you enjoyed the Puffing Billy Express and appreciated having the afternoon free. Thank you also for sharing your helpful tip about ordering food early, as the dining area can get busy. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again soon! 💜
