Hop aboard the Harvey A private vessel and self-drive with up to 10-people down the Yarra River. With no boat license required, choose between a morning, lunch or afternoon departure as you take in some of Melbourne's iconic attractions. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city you'll see popular attractions such as the Botanical Gardens, Herring Island Park, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Southbank, Federation Square and Docklands.
In demand: 45 of the next 60 departures are already sold out.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 11.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Excurgo comparison of 838 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
2-Hour Self-Drive Boat Hire on the Yarra River lasts about 2 hours.
Prices start at $213 per person for this Melbourne experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, starting at 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM.
It can: 45 of the next 60 departures are already sold out, so booking ahead is a good idea.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is In front of Berth and Cargo restaurants. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap Children must be accompanied by an adult
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 5.0 out of 5 across 29 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Melbourne Boat Hire.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Wonderful afternoon for a birthday outing. Everything was very straightforward from start to finish. The boat was setup so well with a fridge and wine glasses on board. Even lovely table linen. Highly recommend an afternoon on the Yarra with Melbourne Boat Hire!
What a wonderfully relaxing girls day out, music going and our wine and cheese in the fridge, the perfect way to celebrate my 40th with my nearest and dearest.
Excellent staff, explained very well about how to self-drive boat, highly recommended. Beautiful scenic view
It was a great evening spent of the Yarra River with family. There was plenty of room for the 7 adults plus a family dog. Being self catered was a bonus. A fridge was available and they supplied glasses for our use. The boat was clean and tidy. Staff were helpful and polite.
I hired a boat for my birthday. I wanted to have some protection from the sun and wind, it was a great choice for that day. We spent great two hours on Yarra. The boat is very quite, comfortable, very easy to navigate.
What an amazing experience! We had booked a boat for 12 but only 6 people ended up coming which meant lots of space. We packed our own lunch and it was a blast, there was Bluetooth to play music. Husband said the self drive was quite easy and it's very slow so never felt like we were in danger. We would definitely do again. Finding the dock can be quite tricky but it's right between 2 restaurants so walk straight down. Highly recommended!
Thank you so much for your amazing review and so glad everyone on board had such a nice day out! We hope to have you back again soon for another fun cruise!
For mum’s birthday our children prepared surprise - booked this boat on Friday afternoon. Weather was very good- not hot and not cold, completely suitable for this activity. We decorated boat and broth a food . Two hour on the river were great . Service was exceptionally good.
Thanks Daniel, what a perfect day out for a birthday surprise! were glad you have such a good cruise and we hope to have you back on board again soon!
Our group of 9 had a great time on this 2 hour self guided Yarra River Cruise. It was very well organised, with professional and friendly staff (thanks Matt). The boat was presented in very clean condition and there was a canopy to protect us from the wind. It was very relaxing a great way to see Melbourne city and docklands from a different perspective. I can highly recommended this excursion and company to follow Melbourne locals or visitors. Thank you.
Thanks so much Jerry, so nice to hear you guys enjoyed your cruise with us along the Yarra river and getting to see Melbourne from a different perspective! We hope you come back for another great day out with us soon!
Thanks to Matt and Eliza for answering all my questions in the lead up to the event, and to Chris on the night for explaining everything. We did a self drive tour and the boat was very easy to drive. We brought our own alcohol, but ordered platters. Even though it rained a bit we did not get wet as the covers were pulled down. Overall, my wife and friends enjoyed her 50th Birthday and I would highly recommend Melbourne Boat Hire and the Eliza J
Thanks so much for this awesome review and so nice to hear you had such a wonderful day out on Eliza J, we can't wait to have you back on board for another fun day out making more memories!
Fantastic way to see Melbourne from a different perspective! Matt was very professional and the boat was very nice and well presented. We did a self drive tour (very simple to operate) with the family, but now im thinking id like to go again with some mates... might try the cheese and wine tour! Very highly recommended!
Thanks so much and great to see you enjoyed your cruise along the Yarra river! We'd love to have you and your mates join us for another fun day out!
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Hour Self-Drive Boat Hire on the Yarra River | 2 hours | 5.0 (29) | $213 | |
 Lamborghini Huracan Experience Self Drive Supercar Hire | 1–7 days | 5.0 (2) | $1,848 | View |
 Melbourne River Laneways and Coffee Culture Boat Tour | 4 hours | — | $99 | View |
 1 Hour Sight seeing Melbourne River Cruise on historic vessel | 1h 10min | 4.6 (39) | $25 | View |
 Aquadonut BBQ Boat Hire | 2 hours | 5.0 (1) | $175 | View |
 Aquadonut BBQ boat hire | 2 hours | — | $190 | View |
 Yarra Valley Wine Tour w Exclusive Gin, Cider & Chocolate Tasting | 8 hours | 5.0 (5,621) | $92 | View |