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
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 4.
Depart Melbourne and head towards the Dandenong Ranges & Yarra Valley
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
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Excurgo comparison of 840 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Puffing Billy & Rainforest Tour from Melbourne lasts about 6 hours. The itinerary has 6 stops.
Prices start at $127 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 8:00 AM.
Children aged 4–15 pay from $98, adults from $127.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is PICKUP TIME: 7:25 am. Please wait outside the main hotel entrance at least 10 minutes before pickup. This pickup time will be reconfirmed after booking. The tour start time shown on your booking is not your pickup time. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 27 participants.
Specialized infant seats are available
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 4.7 out of 5 across 162 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Explore Australia Tours.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Unfortunately, i understand that steam trains are not always in working order , But atleast have them available to have a look and a photo… This is my 2nd attempt to have a steam train experience and both times have had the diesel engine .. not the same ..!
Nathan was an excellent tour guide! He made sure we got to experience the best of Australia and made the whole trip so enjoyable. Highly recommend him if you want to make the most of your Australian experience! 🇦🇺 🦘🚂
Our pick up was a fuss free event with the amazing Alan who picked us up. The train ride was an absolutely wonderful with breathtaking views of the scenery. The locals get into it and wave as you go past them. It was such a memorable day that we glad we did. The walk in the rainforest was great as well. If you get Alan he made our trip fun and had so much knowledge and an awesome sense of humour
The guide was nice. The train was crowded and did not have enough seats for our group. That was very disappointing and frustrating. The train ride was pretty. We felt rushed at the end to eat and get back on the bus at the end. I liked the experience, but it was a bit stressful.
A great experience although very busy and not quite enough room to fit comfortably with our legs hanging out which was a bit sad.
Very enjoyable. Driver-guide very informative. Driving was great. Sightseeing was spectacular. Couldn’t have asked for anything better.
It was a cold day, but we still had a wonderful time. Our driver Jess was quite nice and helpful and professional.
John was excellent tour guide - super friendly and sarcastic, and kept it interesting. Wish we'd have had more time at the Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park - we didn't have near enough time there and it should also allow scheduling with the Koala pictures. We lost way too much time at the beginning of the tour waiting for people that were late for the start of the tour. We were supposed to have an hour there per the agenda, but we only had 35 minutes.
Thank you for your honest feedback! We’re so glad you enjoyed our guiding style and personality. We’re sorry you didn’t have enough time at Moonlit Sanctuary. We understand how frustrating that can be, and we’ll take your feedback about the timing and koala photos into consideration. We hope to welcome you again for a better experience!
It was fun riding the train . Alan was a fun tour guide and he is knowledgeable. I would recommend this activity.
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the train ride and had a great time with Alan. We really appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you again soon! 😊
This a fun activity for the whole family to enjoy. It is not a full day so it will allow you time to do other activities that night.
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re so glad to hear you enjoyed the experience and found it to be a fun activity for the whole family. We hope to welcome you and your family back again soon!
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puffing Billy & Rainforest Tour from Melbourne | 6 hours | 4.7 (162) | $127 | |
 Puffing Billy And Healesville Sanctuary Scenic Tour | 8h 15min | 4.6 (501) | $149 | View |
 Puffing Billy And Phillip Island Penguin Parade Bus Tour | 11 hours | 4.5 (430) | $153 | View |
 From Melbourne: Puffing Billy Steam Train Experience | 6 hours | 4.9 (284) | $127 | View |
 1 day Puffing Billy Steam Train and Wildlife Tour from Melbourne | 8h 30min | 4.7 (266) | $155 | View |
 Puffing Billy Steam Train and Penguins Wildlife Tour | 12 hours | 4.8 (50) | $162 | View |
 Puffing Billy Train and Phillip Island Penguin Parade Day Tour | 11–12 hours | 4.1 (42) | $133 | View |