Four-course dinner cruise with drinks
Three hours on an enclosed boat from Southbank Promenade, with a tasting platter, main, dessert platter and cheese platter, plus wine, beer, spirits and soft drinks. Guests must be 18 or over.
See dates ↗
The evening
Why spend an evening on the Yarra
A city that faces its river
Melbourne was founded in 1835 on the lower banks of the Yarra, and for a long time it turned its back on the water. A campaign in the 1980s asked the city to give the river a go, and the Southbank Promenade, opened in 1990, was one result. From a boat the banks now read as the city's front door, with the station, the square and the gardens all facing you.
A dinner with one decision
The ticket is a four-course dinner with wine, beer, spirits and soft drinks on a fully enclosed boat, and the only choice you make in advance is your main course. Drinks are included, so there is little to organise once you have booked, and the boat does the moving while you eat.
An adults' evening, quietly paced
Guests must be 18 or over, travellers describe the evening as relaxing, and reviewers single out attentive staff and steady drink service. It is a seated dinner and not a party boat, and it suits couples, friends and small celebrations without children.
Along the river
Between Southbank and the Botanic Gardens
The ticket names Federation Square, Flinders Street Station, Rod Laver Arena, Riverside Park and the Royal Botanic Gardens among the waterfront sights. This board sets out those places and the bridge and parkland between them, as a map of the stretch of river the cruise looks at.
- Boarding
Southbank Promenade
The riverside promenade was completed in 1990 and designed by Denton Corker Marshall. It runs from Princes Bridge towards Queens Bridge, and the ticket's meeting point is Berth 1 at the Southgate landing on the lower promenade.
- Bridge
Princes Bridge
The present bridge opened on 4 October 1888 and carries road, tram and pedestrian traffic between Swanston Street on the north bank and St Kilda Road in Southbank. It is on the Victorian Heritage Register.
- North bank
Flinders Street Station
Opened in 1854, the station has an Edwardian building with a dome, an arched entrance, a tower and clocks, completed in 1909. The Melbourne saying about meeting under the clocks refers to the row above its main entrance.
- North bank
Federation Square
The square opened on 26 October 2002. It covers 3.2 hectares above railway lines at the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets, opposite the station, and houses the Ian Potter Centre, ACMI and the Koorie Heritage Trust.
- Parkland
Birrarung Marr
An eight-hectare park on the north bank between Federation Square and Melbourne Park, opened in 2002. Its name comes from the Woiwurrung language of the Wurundjeri and means beside the river.
- Arena
Rod Laver Arena
The main venue of Melbourne Park and the home of the Australian Open opened on 11 January 1988. It took its present name on 16 January 2000 to honour Rod Laver.
- Gardens
Royal Botanic Gardens
Land on the south side of the Yarra was reserved for a botanic garden in 1846. Melbourne Gardens now covers 38 hectares and slopes down to the river.
- The water
The Yarra itself
The Wurundjeri call it Birrarung, from a word meaning river of mists. It runs 242 kilometres to Port Phillip Bay, and clay in the water gives it the golden-brown colour behind its upside down river nickname.
The route, the order and the lighting change with the boat, the tide and the night, so read the board as a map of the river and not as a timetable. Your confirmation and the booking page are the guide to your own sailing.
Melbourne from the Yarra
Flinders Street Station, Princes Bridge, the Southbank promenade at dusk, a river boat, the botanic gardens and Rod Laver Arena.
Three cruises compared
Three cruises on the same river
| Cruise | What it offers | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Four-course dinner cruise with drinks | Three hours on an enclosed boat from Southbank Promenade, with a tasting platter, main, dessert platter and cheese platter, plus wine, beer, spirits and soft drinks. Guests must be 18 or over. | An evening meal with the lit-up city outside the window. |
| Two-hour bottomless brunch cruise | A daytime cruise with unlimited beer, wine and Prosecco mimosas, sweet and savoury food, and tea and coffee, leaving from Southgate. | A relaxed daytime outing built around food and drinks. |
| Two-hour city highlights cruise | A sightseeing cruise downstream and upstream with GPS-triggered audio commentary, tea and coffee included and other drinks and snacks for purchase. | First-time visitors who want the sights and the commentary more than a meal. |
Cruises on the Yarra
Book a cruise on the Yarra
The first card opens the dinner cruise this guide describes. The other two are cruises from the same operator, a daytime bottomless brunch and a sightseeing trip with commentary.
Two-hour bottomless brunch cruise
A daytime cruise with unlimited beer, wine and Prosecco mimosas, sweet and savoury food, and tea and coffee, leaving from Southgate.
See dates ↗Two-hour city highlights cruise
A sightseeing cruise downstream and upstream with GPS-triggered audio commentary, tea and coffee included and other drinks and snacks for purchase.
See dates ↗More to book in Melbourne
Before you go
Before you go
Find Berth 1
The meeting point is Berth number 1 at the Southgate Arts and Leisure Precinct Landing, on the lower promenade at the rear of the Langham Hotel, Southgate. Check the berth on your confirmation, since another cruise from the same landing uses a different one.
Pick the date
Every date has its own departure hour on the booking page. Peak-season pricing surcharges apply on various dates between November and January, so look at the fare for your exact night.
Choose your main
The main course is one choice per guest and is given at booking, with chicken, fish, beef, lamb and vegetarian options. The operator says it cannot accommodate an onion-and-garlic-free plus fructose-free requirement.
Bring identification
Take photo ID. The minimum age is 18, and the operator says it serves alcohol under strict responsible-service rules.
Dress for a seated dinner
The ticket names no dress code. Smart casual and a light layer suit an enclosed boat and a short walk on the promenade.
Access
The ticket says the cruise is not wheelchair accessible, and guests under 18 cannot join.
The river, the table and the city: guides
The river, the table and the city: guides
Which cruise to book Melbourne dinner cruise: how to pick
Choosing a Yarra River dinner cruise in Melbourne: what four courses include, how it compares with brunch and sightseeing cruises, and who it suits.
Read the guide → Boarding and practicalities Yarra dinner cruise: what to expect
The practical guide to the Yarra dinner cruise: finding the berth, boarding, what to wear, the menu rules, drinks, the windows, the season and who it suits.
Read the guide →FAQ
Before you reserve a seat
How long is the Yarra dinner cruise?
Three hours. Each date on the booking page has its own departure time.
Where does the boat leave from?
Berth number 1 at the Southgate Arts and Leisure Precinct Landing, on the lower promenade at the rear of the Langham Hotel, Southgate.
What does the dinner include?
A four-course meal: a tasting platter, a main course, a dessert platter and a cheese platter, followed by coffee or tea.
Are drinks included?
Yes. Premium red, white and sparkling wine, a selection of beers, a range of spirits, soft drinks and orange juice are part of the ticket.
Can I choose my main course?
Yes, when you book. The options include chicken, fish, beef, lamb and vegetarian mains, and the menu is a sample that can change.
Can children come?
No. The minimum age is 18.
Is the cruise wheelchair accessible?
No. The ticket says it is not wheelchair accessible.
Can the kitchen cater for dietary needs?
There are vegetarian options, but the operator says it cannot accommodate an onion-and-garlic-free plus fructose-free requirement.
Are there extra charges in summer?
Peak-season pricing surcharges apply on various dates between November and January.
Can I cancel?
On the GetYourGuide ticket, a cancellation made at least three days ahead is refunded in full.
Four courses and drinks afloat on the Yarra, with Melbourne's lit-up banks as the view.
Book the Yarra dinner cruise ↗Fares quoted here are per adult, in US dollars; your own currency shows once the booking page opens.