Where to experience Cherry Blossom season in the Yarra Valley

While the cherry blossoms of Japan may have their claim to fame during Hanami (cherry blossom viewing season), you won’t have to travel that far to see them yourself!

Less than an hour from Melbourne, you can view spectacular avenues of trees heavy with cascading, willowy blossoms at various orchards and gardens across the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges.

There are five fabulous destinations to enjoy cherry blossom but please note, that this delicate season during September is weather dependent and can sometimes only last between 7 and 21 days so don’t wait for the next time!

CherryHill Orchards, Rayner’s Orchard, Blue Hill Berries and Cherries, Apteds Orchards and the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Gardens all have stunning cherry blossom displays and if you visit midweek you might even have them all to yourself.

CherryHill Orchards, Coldstream

CherryHill Orchards are a local institution, growing in the Yarra Valley since 1940. Home to more than 39,000 cherry trees, the orchard is truly a sight to behold when it comes into full bloom during Spring! Wander through row after row of gorgeous cherry blossom, sip on cherry-based drinks (including a Cherry Vodka made 100% from CherryHill cherries, and their delightful Cherry Blossom Gin), and soak up the beauty of the Yarra Valley amidst this fleeting sight.

There's something for everyone this Blossom Season, so here’s a quick guide to the festival:

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Blossom by Light

An event like no other! Illuminated cherry blossom trees turn CherryHill’s Wandin East orchard into a mesmerising display of light and colour, a truly unique way to experience the beauty of the cherry blossoms. If you arrive before sunset, you can enjoy their expansive picnic area, cherry beverages, and a selection of tasty food trucks before the light display commences. This year, local friends Balgownie Estate are providing wine, an oyster bar and charcuterie, with Riverstone Wines and Giant Steps rounding out the drinks offering. Plus – don’t miss roasting marshmallows over the fire pits! This event is one not to be missed.

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Blossom Festival

The iconic Blossom Festival returns this year to the Wandin orchard and runs across the school holidays. Across the season, visitors can enjoy the stunning cherry blossoms in a variety of ways! Plus plenty of fun on-site for kids and grown-ups alike.

With a brand new kids hub, there are daily activities for kids as well as new lawn games and photo activations for grown-ups. On weekends, market stalls, food trucks and live entertainment make for a festival atmosphere, and the quieter mid-week days are ideal if you would like to explore the blossoms and enjoy a picnic on the grounds without the crowds. Kids go FREE through the week, a great school holiday activity!

Plus, don’t miss trying the cherry ice cream and cherry-flavoured beverages. There may be some new surprise additions this year!

Blossom Festival is a dog-friendly event. There is a small admission fee for your furry friends; with 100% of profits of their ticket being passed on to Animal Aid in Coldstream.

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Rayner's Orchard, Woori Yallock

From mid-August to mid-September, Rayner’s Orchard invite you to stop and smell the blossom! Take a tractor tour through the rows of peach, plum, apricot and nectarine blossom, with plenty of stops along the way to capture memories with family and friends. With a picturesque backdrop of hundreds of stone fruit trees in bloom, this is a farm tour you won’t forget! Blossom tours are complimentary when taking a fruit tasting tour, minimal charge applies when taking the longer Blossom tour on its own, a tour that literally does let you “stop and smell the blossom!”

Cameras or smart phones essential for these tours as the photos are spectacular! (Photography groups welcome.) Tours run on demand between 9am – 4pm every day. Check their website for more details.

Blue Hills Berries and Cherries, Silvan

Blue Hills Berries and Cherries is a family-owned and operated farm nestled at the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges near the Silvan Reservoir. Their Blue Hills Cherry Blossom Show is held during the Victorian September School Holidays and is an affordable fun-filled activity for families. Children will enjoy the face painting, visits from the Blossom Fairy and on weekends and public holidays, enjoy live music. If you want to take home a piece of blossom magic home, their plant nursery will be open selling cherry trees and other flowering plants.

Apteds Orchards, Arthurs Creek

Blossom Days at Apteds Orchards are a celebration of spring, renewal and simple pleasures best shared with family and friends.

For a short window in spring, the cherry, apple and pear trees are covered in a sea of delicate pink and white flowers, transforming the orchard into a breathtaking landscape. You'll love walking amongst the thousands of flowering trees!

Dandenong Ranges Botanic Gardens, Olinda

Each year thousands of people head to the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Gardens in Olinda to admire the spectacular avenue of ornamental flowering cherry trees in Cherry Tree Grove. Beyond thousands of cherry blossom trees, you might also enjoy the fragrant blossoms and bursting blooms of plums, azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons, and daffodils. Parking is available at the Olinda Golf Course nearby.