The Yarra Valley starts about an hour east of the Melbourne CBD, and while it's better known for wine, the orchards and berry patches around Silvan, Coldstream and Wandin are just as worth the drive. Cherries are the headline act here: Blue Hills Berries & Cherries at Silvan combines a cherry blossom show in spring with all-you-can-eat-while-you-pick cherries from late November, and Yarra Valley Cherries at Seville runs a shorter farm-gate season into December. Once the cherries finish, the same district shifts into raspberries, blackberries and boysenberries at spots like Kookaberry Strawberry Farm and Chappies U-Pick, carrying picking through summer and into autumn for berries. Strawberries and blueberries fill in the gaps at other properties, so there's usually something ripe somewhere in the valley from spring through to autumn. Because cherry and berry ripening shifts with the season's weather, always check a farm's current picking dates before setting out.
About an hour north-east of Melbourne
9 farms
Coldstream · Yarra Valley
Silvan · Yarra Valley
Wandin North · Yarra Valley
Silvan · Yarra Valley
Wandin Yallock · Yarra Valley
Wandin East · Yarra Valley
Details may have changed. Call before travelling.
Wandin East · Yarra Valley
Details may have changed. Call before travelling.
Seville · Yarra Valley
Details may have changed. Call before travelling.
Coldstream · Yarra Valley
Details may have changed. Call before travelling.
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Blue Hills Berries & Cherries at Silvan and Yarra Valley Cherries at Seville are the main cherry farms, both typically picking from late November into December or January depending on the season. CherryBomb and Cobrahah Orchards at Wandin East also run cherry picking over a similar window. Call ahead, as cherry season can finish early in a hot year.
Kookaberry Strawberry Farm at Wandin North picks strawberries from November through to April, alongside raspberries and blackberries. Yarra Valley Gateway Estate at Coldstream also grows strawberries, historically marketed as available year-round under cover. Ring ahead to confirm what's actually being picked on the day.
Late November to January is peak season, when cherries and the first berries overlap. Raspberries, blackberries and blueberries then carry through summer into autumn at several farms. Outside these windows picking thins out considerably, so check a farm's current status before you drive out.
Blue Hills Berries & Cherries charges from about $18 for adults and $9 for kids to pick cherries, with its spring cherry blossom show from $15. Other farms charge by weight for berries picked, typically discussed by phone rather than published online, so it pays to ask when you book.
It varies by farm. Blue Hills Berries & Cherries and The Farm Silvan require bookings, Kookaberry Strawberry Farm recommends calling ahead, and several smaller cherry orchards take walk-ins in season. Because cherry and berry availability can change quickly with weather, phoning ahead is the safest approach regardless of the official policy.