The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show

The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, at the World Heritage Listed Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens, is set to return with an explosion of colour and design and after over 25 years remains the biggest annual flower and garden show in the Southern Hemisphere!

The show will see the creativity and passion of Australia's top floral and landscape designers delivered in stunning displays as well as a strong environmental message for gardening in the climate we live in. Coupled with an extensive array of garden and floral retail products from rare and unusual plants to your old favourites, gardening tools to outdoor furniture, water tanks to floral art plus many new and innovative ideas for your garden, as well as great food.

Monday 24 March 2025 – Sunday 30 March 2025

DAY 1 (D): PORT MACQUARIE TO GOULBURN                    Monday 24 March 2025

Welcome to our 7-day Melbourne tour featuring the Melbourne International Flower Show.  Depart early this morning as we make our way south with a morning stop at Bulahdelah. Our travels this afternoon take us further southwest of Sydney to Goulburn.  A welcome dinner awaits us in the hotel.

Lunch at own cost and arrangements | Dinner at hotel

Mercure Goulburn, Goulburn | 02 4822 5445 | 1 night

DAY 2 (BLD): GOULBURN TO MARYSVILLE                              Tuesday 25 March 2025

Today is a travel day however we do make a stop and the enjoyable Kinross Woolshed Hotel for lunch. The building's origins date back to the early 1890s when it was one of the busiest shearing sheds of its time. This afternoon sit back and relax as we express through to Marysville for our overnight accommodation.

Breakfast and dinner in the hotel | Lunch at Kinross Woolshed Hotel 

Peppers Marysville | 1 night | 03 5957 7700

Day 3 (BLD) GARDENS GALORE                                                                              Wednesday 26 March 2025

Following breakfast we head to the Big Bouquet, a gerbera flower farm, and an alpaca breeding stud, we enjoy a self-guided tour followed by morning tea. Before leaving we’ll have time to say hello to the Alpacas and browse of the gift shop. Next, it’s onto Alowyn Gardens which started life as a blackberry-infested paddock. Designed with shade and comfort in mind, it’s been developed into six distinct areas and for those who love a beautiful garden, it will bring enjoyment as well as an educational experience. We dine in the café amongst the Autumn Blaze Maple trees.  Our afternoon visit is to the Yarra Valley Chocolates and Ice  Creamery. We’ll be welcomed with chocolate tastings, displays of thousands of premium chocolates, and European Chocolatiers at work handcrafting their creations. Our final venue is the family-owned, Rochford Wines. Situated in one of the most stunning regions in Australia, with breathtaking panoramic views of the Great Dividing Ranges we relax over a delightful tasting. What a lovely way to finish our day before heading to Caroline Springs where we can check in for the next 3 nights.

Breakfast and dinner in hotel | Lunch at Alowyn Gardens

Mercure Caroline Springs | 03 8358 0555 | 3 nights

Day 4 (BD) DISCOVERING MELBOURNE                                                Thursday 27 March 2025

Have you ever been on a tram that travels on the water? Well, that is how we spend the morning on the Tramboat for a relaxing morning cruise. We see the developing Docklands Precinct, under the Bolte Bridge into the mighty Port of Melbourne where large container ships load their wares. We cruise past the infamous Coode Island to the Westgate Bridge before returning to shore. We have some free time to purchase lunch before our afternoon tour. Known as the sporting capital of Australia, there is no better place to explore than at the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Located here is the National Sports Museum which presents world-class exhibitions and sporting artifacts. Explore the inner sanctum of the MCG, walk on the hallowed arena, and experience where legends play. After a lovely day, we return to the hotel to freshen up before dinner.

Breakfast and dinner in hotel | lunch own arrangements and cost.

Day 5 (BLD) MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL FLOWER SHOW                              Friday 28 March 2025

Today is festival day! We head to the International Flower and Garden Show. Staged within the world heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building and surrounding Carlton Gardens, this prestigious show is a “must-see” event! Over 300 exhibits are “on show” representing horticulture, nurseries, landscape, gardening, floristry and cut flowers together with their associated products and services. The show will simply take your breath away with work from Australia’s leading floral designers, creating exquisite feature displays. We have all day here today to explore and take in the beauty of the show.

Breakfast and dinner in hotel | lunch own arrangements and cost.

*Festival program has not yet been released; events are subject to program*

Day 6 (BD) CAROLINE SPRINGS TO GOULBURN                                      Saturday 29 March 2025

We have an early start this morning as we make our way along the Hume Highway, passing by Benalla and Wangaratta to arrive in Albury where we stop to purchase lunch and stretch our legs. In 1883, Albury became a ‘change over station’ for passengers between Melbourne and Sydney due to the different rail gauges used in Victoria and NSW. This afternoon sit back and relax as we head to Goulburn for our final night on tour.

Breakfast and dinner in hotel | lunch own arrangements and cost    

Mercure Goulburn, Goulburn | 02 4822 5445 | 1 night

Day 7 (BL) GOULBURN TO HOME                                                                          Sunday 30 March 2025

What a tour we’ve had! Making tracks for Port Macquarie, with several stops along the way and lunch at the Ourimbah RSL before arriving home with a suitcase full of special memories.   

Breakfast at the hotel | Lunch at Ourimbah RSL

TOUR INCLUSIONS

•             6 night’s hotel accommodation

•             6 cooked hotel breakfasts

•             6 hotel dinners

•             3 included lunches – see below

•             Lunch at Kinross Woolshed Hotel, Albury

•             Morning tea and self-guided tour at Big Bouquet, Yarra Valley

•             Entry and lunch at Alowyn Gardens, Yarra Valley

•             Tasting and visiting the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery

•             Wine tasting at Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley

•             Conductor's Favourite Cruise including morning tea with Melbourne Tramboat Cruises

•             National Sports Museum and MCG Tour at the Australian Sports Museum, Melbourne

•             Entry to the Melbourne International Flower Show

•             Lunch at Ourimbah-Lisarow RSL Club - The Kitchen

The itinerary may be subject to change without notice.  Whilst every effort is made to adhere to the itinerary as provided, Expanding Horizons reserves the right to alter the touring and attractions as dictated by circumstances and conditions outside the company’s control.  Alterations may be made to ensure the smooth running of the tour.  Every attempt will be made to ensure alterations do not adversely affect the operation of the tour.  Expanding Horizons will not be held responsible for weather-based cancellations, or those closures made at the venue’s discretion.

$2,868 pp twin share | Single Sup + $901 pp | $400 deposit pp