River Gardens Melbourne Sightseeing Cruise provided by Melbourne River Cruises
River Gardens Melbourne Sightseeing Cruise
River Gardens Melbourne Sightseeing Cruise
3.5
Book in advance
from
$22.96
per adultReserve now & pay later: Save your spot free of charge with flexible booking.
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Full view
Tour snapshot
Cruise up the Yarra River on a narrated tour
Duration:
1h
Taking Covid-19 safety measures
Group size:
15
Stroller accessible
Ticket type:
Mobile
Free cancellation
- Duration:1h
- Taking Covid-19 safety measures
- Group size:15
- Stroller accessible
- Ticket type:Mobile
- Free cancellation
About
This sightseeing cruise on the Yarra River gives you a front-seat view to Melbourne's riverside gardens and scenic parklands. Hop aboard a riverboat with panoramic windows and hear live commentary on Herring Island plus sporting arenas like the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Sip coffee or tea while watching the city slip past.
Know before you go
- Duration: 1h
- Mobile tickets accepted
- Instant confirmation
Cancellation policy
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
Available languages
English
Highlights
- Panoramic riverboat with up-close views of Herring Island
- View scenic riverside gardens, parks, and sporting arenas
- Guide points out Melbourne's natural and cultural attractions
What to expect
Know before you go
- Duration: 1h
- Mobile tickets accepted
- Instant confirmation
Available languages
English
Cancellation policy
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
Highlights
- Panoramic riverboat with up-close views of Herring Island
- View scenic riverside gardens, parks, and sporting arenas
- Guide points out Melbourne's natural and cultural attractions
What to expect
Need help booking?
Call the number below and use the product code: 3013SIGHTB
Important information
Inclusions
- Complimentary tea and coffee
- Live commentary on board
Exclusions
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- No food or drinks are sold on board
Duration
1h
Departure details
- Melbourne River Cruises, Berth 2, Southbank Promenade, Southbank VIC 3006, Australia Berth No 2, Southgate Arts and Leisure Precinct Landing.
Additional information
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Confirmation for this product will be received at time of booking
- Cruise duration times and direction are approximate and subject to change, often due to tides and river traffic.
- The boat is completely enclosed and windowed so that passengers won't be subject to the elements.
- Restroom available on board
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
Inclusions
- Complimentary tea and coffee
- Live commentary on board
Exclusions
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- No food or drinks are sold on board
Departure details
- Melbourne River Cruises, Berth 2, Southbank Promenade, Southbank VIC 3006, Australia Berth No 2, Southgate Arts and Leisure Precinct Landing.
Duration
1h
Return details
- Returns to original departure point
Additional information
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Confirmation for this product will be received at time of booking
- Cruise duration times and direction are approximate and subject to change, often due to tides and river traffic.
- The boat is completely enclosed and windowed so that passengers won't be subject to the elements.
- Restroom available on board
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
Travel safe during COVID-19
What you can expect during your visit
- Regular temperature checks for staff
- Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
- Temperature checks for tour participants upon arrival
What you can expect during your visit
- Regular temperature checks for staff
- Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
- Temperature checks for tour participants upon arrival
- Guides required to regularly wash hands
- Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
- Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
- Gear/equipment sanitized between use
- Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
3.5
27 reviews
Excellent
8
Very good
9
Average
2
Poor
2
Terrible
6
VEGE34
Montpellier, France46 contributions
We took this cruise wanting to see parts of the city that we would not visit otherwise. The cruise boat we got on does not offer a deck to sit outside and enjoy the view, besides the small area at the rear of the boat where there is a long bench to sit on, but then you have chances to become deaf or asphyxiated from the noise of the motor or the fumes. As for the route not much to see beside river banks, the captain does point out what's behind but most of the time you have do use your imagination. From the map we were supposed to go around Herring Island but we did a u-turn in front of it instead.
Team and comments were ok.
Good thing we got a discount and it lasted only one hour.
I would recommend choosing another type of cruise with this company and checking on what kind of boat its runs.
Team and comments were ok.
Good thing we got a discount and it lasted only one hour.
I would recommend choosing another type of cruise with this company and checking on what kind of boat its runs.
Written March 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Dear Madam, thank you for your feedback and we are sorry that your experience was not of the quality that you had expected. We would like to let you know that we are seeking ways to renovate our cruise ships. This is to ensure our guests to have a comforting and satisfying experience in the future.
Thank you for bringing this into our attention. We would appreciate another chance to earn your business. Please let us know when you’re boarding with us again next time.
Written March 12, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Juliette D
Foxton Beach, null, New Zealand193 contributions
We had this hour long trip as part of a cruise ship excursion. Things were very orderly and well organised. The river trip itself was interesting - it provided another perspective on the history of the city.
While the chairs were a little hard the refreshments (tea / coffee / bottled water + biscuits) were very welcome.
The windows allowed great views from any location.
While the chairs were a little hard the refreshments (tea / coffee / bottled water + biscuits) were very welcome.
The windows allowed great views from any location.
Written January 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hi Juliette, we really appreciate you spending your precious time sharing your experience with us. We are also pleased to hear that you had enjoyed our cruise. We are working very hard to keep this up and improving our standards of service from time to time. We would love to see you coming back!
Written March 19, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
traveller262
Australia38 contributions
An enjoyable 1 hour upriver cruise (cruise B). Saw a side of Melbourne CBD I hadn't seen before. Commentary was informative. Ship's crew and quay office staff were helpful.
Written April 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hello!
Glad you enjoyed your cruise up the Yarra River! Thank you for your review. We appreciate and value your review! Hope to see you cruising with us again soon. We recommend you trying our other cruises too!
Written April 25, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
chelle1983
Melbourne, Australia130 contributions
Family
Disgusting service received this morning by the man at the Berth 2 kiosk and Daniel.
Having already done the Docklands cruise we booked Via Groupon the river garden cruise.
When I arrived at the kiosk the man was being short tempered with a customer who’s first language wasn’t English, he had a go at a colleague who approached him about the toilets on the boat not working, and then it was my turn. I told him we were there for the river cruise, after a bit of huffing and puffing (assuming because it was a Groupon thing) he gave me the ticket.
When we were queuing for the boat I noticed it said “Docklands” on the sign near the boat so my husband took the ticket and went to query it.
After a couple of minutes I joined them, only to see my husband, the kiosk man and his colleague Daniel arguing. I heard the man telling my husband that I hadn’t told him we wanted the river cruise, it was my fault, because I’d booked it by Groupon and that I needed them to refund me because the river cruise wasn’t on today.
I told him that I definitely had told him we wanted the river cruise, and he told me I hadn’t. His colleague Daniel, who loved using the condescending word “Darl” to address me until
I asked to stop, then joined his colleague and starting shouting at me that the cruise wasn’t on, and that I hadn’t told his colleague which cruise I wanted.
When I asked why he hadn’t just told us this when we got the ticket he again told me I hadn’t asked for the garden river cruise. Or, that he hadn’t heard me.
We booked these tickets last night, after checking the cruise timetable and there was no mention of any cruises not running today. There was no signage up informing people at the kiosk.
When we left the kiosk a lady from another family approached us and told us that they’d also had the misfortune of speaking with him, and he’d been unhelpful and rude to them too, and only being a few steps away from the kiosk I heard him calling me a liar to Daniel.
This man should not be in a customer service role, he should’ve just told us that the river cruise wasn’t running today instead of giving us a ticket for the Docklands cruise, hoping we wouldn’t notice??
The website should have been amended to say the river cruises weren’t on today and this could have been avoided completely.
Having already done the Docklands cruise we booked Via Groupon the river garden cruise.
When I arrived at the kiosk the man was being short tempered with a customer who’s first language wasn’t English, he had a go at a colleague who approached him about the toilets on the boat not working, and then it was my turn. I told him we were there for the river cruise, after a bit of huffing and puffing (assuming because it was a Groupon thing) he gave me the ticket.
When we were queuing for the boat I noticed it said “Docklands” on the sign near the boat so my husband took the ticket and went to query it.
After a couple of minutes I joined them, only to see my husband, the kiosk man and his colleague Daniel arguing. I heard the man telling my husband that I hadn’t told him we wanted the river cruise, it was my fault, because I’d booked it by Groupon and that I needed them to refund me because the river cruise wasn’t on today.
I told him that I definitely had told him we wanted the river cruise, and he told me I hadn’t. His colleague Daniel, who loved using the condescending word “Darl” to address me until
I asked to stop, then joined his colleague and starting shouting at me that the cruise wasn’t on, and that I hadn’t told his colleague which cruise I wanted.
When I asked why he hadn’t just told us this when we got the ticket he again told me I hadn’t asked for the garden river cruise. Or, that he hadn’t heard me.
We booked these tickets last night, after checking the cruise timetable and there was no mention of any cruises not running today. There was no signage up informing people at the kiosk.
When we left the kiosk a lady from another family approached us and told us that they’d also had the misfortune of speaking with him, and he’d been unhelpful and rude to them too, and only being a few steps away from the kiosk I heard him calling me a liar to Daniel.
This man should not be in a customer service role, he should’ve just told us that the river cruise wasn’t running today instead of giving us a ticket for the Docklands cruise, hoping we wouldn’t notice??
The website should have been amended to say the river cruises weren’t on today and this could have been avoided completely.
Written March 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hi Chelle, thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We are sorry to hear that you had an unpleasant experience on our cruise.
We always aim to deliver an exceptional level of service to our customer and we regret that we missed your marks. Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. We are striving to resolve the problem so this does not happen again. We would appreciate another chance to make this up to you. Please let us know when you're boarding with us again.
If there is any further issue or enquiry, please send us an email at info@melbcruises.com.au or simply contact our office at (03) 8610 2600. Thank you.
Written March 12, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stephanie9313
Killcare, Australia40 contributions
This was disappointing. I don’t like to leave negative reviews but I have to be honest. Firstly, the cruise arrived 40 minutes late which made us miss our dinner reservation we were really looking forward to. No apology or explanation.
The seating on the boat is basic office chairs, poorly stacked together, when we got on they were strewn everywhere from the last trip. It looked untidy. The roof above our seat was dripping water on us the whole time. It also smelt like leftover McDonald’s from someone eating on the last trip, I know that’s not the companies fault but it wasn’t a pleasant experience. Children were running around screaming.
For a “sightseeing” cruise, there is not a lot of sights to see. You can see the MCG and Rod Laver Arena from afar, apart from that the tour guide only spoke about sights off in the distance. Truly, the most we saw was graffitied bridges and rubbish catchments along the river.
Also if you’re into 80s rock music, you’re in luck because this played very loudly the entire time.
On the way home we stood on the back deck despite the rain which was far better than sitting inside. We were supposed to disembark at Southgate again but got off early at Flinders Street as we’d had enough.
Sorry but I won’t be recommending this to anyone.
The seating on the boat is basic office chairs, poorly stacked together, when we got on they were strewn everywhere from the last trip. It looked untidy. The roof above our seat was dripping water on us the whole time. It also smelt like leftover McDonald’s from someone eating on the last trip, I know that’s not the companies fault but it wasn’t a pleasant experience. Children were running around screaming.
For a “sightseeing” cruise, there is not a lot of sights to see. You can see the MCG and Rod Laver Arena from afar, apart from that the tour guide only spoke about sights off in the distance. Truly, the most we saw was graffitied bridges and rubbish catchments along the river.
Also if you’re into 80s rock music, you’re in luck because this played very loudly the entire time.
On the way home we stood on the back deck despite the rain which was far better than sitting inside. We were supposed to disembark at Southgate again but got off early at Flinders Street as we’d had enough.
Sorry but I won’t be recommending this to anyone.
Written April 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Philip G
4 contributions
Couples
Most exciting part of the tour was at the start when an altercation between a number of old ladies one of whom had her foot runover by a mobility scooter operated inexpertly by another. The captain and crew managed to prevent the scooter and out of control rider ending up in the Yarra.
Otherwise the cruise was tedious with very little to observe.
The commentator tried make things as interesting as he could but it was an up hill battle as this is a singularly mundane stretch of river. 50 odd bucks for two of us seemed a high price for an hour of boredom. Nothing to see here!
Otherwise the cruise was tedious with very little to observe.
The commentator tried make things as interesting as he could but it was an up hill battle as this is a singularly mundane stretch of river. 50 odd bucks for two of us seemed a high price for an hour of boredom. Nothing to see here!
Written March 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Dear Sir or Madam, thank you for taking your precious time out to share your experience. We apologise for not matching your expectations. We would love to investigate further, so that we can deliver a more satisfying experience next time. You may reach us anytime at (03) 8610 2600 or at info@melbcruises.com.au. Again, thank you for your feedback!
Written March 12, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Niccers16
Bundaberg, Australia325 contributions
Such a great way to see Melbourne!!! Boats are comfortable, however surprised that hardly anyone was wearing a mask.
Great way to see some of the sights when you don’t have a lot of time. Able to sit inside the boat, or able to sit at the rear in the open however there’s only very limited seating outside.
The boat commentary was a highlight!
Great way to see some of the sights when you don’t have a lot of time. Able to sit inside the boat, or able to sit at the rear in the open however there’s only very limited seating outside.
The boat commentary was a highlight!
Written August 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hi!
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback! It is our pleasure to provide the best service for our customers. We'll make sure that the captain receives the recognition he deserves!
Thank you and we look forward to the next time we're able to serve you again!
Written August 10, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nordeuk
melbourne50 contributions
Family
A beautiful autumnal day and what better to do than take a visitor on a river cruise. Bad move. The boat was 10 minutes late. What arrived was not the sleek large blue and white ferry as shown in the brochures and on the website, but a small, shabby exceedingly vibratey little boat.
There was no tea or coffee . The ride was shorter than advertised and it did not go around Herring Island. Very disappointing.
There was no tea or coffee . The ride was shorter than advertised and it did not go around Herring Island. Very disappointing.
Written April 3, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Marty D
Oamaru, New Zealand44 contributions
Take the two hour trip to Williamstown. So much to see and learn about Melbourne. The boats are comfy with great views. Our captain gave a great commentary. Great value.
Written July 29, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Pania
Sydney, Australia200 contributions
Solo
Great cruise very relaxing. Beautiful scenery along the river. Awesome city views. I did the
A & B cruise. Really enjoyed it. It's a must do. Great commentary.
A & B cruise. Really enjoyed it. It's a must do. Great commentary.
Written March 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hi Pania! Your positive feedback is greatly appreciated. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed our sightseeing cruises and we can’t wait to have you on board again!
Written March 24, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Frequently Asked Questions about River Gardens Melbourne Sightseeing Cruise
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