To book any of the tours listed below, please complete the online registration form.

A selection of tours has been planned for not only delegates but friends and family who will be travelling to Melbourne for the Congress. Registering for one or more of these tours allows you the opportunity to travel with colleagues from around the world while enjoying the marvellous attractions of this vast continent.

Please note these tours are separate from the Congress field trips and will not be accompanied by local botanists.

Some tours require minimum numbers to operate. If these numbers are not achieved, an alternative program will be offered or a complete refund made. Certain tours will also have limited space, which will be allocated strictly in order of receipt of bookings.

Dandenong Ranges Sanctuary and Garden Tour

Cost: AUD$110
Time: 0900, Daily
Duration: 6.5 hours

Enjoy a day of relaxation in a beautiful garden setting. On this tour, visitors will arrive at the William Ricketts Sanctuary to explore where William Ricketts lived and worked in Mt Dandenong from 1934 until 1993. He was a naturalist whose artistic work was transformed by his years of contact with the desert people of the Pitjantjara and Arrernte tribes in central Australia. Today, the Sanctuary is a unique place of spiritual renewal and quiet reflection where visitors will be guided by a Park Ranger to see the vision and passion that live in his art. Following this, guests will be transferred by luxury coach to the National Rhododendron Gardens for a two course lunch and an opportunity to see the beauty and contrast of this garden.

Spanning 104 acres (40 hectares), the National Rhododendron Gardens are home to the world's tallest flowering trees, the Australian Mountain Ash, set against a backdrop of the blue Warburton Ranges. The sealed pathways allow visitors to explore the splendour of rich bark textures, seed capsules, and unique foliage shapes. Here, there will also be many opportunities to take photographs throughout the garden before the return journey back to Melbourne.

Tour includes: Transfers, Guided Tour by Park Ranger and Café lunch with beverages.

Lanes and Arcades Tour

Cost: AUD$140
Time: 1000 – 1400, Monday to Saturday
Duration: 4 hours
Maximum 8 people per tour

Meet at Federation Square where you will begin a three hour walk through Melbourne's beautiful lanes and arcades. Though they may be well known, not all their wonders are easy to find. Discover local designers and specialty retailers that often are only found in the city. A little history and attention to amazing architecture will inspire locals and visitors alike. See over 50 stores and return to those you like best in the afternoon, make a day of it in Marvellous Melbourne!!

Tour includes: Goodie bag, Deck of Secrets City Shop Guide, morning tea and a gourmet lunch.

Historical Coffee Trek

Cost: AUD$55
Time: 1000 - 1230, Monday to Saturday
Duration: 2.5 hours

Take a journey into Melbourne's robust café culture.

Your host is an accredited Barista Judge. Visit unique cafés and roasting houses in this beautiful city, sampling blends and learning the art of a perfect extraction. Enjoy a delicious morning tea and coffee, of course, along the way.

City and River Cruise

Cost: AUD$110
Departure Time: 0800, Daily
Duration: 5 hours

Melbourne has compelling appeal in its gardens, its history, its character and its charm. Inhabited by cultures from across the globe, Melbourne has a fascination in the mix of its cosmopolitan people who give generously and share passionately in the richness of this most dynamic and vibrant city. As well as visiting many of Melbourne's famous sights the tour also travels through trendy St Kilda and Port Melbourne. At the conclusion of the Melbourne City Tour enjoy a spectacular Yarra River cruise which will show you Melbourne from a very different perspective.

Melbourne Shopping Spree

Cost: AUD$90
Time: 0900 – 1700, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Duration: 8 hours

Enjoy a relaxed and fun day of discount retail therapy without the worry of carrying bags or finding directions. Explore Melbourne's famous discount outlets, accessories, bag & shoe shops and hard-to-find warehouse sales.

Tour includes: Shopping gift, Cafe Lunch with a glass of bubbles included.

Sports Lovers Tour & Eureka Skydeck

Cost: AUD$140
Departure Time: 0830, Monday to Friday
Duration: 6.5 hours

Melbourne sightseeing with a difference. Enjoy the morning Sports Lovers Tour with the choice between the Melbourne Cricket Gground or Rod Laver Arena 'behind the scenes' tour options. Visit Flemington Racecourse, home of the Melbourne Cup, the race that stops the nation. Drive though the Commonwealth Games Athletes Village and around Albert Park, on the Melbourne Formula One Grand Prix Circuit alongside Melbourne Sports & Aquatic to go to the top of the Eureka Tower, Skydeck 88 - a whole new way of looking at Melbourne and the world. If you dare, try 'The Edge': a glass cube which projects 3 metres out from the building - with you in it - suspended almost 300 metres above the ground!

You will be able to purchase a souvenir photo of you actually in 'The Edge' from the photo booth on Level 88.

Yarra Valley Wine Experience

Cost: AUD$120
Departure Time: 0920, Daily
Duration: 8 hours

Winery tours have never been so much fun or affordable. The tour takes in some of Victoria's best wineries in the stunning region of the Yarra Valley only one hour from Melbourne. Included are tutored tastings at premium wineries. Start the day at Yering Station Vineyard for tastings, and then it's on to Rochford wines for a superb restaurant lunch with wine, finishing the day at the home of Australia's No.1 bubbly, Domaine Chandon, for light tasting platters and a glass of sparkling. Here you enjoy a guided tour through the winery that shows you how the wine is made.

The Yarra Valley is renowned for its quality wines, specialty foods and breathtaking scenery - the perfect place to enjoy a day away from the city.

Penguins and Wildlife

Cost: AUD$135
Departure Time: 1100, Daily
Duration: 11 hours

A day tour encapsulating the Gippsland region's renowned travel destinations. Your first destination is the delightful Bass River Winery. This boutique winery is set amongst the Gippsland hills and offers stunning views while we sample and learn about the range of estate-produced wines, and will also enjoy a sampling of Gippsland's finest cheeses & other gourmet produce.The next stop to tantalise your taste buds is the Phillip Island Chocolate Factory, where you will be amazed by the world's largest chocolate waterfall. Immerse yourself in the island's history with a guided visit to Churchill Island, then head to the island's coast to experience the rugged rocky outcrops and panoramas at the Nobbies. After all this, we'll make our way to Summerland Beach for the highlight of the show - the internationally renowned Penguin Parade at sunset.

Puffing Billy & Healesville Wildlife

Cost: AUD$180
Time: 0820 - 1730, Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday
Duration: 9 hours

Relax and enjoy the great scenery of lush ferns and dense forests of the nearby Dandenong Ranges. En route visit the beautiful Sherbrooke Forest, home to lyrebirds, crimson rosellas, cockatoos and kookaburras. Enjoy the picturesque mountain villages scattered along the way and the spectacular views of Melbourne's skyline. Enjoy a traditional morning tea of Aussie billy tea, lamingtons and Vegemite crackers. Ride the restored Puffing Billy Steam Train for a memorable journey on Australia's most notable narrow gauge railway, tour the Yarra Valley's beautiful verdant hills and prosperous vineyards. Enjoy a delicious lunch at Fergusson Winery. After lunch take a short transfer to your afternoon venue, the award-winning Healesville Sanctuary. Your guide will escort you among Australia's unique birds and animals in the natural bushland setting of Australia's premier wildlife and nature sanctuary, home to over 200 species of Australian birds, mammals and reptiles. Get up close to koalas, kangaroos, wombats, emus, cockatoos, parrots and many more; witness the amazing and exciting Eagles Fly demonstration within the sanctuary. See the renowned nocturnal house with the shy platypus and stroll through large aviaries and pond areas.

Royal Botanic Gardens - Aboriginal Heritage Walk

Cost: AUD$45
Time: 1300, Wednesday 27 July
Duration: 1.5 hours
Minimum 15 people

Journey into the ancestral lands of the Kulin Aboriginal nation and explore their rich and thriving culture on this award-winning walk in the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. Experience a traditional smoking ceremony with our Indigenous Guides and discover traditional uses of plants for food, tools and medicine. Transfer from the Convention Centre included.

Royal Botanic Gardens - Chocolate and Spice

Cost: AUD$45
Time: 1330, Friday 29 July
Duration: 1.5 hours
Private Tour, minimum 15 people

Experience the amazing plants within the Gardens that are used for food on this delectable walk discovering the essence of all things chocolate. Spice up your senses with stories and recipes of cinnamon, cardamom and the delicious vanilla bean.

This aromatic adventure ends with a delicious hot chocolate or coffee at The Terrace overlooking the tranquil lake.

Transfer from the Convention Centre included.