Located a short hop, skip and jump from the Perth metro — about 25 kilometres north-east of the CBD — the Swan Valley is seriously emerging as a top region for all things food and drink. Gone are the days of large-scale wineries alone. Western Australia's oldest wine region, planted from 1829, now packs more than 40 cellar doors into a compact footprint alongside a seemingly never-ending list of distilleries, artisan markets and fresh produce businesses. While en route there is also a bunch of art and antique stalls, custom bike trails, walks alongside the river and animal farms for those with kids.
There are so many reasons why this region draws big crowds over the spring months, so we thought we would give you a hand with the planning. As one of our most requested destinations near Perth, it is the perfect day trip for groups large and small.
Sample the Swan Valley's Best Wine and Cellar Doors
The Swan Valley has a long list of wineries, all opening their cellar doors for some very affordable tasting experiences. You will most likely encounter the owners, who will passionately take you through every variation on offer. Olive Farm Wines at Millendon is the place to start: Western Australia's oldest winery, in the same hands since 1933, now with fourth-generation winemaker Anthony Yurisich at the helm. The cellar door pours a wide range across sparkling, white, red and fortified styles, and there is a 90-minute guided walk through the vineyard and production area daily at 10am, finishing with tastings. Bookings for the tour are essential.
If that is not enough, tack on Sandalford at Caversham, where the cellar door is open daily from 10am to 5pm and a one-hour winery tour runs Wednesday to Sunday at 10.30am, taking you behind the scenes through the fermentation areas and barrel room before a guided tasting. Book ahead for that one as well — it needs a minimum of four people to run.
Experience a Distillery Tasting Tour
The Swan Valley does not just serve up premium wines; it is also becoming quickly famous for a variety of spirits, thanks to a select few experimenting with different distilling methods. First off the bat is Old Young's, an award-winning gin maker that pushes the envelope with its Six Seasons Gin — a spirit built around six native Australian botanicals, one for each of the six seasons of the Noongar people. Their 45-minute spirit tasting runs you through eight spirits paired with mixers, and there are gin and cocktail masterclasses on top of that. Doors are open 11am to 4.30pm on weekdays and 11am to 5pm at the weekend.
The other big hitter is Limeburners and Giniversity in the Valley at 45 Hyem Road, Herne Hill, where the whisky and gin cellar door shares a 200-seat site with the Oscar's in the Valley restaurant, so you can pair a tasting with a proper lunch. Hours vary through the week and the venue is closed Mondays and Tuesdays, so check before you set out. For a complete distillery walking trail, check out our guide.
Taste Your Way Through the Local Cheese
Cheese is a huge staple in the Swan Valley, and Harvey Cheese on Great Northern Highway at Herne Hill is where to get into it. The Swan Valley shopfront carries the award-winning artisanal range made from local milk down at Harvey, and tastings are complimentary — you can work through the classic cheddars, the flavoured cheeses and the artisan selections before deciding what comes home with you. There is locally roasted coffee, a courtyard to sit in and a spread of gourmet goods and gifts. It is open every day from 9am to 5pm, which makes it an easy first or last stop on a valley run.
Learn How Bees Produce Our Favourite Honey
Another fantastic experience, and one that combines well with a cheese stop, is a morning spent with the bees. The House of Honey runs a 30-minute Honey Shop Discovery Tour taking in an observation hive, tastings of pure WA honey straight from local hives, and a sample from the meadery — the only one in Perth. If you want to go further, their beekeeping experience has you suited up and standing at an open hive to meet the colony, followed by a bush tea. There is a café on site as well, doing brunch, lunch, Devonshire tea and honey ice cream. The tours are popular and several run to minimum group sizes, so book in advance.
Witness the Rushing Water at Bells Rapids
For the more adventurous types, a walk at Bells Rapids is an awesome start to the day before hitting a winery for lunch and a much-deserved rest. The City of Swan maintains two circuits here: the 2.5km River Walk, which follows the water, and the 3km Goat Walk, which climbs up and over the hill for the view back down the valley before rejoining the river. Do them together for a longer loop. It is best at the end of winter and the start of spring, when the river is still running hard from the winter rain and the weather is beginning to warm up. There are toilets and picnic areas, and the footbridge over the Swan is the spot people crowd onto to watch the Avon Descent.
Brew your Best Barista Espresso at a Coffee Masterclass
For budding at-home baristas, this one is for you. The team at Yahava KoffeeWorks run their Koffee Academy out of the Swan Valley roastery with courses pitched at every skill level. The barista induction starts with a run through growing, picking, processing and roasting, then moves to the practical work — setting the grind, dosing the shot, steaming milk and pouring the top five coffees — and finishes on machine cleaning and maintenance. It caps at four people, so you are not watching from the back. Advanced courses go deeper into extraction, milk texturing and alternative milks.
Learn How to Make the Perfect Nougat
For those who do not know, nougat is one of the oldest standing confectionaries. The team at Mondo Nougat at Herne Hill are somewhat of an institution and certainly know what they are talking about when it comes to this traditional sweet. Masterclasses are on offer that take you through the process, how to pick flavours and toppings and, more importantly, a chance to make a batch yourself — note that the masterclass is adults only. If you would rather just eat, the café is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9.30am to 5pm, with a viewing window into the kitchen and gelato, biscotti and pastries alongside the coffee.
Get Lost in a Giant Maze
If you are travelling with kids, or with a big kid at heart, getting lost in a maze might be the perfect addition to your Swan Valley adventure. Perth's Outback Splash at Bullsbrook has five of them scattered around the park, including a hedge maze and a tyre maze, plus mini golf, a playground and Australian animal experiences year-round. The water side of the park — the splash pad and the four big slides — runs seasonally from around September to April, so time your visit accordingly if that is the drawcard.
Cruise the Swan River en Route to the Swan Valley
A little-known fact is that it is actually possible to cruise the Swan River up to the Swan Valley. Captain Cook Cruises run the Taste of the Valley itinerary, where you head upriver with a guided wine tasting and a lunch of local WA produce on board, then disembark for a coach leg through the valley taking in a winery and a chocolate stop, before cruising back to Perth with wine, cakes, tea and coffee. Half-day and full-day options are available, and for those who already have reservations on land, the same operator does transfers.
Explore the Swan Settlers Market
Rounding off the list is getting lost in the Swan Settlers Market at 124 Lennard Street, Herne Hill. More than 45 local artisans, growers and producers trade out of the historic Swan Settlers Co-Operative building — a valley landmark for close to a century — so it is the perfect spot to secure unique gifts alongside fresh produce, preserves, international food stalls and a couple of tasting bars. The whole thing is undercover and air-conditioned, with free parking and a playground out the back, and it runs 9am to 5pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holiday Mondays. A very wholesome few hours, and the makers are always up for a chat.
Ten stops, one valley, and an easy run from the Perth CBD. If you would like to combine a few of the activities above and do not want to designate a driver for your large group, we can sort your transport. We can customise an itinerary for you with a driver and air-con buses. Chat with our bookings team today.
