Beehive Tours
A unique guided tour experience.
Choose your Package
About the Experience
Want to experience something different?….really different.
Learn about the intriguing world of honey bees in a way that few get to experience: through the hands-on exploration of an active, living beehive!
Your tour, led by Nathan Stewart, a professional Doreen based beekeeper, will include suiting up in protective gear, lighting a bee smoker, and spending two hours as real-life Beekeeper.
Initially, Nathan will give you some tips on what to look for inside a hive including how to spot the Queen and where to look to potentially witness the birth of a new worker bee. Then, together we’ll lift the lid of a busy hive, watch bees at work creating honey, pull out a frame of honey ready for extraction, and get up close with more than 100,000 bees!
After we carefully close the lid, we’ll sample some of the honey direct from the hives while enjoying a refreshing honey tonic compliments of Karen, Managing Director of Rivers of Yarrambat (who is also a passionate beekeeper herself).
Once the Tour completes you can relax and delight your senses enjoying a food platter with a selection of locally sourced ingredients from the Rivers Cafe.
Where we'll be
You'll spend the morning at the beautiful Rivers of Yarrambat. Travel 35 minutes out of Melbourne to leafy Yarrambat to one of Melbourne's leading Garden and Wellness Centres.
Transport
Travelling from Melbourne? Haven't got your own transport? Just let us know and we can help. You can easily catch a Train from Melbourne Flinders Street Station to South Morang (Mernda Line) - about 45min ride. Nathan will pick you up from the Station
What I’ll provide
Refreshing Honey Tonic - with a touch of lime and ginger
Rental of Bee Suit, Gloves & Garters
Delicious Food Platter - Delight your senses with a selection of locally sourced ingredients from the Rivers Cafe.
What to bring
- Solid Shoes or Boots
- Socks
- Long Pants
- Bottle of Water
Weather
Even though we only run our Tours over the warmer months of the year, Melbourne's weather can be notoriously unpredictable and even the forecast can change quickly. If the weather is looking like being below 18 degrees, heavy rain or storms we may need to postpone the Tour. In the unusual event that this occurs we will contact you the day before and arrange to reschedule or refund your booking as required.
Bee Hive Tour Info
Location
Rivers of Yarrambat 28 Kurrak Rd, Yarrambat VIC 3091 (26km North East of Melbourne CBD)
Duration
2 hours total
Language
Offered in English
Includes
Snacks, Drinks, and Equipment
Reviews
Sharon
April 2021
Nathan and Candice are clearly passionate about bees and how we interact with them. The tour was not just about bees; it was also about the environment, sustainability and how we can do our part to protect these magnificent creatures. I highly recommend this experience to everyone.
Nick
April 2021
We had a wonderful time with Nathan on his bee experience. We never realised how clever and intelligent these smart little animals were! Loved learning all about them and how they make honey. Nathan was an excellent host, taking time to answer everyone's questions, before taking us on a fascinating tour of the hives. We were all safely suited up then allowed to get up close to the bees to see them in action. The tour was rounded off with a delicious lunch and some honey, and wax candles to take home. I highly recommend this tour to everyone!
Wendy
March 2021
We throughly enjoyed our bee experience with Nathan and his lovely partner. We learnt sooooo much about the bees themselves, their behaviour, their stages of life and living requirements while belonging to a hive. We enjoyed a delicious plate of assorted nibbles and were we all got to chat amongst ourselves with Nathan. The venue is beautiful, clean and you could spend a whole day there exploring the plant Nursery and gift shop after your bee experience. Fantastic day out.
Brigitte
March 2021
Had the best experience today! I thought I might be a little scared but the bees were so calm and Nathan taught us so much, many interesting facts I never knew about bees! Also the honey smell was absolutely amazing overall great experience, highly recommend!
Siemone
January 2021
Nathan and his partner were great hosts; very accommodating, friendly, knowledgable and lovely. This experience was truly an amazing one and incredibly worth your time. My friends and I were particularly impressed with the hospitality and generosity of the hosts. We learnt a great deal during our once in a lifetime experience.
Lynette
January 2021
I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who would love to know more about bees and honey! Nathan and his partner have been excellent hosts and were kind enough to pick my friends and I from the train station when I told them that we had transportation issues. They were also very lovely and accomodating in helping us surprise my partner for his birthday Overall, I am very pleased with this experience and enjoyed every bits of it!
Bianca
January 2021
Nathan and his partner made it a wonderful, informative and safe experience that will stay with me for a lifetime and solidified my interest in beekeeping. So grateful for this lovely opportunity and every part of the experience was handled thoughtfully and carefully. I would highly recommend to gift this experience to someone as I received it as a Christmas present and absolutely loved it. Nice and safe too so no need to worry if you're nervous about bees, they are so gentle and calm, the bee suits keep you perfectly protected :)
Mandy
January 2021
Nathan was great! The tour was amazing, we were introduced to bees and what we would expect, followed by the actual tour. Nathan was very cautious about safety (the beesuit). Location was nice and peaceful. Candice was a gem! Thanks for taking the wonderful photos. The little lunch shared with everyone was a nice touch. Highly recommend!
Laura
December 2020
A truely unique experience that gives you value for money. If you love honey, you get great insight into how the honey is made. Nathan has a great passion that is evident in this experience, and makes you go home to think about how you can begin a hive at home. Great atmosphere, highly recommend this, (even if you’re scared of bees)
Maxim
March 2020
This is a fascinating experience. Nathan is a real expert and is deeply passionate about beekeeping. I have learned a lot. Highly recommended.
Luke
February 2020
Awesome experience for someone with interest but no idea where to begin, Nathan and Candice were so acommodating and made the experience unforgettable, feeling absolutely inspired!
Eddie
February 2020
A truly unique experience, provided by a friendly and humble expert. Has inspired us to get into bee keeping. Couldn't recommend this more.
Keeley
February 2020
UnBEElievable experience, Nathan is a very friendly and Accommodating host. Lovely platters and an up close personalised experience. Groups runs small leaving a lot of room for discussion and in-depth look into the bee hives. Completely worth it! Loved going through the stages from being in bee suits to harvesting the honey. Best unique Airbnb experience you could look forward too!
Lynsay
February 2020
Fantastic experience and great value for money! We loved every minute, with welcoming hosts, informal setting and lots of interesting information about bees! Lots of little touches that make all the difference and such a unique and special experience! Thanks Nathan and Candice.
Helena
February 2020
A truely unique experience that gives you value for money. If you love honey, you get great insight into how the honey is made. Nathan has a great passion that is evident in this experience, and makes you go home to think about how you can begin a hive at home. Great atmosphere, highly recommend this, (even if you’re scared of bees)