What to do in Melbourne
How to have fun in Melbourne? Where to go on trips or shopping? What activities are worth travelling to Melbourne for?
Australia's second largest city is bursting with cultural activities and has a very high concentration of museums, galleries, theatres and a variety of concerts, sporting and other events. Although at first glance it is overshadowed by the more famous Sydney in terms of tourism, Melbourne is simply alive all year round.
The city is ideal for a 2-4 day stopover before travelling further afield in Australia.
Book a hotel in central Melbourne
Culture - galleries, events and museums
Melbourne is the cultural capital of Australia and Oceania.
A variety of temporary cultural events and happenings are held here every week and even every day in high season.
The largest concentration of cultural events takes place in the Arts Precinct, where you will find, among other things, the famous National Gallery of Victoria.
There are also several museums in Melbourne, of which we have visited and recommend the following:
- Shrine of Remembrance - a memorial and museum honouring Australian soldiers serving in all wars since World War I.
- Old Melbourne Gaol - an old prison
- Immigration Museum
- Melbourne Museum - Natural History Museum
Viewpoints and skyscrapers
The skyline of Melbourne's Central Business District (CBD), as city centres are called in Australia and Oceania, is truly monumental.
With over 80 buildings over 150 metres in height, Melbourne has by a wide margin the most skyscrapers in all of Australia and Oceania. Sydney is second with around 60 skyscrapers.
Views of the Melbourne skyline are available from many locations, we would recommend the following locations in particular:
- The pedestrian promenades along the Yarra River - from here you can see the skyscrapers very closely, as the river runs right through the centre
- St. Kilda Pier - view from the pier of the centre, about 5 km away
- Docklands - great views especially from the Ferris wheel in the north of Newquay
The most popular viewpoint on the skyscraper is the Melbourne Skydeck, which is located 285 metres above the ground on the 88th floor of the Eureka Tower.
Beaches and swimming
The long coastline of Port Phillip Bay is virtually entirely filled with spacious beaches of fine, light sand.
Melbourne's beaches may not live up to the fame of Sydney's Bondi Beach or the Gold Coast's Surfers Paradise, but they are among the best urban beaches in Australia.
They have the advantage of not being overcrowded even in high season.
Where are the best beaches in Melbourne?
The further south you go (Elwood, Chelsea, Frankston and beyond), the less crowded the beaches will be.
A common feature of all Melbourne beaches is the gradual entry into the water and very calm seas, as Port Phillip Bay is entirely sheltered from the open ocean.
Sights and history
Melbourne may seem like a super-modern city with its skyline of 80 skyscrapers, but appearances are deceiving and you'll soon discover that Melbourne has the highest concentration of historical sites of any Australian city.
Most of the monuments date back to the British rule, especially the 19th century.
We pick out the sights you shouldn't miss:
Take a ride on the historic tram
For the number of kilometres of track, Melbourne has the most extensive tram network in the world and trams are intrinsically linked to the city and its history.
Take advantage of the special tram line 35, which runs exclusively on historic trams, and be transported back in time a few decades.
Line 35 follows the edge of the city centre and the so called "Tramway 35". Free Tram Zone, so fares on the entire length of this circular tram are free.
The route is circular and the 35 trams run only clockwise around the circuit with a frequency of 12-20 minutes from approximately 9:30 to 16:45.
A detailed timetable can be found at ptv.vic.gov.au/route/timetable/35.
For information on getting around Melbourne, see the Transport chapter.
Parks and gardens
Melbourne is often nicknamed garden cityas it is truly one of the greenest cities in the world.
Visit the famous Fitzroy Gardens and don't miss the beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria.
Carlton Gardens in front of the Royal Exhibition Buildings or Flagstaff Gardens between the Market Hall and Southern Cross Station are also beautiful.
Shopping, dining and nightlife
Central Melbourne is one of the shopping havens. You'll find many department stores here, the largest of which is called Melbourne Central and is located above the city's train station of the same name.
A unique shopping opportunity is the Queen Victoria Market, the largest market in the southern hemisphere.
Melbourne is also home to a huge number of restaurants, cafes and, in the evening, bars, which are scattered throughout the city centre.
Happy Hours are extremely popular among tourists, when you can usually get alcoholic cocktails at a significant discount between 2pm and 6pm.
The largest concentration of restaurants and bars are on the embankments along the Yarra River, and also in the small narrow street of Hardware Lane right in the middle of the city.
Sightseeing boat cruises
Melbourne is a city closely associated with water. The Yarra River runs through the centre and the entire southern edge of the city is bordered by the beaches of Port Phillip Bay.
Enjoy the city from a different perspective and take a boat cruise.
Yarra River
Cruises on the Yarra River are the most popular as they go right through the centre. You'll see skyscrapers, stadiums and neighborhoods converted from industrial to modern quiet places.
Cruises are offered by several different companies, with stations usually right in the centre on the Southbank Promenade (see map).
You can buy a ticket on the spot or compare all the companies' offers via the getyourguide website, for example.
The two largest companies are Melbourne River Cruises and Yarra River Cruises.
Examples of prices and cruises:
- Ports & Docklands - 1 hour Docklands Canals, price 38 aud
- Parks & Gardens - 1 hour eastbound along the Royal Botanic Gardens of Victoria to the university campus, price 38 aud
- Melbourne Highlights - 2 to 2.5 hour tour of the entire city, price 62 aud
- Evening cruise - 1.5 hours during twilight and darkness, price 69 aud
Bay cruises
There is currently a regular ferry service operating in Port Phillip Bay, running between Port of Melbourne (closest to the centre) - Williamstown (Gem Pier) - St. Kilda Pier.
- Port of Melbourne - St. Kilda for 33 aud, sailing time approx. 80 minutes
- Port of Melbourne - Williamstown for 20 aud, sailing time approx. 30 minutes
- St. Kilda - Williamstown for 20 aud, sailing time approx. 45 minutes
It is always advisable to book your ferry online at stkildaferry.com.au/book-online.
You can also take the ferry from Melbourne city centre (Yarra River, Southbank Promenade) to Williamstown, operated by Melbourne River Cruises.
A one-way ticket costs 35 aud.
Visit the national parks in the area
Do you have all day but don't want to travel to more remote locations requiring an overnight stay?
Take a trip to one of the national parks around downtown.
The nearest national park, with its dense eucalyptus forests, is called the Dandenong Ranges and can be reached in about an hour by a combination of the Lilydale or Belgrave train and the 688 bus. There aren't many walking trails within the park and if you set off around 7:30am, you could easily be back in the centre by midday.
Sporting events
Melbourne is not only the capital of Australian culture, but also of sport.
In the eastern part of the city centre along the Yarra River you'll find several huge stadiums for various sports, of which the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with a capacity of over 100,000 spectators, is the largest in all of Oceania.
Marvel Stadium for Australian rules football is right in the centre by Southern Cross station.
Melbourne hosts several world-famous events each year, including:
- Tennis Australian Open
- Formula One racing at Albert Park Circuit - Australian Grand Prix
- Moto GP Motorcycle Grand Prix
Any questions left?
If you have any questions or comments about the article...
Personally, I definitely recommend to visit the Formula 1 Grand Prix.