Travel guide · Australia
Melbourne travel guide
Laneway coffee, free CBD trams, big-ticket sport and serious food
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Melbpal, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Melbourne is a grid-planned city on the Yarra River, known less for single landmarks than for laneway cafés, galleries, sport and food. The CBD's Hoddle Grid is covered by a free tram zone, and inner suburbs such as Fitzroy, Carlton, Richmond and St Kilda each have their own food and bar streets. It is also the base for the Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island's little penguins and the Yarra Valley wineries. Plan 5 days for a first visit; the best months are February–April and October–November.
Key facts
- Country
- Australia
- Best time to visit
- February–April and October–November
- Ideal stay
- 5 days
- Main airports
- MEL, AVV
- Mid-range daily budget
- $180–$320 per person (estimate)
- Known for
- Laneway cafés, Street art, Trams and Australian rules football
Why visit Melbourne
- Laneways such as Degraves Street, Centre Place and Hosier Lane pack espresso bars, street art and small restaurants into the CBD.
- The free collections at the National Gallery of Victoria, ACMI and the State Library make it a strong city for wet days.
- Sport is part of daily life: AFL football at the MCG, the Australian Open in January and the Melbourne Cup in November.
- Food from waves of migration: Greek on Lonsdale Street, Italian on Lygon Street, Vietnamese on Victoria Street and dumplings in Chinatown.
- The Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island, the Yarra Valley and the Dandenong Ranges are all within day-trip range.
Top things to do
The six sights most first-time visitors build a trip around. See all 18 things to do.
Landmark · Melbourne CBD
Federation Square and Flinders Street Station
Opposite the domed 1910 entrance of Flinders Street Station, Federation Square is the city's main public meeting place.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Architecture
- Art
- Rainy day
Street · Melbourne CBD
Hosier Lane and the CBD laneways
The CBD's lanes and arcades are Melbourne's signature.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Food
- Photo spot
- Iconic
Gallery · Southbank
National Gallery of Victoria
Founded in 1861, the NGV is Australia's oldest public art museum.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Rainy day
- Iconic
- Architecture
Landmark · Richmond
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The MCG holds about 100,000 people and hosts AFL football through the winter, the AFL Grand Final in September and the Boxing Day Test match in summer.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- After dark
Market · Melbourne CBD
Queen Victoria Market
Trading since 1878, the Queen Victoria Market covers several city blocks of produce sheds, a deli hall of cheese, meat and smallgoods, and general merchandise stalls.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
- Free
- History
Garden · South Yarra
Royal Botanic Gardens
Thirty-eight hectares of lawns, lakes and plant collections stretch along the Yarra south of the CBD, with a fern gully, an arid garden and Guilfoyle's Volcano, a restored reservoir planted with succulents.
- Time needed
- 1–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Nature
- Couples
Where to stay
Melbourne CBD is the easiest base for a first visit. Compare all 8 areas.
$$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping, food lovers and solo travellers
Melbourne CBD
Laneway cafés, Victorian arcades and the free tram zone on the Hoddle Grid
$$$$ · Best for couples, luxury, culture and first-timers
Southbank
Riverside promenade, the arts precinct and high-rise hotels across the Yarra
$$ · Best for nightlife, food lovers, shopping and solo travellers
Fitzroy and Collingwood
Street art, vintage shops and bars along Brunswick, Gertrude and Smith Streets
$$ · Best for families, culture, food lovers and quiet stays
Carlton
Italian cafés on Lygon Street, the university and UNESCO-listed gardens
What to eat
- Specialty coffee and the 'magic' — Melbourne's cafés take coffee seriously: single-origin espresso, filter brews and flat whites from trained baristas are standard even in tiny laneway bars.
- Melbourne brunch — Café brunch menus go well beyond eggs on toast, with dishes such as chilli scrambled eggs, ricotta hotcakes and seasonal vegetable plates on house-made sourdough, often served all day.
- Dim sim — A Melbourne creation from the 1940s, the dim sim is a larger, chunkier take on Cantonese siu mai, filled with pork and cabbage, then steamed or deep-fried and eaten with soy sauce.
- Souvlaki — Melbourne has a large Greek community, and souvlaki — grilled lamb or chicken wrapped in pita with tomato, onion and tzatziki — is the city's late-night food of choice.
- Chicken parma — A crumbed chicken schnitzel topped with tomato sauce, ham and melted cheese, served with chips and salad.
- Pho and banh mi — Richmond and Footscray have strong Vietnamese communities, and their restaurants serve beef pho, broken-rice plates and crusty banh mi rolls at everyday prices.
When to go
The best times to visit Melbourne are March to April and October to November, when days are mild, the parks are green or turning gold, and the events calendar is full. January and February bring the warmest, driest weather and the Australian Open, with higher prices and occasional extreme heat. Winter (June to August) is cool and grey but the lowest-priced season and a good time for food, bars and galleries.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Summer | December–February | Warm to hot, mostly dry days with long evenings, the Australian Open and beach days at St Kilda, interrupted by occasional 40°C heat and sudden cool changes. |
| Autumn | March–May | Often the most settled weather of the year, with the Grand Prix, comedy and food festivals, and golden leaves in the gardens by May. |
| Winter | June–August | Cool, grey and showery with short days, but low hotel prices, the footy season, MIFF and cosy bars and restaurants. |
| Spring | September–November | Changeable and windy at first, then warmer and greener, with the AFL Grand Final, the Fringe and Melbourne Cup week. |
Getting there and around
Melbourne Airport at Tullamarine is about 23 km north-west of the CBD and has no train link. SkyBus express coaches run to Southern Cross Station in about 30 minutes, and taxis or rideshares take about 25–45 minutes depending on traffic. Avalon Airport, about 55 km south-west, is linked to the city by connecting coaches.
Melbourne has one of the world's largest tram networks, backed by suburban trains and buses, all under Public Transport Victoria. Trams inside the CBD's Free Tram Zone cost nothing, and most inner suburbs are a 10–25 minute tram ride away.
Plan your days
Three days covers the CBD laneways, the NGV, the Royal Botanic Gardens and an evening in Fitzroy or St Kilda. Five days adds the Great Ocean Road and Phillip Island or the Yarra Valley; a week lets you slow down in the inner suburbs.
Practical information
- Currency
- AUD
- Language
- English
- Plugs
- Type I sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water is safe and good to drink, and drinking fountains are common in parks and the CBD.
- Emergency number
- 000 (police, fire, ambulance); 112 also works from mobiles
- Tipping
- Tipping is not expected.
Melbourne is generally safe for visitors. Watch for trams and cyclists when crossing roads, keep an eye on belongings around Flinders Street Station and in crowds, and be ready for sudden weather changes and strong summer UV. On extreme-heat days, follow official advice and stay hydrated.
Flights to Melbourne
Questions travellers ask
+How many days do you need in Melbourne?
Three days covers the CBD laneways, the NGV, the Royal Botanic Gardens and an evening in Fitzroy or St Kilda. Five days adds the Great Ocean Road and Phillip Island or the Yarra Valley; a week lets you slow down in the inner suburbs. How to split your days.
+When is the best time to visit Melbourne?
The best times to visit Melbourne are March to April and October to November, when days are mild, the parks are green or turning gold, and the events calendar is full. January and February bring the warmest, driest weather and the Australian Open, with higher prices and occasional extreme heat. Winter (June to August) is cool and grey but the lowest-priced season and a good time for food, bars and galleries.
+What is Melbourne known for?
Laneway cafés, Street art, Trams, Australian rules football, Australian Open, Great Ocean Road and Specialty coffee. Laneways such as Degraves Street, Centre Place and Hosier Lane pack espresso bars, street art and small restaurants into the CBD.
+Is Melbourne expensive?
Melbourne is expensive for international visitors: a mid-range trip costs roughly $180–$320 per person per day before flights (AMZBooking estimate). Costs and money-saving tips.
+Do you need a car in Melbourne?
Not in the city, where trams and trains cover the sights. A car is the best way to see the Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island, the Yarra Valley and the Mornington Peninsula at your own pace.