2 days in Melbourne

Day by day

1. Day 1: Federation Square and Flinders Street Station and Hosier Lane and the CBD laneways

   Federation Square and Flinders Street Station, Hosier Lane and the CBD laneways, Queen Victoria Market and State Library Victoria, then Melbourne Cricket Ground in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Federation Square and Flinders Street Station

      Its angular sandstone and glass buildings house ACMI and the Ian Potter Centre, where NGV Australia shows Australian art for free. Big screens show major sporting events, and the station steps under the clocks are the traditional place to meet.

   2. Late morning

      Hosier Lane and the CBD laneways

      Hosier Lane and AC/DC Lane are covered in constantly changing street art, Degraves Street and Centre Place are packed with espresso bars, and the Victorian-era Block Arcade and Royal Arcade have mosaic floors and glass roofs.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Specialty coffee and the 'magic'

      Laneway cafés around Degraves Street and Centre Place, and roasters in Fitzroy, Collingwood and Brunswick.

   4. Afternoon

      Queen Victoria Market

      It is the place to try hot jam doughnuts from the van that has sold them since the 1950s and to stock up for a picnic.

   5. Late afternoon

      State Library Victoria

      Free exhibitions include Ned Kelly's armour, and the front lawn on Swanston Street is a popular lunch spot.

   6. Evening

      Melbourne Cricket Ground

      If you are in town between March and September, go to an AFL game: the crowd teaches you more about Melbourne than any tour.

2. Day 2: National Gallery of Victoria and Melbourne Skydeck

   National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Skydeck, Royal Botanic Gardens and Shrine of Remembrance, then St Kilda foreshore and pier in the evening.

   1. Morning

      National Gallery of Victoria

      Its building on St Kilda Road, entered through a famous water wall, holds European old masters, Asian art, fashion and design, and the permanent collection is free. Major ticketed exhibitions run through the year.

   2. Late morning

      Melbourne Skydeck

      The Edge, a glass cube that slides out from the building, is an optional extra.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Melbourne brunch

      Cafés in Fitzroy, Collingwood, Richmond, South Yarra and Brunswick; arrive early at weekends.

   4. Afternoon

      Royal Botanic Gardens

      The Ian Potter Foundation Children's Garden has water play and tunnels for younger kids. Entry is free.

   5. Late afternoon

      Shrine of Remembrance

      A shaft of light falls on the Stone of Remembrance at 11am on Remembrance Day, a moment recreated with mirrors at regular intervals for visitors, and galleries below tell the stories of Australians at war. Entry is free.

   6. Evening

      St Kilda foreshore and pier

      Arrive around dusk to see the little penguins return to the breakwater; keep your voice down and never use a camera flash.

Before you go

• National Gallery of Victoria: Major exhibitions use timed tickets that can sell out at weekends; the free collection needs no booking.

If it rains

• Swap in Melbourne Museum and Royal Exhibition Building (Carlton): Check the museum's site for guided tours of the Royal Exhibition Building's interior, which is otherwise mainly used for events.
• Swap in ACMI (Federation Square): Pick up a free Lens at the entrance to bookmark exhibits as you go, then look them up online later.
• Swap in SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium (Melbourne CBD): Visit on a weekday morning outside school holidays to watch the penguins without a crowd at the glass.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 14–22 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.6 hours in June to 14.8 hours in December, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Tram. Trams run along most major streets in the CBD and out to Fitzroy, Carlton, St Kilda, South Yarra and Richmond.

More or fewer days

• One day in Melbourne
• 3 days in Melbourne
• 4 days in Melbourne
• 5 days in Melbourne
• 7 days in Melbourne

Questions travellers ask