3 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 and Queen Victoria Market, then Melbourne Cricket Ground in the evening.

   1. Morning

      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.

   2. Late morning

      Hosier Lane and the CBD laneways

      Go beyond Hosier Lane: Croft Alley off Little Bourke Street and the lanes around Flinders Lane have equally good art and far fewer people.

   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

      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.

   5. 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 and Royal Botanic Gardens, then St Kilda foreshore and pier in the evening.

   1. Morning

      National Gallery of Victoria

      Lie on the carpet in the Great Hall, as locals do, to take in Leonard French's huge stained-glass ceiling.

   2. Late morning

      Melbourne Skydeck

      The observation deck on the 88th floor of Eureka Tower gives 360-degree views over the CBD, Port Phillip Bay and, on a clear day, the Dandenong Ranges.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Melbourne brunch

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

   4. Afternoon

      Royal Botanic Gardens

      Walk part of the Tan, the 3.8 km running track around the edge of the gardens, or join locals picnicking by the Ornamental Lake.

   5. 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.

3. Day 3: Shrine of Remembrance and Melbourne Museum and Royal Exhibition Building

   Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne Museum and Royal Exhibition Building and ACMI, then Brunswick Street and Fitzroy in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Shrine of Remembrance

      Melbourne's war memorial, completed in 1934, is modelled on ancient Greek and Roman monuments.

   2. Late morning

      Melbourne Museum and Royal Exhibition Building

      Check the museum's site for guided tours of the Royal Exhibition Building's interior, which is otherwise mainly used for events.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Dim sim

      South Melbourne Market, where the dim sims are a local institution, plus fish-and-chip shops and sports grounds.

   4. Afternoon

      ACMI

      ACMI at Federation Square is Australia's museum of film, television, video games and digital culture.

   5. Evening

      Brunswick Street and Fitzroy

      Walk from Gertrude Street up Brunswick Street, then cut across to Smith Street in Collingwood for dinner.

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 State Library Victoria (Melbourne CBD): Take the lift to the top gallery level for the classic view down into the domed reading room.
• 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.
• Swap in Old Melbourne Gaol (Melbourne CBD): Allow time for the City Watch House next door, where a guide plays out an arrest and lock-up in the original cells.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Melbourne CBD keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Southbank ($$$$) suits couples, luxury, culture and first-timers. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 20–30 hours of visiting over 3 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.

More or fewer days

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

Questions travellers ask