For couples · Melbourne · Australia
Romantic things to do in Melbourne
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Shkuru Afshar, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Melbourne's romance is in its details: candlelit laneway bars, long dinners, gallery afternoons and bayside sunsets. Short escapes to the Yarra Valley or the Great Ocean Road add vineyards and ocean drives. Couples tend to stay in Southbank.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 6
- Couple-friendly sights
- 3
- Area for couples
- Southbank
- Best months
- April and October
Romantic ideas
1.Laneway bar hop
Find the hidden cocktail bars down CBD lanes and up unmarked staircases around Flinders Lane and Chinatown.
2.Sunset at St Kilda
Walk out along St Kilda Pier as the sun drops over Port Phillip Bay, then stay for the little penguins at dusk.
3.Sunrise balloon flight over the city
Melbourne is one of the few cities where hot-air balloons fly over the CBD; flights launch at dawn and usually finish with breakfast.
4.Gallery afternoon and riverside dinner
Spend the afternoon in the NGV, then walk along the Yarra to a Southbank restaurant as the city lights come on.
5.Great Ocean Road overnight
Drive to Lorne or Apollo Bay, then watch the Twelve Apostles glow at sunset after the tour coaches have left.
6.Rooftop cinema
In summer, rooftop cinemas such as the one on Curtin House in Swanston Street screen films under the stars.
Sights couples love
Garden · South Yarra
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.
- Time needed
- 1–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Nature
- Couples
Waterfront · St Kilda
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.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- After dark
- Couples
- Nature
Viewpoint · Southbank
Melbourne Skydeck
Arrive about an hour before sunset to see the city in daylight and again as the lights come on.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- After dark
- Couples
Where couples should stay
$$$$ · Best for couples, luxury, culture and first-timers
Southbank
Across Princes Bridge from Flinders Street, Southbank lines the Yarra with restaurants and bars and holds Arts Centre Melbourne, the Melbourne Recital Centre and NGV International on St Kilda Road. The Crown casino complex anchors the western end. It suits travellers who want river views and a short walk to both the CBD and the Royal Botanic Gardens.
- Good
- River views and walking access to the CBD; Close to the NGV and the gardens; Many modern hotels
- Watch out
- Feels corporate away from the river; Crowds and noise around the casino at night
- Nearby
- NGV International, Arts Centre Melbourne, Eureka Tower, Royal Botanic Gardens
Romantic day trips
- Great Ocean Road and the Twelve Apostles (About 4 hours each way along the coast) — The Great Ocean Road winds along cliffs and surf beaches from Torquay through Lorne and Apollo Bay to the limestone stacks of the Twelve Apostles in Port Campbell National Park.
- Yarra Valley (About 1–1.5 hours by car) — Victoria's best-known wine region around Healesville and Yarra Glen has cellar doors pouring Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and sparkling wine, plus Healesville Sanctuary, a native wildlife park run by Zoos Victoria.
- Dandenong Ranges and Puffing Billy (About 1 hour by train or car) — Puffing Billy, a restored steam railway dating from 1900, runs from Belgrave through fern-filled forest in the Dandenong Ranges, with passengers sitting on the open carriage windowsills, legs dangling.
- Mornington Peninsula (About 1.5 hours by car) — The peninsula south of the city mixes calm bay beaches lined with colourful bathing boxes, surf on the ocean side, cool-climate wineries around Red Hill and the geothermal pools of Peninsula Hot Springs near Fingal.
- Grampians National Park (About 3 hours by car) — Gariwerd, the Grampians, has sandstone ridges, waterfalls such as MacKenzie Falls, kangaroos grazing at dusk around Halls Gap and important Aboriginal rock-art sites.
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Chicken parma, Pho and banh mi and Dumplings. Book well ahead for dinner during the Australian Open, the Grand Prix and the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Melbourne romantic?
Melbourne's romance is in its details: candlelit laneway bars, long dinners, gallery afternoons and bayside sunsets. Short escapes to the Yarra Valley or the Great Ocean Road add vineyards and ocean drives.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in Melbourne?
Laneway bar hop: Find the hidden cocktail bars down CBD lanes and up unmarked staircases around Flinders Lane and Chinatown.
+Where should couples stay in Melbourne?
Southbank: Riverside promenade, the arts precinct and high-rise hotels across the Yarra.