Solo travel · Melbourne · Australia
Solo travel in Melbourne
How to enjoy Melbourne at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Commander Keane, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Melbourne suits solo travellers: café counters, bar seating and communal tables are everywhere, free trams make the CBD easy to cover, and hostels cluster in the CBD, St Kilda and Fitzroy. Many solo travellers base themselves in Melbourne CBD.
Key facts
- Base
- Melbourne CBD
- Getting around
- Tram
- Emergency number
- 000 (police, fire, ambulance); 112 also works from mobiles
- Language
- English
Solo travel tips
- Base yourself in the CBD to make the most of the Free Tram Zone and the walkable laneways.
- Join a free walking tour or a street-art tour early in your stay to get oriented and meet other travellers.
- Small-group day tours to the Great Ocean Road and Phillip Island are sociable and remove the need to drive.
- Sit at the bar in busy restaurants; solo diners are often seated faster than groups.
- Late at night, use the Night Network or rideshare rather than walking long distances through quiet streets.
Where to stay
$$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping, food lovers and solo travellers
Melbourne CBD
The central grid between Flinders Street and La Trobe Street holds most of the sights: Federation Square, the laneways around Degraves Street and the Block Arcade, Chinatown on Little Bourke Street and the State Library. Trams within the CBD are free, hotels range from hostels to five-star towers, and most inner suburbs are a 10–20 minute tram ride away.
- Good
- Free trams within the CBD; Walk to most major sights; Dense café and restaurant choice
- Watch out
- Some blocks are noisy with traffic and construction; Rooms in older buildings can be small
- Nearby
- Federation Square, Hosier Lane, Queen Victoria Market, State Library Victoria
Great on your own
Landmark · Melbourne CBD
Federation Square and Flinders Street Station
Meet 'under the clocks' at Flinders Street Station like locals do, then cross to the Ian Potter Centre for the free Australian art collection.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Architecture
- Art
- Rainy day
Street · Melbourne CBD
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.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Food
- Photo spot
- Iconic
Gallery · Southbank
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.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Rainy day
- Iconic
- Architecture
Landmark · Richmond
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.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- After dark
Market · Melbourne CBD
Queen Victoria Market
Go in the morning for the best produce, and check the market calendar first: it does not trade every day, and night markets run on selected evenings.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
- Free
- History
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Historic site · Kings Domain
Shrine of Remembrance
Climb to the upper balconies for the view straight up St Kilda Road and Swanston Street to the CBD skyline.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Views
- Architecture
Meeting people
- Queen Victoria Market morning — Start in the deli hall for cheese and smallgoods, grab a borek from the long-running Turkish bakery stall, then finish with hot jam doughnuts from the van.
- Laneway coffee crawl — Spend a morning comparing espresso and filter coffee in the CBD lanes around Degraves Street and Centre Place, then visit a roastery café in Collingwood or Brunswick.
- CBD laneways and rooftops — Hidden cocktail bars in lanes and basements, and rooftop bars with skyline views around Flinders Lane and Swanston Street.
- Fitzroy and Collingwood — Pubs, band rooms and bars along Brunswick, Gertrude and Smith Streets, with a creative, local crowd.
Sensible precautions
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.
- Emergency number
- 000 (police, fire, ambulance); 112 also works from mobiles
- Staying connected
- Prepaid SIMs and eSIMs are sold at the airport and phone shops; free Wi-Fi is available at the State Library, Federation Square and many cafés.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Melbourne good for solo travellers?
Melbourne suits solo travellers: café counters, bar seating and communal tables are everywhere, free trams make the CBD easy to cover, and hostels cluster in the CBD, St Kilda and Fitzroy.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Melbourne?
Melbourne CBD: Laneway cafés, Victorian arcades and the free tram zone on the Hoddle Grid.