Choose from 84 Fun Things to Do in Melbourne
Royal Botanic Gardens
The lovely landscaped grounds of Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens spread for almost 100 acres south of the city center, providing Melbourne with the much-appreciated foliage of more than 50,000 plants.
The gardens were established in 1846, and over the years they've become recognised as one of the finest examples of Victorian-era landscaping in the world. The mix of native and introduced species provides inspiration for would-be gardeners, and the manicured lawns are a popular spot for picnics and parties.
You'll find tranquil ornamental lakes dotted with waterbirds, a herbarium and an observatory, plus conservatories and glasshouses filled with exotic blooms. Follow winding pathways past fern gullies and eucalyptus, or join Melbourne's joggers running rings around The Tan, the gardens' running track
Practical Info
Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens are on the southern bank of the Yarra River, edging the upmarket suburb of South Yarra. They're a pleasant 15-minute walk from the city center – just cross the river to St Kilda Road then follow your nose into the trees. Trams run up and down St Kilda Road throughout the day, or you can take a South Yarra-bound tram to Domain Road to enter the gardens through the main gate.
Rod Laver Arena
Named after the tennis player Rod Laver, a three-time winner of the Australian Open, the Arena is the centerpiece of the Melbourne Park complex and features a retractable roof to help players cope with the city’s unpredictable weather and, at times, extreme summer heat.
Also hosting music concerts, sporting events and other performances, the Rod Laver Arena, sees over 1.5 million visitors through its doors each year. Attracting some of the biggest names in the music business, past performers include Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, Linkin Park, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Adams, Black Sabbath and P!NK.
Tours of the Arena are held daily except when concerts or events are scheduled. Offering visitors the chance to walk in the shoes of some the world’s top tennis players, the tour takes you through Rod Laver Area and the Superbox as well as the Walk of Champions, the Davis Cup Room, and the player’s changing rooms. Keen tennis players can also arrange to have a game on court!
Luna Park
This ultimate city fair has brightened St Kilda’s Lower Esplanade for more than a century, featuring a classic Ferris Wheel, the Jewel in the Crown Carousel, the Silly Serpent Rollercoaster and a haunted Ghost Train, as well as many other family-fun and thrilling rides.
The most famous Luna Park ride is the Scenic Railway Roller Coaster, which has delighted passengers with paramount views of Port Phillip Bay since the Park opened in 1912.
Practical Info:
The Park sells all sorts of wonderful carnival food, like fairy floss and hot chips, to keep patrons well fed between rides.
Getting there is a breeze, with regular trams and buses between central Melbourne and St Kilda.
Royal Arcade
- Wear comfortable shoes if you’re taking a walking tour—the cobbled streets of Melbourne’s laneways require sturdy footwear.
- Most shops in the arcade are open daily from 9am to 5:30pm, with reduced hours on Sunday.
- The Royal Arcade is fully wheelchair accessible.
Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
- Although some tickets are available daily on a first-come first-served basis, it’s best to book match tickets in advance to avoid disappointment.
- Tours must be booked in advance.
- On-site facilities include drinking water fountains, free Wi-Fi, ATMs, restrooms, and a selection of bars and food vendors in each stand.
- All entrants to the grounds are required to undergo security checks, and large bags and suitcases are not permitted.
- Each stand has wheelchair accessible areas and facilities, but advance booking is recommended.
Penguin Parade
Practical Info
Melbourne Town Hall
- Photographers will want to visit Melbourne Town Hall either early in the morning, for the best light with minimal crowding, or late at night early in the week, to capture the illuminations.
- If you’d like to see the interior but don’t want to book a tour, consider visiting for a concert, which allows access to the grand auditorium.
- Melbourne Town Hall is wheelchair accessible.
- The impressive portico was added to the building in 1887.
Phillip Island Winery
Practical Info
Parliament House of Victoria
- The neoclassical frontage makes a stop at Parliament House a must for architecture buffs.
- If Parliament is not sitting, you can visit for a traditional high tea, served since 1924: Booking in advance is advised.
- There is wheelchair access to much of Parliament House.
Mornington Peninsula
- Temperatures can reach 77°F (25°C) during the summer months (December–February), so sun protection is a must.
- If hiking or picnicking during the summer months, be aware of the bushfire risk and adhere to the fire ban and other recommended precautions.
- There is no public transport to the hinterland areas, so you will need your own car or to visit as part of a tour.
- Be sure to book tours, hotels, and activities in advance during the summer months, as they can book up quickly.
Melbourne Cruise Port
How to Get to Melbourne
Your ship will dock at Station Pier in Port Melbourne. The tram station is about a five minute walk from the pier and, from there, it is about a twenty minute ride into the center of Melbourne. Taking a taxi is another option and should cost about $20.
One Day in Melbourne
Begin your exploration of Melbourne by hopping on the free Circle City tram, which makes an hour-long loop around the city center. Then, head to Federation Square, where you will find numerous galleries, shops and cafes surrounding the square, as well as the city’s Visitor Center. Spend an hour or two around the square and then head up to the Eureka Skydeck for jaw-dropping views around the city. If you’re feeling adventurous, step out on the Edge, a glass cube extending from the skydeck that will give you a view 935 feet straight down!
How you spend the rest of your time in Melbourne will depend a lot on your interests. You might get a taste of Australian and Aboriginal art at the National Gallery of Victoria before heading to the State Library of Victoria and the St. Paul Cathedral. Or, make your way to the quirky suburb of St. Kilda to ride the rollercoaster at Luna Park, stroll along the pier and soak up some sun on St Kilda Beach. Others may enjoy simply walking by the Yarra River and exploring the Royal Botanic Gardens or the Melbourne Zoo.
Shopping aficionados will also want to check out Little Collins Street, Collins Street, Brunswick Street and the Queen Victoria Market.
Port Information
Loch Ard Gorge
Practical Info
Melbourne Chinatown
Practical Info
Melbourne Central Shopping Centre
Practical Info
Melbourne Museum
Exhibitions include Science and Life, Melbourne Story, Evolution, Mind and Body, and many more. Get to see bones and displays of Australia’s mega fauna (giant animals), experience the Dinosaur Walk, Bugs Alive!, Amazing Animals and The Human Body.
Temporary exhibitions run about twice a year and cover a variety of themes. The Museum also houses a good café, an IMAX center and – the museum’s most popular object – a taxidermy original of Australia’s most famous racehorse, Phar Lap.
Housed in a striking building with a huge glass façade, Melbourne Museum is not immediately visible if you approach from the CBD as it stands behind the impressive Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens.
Practical Info
Hosier Lane
Once forgotten but now very much on the Melbourne cultural map, Hosier Lane is a small cut through between Flinders Street and Flinders Lane, filled with regularly changing graffiti and a series of light boxes that exhibit the work of up and coming contemporary artists.
Jutting out from the center of Hosier is Rutledge Lane; walk past the (graffitied) garbage bins until you hit the Until Never gallery, which displays work by emerging Australian artists (open Wed-Sat).
Hang out in Misty Bar or enjoy excellent tapas in the compact but excellent Spanish bar, Movida Next Door (Cnr Flinders St & Hosier Ln). If you want to eat at the more spacious and original Movida (1 Hosier Ln), you’ll need to book at least two months in advance.
National Sports Museum
Practical Info
Melbourne Zoo
Animals from Australia and around the world have called the Melbourne Zoo home since 1862, making it Australia's oldest zoo. Surrounded by landscaped gardens, the zoo is a popular location for picnics and evening concerts during the summer.
Star attractions at Melbourne Zoo include the colorful inhabitants of the Butterfly House, families of gorillas at play in the Gorilla Rainforest, and native animals like kangaroos, wombats and koalas in the Amazing Australians exhibits.
Most famous of all is the Trail of the Elephants, the Asian village home of the zoo's five elephants, including recent addition baby Mali. Orangutans are viewed from elevated boardwalks, and penguins and seals swim in the Wild Sea display. Don’t miss feeding time and Meet the Keeper presentations.Practical Info
Melbourne Zoo is a couple of kilometers from central Melbourne, on the northern edge of town in Parkville. Catch a tram from the city along William Street, or a train from Flinders Street Station to Royal Park Station. The Zoological Gardens cover acres of different landscapes, including formal gardens, rainforest and jungle. Free guided tours highlight the zoo's star exhibits.
St Kilda
Once a desirable suburb for Melbourne’s elite in Victorian and Edwardian times, St Kilda has a fascinating history and still features many of its original mansions and iconic attractions today.
Fitzroy Street runs from the southern side of Albert Park all the way down to St Kilda Beach. Packed with notable restaurants, cafes, pubs and shops, as well as budget and top end accommodation, it's a lively street that is great for people watching and hanging out in pavement cafés.
Acland Street runs parallel to the beach and offers more of the same attractions with the addition of the popular Sunday art-and-craft market (on the Esplanade) and some fabulously drool-worthy cake shops.
It is possible to walk along St Kilda beach for several kilometers in either direction. Head north towards the city and the suburbs of Albert Park and Port Melbourne or south to Elwood and the gentrified suburb of Brighton and beyond.
Practical Info
Lygon Street
Still referred to by some as ‘little Italy’, Lygon Street was once the epicenter of Melbourne’s café culture and more than part way responsible for the city’s enduring caffeine obsession. Victorian terraces still line the street and several Italian restaurants continue to beckon passers-by to eat and drink at their street-side tables.
As you walk along Lygon Street you get a sense of its diversity: Italian-influenced restaurants, cafes, cake shops and gelati bars still dominate the scene but you will also discover a whole swathe of mainstream and boutique clothing stores, one of Melbourne’s best independent bookstores (Readings Books & Music); La Mama Theatre and Cinema Nova, Melbourne’s largest and most treasured arthouse cinema.
Faraday Street intersects Lygon Street at its northern end and it’s here that you’ll find Brunetti’s, a long-standing Carlton institution that serves the best cakes and gelato in town.