Whether you’re visiting Melbourne for the first or the fifth time, we know you’ll love it. Melbourne is a modern metropolis filled with amazing culture, parks, art, sports and coffee! This mix of culture along with an incredibly homey feeling left us loving Melbourne more than any other big city in Australia. And as with any large city, there are so many things to do in Melbourne that you could easily spend a day or a week exploring this amazing area.
Melbourne is a hub for museums, street art, markets, art galleries, coffee shops, sporting arenas, etc. etc. etc. What surprised us most, and made us love it so much, is that there are so many different TYPES of things to do in Melbourne that it will appeal to tons of different travelers. We are most definitely nature focused travelers and consequently, we don’t find ourselves enjoying most cities. However, Melbourne was different. And maybe part of it had to do with it being the first destination we visited in Australia. Or maybe it had a little to do with the fact that as we entered the city and switched on the radio “Land Down Under” by Men at Work played on the radio. But we think it’s mostly because Melbourne is awesome. Keep reading to see all the amazing things to do in Melbourne and you’ll think it’s pretty awesome too.
Take the FREE Tram
Cost: FREE | Time: schedules here
Take the free tram on a loop through the heart of Melbourne. You can use this free tram as a tour of the city or as a way from get from one attraction to another. They have an audio tour that plays as the tram goes that gives riders some fun facts and fun things to do in Melbourne. You’ll find that locals also use these trams to commute so do your best to avoid being on it during rush hours.
Visit the Queen Victoria Market
Cost: FREE, until you buy something | Time: As much as you want
Go here and go hungry!!! This is the best advice I can give you. The Queen Victoria Market is the biggest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere. It is one of the biggest Melbourne tourist attractions and is the best market we’ve ever visited. The market sells everything from souvenirs, to fresh fruit, to handmade crafts, to artisan bread. And we bought it all. So visit the market, stock up on souvenirs, grab lunch and then stroll around and enjoy the performers playing live music.
Also, they have what are most likely the worlds best donuts – and we can safely say that being American donut enthusiasts.
Go to Jail at the Melbourne Gaol
Cost: $33 AUD/Adult | Time: 2-3 hours
You’ve probably done your best to avoid having to pay to get out of jail, but in Melbourne you can pay to get into jail. Visit the historic Old Melbourne Prison and learn about Australia’s criminal past. Here you’ll learn about the famous Ned Kelly. You’ll also get the unique experience of visiting a more modern jail circa 1911 and pay to be screamed at by period costume wearing police officers. If you’re into the macabre, consider taking an evening ghost tour that explores the potential hauntings of the historic jail.
See St. Paul’s Cathedral and Flinders Street Station
Cost: FREE | Time: A few minutes
Walk about St. Paul’s Cathedral in the heart of Melbourne. This cathedral was built in 1891 and is still considered to be one of Melbourne’s greatest architectural wonders.
And just across the street, you’ll find the equally beautiful Flinders Street station. Opened in 1854, this is another major architectural landmark in Melbourne and one of the busiest rail stations in the southern hemisphere.
Checkout the State Library of Victoria
Cost: FREE | Time: 1-2 hours
The absolutely beautiful State Library of Victoria is a great place to visit for those interested in books, architecture or history. Stroll through the rooms to see the beautifully designed library. Don’t miss the special collections that go over some of the interesting historical tidbits of Victoria. You’ll even see the armor that Ned Kelly wore when he was captured.
Stroll the Royal Botanic Gardens
Cost: FREE | Time: 1 hour
Visiting the Royal Botanic Gardens is one of the most relaxing things to do in Melbourne. These beautiful gardens cover 93 acres. They are absolutely beautiful and vary in scope, planning and plant life. For us outdoorsy folk, it was a great place to relax with an evening stroll.
Don’t forget to visit the Shrine of Remembrance which is also located within the gardens. This shrine is built to honor all Australians who have served in the armed forces.
Wander Fitzroy Gardens
Cost: FREE | Time: 30 minutes
If you’ve covered all of the botanic gardens, and good for you if you have, you can visit the equally as nice but smaller Fitzroy Gardens, just a few blocks away. This Victorian style garden covers 64 acres in central Melbourne.
National Gallery of Victoria
Cost: FREE | Time: 1-3 hours
Wander the National Gallery of Victoria to see the oldest and most visited art museum in Australia. This gallery boasts an impressive permanent exhibit of Australia artists. Enjoy the art and learn a bit about Australian history as you wander. You can see most of the museum in just a few hours.
Go to a Cricket Match
Cost: Varies | Time: Varies
Watch a cricket match at the world renowned Melbourne Cricket Grounds. The MCG is a huge stadium; it’s the largest in Australia. So even if cricket isn’t your thing, visit the stadium to check out a soccer, rugby or Australian football match. Prices for tickets were cheaper than we expected and we sat next to a wonderful man from South Africa who explained all the rules of cricket to us – thanks friend.
Spot Some Street Art
Cost: FREE | Time: minutes-hours
Melbourne is famous for its street art. They even dedicate certain areas as approved for street art. So you’ll find high quality street art here that is ever changing. Also, having set aside areas for the street art, you’ll find that you’ll see high quality art in designated areas and very little graffiti elsewhere.
You can find a map of approved street art areas here and use this map to create your own walking tour. You can also take one of several paid street art walking tours that tour companies in Melbourne host.
Try the World’s Best Coffee
Cost: $6-10AUD | Time: a few minutes
Melbourne is known around the world for brewing an exceptionally good cup of coffee. And no list of things to do in Melbourne would be complete without me telling you to try one. You can even find walking coffee tours in Melbourne if you’re a true coffee snob.
Admittedly, I am a coffee snob in the sense that I snootily do not like coffee. But I went, I tried, it tasted like coffee to me. But for the low, low price of a cup of coffee, you can say you tried Melbourne coffee.
Shop Til You Drop
Cost:Whatever you want to spend | Time: however long
Melbourne has some amazing shopping areas. They’re amazing because of the variety of shops you’ll find. But also amazing because of how well laid out they are. We loved that malls seemed to have both indoor and outdoor walking areas. Visit Bourke Street and the Block Arcade for the most shops in the Central Business District.
**We want to thank the artists who upload their photos to Pexels for us to use in this blog post. We were having so much fun in Melbourne that we only took two photos… whoops.
We hope this list of things to do in Melbourne has sparked your interest in visiting this amazing city. Sure Cairns has the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney is all the rage and Brisbane has the best zoos, but we really did think that Melbourne was the best big city in Australia. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.
