15 Best Things To Do In Melbourne (Australia)

Melbourne is a young, vibrant city with a vibrant downtown, inner-city neighbourhoods with distinct personalities, and lush green parks and mountain ranges where you can experience the best of Australian nature. The city is renowned for its numerous lanes, ethnic diversity, fantastic food options for all price ranges, and great street art. Additionally, it is renowned for being the world’s coffee capital and for frequently winning awards for being the most livable city in the world! Let’s examine the top activities in Melbourne:

Check out the amazing street art

Melbourne is highly regarded for its street art and is regarded as one of the world’s street art capitals. It’s a great way for aspiring street artists to gain experience in the artistic side of graffiti, and having structured locations for this amazing creative outlet helps to reduce the levels of graffiti elsewhere while also adding a great urban vibe that tourists and locals alike enjoy. The city council has designated certain areas as approved for street artists, and the street art here is of exceptionally high quality and changes regularly. A map of Melbourne’s street art may be found here. For those who would prefer a deeper understanding of what they are seeing, how it is done, and who are engaged in this intriguing underground art culture, there is even a Melbourne street art tour led by street artists.

Learn about Victoria’s convict past at Old Melbourne Gaol

In the heart of the city, Old Melbourne Gaol is a museum that houses prisoners from the time it first opened in 1842 until 1929. 133 people were executed here while the prison was in operation, including many of Australia’s most notorious offenders, including Ned Kelly. The museum offers a glimpse into life in the 1800s; some mentally ill and homeless people were also interred in the prison, and the harsh conditions they were subjected to seem quite shocking by modern standards. The museum houses a diverse collection of outstanding relics, including numerous condemned criminals’ death masks. Some people believe the museum to be haunted, and it offers ghost tours that share tales that have been observed by both guests and personnel.

Visit the Immigration Museum

The Immigration Museum is a celebration of Australia’s multiculturalism and the various cultures that have coexisted to shape this nation. The museum is housed in the stunning Old Customs House and highlights the tales of the different communities of Melbourne and Victoria as a whole. It also discusses identity definitions, the immigration experience, and the tough voyage that many immigrants would have had to reach Australia. The Old Customs House’s status as the main hub for immigration, trade, and shopping during the 19th century is also documented in the Customs Gallery.

Learn how things work at Scienceworks

An interesting selection of interactive science displays, workshops, and events can be found at Scienceworks. Additionally, it has a planetarium, a lightning chamber, and Nitty Gritty Super City, a miniature metropolis that shows how a city functions. The Lightning Room presents 30-minute live shows that feature a massive Tesla Coil that can generate over two million volts of electricity and create lightning bolts that are three meters in length. The planetarium delivers educational shows. Both kids and adults will enjoy themselves here!

Visit Flinders Street Station and Federation Square

The main entrance to Flinders Street Station is a picturesque cultural symbol of Melbourne you’ll find on many postcards or tourist brochures: this gorgeous building was opened in 1910, and it is listed on the Victorian heritage register. The busiest train station in all of Australia is located here, along with a modest food court and convenient walking access to Southbank. Another famous landmark in Melbourne is Federation Square, which is located across the street. The Square is unlike anything you’ve ever seen because of its distinctive and unusual architectural design. Visit the Ian Potter Centre art gallery and the Australian Centre of the Moving Image once you arrive in the Square. Both have featured fascinating exhibits on topics like claymation.

Drink the world’s best coffee

It’s official: Melbourne is home to the world’s best coffee, according to votes from over a thousand people on the booking.com website. Melbourne won the title over many of the most well-known coffee cities in the world, including Rome and Vienna; once you witness the dedication of Melbourne baristas to their trade, you’ll understand why. In Melbourne, where the locals take pride in their coffee snobbery and the city prides itself on being a global leader in coffee and café culture, it’s difficult to get a terrible cup of coffee. Because Australian and New Zealander baristas effectively introduced fine coffee to the city, cafes in London even promote the fact that they have Melbourne baristas. Even a coffee expo is held in Melbourne, and the world barista champion from 2014, Pete Licata (of the USA), called Melbourne’s coffee scene “amazing.” You’ve come to the right location if you enjoy coffee. You can find excellent coffee simply by exploring the city’s lanes, and for coffee connoisseurs, there are special trips available; for more information, visit Melbourne Coffee Tours or Hidden Secret Tours. Yelp claims Patricia on Little Bourke Street in Melbourne has the best coffee in the city. It’s a tiny hole-in-the-wall with no seating and a line to get in, but it’s probably the best coffee you’ve ever had! Additionally, the staff and the location merit publicity.

Have a night out at the Crown Casino Comple

The enormous Crown Casino Complex, a casino and resort complex next to the Yarra River, is the largest casino complex in the southern hemisphere and one of the biggest worldwide. Except for three public holidays each year, it is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is a lot of fun if you want to gamble, but it also offers fantastic dining, lively nightlife, and upscale shopping. The Atrium area is stunning, with wonderful fountains and light and music shows, and there are pyrotechnic towers just outside the complex itself that are amazing to see. Known as the “Gas Brigades,” they are the largest of their kind in the world and launch fireballs into the night sky.

Wander through laneways

Melbourne’s many laneways are a great place to explore aimlessly to discover everything that it has to offer. City maps are available at the Federation Square Visitor Information Centre, and many hotels; some of the most interesting laneways include Centre Place, AC/DC Lane (named after the famous Aussie rock band!), Hardware Lane, and Degraves Lane. You’ll discover a wealth of things to do, see, buy, and eat while learning more about Melbourne’s metropolitan culture.

Stroll the botanic gardens

Walking distance from the city centre, the Botanic Gardens provide a haven of tranquillity, quiet, and nature away from the hustle and bustle. They’re a popular spot for local walkers and joggers, and the breathtaking landscapes make them ideal for a peaceful meditation session. With more than 8,500 plant species, the botanic gardens are colourful, gorgeous, and fascinating. Bring a sketchbook if you’d want to attempt to draw any of the lovely flowers or scenery.

Shop till you drop

Melbourne is known for its top-notch shopping; in particular, Chapel Street is well-liked by both local and foreign celebrities for its superb selection of fine clothing. You may also go to the former Melbourne Government Post office, which currently serves as a retail mall. Richmond’s Bridge Road is a fantastic location for discount shopping, delicious food, and high-quality housewares. In addition to Highpoint and Chadstone, two excellent, huge retail centres with a wide selection of Australian and foreign brands, Fitzroy is widely renowned for its eclectic, antique finds.

Have a gourmet Greek dinner

Outside of Athens, Melbourne is the city with the highest concentration of Greeks, and the dynamic, close-knit Greek community in Melbourne regularly hosts several cultural events. The magnificent Greek Precinct is another place where you may discover Greek food of the calibre you’d find in Greece itself. The Hellenic Museum is close by, and there are also several Greek speciality stores in this area. You might also want to attend the Antipodes Festival or the Greek Film Festival if you’re in Melbourne in March or September.

Admire Aboriginal art

The City Gallery (located inside Town Hall), the Flinders Lane Gallery, the Ian Potter Museum of Art, and NGV International all house sizable collections of Aboriginal art, and there are numerous other galleries across Melbourne’s city centres and environs. Melbourne is a great place to learn about the significance of art in indigenous culture and the beauty of the artworks. Aborigine art is praised internationally for its beauty and symbolism.

Get sporty at the MCG

With good reason, the Melbourne Cricket Ground calls itself “Australia’s favourite stadium.” The MCG is the hub of activity in the sports-crazed city of Melbourne. The stadium, which is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club, also hosts the enormously popular AFL, as well as international soccer, rugby, and other sports. The MCG, which was first constructed in 1853 and has since had numerous renovations, holds the record for having the greatest crowd, with around 130,000 spectators. It is the largest stadium in Australia and the tenth largest in the world. The Australian Gallery of Sport and the Olympic Museum are both located at the MCG. For the most recent information on events at the stadium, see the MCG website. To experience Melbourne’s love of sport, attend a game of cricket or AFL.

Enjoy the hustle and bustle of the Queen Victoria Markets.

Since they first opened in 1878, Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Markets have served as a significant culinary centre. You may find wonderful cheeses, olives, and smoked meats here, as well as some of Melbourne’s best fruit stands and delicatessens. The structure itself is a stunning example of Victorian architecture, and within you’ll find a wide variety of locally produced handmade goods as well as gifts for family and friends. The markets host a variety of events throughout the year, so check the website to learn more. Tour suggestion: Multicultural Markets in Melbourne Cultural Tour of Food

Rock music

The live music scene in Melbourne is well known, especially for rock music. At any given time, many bands are performing, and the city draws in talent from around the world, including emerging artists. The renowned Australian singer-songwriter-poet-author Nick Cave also calls it home. The Corner Hotel, the Evelyn Hotel, the Spotted Mallard, the Post Office Hotel, the Ding-Dong Lounge, the Esplanade Hotel, and the Palais Theatre are a few well-liked venues to see a band.