
Melbourne Tourist Guide and Packages
The elegant and fashionable city of Melbourne is set on the banks of the Yarra River, the distinctive mid-1800s gold-boom era architecture blending with modern glass skyscrapers to create an exceptional cityscape. Striking public spaces, state-of-the-art museums and galleries, Australian wildlife, heritage sites and impressive architecture are all part of Melbourne’s cosmopolitan appeal.
Melburnians love to drink coffee, with outdoor cafes and espresso bars lining the river’s banks in the Southgate precinct, the city’s urban laneways and the beachside area of St Kilda. A stroll around the bohemian beachside suburb of St Kilda showcases Melbourne’s laid-back lifestyle, but the city also revels in a more old-world sense of sophistication and style. With its diverse inner-city villages, chic fashion stores, over 3000 restaurants, bars and cafes and an excellent transit system you have all the ingredients of a great destination.
Known as a style-setter, Melbourne’s history and culture collide with creativity and innovation. A focal point for the arts, events and entertainment is Federation Square – a creative mix of galleries, cafes and public spaces connecting the city with the Yarra River. You only have to glance at the architecture to get a strong sense of the yesteryear. Stroll along Melbourne’s Golden Mile, where you’ll gain an insight into a city created from the proceeds of the Victorian gold boom more than 150 years ago.
Places to See In Melbourne
Federation Square Melbourne
The cultural hub of the city, Federation Square, links the city centre with the Yarra River. It fuses art, architecture, events, culture, hospitality and open space into a striking public domain. Make your travel bookings and collect maps and brochures from the Visitor Information Centre or wander through the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) and Champions racing museum. The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia is the world’s first major gallery dedicated exclusively to Australian art, a spectacular showcase comprising more than 20 galleries.
Queen Victoria Market Melbourne
The always bustling Queen Victoria Market is an icon of local trade and street life, housing a world of new tastes and flavours. Take a two-hour Foodies Tour with an experienced guide and discover the gourmet side of the market.
Melbourne Aquarium Melbourne
Take the plunge inside Melbourne Aquarium’s 2.2 million litre Oceanarium and come face to face with a shark. It’s all part of the Southern Ocean dive adventure, where you’ll also encounter other creatures of the deep.
Melbourne Museum
Located in Carlton Gardens, opposite the historic Royal Exhibition Building, the Melbourne Museum houses a permanent collection in eight galleries, including one just for children. Highlights include a complete skeleton of a blue whale, the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre, a living rainforest, the racehorse Phar Lap and an onsite IMAX theatre. Major international exhibitions are presented in the Touring Hall.
Eureka Skydeck 88 Melbourne
At 253-metres high, the Eureka Tower is the tallest residential building in the Southern Hemisphere and one of Melbourne’s icons. For spectacular 360-degree views of Melbourne take the high-speed lift to the Eureka Skydeck 88.
Arts Centre Melbourne
A focal point of Melbourne’s Southbank entertainment precinct, the Arts Centre hosts many of Australia’s premier performing arts companies and international touring performances. The centre is open daily for guided tours, gallery exhibitions and nightly performances. On Sundays, artisans and local producers sell their wares under market umbrellas lining St Kilda Road and the Southgate promenade. In summer, the adjacent Speigeltent hosts everything from cabaret and comedy to the circus.
Old Melbourne Gaol
Put yourself in the shoes of condemned prisoners by walking the path to the gallows in this 19th century prison. You can even be arrested in a modern day police station or put yourself on trial in court. A ticket to the Old Melbourne Gaol Crime & Justice Experience grants you visiting rights to the past, present and future of crime and justice in Australia. Our most famous outlaw, Ned Kelly, was hanged here on 11 November 1880. During World War II, the jail was briefly reopened as military detention barracks.
Melbourne Zoo
Gorillas, pygmy hippopotamuses, mandrills, tigers and otters live happily together at Melbourne Zoo, along with all of our Australian favourites. Watch orangutans from a spectacular treetop viewing area. Explore the mystery of the Zoo after dark at the Roar and Snore Safari, where you will hear, smell and see nocturnal creatures, big and small and share the passion, knowledge and stories of your camp hosts.
Melbourne River Cruises
Complete your Melbourne experience with an award-winning cruise on the Yarra River. With great information, a warming cuppa and the comfort of a Melbourne River Cruiser you will see the city from a whole different perspective. Cruises depart from Southbank promenade and Princess Bridge near Flinders Street Station.
Around Melbourne
Venture a little beyond Melbourne and you will be generously rewarded by Victoria’s diversity.
Great Ocean Road Melbourne
Drive along Victoria’s southwest coast and the Great Ocean Road, stunning with coastal scenery and charming coastal towns. There are plenty of opportunities for bushwalking, swimming, surfing and fishing. The 288 kilometre drive traces Victoria’s spectacular coast from the surf haven of Torquay to the delightful town of Port Fairy. The road tapers inland through the Otway National Park before reappearing on the Shipwreck Coast. Magnificent sights include the huge limestone stacks of the Twelve Apostles soaring out of the pounding surf. Continue on to Warrnambool, an old whaling town with a fine maritime museum, and experience the nearby historic fishing village of Port Fairy.
Yarra Valley & Dandenong Ranges Melbourne
To Melbourne’s northeast lies the winegrowing region of the Yarra Valley, where lush farmland and vineyards present an idyllic scene. Many wineries provide cellar-door sales and tastings of handcrafted wines and have restaurants serving gourmet food and fine local produce. Visit Healesville Sanctuary to see Australian wildlife and the fascinating animal hospital onsite.
Nearby in the lush green Dandenong Ranges is Puffing Billy, Australia’s oldest surviving steam railway, which is great for a ride through the mountains. Stop off for a traditional Devonshire tea of scones and jam and check out the many beautiful gardens of the Dandenongs.
Mornington Peninsula Melbourne
Just south of Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula is a mecca for golfers, who flock here year round for the many excellent and affordable links-style courses. Take some time out from your golf tour to appreciate elegant beachfront towns, native wildlife, walking trails and surfing and swimming spots.
Phillip Island Melbourne
Who doesn’t love a cute fairy penguin? Phillip Island is a favourite destination about 140 kilometres southeast of Melbourne, boasting an array of natural wonders and wildlife. Marvel at the famous fairy penguins as they emerge from the sea every evening and waddle to their burrows in the sand dunes. There is also the Koala Conservation Centre with a treetop boardwalk for close-up viewing.
Grampians National Park Melbourne
Adrenaline junkies with a head for heights will adore the rock climbing and abseiling at Mount Arapiles, which attracts adventure seekers from around the globe. At Grampians National Park, you can go whitewater canoeing, caving and mountain bike riding. Don’t forget the wildlife (200 species of birds, 35 varieties of mammals) and make the 5000-year-old Aboriginal rock art a priority. All this is only four hours from Melbourne.
Goldfields Melbourne
Can you imagine how cute twin Koalas are? The only pair known to exist in Australia were recently born at the Ballarat Wildlife Park, just one hour’s drive from Melbourne in the historic Goldfields region. Ballarat is also home to Sovereign Hill, a faithful and fascinating recreation of an old goldmining town of the 1850s.
Entertainment & Dining in Melbourne:
Melbourne is lauded for it gastronomic prowess. Visit Melbourne and look no further in your quest for the perfect meal. Offering a dizzying spread of the world’s great cuisines – from the simple to the truly exotic – the city serves up an unbeatable culinary experience in more than 3000 restaurants, cafes and bistros. Night owls have also found their perfect city as bars stay open late. There are plenty of clubs and the city bursts with music venues catering for all tastes – from grunge rock to jazz and blues to the avant-garde.
Melbourne City
Melbourne has many arcades and laneways housing cosy cafes and bars. Flinders Lane and Little Collins Street, Bourke St and Little Bourke St (Chinatown) are just some of the places to find great coffee, food, wine and entertainment. Try Hairy Canary or the Gin Palace for expertly made cocktails or prop up the high tables at Bar Lourinha for a glass of wine and Portuguese/Spanish tapas. The always lively Mamasita is loved for its range of tequila and tasty tostadas, or you can nestle in for late night drinks and snacks at the atmospheric Supper Club, which serves wine, cocktails and croque monsieurs until 4am.
Still in the city, Southbank offers all-night entertainment at Crown Entertainment Complex, including Crown Casino, dozens of cafes and restaurants, cinemas and live music venues. The number of world-class restaurants here is enough to make a foodie swoon, from flawless Australian steak at Rockpool Bar & Grill to delicate Japanese at Nobu.
Lygon Street
Great Italian eateries bring food and the classic Italian dining experience together on Lygon Street. Complement your Italian dining experience with some wonderful Victorian wines.
Chapel Street
Across the Yarra River, Chapel Street is a hive of activity, especially at weekends. It is home to the stylish set as well as some great cafes and bars. Sit at one of the alfresco cafes, sip a latte and invest some time in serious people watching.
Fitzroy and Collingwood
Fitzroy is home to Cutler & Co, one of the city’s finest restaurants. Nearby on Smith Street, the funky Gigibaba serves tasty, innovative Turkish mezze. Both areas offer plentiful feasting and drinking options, with many bars and pubs along Brunswick Street including the award-winning Black Pearl, renowned as one of the city’s foremost cocktail haunts.
St Kilda
The seaside suburb of St Kilda is awash with dining experiences, from fine dining to relaxed, casual fish and chip outlets and drinking spots around Fitzroy and Acland streets, also well known for its patisseries. There are plenty of newly spruced pubs offering excellent contemporary cuisine with an edge.
Docklands
Docklands is a unique waterfront development in the heart of Melbourne. Set on spectacular Victoria Harbour, this development has stunning views, unique urban art, historic wharves, marinas, parkland and a great selection of restaurants, stylish bars and cafes to enjoy.
Shopping in Melbourne:
Think Melbourne, think shopping. For decades, the city has been known as the country’s shopping capital. Fashion, of course, is part of the appeal but there’s plenty more besides. While choice is a big attraction, the joy of shopping in the city is also about atmosphere. The web of narrow streets, beckoning lanes, wide boulevards and lovely old arcades make shopping a pleasure.
Melbourne is home to leading fashion houses and the country’s top designers including Joseph Saba, Bettina Liano, Scanlan and Theodore, Alannah Hill, TL Wood, Georgia Chapman, Kirrily Johnston and Arabella Ramsay, all of whom have made their mark on the national and international fashion scene.
Melbourne City
Walking is the best way to shop. Start at the ‘Paris end’ of Collins Street between Spring and Russell Streets for international luxury labels like Chanel, Giorgio Armani and Louis Vuitton. Then head to Little Collins Street, where you will find many edgy boutiques, cafes and restaurants. Don’t miss Flinders Lane between Elizabeth and Russell streets. The big department stores Myer and David Jones are located on the Bourke Street Mall. At the GPO, QV and Melbourne Central shopping centres you will find a mix of clothing, accessories, handbags and more from local and international designers.
Chapel Street
Chapel Street in South Yarra is one of the swankiest shopping destinations in Melbourne. The long stretch is lined on both sides of the road with a mix of Australian designers and major international brands. Here local designers mix with the international set. Another stretch of sophisticated shopping is at Toorak Road, which intersects the north end of Chapel Street. Turn onto Greville Street for eclectic vintage, second hand record stores and independent, funky fashion labels.
Brunswick Street
If retro homeware and funky jewellery and clothing are more your style then head to Brunswick Street in Fitzroy. There are also many good cafes to watch the eclectic crowd go by. It is especially worth a visit at weekends. Drop into Gertrude Street for cutting-edge fashion, books, retro gear and the industrial furniture emporium.
Bargain Hunting
Bargain-hunters get your wallets ready. Factory outlets offer the best brands at hugely discounted prices. Shop on Bridge Road and Swan Street in Richmond for jeans, swimwear, trainers, tops and bags at heavily reduced prices, and the Spencer Street DFO in the city centre offers a huge array of bargains. For something different, Melbourne’s many markets offer new and pre-loved shoes, clothes and accessories. www.dfo.com.au
Travel Tools:
ISD Code Melbourne:+61
Currency Melbourne:Australian Dollar (AUD) - 1 AUD is approximately 59 Indian Rupees (INR)
Time Zone Melbourne:GMT + 10 hours. IST +4:30 hours
Voltage Melbourne:220V - 240V