What do you think of when you think about Melbourne? Most people would probably say fancy barista coffees. I would say four seasons in a day. But there’s lots more to Melbourne than rain and coffee. Whenever I mention to people I am going to Melbourne for Christmas, they say “Oh I’m jealous I love Melbourne!”. Whilst most of my trips are spent just hanging out with my family, over the years I’ve gotten a pretty good idea of the best things you should do in the city. So here they are.
Getting around
Of course, Melbourne has the usual buses and trains, but it’s most famous for its trams! The trams are a great way to get around the city, especially because in the inner city they are free. If you see an old-style tram (green and yellow), make sure to take a picture because it’s classic Melbourne. In Melbourne, you will need to get a myki card to use public transport as it’s no longer possible to buy paper tickets. Alternatively, you might be able to put your myki card on your phone – I’m not sure if this is possible for tourists or just locals, but I saw lots of ads for is when I last visited!
In terms of getting from the airport into the city, I’d highly recommend the SkyBus. It’s super easy with regular services from all the different airport terminals to Southern Cross Station in the city. Catching the SkyBus is also a lot cheaper than getting a taxi, so that’s nice. There’s no public transport from the airport to the city.
Where to stay
I wanted to have all my “48 hours in” posts to have the same format but in hindsight it probably wasn’t such a great idea… Usually when I visit Melbourne, I stay with relatives so I can’t really provide much helpful info here! I have spent a night in one of the hotels at Crown Casino, but it’s very expensive so I wouldn’t recommend it. That said, Southbank is a really nice place to stay because it’s close to lots of restaurants and is within walking distance of some of a lot of the city’s highlights.
Looking at google maps, there are plenty of backpacker hostels in Melbourne if you’re looking for somewhere cheap to stay. They’re spread out through the city so no doubt you’ll find somewhere that suits you! In particular, I notice that the Melbourne Central YHA is just across the river from Crown so would also be in a good location. All of the YHA hostels I’ve stayed in in Australia have been nice so if I was looking for accommodation, I’d probably pick this one.
Top things to do
Wander around Melbourne City (especially Southbank)
I already mentioned above that Southbank is a nice place to stay. I’d also highly recommend going for a walk along the river. Melbourne is a beautiful city and on a (rare) sunny day, you’ll be able to get some great photos of the city skyline from Southbank.
If you’re wanting to go a bit further afield, from Southbank you can also walk to the famous Flinders Street Station and Federation Square. Honestly, these are kind of “you see them once and that’s enough” places but you should go see them. Flinders Street Station is actually quite beautiful and contrasts with the more modern Federation Square.
Go up the Eureka Skydeck for views over Melbourne
Want to get a bird’s-eye view over Melbourne city and surrounds? I’d highly recommend heading to the Eureka Skydeck! It is the highest view point in the Southern Hemisphere and on a clear day you can see up to 75 km in every direction! Some of the places you’ll be able to spot include the MCG, Federation Square and Flinders Street Station, Port Phillip Bay and the Dandenong Ranges. My mum found it particularly interesting seeing how much things in the city have changed since she was little. Apparently I can’t look up how much it costs to go up because it’s currently closed… But it’s a cool experience regardless.
Visit Melbourne Museum (or one of the many others!)
Melbourne is home to so many different museums so no matter what you’re interested in, you’ll probably find somewhere for it. I must admit I haven’t been to any of them in years! So I can’t provide an up-to-date opinion on any of them. However, when I was a kid, I found the Immigration Museum really interesting and engaging. Plus there’s the Melbourne Museum which is always fun. I assume it still has its own rainforest…?
Melbourne Museum also attracts the big exhibits that travel around the world and we’ve seen some pretty cool things. The ones that I remember most were the Terracotta Warriors (which I’ve since seen in real life – post coming eventually), an exhibit about Tutankhamun and an exhibit about Pompeii (which was a good mix of creepy and interesting). Anyway, if you’re heading to Melbourne it’s worth checking out what exhibitions they have while you’re there.
Relax in one of the gardens
Melbourne has quite a few gardens and green spaces that you can check out. Just a short walk from Southbank, you can visit the Alexandra Gardens and the Royal Botanic Gardens. Meanwhile, on the other side of the river you can visit Birrarung Marr and the sports precinct. There’s also Carlton Gardens which are located right next to the Melbourne Museum and which are also home to the Royal Exhibition Building. All of these parks are a nice place for a walk or for a picnic! Weather permitting, of course…
Head down to St Kilda
St Kilda is Melbourne’s beach. It’s not very good. But you should go anyway. Not for the swimming or the beach but rather just to wander around! It’s a nice place for a walk and to get there you can catch a tram. St Kilda is also home to Luna Park, otherwise known as the oldest and dodgiest theme park in the country. But I mean, nothing screams “Melbourne” like catching a tram to Luna Park. I remember as a kid I always wanted to go to Luna Park but my parents never let us go (probably just as well to be honest). You can also visit Luna Park in Sydney.
I’ve already told you about how my friend and I visited Hobart, Tasmania together. But in that same trip, we went to Melbourne. While we were there, the St Kilda Festival was on so we decided to go and check it out. There were lots of nice market stalls, live music and rides. My cousin and I embraced our inner child and went on one of the rides. It was a fun morning? Afternoon? I don’t remember. But anyway if you’re around at the right time you should go.
Have dinner (or at least ice cream) on Lygon Street
Lygon Street is pretty famous for all its restaurants. If you walk down the street at lunch or dinner time, be prepared to be approached by endless people asking you to eat in their restaurant. We usually go to one of the many Italian places (Piccolo Mondo) and the food is quite good. No matter where you choose to go, you should get some delicious food.
But the REAL reason (in my opinion) that you should go to Lygon Street is because it’s home to the best ice cream shop in Australia. It’s called Casa Del Gelato and all of the flavours I’ve tried there are delicious. The range of choices is huge so it’s always really hard to decide what flavours to get! To make choosing a little easier, if you buy a single scoop ice cream you can choose THREE flavours. Talk about good value for money. Anyway, long story short, you should definitely go here.
Got more time?
There’s SO many cool places around Melbourne that you could visit! My top pick is Phillip Island, home to the Penguin Parade. Unlike the penguins in South Africa, these guys aren’t on land during the day but rather you’ll have to wait till after dark to see them as they all return from the sea. I haven’t been for years, but it was a really cute (if cold) experience.
I would also suggest Ballarat, which is home to Sovereign Hill, if you’re keen to learn about Melbourne’s Gold Rush history. There’s also the Great Ocean Road (a must-do), the Grampians (for nice hikes) and mountains like Mt Baw Baw (for snow – yes really!). I’d highly recommend you check out more than just Melbourne! Really, I could make a whole post on Victoria or even on each of these places. But it’s been over 10 years since I went so my information would be a bit outdated! Maybe it’s time for a Victoria road trip… Hit me up if you’re keen post-coronavirus!
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