Welcome to The Wanderbug, a travel blog written for humans, by a human. I'm Genevieve, and every guide is personally written by me and based on my firsthand travel experiences. Melbourne is one of the best cities in Australia for visitors, whether you’re making your first trip to Australia as an international visitor, or are flying in for a weekend from interstate. Melbourne is the capital of Victoria and is often referred to as Australia’s capital of culture, food & sport, and manages to juggle these many titles all at once! This Melbourne travel guide includes the best things to do in Melbourne, tips on where to stay and when to visit, and has a quick guide to the best restaurants, cafes, bars & pubs in Melbourne. The best things to do in Melbourne include visiting the NGV, exploring the city’s vibrant laneways and finding its hidden street art , indulging in Melbourne’s world class coffee culture & hospitality scene, and exploring neighbourhoods like Carlton, Fitzroy and St Kilda . I’ve also added some ideas for day trips from Melbourne near the end of this guide. I’ve lived in Melbourne for nearly a decade and have written this Melbourne travel guide to give you a brief overview of the best things to see & do in Melbourne and help you plan your trip. A brief history of Melbourne Where to stay in Melbourne The best time to visit Melbourne The best things to do in Melbourne The Best Neighbourhoods to Explore in Melbourne Where to eat & drink in Melbourne The Best Bars in Melbourne Best day trips & side trips from Melbourne A brief history of Melbourne The Traditional Owners of the lands we know today as Melbourne are the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong Boon Wurrung peoples, of the Eastern Kulin nation. The Eastern Kulin nation is an alliance of five Aboriginal nations in southwestern Victoria, with two of these nations coinciding with the area of Melbourne. European settlement led to the dispossession of land and violent colonisation in Australia. In the late 19th century, the Australian Gold Rush made Melbourne the richest city in the world . It attracted immigrants from all over the globe, mostly from China and Southern Europe, seeking their fortunes in a new country. The city still has beautiful historic buildings and bridges, and the most impressive art gallery in Australia, as a result of this wealth. The immigrants who flooded the city from all over the world have been instrumental in making it one of the most dynamic cities in Australia. “Marvellous Melbourne” as it was known, developed a reputation as Australia’s capital for arts, culture and shopping. Today, Melbourne conjures up images of laneways covered in vibrant street art, teeming with cafes, hidden bars and tiny, bustling restaurants. In the 1990s, it became one of the first cities to celebrate street art rather than shun it & inspired hundreds of other cities across the world in doing so. Where to stay in Melbourne For more details & hotel suggestions, check out my guide to Where to Stay in Melbourne for First Time Visitors. Melbourne CBD (Downtown) – Melbourne CBD is the best place to stay for first time visitors, because there is plenty to see & do in the CBD, plus it has the best transport links. The best part of the CBD is the southeast corner, so anywhere south of Bourke Street and East of Elizabeth or Swanston Streets. King Street and the area around Southern Cross Station can be a little seedier. I’ve stayed at QT Melbourne which has an excellent location, and highly recommend. Southbank – There are lots of hotels in Southbank, which is a short stroll across the bridge to the city and is right near the arts centre and the NGV. Fitzroy – To experience Melbourne more like a local, stay in Fitzroy , which is a trendy inner city neighbourhood just north of the CBD. The Standard has just opened their first Australian outpost in Fitzroy, with the StandardX. The best time to visit Melbourne Melbourne is known for its temperamental weather, which can go from 40 degrees and scorching to cool and rainy in the space of a few hours. Summer is often late in Melbourne, so if you’re after mild spring weather, visit from November-December, for more guaranteed heat, visit from January-early March, or to catch a beautiful (but crisp) Autumn, visit from mid-March to May. It doesn’t snow in Melbourne, but it does get cold in winter and is coldest from late June through to early September. The best things to do in Melbourne There is so much to see & do in Melbourne! Below are some of the highlights, but if you need help putting it all together check out my itinerary for 3 days in Melbourne . The National Gallery of Victoria is the best art gallery in Australia – and it’s free! The NGV International on St Kilda Road has a staggering permanent collection as well as hosting a spectacular blockbuster show each summer and winter. The NGV Australia in Federation Square is one of the best galleries for Australian Art in the country. Live entertainment is a huge part of living in Melbourne. There’s always something on at the Arts Centre or any of the city’s beautiful historic theatres, and the city has excellent ballet, opera, theatre and concert programs year-round. The Forum in the city is one of Melbourne’s most iconic live music venues, but there are also dozens of small live music venues dotted around the city, particularly in the CBD and Richmond. Catch a major festival Melbourne has the most festivals of any city in Australia. Major annual events include the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in April, the Melbourne International Jazz Festival in June and Melbourne International Film Festival in August. Laneways & street art Melbourne is famous for its vibrant laneways, which are lined with hole in the wall coffee shops, tiny restaurants and hidden bars. More often than not, they’re also beautified with street art. There are great laneways all over Melbourne, but you’ll find most of them in the city. The best laneways can be found in the Melbourne CBD, off Flinders Lane between Elizabeth and Exhibition Streets, and off Little Collins Street and Little Bourke Street. Explore Lygon Street, Melbourne’s Little Italy Melbourne is such a dynamic and exciting city because of the thousands of immigrants that poured in from all over the world over the last century. Melbourne’s most famous immigrant enclave is Lygon Street in Carlton, which is Melbourne’s historic Italian neighbourhood. Hit Melbourne’s city beaches Melbourne may not have a Bondi Beach, but there are still a number of pretty bayside beaches close to the CBD. St Kilda Beach is the perfect spot for a sunset beach picnic and the colourful Bathing Boxes at Dendy Beach in Brighton are a Melbourne icon. Visit Melbourne’s historic markets Melbourne has dozens of markets, but visiting at least one of the city’s three historic produce markets is an essential part of any trip. South Melbourne Market – This is the best market in Melbourne in my opinion, because it has a balance of produce, delicious food and shopping. Prahran Market – The Prahran Market is also an excellent market, and another great spot for a roving breakfast or to pick up picnic supplies and browse homewares. Queen Victoria Market is the most famous market in Melbourne, likely because it’s the largest covered market in the southern hemisphere and is in the CBD. Attend a major sporting event Australian Open – The Australian Open is one of only four Grand Slam tennis tournaments in the world, and is one of the most exciting events on the Australian sports calendar. It’s one of the best things to do in Melbourne in summer & is the highlight of January in Melbourne. Australian Grand Prix – The Formula 1 Grand Prix draws thousands of international visitors to Melbourne every March, and takes over Albert Park on Melbourne’s southside. AFL (footy) – AFL season runs from March-September, with the Grand Final in September. “The Granny” is one of the biggest sporting events in Australia. Games are held at the MCG in Richmond. Boxing Day Test – The Boxing Day Test is one of the biggest cricket matches of the year, held at the MCG in Melbourne on Boxing Day every year. The Best Neighbourhoods to Explore in Melbourne Check out my rundown of the best neighbourhoods to visit in Melbourne for more ideas and more detail. Melbourne’s city centre is much more than a corporate district, with dozens of laneways teeming with hidden cafes, bars and restaurants, ever-changing street art and plenty of great shopping. Collins Street, Spring Street, Flinders Lane and the Bourke Street Mall are a good place to start. Generally, you’ll find the best of the Melbourne CBD in the southeast quadrant, east of Swanston Street and south of Little Bourke Street. Head to Smith St & Gertrude St to discover Melbourne’s coolest neighbourhood. Fitzroy is what most visitors think of, when they think of Melbourne’s vibrant neighbourhoods. Spend a morning or an afternoon shopping and experiencing some of the city’s best cafes, bars and restaurants. Melbourne’s historic Italian neighbourhood, Carlton , is best-known for Lygon Street, Melbourne’s own Little Italy. Don’t miss the Carlton Gardens and the UNESCO World Heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building. Home to Melbourne’s closest city beach, the famous vintage amusement park Luna Park and the famous pastry shops of Acland Street, St Kilda is one of Melbourne’s most popular neighbourhoods for visitors. Come for a sunset picnic on St Kilda beach. Where to eat & drink in Melbourne Best Coffee & Cafes Perfect for travellers staying in the city, Higher Ground is a perfect example of Melbourne’s restaurant-for-breakfast style cafes, from the team behind some of Melbourne’s favourite cafes. It’s the best cafe in the Melbourne CBD, and one of the few that is open on the weekend. Reserve a table in advance or be prepared for a long wait. Traveller is a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop that does some of the very best coffee in Melbourne. Tucked away down a side street off Bourke St, you’ll find a queue snaking out the door at peak hour for corporate coffee runs, but otherwise the line moves pretty quickly. Traveller is owned and operated by Seven Seeds, one of the best coffee roasters in Melbourne. Smith Street Alimentari Alimentari is a gorgeous deli & cafe in the heart of Smith St in Collingwood . Except to wait for a table, but it’s worth the wait. The Kettle Black One of Melbourne’s best cafes, the Kettle Black is one of the first cafes from the same group as Higher Ground. Housed in a beautifully restored, 1880s Victorian terrace house, Kettle Black is a true Melbourne brunch experience! The Best Restaurants in Melbourne A permanent fixture on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Attica is the best restaurant in Australia. Despite it’s world class ranking, Attica is refreshingly down to earth. Attica’s menu explores native Australian ingredients, and is a unique dining experience for serious foodies. Grossi Florentino Grossi Florentino is one of Melbourne’s oldest and most historic fine dining restaurants, and considered one of the best Italian restaurants in Melbourne. This is a white table cloth, special occasion restaurant, that is sure to leave a lasting impression. The toughest reservation in town these days, Gimlet shot straight onto the World’s 50 Best List when it opened in 2021. A perfect special occasion restaurant, Gimlet is housed in the historic Cavendish House in the Melbourne CBD, and makes for a high glamour dining destination. Housed in a former bank, Reine & La Rue is the most beautiful dining room in Melbourne. The European menu skews French, and is another excellent choice for an unforgettable restaurant in Melbourne. Explore more: The Best Restaurants in Melbourne

The Best Bars in Melbourne A go-to wine bar for many Melburnians, Kirks Wine Bar is a Euro-style wine bar on Hardware Lane in the Melbourne CBD. On a sunny day, there’s no better place to be than the decks of Yarra Botanica , a floating bar & eatery docked on the banks of the Yarra River. Access Yarra Botanica from along the promenade in Southbank, and enjoy some of my favourite views of the Melbourne CBD. Tucked away above Spring Street, its easy to miss Siglo . The European-style bar & restaurant is always busy, and the terrace is one of my favourite spots for a wine or cocktail and snacks during spring and summer. The Best Pubs in Melbourne There’s a pub on just about every other street corner in Melbourne, and every Melburnian has a favourite local (or two). From historic pubs to modern revivals, these are my favourites. The Duke of Wellington Melbourne’s oldest pub, The Duke, has been lovingly restored for the 21st century, across three levels. Catch live sport on the ground floor, visit the restaurant and cocktail bar on the middle level or head to the stylish rooftop on the third floor for small plates & views to Fed Square. The Espy (Hotel Esplanade) The Espy is a landmark Melbourne pub, with a long history. Located on the bay in St Kilda , The Espy is a choose-your-own-adventure kind of place, with a classic pub and a band room, as well as a Cantonese restaurant, Mya Tiger, and Italian-American restaurant, Louey’s, and a gorgeous cocktail bar, The Ghost of Alfred Felton, all hidden inside the labyrinthine old pub. Garden State Hotel Easily the most Instagrammable pub in Melbourne, Garden State Hotel is a beautiful, light-filled modern pub that gets packed to the gills with the Collins Street after work crowd. Book a table for lunch to ensure a seat in the pub, or book at Tippy Tay , a beautiful Italian restaurant hidden inside the pub. Best day trips & side trips from Melbourne Melbourne is the capital of Victoria , a small southern state packed with wine regions, beaches, valleys, mountains, national parks and cute country towns. Explore More: The best travel destinations in Victoria. The Yarra Valley is Melbourne’s premier wine region, and one of the most awarded wine regions in Australia. The Yarra Valley can be reached in about an hour by car, and there are plenty of bus tours from Melbourne which cover the region. Check out my guide to the best wineries in the Yarra Valley for more ideas. Mornington Peninsula 90 minutes’ drive from Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula is one of the most beautiful and accessible regions of Victoria. Make a day trip to Sorrento , visit the beautiful Safety Beach at Dromana or visit the Mornington Peninsula’s best wineries like Ten Minutes by Tractor and Main Ridge Estate. The region is known for its award-winning pinot noir. Great Ocean Road It’s best to take a few days to tackle Australia’s most scenic drive , the Great Ocean Road . It starts at Torquay , about two hours’ drive west of Melbourne, and continues all the way to the South Australian border. Highlights include the 12 Apostles (pictured), Loch Ard Gorge and several other beautiful natural sights inside Port Campbell National Park, beach towns like Torquay, Lorne and Port Campbell , and Great Otway National Park a little further inland. Hello! I’m an Australian travel blogger, living in Melbourne, Australia. I grew up in Brisbane, studied in Paris, lived in New York City and now live back in Australia, in Melbourne. I love sharing specific and useful recommendations, itineraries and guides for the most beautiful things to see, do, experience & eat wherever I go. My favourite travel destinations are Australia, New York City & surrounds, France, Greece & Japan, but I’m always excited to explore somewhere new! The Wanderbug is reader supported. This site may contain links to affiliate websites, which means when you buy through links on this site I may receive a small affiliate commission at no cost to you. Thank you for your support! 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