Planning a trip to Melbourne? Ooh you’re in for a treat! Consistently rated one of the world’s most liveable cities, this southerly city is Australia’s cultural capital. Stylish, dynamic and edgy, Melbourne is a vibrant, multicultural hub that offers world-class dining, some of the best coffee in the world (it’s often joked that coffee is the reason the Yarra River is brown) and a thriving art scene. Each neighbourhood has its own unique vibe, from hipster Fitzroy to flashy St Kilda. Linger a while and you’ll soon discover why Australia and, indeed, the world, loves this city so much. If you’re planning a visit soon, delve a little deeper and peel back the layers on Melbourne. To help you, here’s the ultimate Melbourne bucket list with a whopping 101 different things to do!
101 things to do in Melbourne
1. See an AFL game at the MCG.
2. Take in the views from the Eureka Skydeck, the highest public viewing platform in the southern hemisphere.
3. Watch sunrise from a hot air balloon over the city.
4. Eat pho on Victoria Street in Richmond and be transported straight to Vietnam.
5. Hit up the Rose Street Artists’ Market, Melbourne’s best market for all things handmade.
6. Ride the number 86 tram northside to the hippest part of the city.
7. Try your very hardest to find a bad coffee.
8. Rollerblade along the St Kilda beachfront.
9. Melbourne is a foodie’s paradise, so taste the best of it with Melbourne Food Experiences, which is run in partnership with chefs, bakers, chocolatiers and wine experts.
10. Go road trippin’ along the Great Ocean Road to see the Twelve Apostles.
11. Dress up and go to the spring racing carnival. Don’t forget your fascinator!
12. Catch a gig at the Espy, St Kilda’s favourite live music venue, which has been hosting live music since 1878.
13. Stroll along the banks of the Yarra River with the iconic Melbourne skyline in the background.
14. Check out the Ian Potter Centre, the home of Australian art, located in the basement of Federation Square. The permanent Aboriginal collection here is fascinating.
15. Look up at the historic, brick Shot Tower, once the tallest building in Melbourne, and now preserved inside a huge glass dome at Melbourne Central.
16. Pop into Happy Valley on Smith Street for everything books, art and design.
17. Sip a craft beer at converted Collingwood warehouse turned brewery, Stomping Ground.
18. Shop the unique vintage stores and boutiques in Fitzroy.
19. Wander through Melbourne’s iconic, narrow laneways lined with cafes and eateries, like Degraves Street and Centre Place.
20. Line up for a few hours to get your hands on a box of the best croissants in the world (I kid you not) at Lune Croissanterie.
21. Go for a run around ‘The Tan’, Melbournians’ favourite running track around the perimeter of the Royal Botanic Gardens.
22. Shop for bric-a-brac and vintage treasures at the Sunday Camberwell Market, about 10km east of the city.
23. Browse the vintage shops and edgy boutiques of Greville Street in Prahran.
24. People watch at Federation Square, the iconic cultural precinct in the heart of the city.
25. Wander down AC/DC Lane, one of Melbourne’s most vibrant and colourful laneways.
26. Pay your respects to the fallen at the Shrine of Remembrance.
27. Catch a movie at Cinema Nova, a much-loved arthouse movie theatre.
28. Learn to windsurf at Elwood or Middle Park beaches.
29. Buy a book from Readings in Carlton, recently crowned the best bookshop in the world.
30. Have a drink at one of the many rooftop bars dotted across the city.
31. Stuff your face with dumplings in Chinatown on Little Bourke Street in the CBD.
32. Pat the farm animals at the Collingwood Children’s Farm, a working farm only a few kilometers out of the city.
33. Coffee is religion in Melbourne. Get initiated with one of the many coffee tours on offer.
34. Learn about the indigenous Wurundjeri people, the original custodians of Melbourne, at the Koori Heritage Trust Cultural Centre.
35. Go on an off-road safari at Werribee Open Range Zoo.
36. Treat yourself to a theatre show at one of the many beautiful theatres across the city such as the Princess Theatre, the Regent Theatre or Her Majesty’s Theatre.
37. Ride the train from the iconic Flinders Street Station, the oldest railway station in Australia.
38. Picnic in the Royal Botanic Gardens.
39. Visit the Queen Victoria Market, the largest open-air market in the southern hemisphere. Don’t leave without tasting the famous jam donuts!
40. Catch a free gig at one of the many pubs.
41. Stroll down Lygon Street in Carlton and discover Little Italy, the birthplace of Melbourne’s famous coffee culture.
42. Go ghost hunting on a Ghost Tour at the Old Melbourne Gaol – if you’re brave enough!
43. Watch the street artists at work on Hosier Lane as they create an ever-changing display of murals, stencils, graffiti and paste-ups.
44. Instagram a photo of the famous Brighton beach boxes.
45. Wander through the beautiful Block Arcade, a heritage shopping arcade with mosaic tile flooring and a glass-panelled ceiling.
46. Pop down to the Prahran Market, Australia’s oldest food market.
47. Watch a movie amongst the skyscrapers at the Rooftop Cinema in summer.
48. Shop your heart out on Chapel Street in Windsor, a pumping retail hot spot.
49. Gaze around in awe at the State Library’s stunning, white, octagonal La Trobe Reading Room.
50. Catch a movie under the stars at the Moonlight Cinema in summer.
51. Indulge High Coffee at The InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto (because we’re all about the coffee here).
52. Take a day trip out to the Yarra Valley to go winery hopping in one of Australia’s most renowned wine regions.
53. Stroll around the beautiful Abbotsford Convent which has been converted into an arts precinct and stop in at the galleries, studios and exhibition spaces.
54. Spend a day courtside at the Australian Open in January.
55. Get your thrills in at Luna Park, Melbourne’s historic amusement park.
Image via Airbnb
56. Take a street art tour led by an actual street artist through Melbourne Street Tours.
57. Gallery-hop down Flinders Lane, the greatest repository of art galleries in Australia.
58. Have a drink at Ponyfish Island, a floating bar in the middle of the Yarra River.
59. Shop for stylish souvenirs from local designers and makers at The Melbourne Shop by Lumbi and Melbournalia.
60. Come hungry to the Village People Hawker Food Hall in Fitzroy. Think South-East Asian hawker market meets beer hall: a great night out with friends.
61. Eat fish and chips on one of the many bay beaches close to the city.
62. Spend an afternoon at the Melbourne Museum.
63. If you have a sweet tooth, book a spot on the Chocoholic Tour, which will take you to the city’s best chocolatiers in Melbourne’s secret lanes and arcades.
64. Book a table in the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant where you’ll actually dine in a beautiful, old travelling tram as it makes it’s way around the city.
65. Sip a cocktail at one of the world’s best bars, The Everleigh.
66. Dance the night away to funk, jazz and hip hop at The Night Cat.
67. Eat your way down Smith Street, one of Melbourne’s best eat streets.
68. Wander around the hip neighbourhoods of Fitzroy and Collingwood, literally open-air galleries painted head to toe with street art.
69. Duck into Pellegrini’s on Bourke Street, a small Italian coffee bar and transport yourself instantly to Rome.
70. Visit Captain Cook’s Cottage in the Fitzroy Gardens. Originally built in Yorkshire in 1755 by Cook’s family, it was transported to Melbourne by boat!
71. Eat the best bahn mi in town at N. Lee Bakery on Smith Street.
72. Go for a drive out to the Dandenong Ranges, a lush and low mountainous area about an hour from the city.
73. Ride Puffing Billy, one of Australia’s oldest and best-preserved trains, up into the forest of the Dandenongs.
74. Pat some kitties at Australia’s first cat cafe, all rescued from shelters.
75. Taste test all the flavours at Gelato Messina. On second thoughts, you might need to actually move here to do that.
76. Hit the South Melbourne Market for their famous dim sims.
77. Get serious about your coffee and take a latte art course at Five Senses Coffee.
78. Dine at Attica, listed as one of the world’s 50 best restaurants.
79. Cuddle a koala at the Healesville Sanctuary, located in the Yarra Valley, east of Melbourne.
80. Eat the best pizza in Melbourne (in my opinion!) at Lazerpig in Collingwood.
81. Admire the art deco greatness of the elegant, heritage-listed Manchester Unity Building in the CBD.
82. Ride the free, old-fashioned City Circle tram which takes you around the edge of central Melbourne.
83, See the world’s smallest penguins up close as they come ashore at sunset on Phillip Island, about two hours drive from the city.
84. Have a sundowner at the St Kilda Sea Baths overlooking the bay.
85. Book a spot on the Aboriginal Heritage Walk, run by indigenous guides in the Royal Botanic Gardens to help visitors see the land through their eyes.
86. See an exhibition or film at ACMI, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, the first centre of its kind in the world.
87. Roam through the community gardens at Pop Up Patch, an edible oasis in the middle of the city.
88. Escape for the night up to Hepburn Springs where you’ll find the biggest concentration of mineral springs in the country.
89. Shop til you drop in the CBD and do the rounds of Bourke St, the Emporium and Melbourne Central.
90. Take a dip at the historic Melbourne City Baths, housed in a beautiful 19th century building.
91. Play glow-in-the-dark mini golf at GlowGolf in Docklands.
92. Stay in a tent on a rooftop in the middle of the city at St. Jerome’s – glamping taken to new heights.
93. See the city from above on the Melbourne Star, a giant ferris wheel in the Docklands precinct.
94. Shop the high-end designer boutiques on Collins Street, known as the ‘Paris end’ of Melbourne.
95. Check out an exhibition at the beautiful, Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton.
96. Laugh until it hurts at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival every autumn.
97. Escape out of a dark, locked room by solving a series of mind-bending puzzles with your friends at Exitus.
98. Wander around Southbank, a bustling riverfront hub bursting with restaurants and bars.
99. Have a matched wine and cheese flight from Milk the Cow.
100. Go ice skating even in the middle of summer at the O’Brien Group Arena in Docklands.
101. Have a glass of wine on the terrace at the City Wine Shop, opposite Parliament.
Like bucket lists like these? You might like to read The ULTIMATE Berlin Bucket List: 101 Things to Do!
Looking for more travel inspiration on Melbourne? Check out:
- Celebrating the Best of Melbourne’s North with The Larwill Studio
- A Quick Escape to Hepburn Springs
- 10 of my Favourite Things to do in Melbourne
Such a great list, Rachel. I’ve bookmarked it for when I eventually return 😉
Thanks Hayley! I hope you come back soon! 🙂
This is an absolutely fantastic list! And I too love the jam donuts at the Queen Vic Market.
Thanks! So many good things! x
Would love to travel here!
Come! Melbourne is waiting!
I’m going to be in Melbourne from May 31st-June 5th. Sad I won’t be able to go to an AFL game, but excited to tour the city! Thanks for the list
That’s so exciting Victoria! I’m sure you will fall in love with it. Hope this list gave you some good ideas for things to do! 🙂
Do you have some bucket list of Sydney? These lists are awesome