Things to Do in Melbourne

The lovely landscaped grounds of Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens spread for almost 100 acres south of the city center, providing Melbourne with the much-appreciated foliage of more than 50,000 plants.

The gardens were established in 1846, and over the years they've become recognised as one of the finest examples of Victorian-era landscaping in the world. The mix of native and introduced species provides inspiration for would-be gardeners, and the manicured lawns are a popular spot for picnics and parties.

You'll find tranquil ornamental lakes dotted with waterbirds, a herbarium and an observatory, plus conservatories and glasshouses filled with exotic blooms. Follow winding pathways past fern gullies and eucalyptus, or join Melbourne's joggers running rings around The Tan, the gardens' running track

Animals from Australia and around the world have called the Melbourne Zoo home since 1862, making it Australia's oldest zoo. Surrounded by landscaped gardens, the zoo is a popular location for picnics and evening concerts during the summer.

Star attractions at Melbourne Zoo include the colorful inhabitants of the Butterfly House, families of gorillas at play in the Gorilla Rainforest, and native animals like kangaroos, wombats and koalas in the Amazing Australians exhibits.

Most famous of all is the Trail of the Elephants, the Asian village home of the zoo's five elephants, including recent addition baby Mali. Orangutans are viewed from elevated boardwalks, and penguins and seals swim in the Wild Sea display. Don’t miss feeding time and Meet the Keeper presentations.

Old Melbourne Gaol is a former prison turned museum at the top of Russell St in Melbourne’s CBD. A solid and formidable looking bluestone building, the jail is famous for having housed many of Victoria’s most notorious and infamous criminals, including the bushranger Ned Kelly.

During the Gaol’s operation as a prison between 1845 and 1924, a total of 135 people were hanged here and today’s museum displays the death masks, information and memorabilia that belonged to the prison and its unfortunate inmates.

Rumored to be haunted, the Gaol capitalizes on its reputation by offering night tours and stages a live performance each Saturday relating to the life and death of its most famous inmate, Ned Kelly.

The Old Melbourne Gaol also gives visitors the chance to ‘stand in the shoes’ of a prisoner or a judge inside the City Watch House and the Old Magistrates’ Court. The City Watch House Experience is the chance to be ‘arrested’ and locked in a cell for a short period, while in the Old Magistrates’ Court you can be play at being the accused, judge or jury.

Though modern Australia was originally settled by poverty-stricken convicts, you’d never know it from the aristocratic grounds of spectacular Rippon Lea. Only 20 minutes from central Melbourne, this manicured, refined, and immaculate estate is a throwback to 19th-century royalty and ornate, Victorian homes. The gardens span across 14 acres and were built in a style that was so advanced they actually harnessed their own water. The mansion itself was also constructed with features ahead of its time, and was one of Melbourne’s original estates with electricity and modern plumbing. When visiting the historic mansion today, stroll through 15 different rooms where each is more lavish than the last. Play a casual game of croquet on the mansion’s well-trimmed lawn, or lay out a blanket while sipping tea in a picnic from days gone by. 

Fill up at Melbourne's marketplace, the historic, fun and friendly Queen Victoria Market! Operating since 1878, Queen Victoria Market is the finest place in town to shop for fresh fruit and veg, gourmet meats and cheeses, condiments, seafood – you name it, and you’ll find it.

Melbourne is a city that loves food, and Queen Victoria Market is where gourmets, chefs, office workers, families and just about everyone who eats come to do their shopping. The atmosphere is particularly busy and vibrant on Saturday mornings, especially if a feast like Christmas or Easter is just around the corner.

On Wednesday evenings in summer, a Night Market with food and entertainment lights up the marketplace. A souvenir and trash and treasure market operates on Sundays, with children's rides and outdoor cafes.

Australia’s second largest city, Melbourne is also its cultural capital, with a plethora of museums, galleries and theaters, as well as expansive parklands and attractive Victorian-era buildings. Home to the Australian Open tennis tournament and the Melbourne Cup horse race, the city is also a jumping off point to visit the Great Ocean Road or the penguin colonies on Phillip Island.

How to Get to Melbourne

Your ship will dock at Station Pier in Port Melbourne. The tram station is about a five minute walk from the pier and, from there, it is about a twenty minute ride into the center of Melbourne. Taking a taxi is another option and should cost about $20.

One Day in Melbourne

Begin your exploration of Melbourne by hopping on the free Circle City tram, which makes an hour-long loop around the city center. Then, head to Federation Square, where you will find numerous galleries, shops and cafes surrounding the square, as well as the city’s Visitor Center. Spend an hour or two around the square and then head up to the Eureka Skydeck for jaw-dropping views around the city. If you’re feeling adventurous, step out on the Edge, a glass cube extending from the skydeck that will give you a view 935 feet straight down!

How you spend the rest of your time in Melbourne will depend a lot on your interests. You might get a taste of Australian and Aboriginal art at the National Gallery of Victoria before heading to the State Library of Victoria and the St. Paul Cathedral. Or, make your way to the quirky suburb of St. Kilda to ride the rollercoaster at Luna Park, stroll along the pier and soak up some sun on St Kilda Beach. Others may enjoy simply walking by the Yarra River and exploring the Royal Botanic Gardens or the Melbourne Zoo.

Shopping aficionados will also want to check out Little Collins Street, Collins Street, Brunswick Street and the Queen Victoria Market.

One of nature’s most humbling aspects is the indifference towards human existence. Whether us humans were here or not, waves would still crash, sunsets would still glow, and hundreds of clumsy Little Penguins would storm Phillip Island at sunset. Of all the Phillip Island Nature Parks, the Penguin Parade is inarguably the most popular due to this evening show. Each night at dusk, hundreds of these penguins waddle up the beach to rest and feed their young, and since 32,000 of the Little Penguins live on Phillip Island, it’s believed to be the largest colony of the world’s smallest penguin. Arrive early and have a drink at the coastal penguin café, or tour the informative visitor center to learn about the curious critters. As dusk approaches, make your way towards the multi-tiered seating and keep your eyes on the shoreline, and when the first penguin comes rolling ashore and shakes the water of its back, it will soon be followed by hundreds more as they shake, waddle, and roll. 

Melbourne Museum provides a great experience for adults and children alike. A series of permanent exhibitions relating to the culture, history and the environment of Melbourne and Victoria are housed in several galleries including a lush Forest Gallery, an Aboriginal gallery and a Children’s area.

Exhibitions include Science and Life, Melbourne Story, Evolution, Mind and Body, and many more. Get to see bones and displays of Australia’s mega fauna (giant animals), experience the Dinosaur Walk, Bugs Alive!, Amazing Animals and The Human Body.

Temporary exhibitions run about twice a year and cover a variety of themes. The Museum also houses a good café, an IMAX center and – the museum’s most popular object – a taxidermy original of Australia’s most famous racehorse, Phar Lap.

Housed in a striking building with a huge glass façade, Melbourne Museum is not immediately visible if you approach from the CBD as it stands behind the impressive Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens.

Rod Laver Arena is best known as the main venue for the Australian Open – an international tennis tournament that attracts thousands of visitors to Melbourne every summer.

Named after the tennis player Rod Laver, a three-time winner of the Australian Open, the Arena is the centerpiece of the Melbourne Park complex and features a retractable roof to help players cope with the city’s unpredictable weather and, at times, extreme summer heat.

Also hosting music concerts, sporting events and other performances, the Rod Laver Arena, sees over 1.5 million visitors through its doors each year. Attracting some of the biggest names in the music business, past performers include Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, Linkin Park, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Adams, Black Sabbath and P!NK.

Tours of the Arena are held daily except when concerts or events are scheduled. Offering visitors the chance to walk in the shoes of some the world’s top tennis players, the tour takes you through Rod Laver Area and the Superbox as well as the Walk of Champions, the Davis Cup Room, and the player’s changing rooms. Keen tennis players can also arrange to have a game on court!