Things to do in Melbourne.
Our Melbourne homes are in Fitzroy, Carlton, Cremorne, St Kilda and Port Melbourne, a short tram ride, train or drive from the city centre. This is what we tell guests to do while they're here.
Photo: Bernard Spragg / CC0 1.0 · cropped for layout
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- Free
- trams in the CBD and Docklands
- 1878
- Queen Victoria Market opened
- 11 to 31 Jan
- Australian Open 2027
- 90 min
- drive to Phillip Island
The lay of the land
Melbourne from our homes
Our homes are in the inner suburbs, not in the CBD itself. Fitzroy and Carlton are on the north side of the city, Cremorne is beside Richmond, and St Kilda and Port Melbourne are on Port Phillip Bay. Each is a short tram ride, train or drive from the city centre.
That makes Melbourne easy to do in pieces. Laneways and a market one morning, the MCG or a gallery the next day, then a beach day in St Kilda. Every place below is named so you can look it up. Opening days change, so check the website before you go.
On foot
Laneways, cafes and where to eat
Melbourne's laneways are the easiest way to see the city on foot. Visit Victoria says they are full of street art, cafes, boutiques, restaurants and bars. The art changes all the time, so what you see won't match the photos online.
The food is in the suburbs we stay in too. Fitzroy and Carlton both have long streets of cafes and restaurants, and St Kilda's Acland Street is covered further down.
CBD
Hosier Lane
A bluestone laneway. The City of Melbourne calls it an ever-changing canvas of paste-ups, murals and sculptures, and Visit Victoria says it is covered in work by local and international street artists.
CBD
AC/DC Lane
Named after the Australian rock band and covered in tributes to rock'n'roll.
Near Flinders Street Station
Degraves Street and Centre Place
Degraves Street is across from Flinders Street Station, with street art and alfresco brunch. Centre Place is a tiny alleyway packed with cafes, bars, small shops and street art.
Little Bourke Street
Chinatown
The City of Melbourne calls it the oldest continuous Chinatown in the southern hemisphere. It grew up in the 1850s gold rush, and Visit Victoria describes a strip of nineteenth century buildings between Swanston and Spring streets.
2 more laneways and food options
Fitzroy
Brunswick, Gertrude, Smith and Johnston streets
Visit Victoria describes bars, independent shops, pubs, restaurants, cafes and live music spread across the neighbourhood grid. You can walk from Brunswick Street to Gertrude Street, along to Smith Street and up to Johnston Street.
Carlton
Lygon Street
At the southern end, traditional Italian restaurants serve pizza and pasta in big family serves. Rathdowne Street has its own run of restaurants and cafes.
The City of Melbourne's street art walk is about 3 km and takes around 2 hours.
The market
Queen Victoria Market
Queen Victoria Market is a short walk from the city centre. It officially opened on 20 March 1878, and many of its open-air sheds have been in continuous use since then. It sits on a seven-hectare site and was added to the National Heritage List in 2018.
The Market says you will find fresh produce, plus open-air shopping for home, fashion and gifts. It is bounded by Peel, Franklin, Victoria and Elizabeth streets and is inside the free tram zone. Trams 19, 57, 58 and 59 stop on Elizabeth, Victoria or Peel streets.
Bring a bag. The Market has been single-use plastic bag free since 2019. Check its website for the days it trades before you go.
Queen Victoria Market officially opened on 20 March 1878.
Sport
The MCG and the Australian Sports Museum
The Melbourne Cricket Ground, the 'G, is a big day out even with no game on. It was the home of the 1956 Olympic Games, and the Australian Sports Museum is inside Gate 3.
A game day is different again. The MCG is a cashless venue, so bring a card or your phone, and it tells ticket holders to arrive early and leave plenty of time to get in.
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Gate 3
MCG Tours
A 75 minute guided tour behind the scenes. The MCG lists the MCC Long Room, the MCC Library (founded in 1873), the player change rooms, a Shrine to Test Cricket and a walk along the boundary line. On event days tours only run on some days, so check the MCG's tour page.
Inside Gate 3
Australian Sports Museum
Features over 95 sports. The MCG lists a Shane Warne hologram, the 1956 Olympic Cauldron and Game On, a hands-on gallery with surfing, rock climbing and cycling.
Match times and gates change, so check the MCG's event page for your game. The dates for this summer are in When to come.
Parks and gardens
The Royal Botanic Gardens and the city's other gardens
Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria's Melbourne Gardens covers 38 hectares on the edge of the CBD, in the arts district. The Gardens say they have been part of Melbourne life for almost 180 years, and entry is free.
The city has more gardens worth a walk. Fitzroy Gardens is in East Melbourne, and the Carlton Gardens hold the Royal Exhibition Building, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004.
Birdwood Avenue
Melbourne Gardens
The Ornamental Lake and a free guided walk every day except Monday, at the time of writing. The Aboriginal Heritage Walk is a guided walk about the history and thriving culture of the First Peoples of Australia.
East Melbourne
Fitzroy Gardens
Cooks' Cottage, the Model Tudor Village (a gift from the UK), the Fairies' Tree, and a Spanish mission-style Conservatory that opened in 1930.
Carlton
Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens
Museums Victoria calls the Royal Exhibition Building Australia's first World Heritage listed building. It runs a guided Dome Promenade tour that shows the Melbourne skyline.
Art and museums
NGV and the city's other galleries
The National Gallery of Victoria is in two buildings. NGV International at 180 St Kilda Road shows international art and design. The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square shows Australian art, Indigenous and non-Indigenous. NGV lists general entry to the collections as free, with fees for some special exhibitions.
The NGV Triennial opens at NGV International on Sunday 13 December 2026 and runs to 11 April 2027. NGV lists it as free entry.
Federation Square
ACMI
A museum of film, TV, videogames and art, on Flinders Street between Swanston and Russell streets. Its permanent exhibition, The Story of the Moving Image, is free.
Carlton
Melbourne Museum
At 11 Nicholson Street, in the Carlton Gardens. Museums Victoria lists the Dinosaur Walk, with 17 skeletons of prehistoric animals, and the First Peoples exhibition at Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre.
NGV says some gallery spaces may be closed while it installs the Triennial, from 7 September to 13 December 2026. Check its website before you go.
Getting around
The free tram zone
Trams inside the Free Tram Zone are free. Public Transport Victoria says the zone includes the CBD and Docklands, and you don't tap on or off there. You don't need a myki if you only travel inside it.
The City Circle tram, route 35, is a free tourist tram that stays inside the zone. If your trip starts or ends outside the zone, tap on as usual with a myki or a contactless payment, which can be a Visa or Mastercard, a phone or a watch.
Use the PTV app or the Journey Planner on the Transport Victoria website to find the stop nearest your home.
East Brunswick to St Kilda Beach
Route 96
Runs through Fitzroy and along Bourke Street in the CBD to St Kilda Beach, with a stop at Acland Street.
Victoria Gardens to St Kilda
Route 12
Runs along Collins Street through the CBD, then through South Melbourne and Albert Park to Fitzroy Street in St Kilda.
Port Melbourne
Route 109
Runs from Station Pier at Port Melbourne to Elizabeth and Collins streets in the CBD, according to Queen Victoria Market's directions.
Tram services change when there are roadworks or big events, so check the Journey Planner on the day.
Along the river
Southbank and the arts precinct
Southbank runs along the south bank of the Yarra River. Visit Victoria describes waterside dining, drinking, shopping and strolling, with riverside tables from Southgate to Crown.
Follow the river to St Kilda Road and you reach the arts precinct. Arts Centre Melbourne is at 100 St Kilda Road, just across the Yarra from Flinders Street Station. Visit Victoria also lists the NGV, Southbank Theatre (home of the Melbourne Theatre Company), the Melbourne Recital Centre and the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) in the same stretch.
St Kilda Road
Arts Centre Melbourne
Calls itself Australia's largest performing arts venue. Hamer Hall, the round building on the river, sits between the Southbank Promenade and St Kilda Road and has 2,500 seats.
Southbank
Melbourne Skydeck
On the 88th floor of Eureka Tower at 7 Riverside Quay. Visit Victoria lists The Edge, a glass cube that slides out from the building.
The bay side
St Kilda and the beach
Visit Victoria calls St Kilda Melbourne's favourite beachside suburb. Locals walk, cycle and skate along the foreshore under the palms, and people sail, windsurf and kitesurf on the bay.
Port Melbourne is quieter. Visit Victoria describes boutiques and coffee shops on Bay Street, Beacon Cove and Station Pier, and a wide footpath lined with palm trees that starts in Port Melbourne and runs all the way around Port Phillip Bay.
Before you swim, check the Beachsafe page for your beach at beachsafe.org.au, and swim between the red and yellow flags where there are flags.
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St Kilda
St Kilda Pier and Breakwater
Parks Victoria says the breakwater is home to about 1,400 little penguins. Phillip Island Nature Parks runs free, ticketed evening viewing sessions from a platform at the end of the pier. Reserve a spot on the Nature Parks website.
St Kilda
Luna Park
Opened on 13 December 1912 and listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. Its Great Scenic Railway is a wooden roller coaster with a brakeman who stands in the carriage.
St Kilda
Acland Street and Fitzroy Street
The City of Port Phillip says St Kilda has two retail strips, Fitzroy Street and Acland Street Village, and mentions Acland Street's famous cake shops.
The Esplanade
St Kilda Esplanade Market
Held every Sunday, says the City of Port Phillip. Check the market's website before you go.
2 more st kilda options
St Kilda
Palais Theatre, The Espy and Prince Bandroom
Visit Victoria lists all three for live music. The Palais Theatre dates from 1927.
Port Melbourne
Bay Street
Visit Victoria describes boutiques and coffee shops.
Further afield
Day trips from Melbourne
There are four day trips we point guests to. Two of them are places where we have homes, so you can turn them into a stay. Allow extra time in summer traffic and check conditions before you leave.
About an hour
Mornington Peninsula
Visit Mornington Peninsula says you can leave Melbourne and be in the heart of the Peninsula's hinterland in about an hour. Bay and ocean beaches, cellar doors, hot springs and walks. Our guide has the detail.
About an hour
Yarra Valley
Wine Yarra Valley says it is only an hour's drive from the heart of Melbourne, with over eighty wineries. Our guide covers cellar doors, balloons and walks.
Summerlands, Phillip Island
Phillip Island Penguin Parade
Phillip Island Nature Parks says the island is 90 minutes' drive from Melbourne, plus about 20 minutes from the bridge to the Penguin Parade. Penguins arrive at sunset every evening, any night of the year, and bookings are essential.
Torquay to Allansford
Great Ocean Road
Torquay, where the road starts, is just over an hour from Melbourne, and the road runs 243 km to Allansford near Warrnambool. Visit Great Ocean Road says you can drive from Melbourne to the Twelve Apostles and back in a day, but does not recommend it. We have homes at Wye River if you'd rather stay on the coast.
On a wine day, book a driver or a tour so everyone can taste.
When you book direct
Tours and tickets with 10% off
Book direct with us and you get 10% off most tours, attractions and tickets on our Experience Oz page. We'll make sure you have the link once you've booked, and the prices on the page already include the discount.
On 28 October 2026 the page listed things like MCG tours, Melbourne Skydeck, Luna Park tickets, the Phillip Island Penguin Parade, a Queen Victoria Market foodie tour, laneway walking tours and Great Ocean Road day tours. Experience Oz takes the booking and looks after any changes. The list changes, so look at the page for what is there now.
Summer 2026/27 and beyond
When to come, with the dates
The big events fill the city fast, so book early for the weeks below. Every date here is from the organiser's own page, checked on 28 October 2026. Check before you go, because dates and line-ups can change.
MCG
Australia v England T20 International
Saturday 21 November 2026.
NGV International
NGV Triennial
Opens Sunday 13 December 2026 and runs to 11 April 2027.
MCG
Boxing Day Test
Australia v New Zealand, from Saturday 26 December to Wednesday 30 December 2026.
City of Melbourne
New Year's Eve
The City of Melbourne runs the official program and says details for 2026 are still to come. Check its New Year's Eve website in December.
6 more when to come options
Melbourne Park
Australian Open
11 to 31 January 2027. Opening Week is 11 to 16 January, and the singles finals are on 30 and 31 January.
Across Melbourne
Midsumma Festival
17 January to 7 February 2027. Midsumma Carnival is on Sunday 17 January at Alexandra Gardens, and the Pride March starts on Fitzroy Street in St Kilda on Sunday 31 January.
St Kilda
St Kilda Festival
Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 February 2027.
MCG
150th Anniversary Test
Australia v England, from Thursday 11 March to Monday 15 March 2027. The MCG says it marks the first Test match at the ground, in 1877.
MCG
AFL Round 1
Games are listed at the MCG from Friday 19 to Sunday 21 March 2027.
Albert Park
Australian Grand Prix
The race weekend is Friday 2 to Sunday 4 April 2027.
The last weekend of January has the Australian Open singles finals and the Midsumma Pride March, so book those nights early.
Before you go
Questions guests ask
Are your Melbourne homes in the CBD?
No. They're in the inner suburbs around it: Fitzroy, Carlton, Cremorne, St Kilda and Port Melbourne, each a short tram ride, train or drive from the city centre.
Are trams free in Melbourne?
Inside the Free Tram Zone, yes. Public Transport Victoria says the zone includes the CBD and Docklands, and you don't tap on or off there. If your trip starts or ends outside it, tap on with a myki or a contactless payment as usual.
What is free to do in Melbourne?
NGV lists general entry to its collections as free, and so does ACMI for its permanent exhibition. The Royal Botanic Gardens' Melbourne Gardens are free to enter, and so are trams inside the Free Tram Zone. Special exhibitions and some attractions charge, so check each website.
Can I see penguins without leaving Melbourne?
Yes. Parks Victoria says St Kilda Pier and Breakwater is home to about 1,400 little penguins, and Phillip Island Nature Parks runs free, ticketed evening viewing sessions from the end of the pier. Reserve a spot on the Nature Parks website.
How far is Phillip Island from Melbourne?
Phillip Island Nature Parks says it is 90 minutes' drive from Melbourne, plus about 20 minutes from the bridge to the Penguin Parade. Penguins arrive at sunset every evening, and bookings are essential.
Can I do the Great Ocean Road in a day from Melbourne?
Visit Great Ocean Road says you can drive from Melbourne to the Twelve Apostles and back in a day, but does not recommend it, because you would miss too much along the way. Torquay, where the road starts, is just over an hour from Melbourne, and the road runs 243 km to Allansford near Warrnambool. We have homes at Wye River if you'd rather stay on the coast.
What is on in Melbourne this summer?
The Boxing Day Test at the MCG runs from 26 to 30 December 2026, the Australian Open is on from 11 to 31 January 2027, Midsumma runs from 17 January to 7 February, and St Kilda Festival is on 20 and 21 February. Check each organiser for changes.
What do I get for booking a Lively home direct?
You deal with the team who look after the home, from your first question to check-out. You also get 10% off most tours, attractions and tickets on our Experience Oz page, and we'll make sure you have the link once you've booked.