3 days in Melbourne: detailed itinerary for 2025
If you’re heading to Australia, you’ll probably be spending some time in Melbourne (Narrm). If not – why on earth not?! This three day Melbourne itinerary will help you decide what to do during your time in the city.
Melbourne is one of the best cities in Australia to visit. Perhaps even on the planet, having been crowned the world’s most livable city award for 7 years in a row.
There’s a reason for this – it truly is a fantastic place to experience, as both a tourist and a resident.
I’ve lived in Melbourne for close to a decade and during this time, have come to know the city inside out.
And while I would recommend spending as much time as you can to see the city properly, you can get a lot done in 72 hours.
So, I’ve created this itinerary that will help you experience the best of Melbourne, within the span of a long weekend. You’ll discover the best attractions and learn where to eat, with a sprinkling of insider knowledge along the way.
We’ll spend the first day getting familiar with the CBD and making the most of Melbourne’s fantastic tram network (which is free to use within the city!).
Then, we’ll head south for some art and a beachy stroll. And after that, we’ll spend some time in Melbourne’s inner-north, renowned for its trendy vibe.
I’ve also included a few options for day trips, if you want to extend your stay.
Your three day Melbourne itinerary
Know before you go
Melbourne Airports: Melbourne is serviced by three airports – Tullamarine is the main airport, northwest of the city, Essendon is a much smaller airport mainly used for flights to regional Australia and Avalon is in the west, close to Geelong. Odds are you’ll probably be flying in from Tullamarine. For some silly reason, there’s no trainline out to the airport from the city, so your best option is a taxi, Uber, Ola, etc, or the Skybus, which travels from the airport to the CBD and can drop you off at your hotel.
Getting around: A Myki Card is necessary for travel around Melbourne via public transport. It’s a smartcard that you load money onto, in the style of pay-as-you-go ($30 is a good start for a few days in the city). Consider buying a pass if you’re staying in Melbourne for a week. You can buy them from any ticketing machine, from train stations, the airport and some tram stops and from select newsagencies – they’re priced at $6. Alternatively, if you have an Android phone, you can use that to tap through the turnstiles, in lieu of a card. This isn’t available on iPhone. Awesome.
| Melbourne Trip Tip: Consider grabbing a Klook Melbourne pass, which will give you discounted entry to many attractions on this itinerary. Depending on what you plan on doing, this could save you a heck-tonne of cash. You can use the pass to bundle 2, 3, 5 or 7 attractions. |
Day 1: get to know Melbourne
We’ll start in the centre of the city itself.
Melbourne’s CBD is quite compact and easy to navigate around, as it was planned within a handy grid system. As such, this area is known as “The Grid”, really easy to remember.
One of the nicer aspects of this part of the city, is that the trams are completely free.
You don’t need to tap your Myki card on, unless you leave the Free Tram Zone. An announcement will be made, so you’ll know when this is happening.
Basically, if you’ve travelled south of the Yarra River (known as Birrarung in the local Wurundjeri language), you’ll have to pay.
I thoroughly recommend jumping onto the browny/burgundy coloured City Circle Tram.
There’s running commentary onboard and it’s an easy way to quickly get acquainted to the layout of the land.
Either way, strap on your walking shoes, as we’ve a jam-packed itinerary for day one!
Things to do on day one of your Melbourne trip
Immediately have a coffee
If there’s one thing Melbourne (actually, much of Australia) does well, it’s coffee.
Melburnians are obsessed with the stuff and so there are coffee places and cafés absolutely everywhere (remember to bring your reusable coffee cup with you to save on waste).
Artisan coffee is so popular that even Starbucks failed to launch the first time it tried to get a hold on the Australian market.
In its second attempt, it’s found itself catering largely to increasing tourists, rather than locals.
The CBD (the entire city, really) is crammed full of coffee shops, but if you need a little bit of direction, then here are some to start with:
- Higher Ground ● 650 Little Bourke St
- Brick Lane ● 33 Guildford Ln
- Manchester Press ● 8 Rankins Ln
- Liminal ● 161 Collins Street
Visit the Melbourne Museum
Melbourne’s got some great museums, but the eponymous Melbourne Museum is one of the best.
The permanent exhibition is quite cool (lots of taxidermy) and the very reasonable entry fee of $15 will get you into Bunjilaka, the Aboriginal Cultural Museum.
There are always interesting exhibitions going on too.
The Museum is also home to Melbourne’s IMAX, quite possibly the biggest in Australia since Sydney’s was torn down for some rubbish like luxury apartments.
Stroll around the Fitzroy Gardens
Melbourne is full of gorgeous parks (and Victoria is known as the garden state), but the heritage listed Fitzroy Gardens are my favourite after the Botanic, which we’ll get to later on.
Not only is it a very nice park in general, there are some quite interesting sights to see there.
Highlights include:
Coloniser‘Explorer’ Captain Cook’s Cottage, which was built in Yorkshire, England in 1755 and transported to Melbourne in 1934, to be rebuilt.- Ola Cohn’s Fairies Tree, covered with delightful carvings of magical creatures and Australian fauna.
- A miniature Mock Tudor Village, presented to the City of Melbourne by the City of Lambeth, England, to say thanks to Melbourne for sending food to Britain during the Second World War.
There are many more, but I’ll leave them for you to discover.
Check out Flinders Street & Federation Square
Flinders Street is to Melbourne what the Sydney Opera House is to Sydney, except not as world-famous.
It’s Melbourne’s beautifully ornate central station, a hub for transport and for those exploring the city or who call it home.
Right across the street from Flinders is Federation Square, a collection of museums and galleries, bars, cafes and restaurants.
ACMI, the Australian Centre for the Moving image and the Ian Potter Centre, NGV’s Australian art outpost are both located here.
You’ll also find the Koorie Heritage Trust, which you can drop into to discover more about Victoria’s Aboriginal history. I thoroughly recommend popping into Big Esso next door for food, drinks or both (they do a mean green ant martini)
There is often markets or festivals held in the square and a giant screen is suspended and used to televise sporting events such as the Australian Open and Soccer World Cup.
Poke around the Laneways & Arcades
Melbourne is famous for the many laneways which can be found throughout the city, featuring colourful urban art, cafes, restaurants, coffee stops, boutique shops and bars.
The following are some of the better known laneways, but you could stroll into most and find something interesting:
- Hosier Lane – best for continuously-updated art
- Rutledge Lane – likewise
- AC/DC Lane – named after the famous Aussie band
- Degraves Street – great for cafes and restaurants
- Hardware Lane – as above.
You could spend a whole day exploring Melbourne’s laneways, either by yourself or as part of a guided tour.
Discover other unique tours in Melbourne:
Have dinner in Chinatown
Melbourne’s Chinatown has been around since the 1850’s, takes up two blocks and is fantastic to stroll down, with plenty of interesting laneways, bars and restaurants lining its streets.
If anything, you need to go there for the dumplings. My favourite places are China Red on Bourke St and Hu Tong on Market Lane.
If you feel so inclined, you can jump on a dumpling tour, which lasts for three hours and will leave you feeling immensely satisfied.
Go bar hopping
Melbourne’s got the best nightlife of probably anywhere in Australia and some of its hot spots are pretty unreal. There are bars littered across the city, probably rivalling the number of cafes.
Here are a few of my favourites, some of which are themed, some are secret and all are particularly pleasant if you enjoy cocktails.
- 1806 ● 169 Exhibition St
- Byrdi ● 221 La Trobe St
- Berlin Bar ● 2/16 Corrs Ln
- House of Correction ● Denyers Building, Level 4/264 Swanston St
- Society ● 80 Collins Street
Day 2: poke around the south
Today we will journey south of the river, where there is plenty to see and do.
Don’t forget to touch on your myki card, as we’ll be leaving the Tram Free Zone!
Things to do on day 2 of your Melbourne itinerary
Check out the South Melbourne Market
This fabulous market is open Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
If day two of your Melbourne itinerary falls on one of these days, it’ll be an ideal place to grab some brekky, get a coffee and wander around.
The market is full of fresh produce, dairy and meat shops, interesting little food stalls, bookstores, florists… you can find a wide array of items here.
Walk around the Royal Botanic Gardens
These are my favourite gardens in Victoria, not only because they are lovely to walk around, but there’s always heaps to do.
You can go punting on the lake, jump on a climate or Aboriginal Heritage walk and in the summer time, chill out and watch some Moonlight Cinema.
Or, just take your own picnic, relax and enjoy the serenity.
Visit the Shrine of Remembrance
Next, head east to the Shrine of Remembrance, the biggest and I would say grandest war memorial in Oz.
This building honours all Australian people and animals who have been affected by war, whether they gave their time or their lives to support the cause.
There are many interesting aspects to The Shrine, as it is known in amongst locals.
The Eternal Flame, a permanent gas flame, burns outside its entrance.
Once a year, on the 11th November (Remembrance Day) at 11am, when Australians around the country are holding a minutes of silence in memorial, a ray of sunlight shines through an aperture in the roof to light up the word “Love” in an inscription inside the Shrine, which reads “Greater love hath no man”.
You can also climb up the roof, which offers fantastic views of the city, from the south looking in (one of the best free things to do in Melbourne).
Check out the National Gallery of Victoria
The NGV is the best art gallery in the country and attracts world class exhibitions – everything from the works of Van Gogh, to Dior’s haute couture.
Some exhibits have an entry fee, but not all of them.
Check their website to see what’s on.
| Melbourne Trip Tip: If there is an exhibition you want to see, book tickets in advance online. The booking fee is worth avoiding the usually massive wait to get in! |
Gaze out across the city from Melbourne Skydeck
Eureka Skydeck 88 is currently the highest point from which you can ogle Melbourne.
For the more daring, there is the experience known as “The Edge”, where you’ll stand out on glass cubes to take it all in… and yes, that includes a glass floor! Eek.
One part of Skydeck that I quite like is the fact that it’s home to the highest post box in Australia – a fun fact to scribble on the back of any card posted from there.
See a show
Melbourne’s the place for shows in Australia.
Discover which musicals are showing in the city at the moment.
Melbourne’s main theatres are:
- The Princess Theatre
- Comedy Theatre
- Regent Theatre
- Her Majesty’s Theatre
Grab dinner or a drink, before or after the show at Farmers Daughters, Nick and Nora’s or Siglo Bar.
Alternatively, check out the Arts Centre program to see if there’s anything playing that tickles your fancy.
| Melbourne Trip Tip: Every Tuesday at 12pm Arts Centre Melbourne offer discounted seats for their shows, for twelve hours only. Theatre in Australia is expensive, so this is definitely something worth working into your plans. |
Day 3: check out local sights
We’re going to get out of the city again today, but we’re not going to go far.
Rather, we’re going to make a quick journey to some of the inner suburbs, surrounding the CBD – Collingwood and Fitzroy.
Both are extremely easy to navigate to (by tram or train) and have a range of things to do or see.
There are old, historic buildings, plenty of street art, good food and fantastic shopping – what more could you ask for?
Things to do on day 3 of your Melbourne itinerary
Grab a world-renowned pastry
Start the day with a pastry from Lune Croissant.
They’re one of the best in the world. Even the New York Times thinks so.
So you’re warned in advance, these baked goods are immensely popular. Don’t be surprised if there’s a queue.
Visit the Abbotsford Convent
The convent spreads over 16 acres and is Oz’s largest multi-arts precinct. Here you’ll find studios, galleries, a school, a radio station, restaurants and cafes.
Right next to the convent is the Collingwood Children’s Farm, an urban farm in the city.
It contains horses, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens guinea pigs and is great for all ages – particularly as you can get up close to many of the animals there.
Grab a bev at the Stomping Ground
Melburnians love their craft beer and Collingwood is an excellent destination to get acquainted with Australia’s finest hops.
Head to the Stomping Ground Brewery for a bevvie, whether your poison of choice be beer or cider (or soft drink… or water!).
It’s a lovely indoor beer hall, very popular in the area.
Dine in a train on top of a building
Starting to feel a bit peckish?
Why not take the opportunity to dine in a train, at Easey’s.
Yep, this restaurant is a renovated train, elevated onto a rooftop in Collingwood and sells burgers, hotdogs, milkshakes and cocktails.
Alternatively, grab great nosh at Maha Bar, Red Sparrow Pizza or Chotto Motto.
Shop up a storm
Now that you’re fed and watered, it’s time to partake in one of the joys of Melbourne – shopping.
Melbourne is Australia’s premier shopping destination and people around the country congregate in this city for a bit of retail therapy.
Brunswick Street has an excellent range of shops, from op (opportunity, our version of charity/thrift shops) shops and high end boutique stores, selling the most beautiful clothes.
If it’s the weekend, take some time to check out the Rose Street Artist’s Market for locally made artwork, jewellery and such.
Smith Street in Collingwood is equally as fun to poke around in.
Watch the sun go down from Naked Upstairs
Cap the day off with dinner at Naked for Satan, where you can dine on Spanish tapas. Their rooftop bar Naked Upstairs has excellent views of the city.
Brunswick Street has a pretty good nightlife, so if you’ve got another late night in you, I say go for it.
Grab a cocktail at The Black Pearl. Sit down with an Ale at the Napier Hotel and catch live music at the Tote or The Night Cat.
OPTIONAL: Take a day trip from Melbourne
Got an extra day up your sleeve and keen to get out of the city?
Take an optional day trip.
Victoria is small and there are plenty of options for nearby day trips – I’m gonna recommend two.
If you’re after beachy vibes, tackle the Great Ocean Road.
To take a more relaxed pace, dropping into renowned wineries and exploring small towns, head to the Yarra Valley.
Choose the Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road is a coastal road which will take you around dramatic cliffs, past bushland and through gorgeous seaside towns.
Stretching 243 kilometres in length, it starts at a town called Torquay and ends at Allansford, just outside of Warrnambool.
You have two options. You can self-drive the Great Ocean Road, or take an organised tour.
If you plan to drive, rent a car in the city and drive out on the day. You don’t have to go there and back along the coast, as there’s a much quicker option that will take you back to the city centre via a highway.
A couple of things to consider – we drive on the left hand side in Australia and you may need an international licence – easy enough to check.
If you don’t want to drive, book onto a day tour that will take you to many of the sights along the Great Ocean Road.
Find the perfect day trip to the Great Ocean Road:
Here are some of the sights can can expect to see along the Great Ocean Road:
- Great Ocean Road Arch – This arch pays homage to the workers who constructed the road and marks its beginning.
- Towns of Torquay and Lorne – Two popular and very pretty towns along the GOR.
- Limestone stacks of The 12 Apostles – Probably the best known sight, a bunch of limestone stacks, left over from cliff erosion.
- Loch Ard Gorge – Gorge named after the Loch Ard which was shipwrecked here in 1878. Lots of great coastal walks around here.
- London Arch – Also known as London Bridge, it ironically collapsed in 1990, leaving two tourists stranded.
- Great Otway National Park – Beautiful national park full of waterfalls and a cool lighthouse.
- Aussie Wildlife – Here’s your chance to see some Aussie fauna, particularly our cute koalas.
Discover more things to do on the Great Ocean Road, if you’re keen on taking an extended trip.
Choose the Yarra Valley
The Yarra Valley is around an hour and twenty minutes from Melbourne’s CBD by car.
There are also plenty of day tours you can take from Melbourne to the Yarra Valley, if you don’t want to drive.
These are the hightlights of the Yarra Valley:
- Yarra Valley Chocolaterie – If you’re into sweets, the Chocolaterie is a must visit.
- Wineries – There are plenty of well-known wine producers operating out of this area, such as Rochford Wines, Oakridge Wines – even Chandon grows grapes out here. If you’re self-driving to the Yarra Valley, I highly recommend keeping off the main drag of the Maroondah Highway and exploring the backstreets for smaller vineyards, who still make extraordinary wines and may not charge you for tastings.
- Four Pillars – Wine not your thing? Check out Four Pillars, a small distillery in the very picturesque town of Healesville.
- Hot air balloon over the Valley – there are opportunities to take hot air balloon rides over the valley, early in the morning – followed by a champagne breakfast, nonetheless!
- Explore Healesville – this is the main town of the Yarra Valley and is well worth dropping into. I love walking along the main strip and poking into the shops. It also has a very nice bookstore.
- Visit Healesville Sanctuary – Healesville Sanctuary is one of Melbourne’s three main zoos, which focuses on native Australian animals.
- Have dinner at Innocent Bystander – Innocent Bystander is a vineyard with a cellar door and restaurant in Healesville.Their wines are delicious and they make a darn good pizza, to boot.
Explore wine tour options for the Yarra Valley:
Here are some other things to do in the Yarra Valley and surrounds.
That’s our itinerary pretty much done and dusted. Here are some other considerations in planning your trip, such as where to eat and where to stay in Melbourne.
Where to eat in Melbourne
You can eat so very well in Melbourne. And the best thing is, you can choose to pay a lot, or very little.
While I’ve sprinkled suggestions for places to dine throughout this post, here are some suggestions for different budgets:
- Cheap: Grab a steaming bowl of ramen at Shujinko. There are a few venues around town, but my favourite is the one on Russell Street. If you’re in the mood for meat, Butchers Diner on Bourke Street has you covered – and is open 24 hours to boot.
- Mid-range: Supernormal on Flinders Street is a lot of fun. I recommend the lobster roll. Chin Chin sells delicious Thai food and I like Tippy-Tay for Italian.
- Splash out: Dine on delicious sushi at Kisumé or push the boat out at Aru. You can’t go past Attica, which has has accolade upon accolade heaped upon it. I have eaten here and it absolutely lives up to its hype. This is one you’ll have to book in advance and be prepared to pay top dollar; but it is indeed an experience.
Time your trip to Melbourne with an event
Melbourne is the culture capital of Australia and its calendar is jam-packed.
Why not plan your Melbourne itinerary around one of the city’s fabulous events?
Choose from the following:
- Australian Open (January)
- Melbourne International Comedy Festival (late March–April)
- Formula 1® Australian Grand Prix (April)
- Melbourne Writers Festival (May)
- RISING (June)
- Melbourne International Film Festival (August)
- AFL Finals Series (September)
There is also a certain famous horse race that takes place in November, but as a sustainable travel blog, it would be remiss to promote an event like that on here.
Discover the best time to visit Australia and the top spots for a winter holiday.
Where to stay in Melbourne on your trip
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Browse more hotels and find deals via Klook:
Is it better to visit Melbourne or Sydney?
If you’ve never visited Australia before and can only dedicate time to one of its two big cities, Sydney might seem like the better choice.
After all, it has the sights. Flinders Street Station or Federation Square don’t really compare to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.
As you’ll discover in this guide, Melbourne still packs a punch against its flashier sibling.
If you need a little bit more help deciding, I’ve written a detailed guide on whether Sydney or Melbourne is a better city to visit.
And that’s how to spend three days in Melbourne
There’s so much to see, do and eat in Melbourne; you may find yourself wanting to spend a whole week uncovering its hidden gems.
Any thoughts you’d like to share on this Melbourne itinerary? I hope you’re feeling really inspired to visit and reading things from a local’s perspective has helped. Have a great time visiting Australia’s best city!
For more, check out my itineraries for other cities in Australia and around the world.
Last tidbits of information:
Most of these experiences take place on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Bunurong Peoples of the Kulin Nation. We acknowledge them as Traditional Owners and pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.
Please note: All prices are in AUD and are correct at the time of writing.
I’ve been to Melbourne twice but for work, and both times I was too bloomin jetlagged to do anything in the apart from see Flinders Street and Fed Square 🙁 I did drag myself out of bed for a Phillip Island penguin parade tour the second time though, I’d do anything for those adorable little guys! The other thing I really wanted to do but didn’t manage was going to see Ramsay Street haha
I’ll admit I’ve never got the appeal (was more of a Home and Away fan!) but it is a popular option!