Melbourne Travel Guide: Walk Your Way Through The City
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Explore Australia’s second-largest city with this Melbourne Travel Guide. Experience a vibrant city and its unique neighborhoods, all best discovered on foot.
Australia is an amazing continent! With fantastic beaches, incredible mountains, unique fauna, and the world-known Outback.
In addition to its famous nature activities, Australia also has some exciting cities to explore.
Victoria’s capital, Melbourne, is Australia’s second-most populated city.
As the host city of the Australian Open, Melbourne is also the venue for many other sports activities.
But this city offers so much more!
Built around the banks of the Yarra River, the city has many parks and gardens that are best explored on leisurely walks.
Melbourne is also a great supporter of traditional and modern art. It has become a hub for Street Art at an international level.
Let us help you explore this walkable city with our Melbourne Travel Guide.
Getting to Melbourne
For many, reaching Australia means spending a day on a plane, but the journey is well worth it.
The easiest way to reach Melbourne is by flying into Melbourne International Airport (MEL), also known as Tullamarine Airport. This airport is serviced by many of the major airlines around the world.
If you’re already in Australia, several domestic airlines can also take you to Melbourne.
Domestic Airlines:
- Qantas: Extensive domestic network across Australia.
- Virgin Australia: Offers domestic and international flights.
- Jetstar: Budget airline flying to various Australian cities and some international destinations.
Travel times
Australia is a big continent so travel times from one city to another are not an hour affair. These are some approximate times you can use when planning your trip:
- From Sydney: 3 hours and 27 minutes
- From Brisbane: 4 hours and 20 minutes
- From Perth: 5 hours and 18 minutes
- From Cairns: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Once in Melbourne, the easiest way to get to the city is by taxi or rideshare.
The second-best option is to take a SkyBus Supershuttle. There is no public transport directly from Melbourne Airport into the city.
When planning travel in Australia, remember that the country has different time zones. Melbourne and Sydney share the same time part of the year, but at other times, there’s an hour difference.
We didn’t realize this when we visited, and it threw us off. We got confused about the time we had for our connecting flight and just made it to the gate.
Transport Options in the City
Tram
Although there is no public transport from the airport, once in the city, the tram system is one of the most extensive in the world with 46 miles of track.
So if you’re tired after a day of walking or just want to get somewhere faster the tram is a great option.
Best of all is that the tram is free within the City Loop and the Free Tram Zone, which covers the central business district (CBD) and some surrounding areas.
If you need to go beyond the free zone it’s as easy as purchasing a Myki card which also serves in buses and trains.
You can purchase the Myki card at any staffed Metro Station.
You can load money on your card by using one of the machines located at every train station and most tram stops.
For more information on prices, zones, and maps you can visit the City of Melbourne website.
Water Taxi
If you’re going to an event and need to cross the river or if you want to enjoy a cruise down the Yarra River, check out Melbourne Water Taxis.
Working more like a limousine service than a regular taxi this service can take you to an activity at the Exhibition Center or close to the Australian Open.
They also have scheduled tours along the Yarra River including a sunset cruise where you can enjoy views of Melbourne as the sun goes down, breathtaking!
Other Transportation Options
As in most major cities rideshare in Melbourne is an option. Uber and DiDi are the most popular.
Cycling is another easy way to spend some hours exploring the city. Take a cycling tour or rent a bike and go out on your own.
Nevertheless, our favorite and the cheapest way of exploring the city is on foot.
Street Art
Famous for the Australian Open, Melbourne is also recognized globally as a hub for Street Art.
Street art is a form of artwork that uses the sides of buildings, streets, trains, and other publicly viewed surfaces as a canvas to display different types of art.
Melbourne has many lanes and streets filled with ever-changing Street Art.
It is hard to walk in the lanes close to Federation Square without encountering some form of Street Art.
Although the majority of the recognizable Street Art is close to Federation Square, you can find examples of Street Art throughout almost every part of the city.
Once a year Melbourne plays host to the Wall to Wall Festival, where local and international street artists come together to fill Melbourne’s streets with new artwork.
If you want to learn about street art and understand the differences, techniques, and nuances of spray painting, stenciling, and paste-ups, we highly recommend taking a guided tour.
Melbourne Street Art Tours is a tour run by street artists with knowledge of the history and the making of the art firsthand.
The best part of this guided tour is that the artists know exactly where to find both traditional and the newest street art.
Their commentary is interesting and thought-provoking, making the experience so much fun.
If you like immersive experiences or are traveling with teenagers who love art, Melbourne Street Art Tours also offers hands-on workshops at their main location. For more details, visit their website.
Melbourne Walks
In addition to Street Art, Melbourne is filled with many exciting things to see and do.
Museums, sporting venues, exhibition halls, and beautiful green spaces. All of them can be reached by foot.
Start by visiting Federation Square, a hub for local activities, fairs, cafes, and a convenient Visitor’s Center.
At the Visitors Center, we discovered Melbourne Walks: a series of recommended themed walking itineraries like Secret Gardens, On the Waterfront, and Elegant Enclave.
Each walk had a printed brochure with a map, distance covered, and approximate walking time as well as pinpointing specific highlights along the route.
We found these itineraries covered a diverse group of interests like music, architecture, and aboriginal culture.
The Secret Gardens tour, for example, guides you through Queen Victoria Gardens, the Kings Domain, and the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Taking advantage of the many pedestrian bridges, the Water Front and Yarra River Discovery tours weave back and forth over the Yarra River.
The itineraries guide you past sculptures, parks, and landmarks, with plenty of opportunities to stop for refreshments at nearby restaurants and cafes.
Many of the walks allow time to visit museums and even the SeaLife Aquarium, making these walks enjoyable for both kids and adults.
You can check out the free itineraries and walking descriptions on the What’s On Melbourne website.
If you prefer an introduction to the city by a local before heading out on your own you can find free guided tours at I’m Free Walking Tours.
Queen Victoria Market
Another interesting walking activity, if you enjoy exploring traditional markets, is the Queen Victoria Market on Queen Street.
Queen Victoria Market is a historic landmark spread over two city blocks.
It is considered the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere with over 600 small businesses.
You can find everything from Australian fruit and vegetables, to local and imported gourmet foods. Which makes it an ideal place to purchase supplies for a picnic at one of the scenic city parks.
The market is separated into sections with an area for food and another for clothing and souvenirs.
While souvenirs are available, this market is frequented by locals looking to stock up on daily essentials.
This makes Queen Victoria Market a great place to experience the local vibe of the city.
Melbourne: A Great City to Visit
There is a reason why so many people fall in love with Melbourne.
This city embraces the outdoors with its parks, gardens, river walk, and street art.
It has integrated its aboriginal past with the now and the future.
It has beautiful architecture, traditional and new, and you can enjoy it all on foot.
This city feels young and vibrant yet peaceful and calm. It invites you to come visit and stay awhile.
Melbourne can serve as a great home base for exploring amazing natural spots like the Great Ocean Road (home of the 12 Apostles), Philip Island, and the Yarra Valley (home of great wine).
But that’s a matter for another post.
For now, grab your bags, put on those comfortable walking shoes, and let’s go Melbourne Travel!
