Explore the magnificent Southbank riverfront, experience the city’s cultural charms in the arts precinct and see a glimpse of colonial history in central Melbourne.
The tree-lined streets of Melbourne’s Central Business District may be laid out on a grid, but there’s much more than meets the eye behind the façades of stunning heritage buildings and in the maze of graffiti-covered laneways.
Melbourne CBD is the city’s inner hub for nightlife, shopping, dining, sightseeing and entertainment. A good place to begin is the historic icon, Flinders Street Station. The train station’s Swanston Street intersection includes the stunning neo-Gothic St. Paul’s Cathedral, the cultural hub of Federation Square and a classic Australian corner pub.
Wake up with a fresh cup of Melbourne’s famous coffee from a café in the narrow Degraves Street. Try local delicacies and fresh produce at the historic Queen Victoria Market. Enjoy a shopper’s paradise in Bourke Street Mall or Melbourne Central. Upmarket designer stores can be found in northern Collins Street, while factory outlet stores line Spencer Street.
Take in some of Melbourne’s finest collections of art at the Southbank riverside arts precinct, which includes the imposing National Gallery of Victoria, the Arts Centre and the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, as well as a magnificent collection of cutting-edge theatre venues. Admire the ever-changing murals in nearby Hosier Lane or check out the latest in cinema at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image.
Don’t miss seeing a musical at one of the CBD’s historic theatres. Have a pre-show dinner at one of the fine-dining restaurants dotted around the city or make your selection from the dining precincts along Hardware Lane, Meyers Place, Curtin House, the Southbank Promenade and Chinatown on Little Bourke Street.
Look over modern Melbourne from the dizzying skydeck of the Eureka Building or see penguins and crocodiles at Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, on the banks of the Yarra River. Birrarung Marr, by the Yarra, offers a peaceful oasis of Wurundjeri Aboriginal heritage in the city.
Melbourne CBD is accessible via major train, tram and bus lines and there are plenty of parking spaces. Explore on foot or catch free trams within the central network. Chat to the staff at the Melbourne Visitor Centre in Federation Square to find out what festivals and events are on during your visit.