1. Mmm, Coffee….
If you take your coffee drinking seriously, then you will love this city! There are numerous coffee shops to chose from to stem your caffeine craving for a cappuccino or latte.
Degraves Street and Central Place are the best spots for a great coffee and to soak up the atmosphere.
The best way to understand the lay of the land is to go up, up and up!
297 metres to be exact above the streets and its also the highest public vantage point in the Southern Hemisphere!
We found a 10% discount voucher at the tourist information centre so keep an eye out for any discounts.
3. Free walking tour
The best way to first understand a large city, is to hit the streets and walk around it to get your bearings! These free walking tours are run by locals and are packed full of interesting facts and stories as you explore the city for around 3 hours.
Remember to wear comfortable walking shoes as you get in your step count for the day! At the end of the tour the guide encourages you to tip what you thought the tour was worth.
4. Street Art
Talented artists take street art to a whole new level to enhance the urban backdrop of alleyways and side streets. Check these amazing pictures out!
The artists have the buildings owners permission to undertake this work so its legal and the street art changes regularly.
Hosier lane and AC/DC lane are the best examples of street art in the city. You can take specific guided tours to understand more about the artists or you can wander around yourself and enjoy at your leisure. There is such a great buzz here so I recommend grabbing a coffee to go, and wander slowly through the streets admiring the art.
5. Moonlight Cinema
Why sit in a stuffy indoor cinema when you could sit outside in botanical gardens and watch the latest releases!? Well thats what we did, and I highly recommend you do the same! Go to the moonlight cinema website to check out what’s on.
You can hire bean beds to lie on and you can bring your own picnic and drinks. There are food vendors too if you prefer to buy there but they close up before the film starts, so get your order in when you arrive. Half way through the movie, we even saw bats fly overhead as the sun set, so it’s bound to be an unforgettable experience!
Check out the free exhibitions at the State Library Victoria, which change throughout the year.
We visited the ‘changing faces of Victoria’ which included the interesting stories about the famous Ned Kelly and featured his armour from his last battle.
The views as you walk up each level are amazing and you can look down into the La Trobe reading room. Built in 1913, this magnificent octagonal domed reading room is six storeys high and can house 32,000 books and 320 readers at its desks.
7. Melbourne central clock
Why have a standard clock in a shopping centre when you could have a huge classic stopwatch?
Within this modern shopping centre, it’s a surprise to see an old brick tower at the heart of the complex and this incredible clock. Look out for it when you walk through.
Smashed avocado on sourdough bread is a classic Melbourne breakfast that you should try. This cafe was recommended by our Airbnb hosts and it’s a great place to people watch.
If you are feeling adventurous you could try the golden latte containing nutmeg and spices shown in this picture. It was great to experience, but I wasn’t a big fan.
9. Australian Centre for the Moving Image
Full of interesting interactive displays from how technology has developed for TV, games and films to art exhibitions.
A great way to escape the scorching sun or for those occasional raining days in Melbourne.
10. Dumplings
Another local recommendation we received was to have dumplings in Chinatown at Shanghai village. It doesn’t look much from the outside but the food is really tasty.
