The ULTIMATE Travel Guide to Melbourne, Australia
The ULTIMATE Travel Guide to Melbourne, Australia. Welcome to my favorite place on Earth, Melbourne! In this video, I'll show you how to get around, where to stay, where to eat, where to get great coffee in the caffeine capital of the world, and of course, what there is to do and see in this world-class city. From my personal experience, getting around the city is pretty easy. I live in North America, and my biggest problem, of course, was staying on the opposite side of the road. So, there is an adjustment, but after a couple of days, it became fairly easy, although my wife might tell you a different story.
The ULTIMATE Travel Guide to Melbourne, Australia
All that being said, if you're in or around the CBD, I highly recommend taking the tram or an Uber. The trains are another good mode of transport. If you need to travel outside of the CBD, there are nearly 400 hotels and about 35,000 hotel rooms in Melbourne, so you will have lots of options. Most of these properties are concentrated around the central business district. We have stayed in Quest Hotels in our previous visits and enjoyed them, but this time we stayed at a VRBO in Southbank, and it was incredible. I have left a link to that property in the description below.
Speaking of the Southbank area, it's an area just south of the Yarra and looks back towards the CBD. The Southbank area has a great vibe, is safe, there are many places to eat, have a drink, or buy groceries, and has easy access to the rest of the CBD.
Melbourne is known as the culinary capital of the country, and for a very good reason. There are options everywhere, from quick and easy takeaway to the more cultured and therefore more expensive restaurants. If you're walking around the CBD, you will find hundreds of options with many ethnic varieties.
Melbourne has a well-deserved reputation for nightlife, with many bars, nightclubs, and live music. I've left the link in the description below on nightlife in Melbourne.
Melbourne has a reputation as being one of the great coffee cities of the world, and there are coffee shops everywhere in the city. In fact, I've never seen a place with so many coffee here has been exceptional and consistently very good.
As a tourist, you'll find that Melbourne is one of the world's great destinations. Here are some of the top attractions in and around the city of Melbourne:
The city is blessed with many museums and art galleries, highlighted by the National Gallery of Victoria and the Melbourne Museum. If you love architecture like I do, you'll love Melbourne's eclectic blend of modern and contemporary buildings and skyscrapers, Art Deco, and the ever-present and well-preserved Victorian architecture. For the best view of Melbourne, travel up the Southern Hemisphere's highest observation deck at the Eureka Tower's Skydeck.
Within the city are two first-class animal attractions, the Melbourne Zoo and the Melbourne Aquarium, called Sea Life. Later in the video, I'll also talk about the nearby Hillsville Sanctuary and the Phillip Island penguins.
Alright, this is one of Melbourne's iconic landmarks, the Queen Victoria Market. The Queen Victoria Market is divided into different zones, each offering unique shopping experiences. These zones include the Meat and Fish Hall, the fruit and vegetable market, the deli hall and food court, and of course, the shops and stalls. There is also a seasonal Night Market on Wednesdays. No trip to the Victorian Market would be complete without a bag of donuts. If you're a tourist and want to do some shopping, this is the place in Melbourne.
Now, of course, there are some other wonderful shopping areas in the CBD, and they include the historic Royal Arcade, the Burke Street walking Mall, Melbourne Central, the Emporium, Swanston, and Elizabeth Streets, to name only some of the great shopping areas in the city.
Melbourne is one of the world's great sporting cities, as it's home to cricket, Formula One racing, the Australian Open tennis tournament, one of the world's greatest horse races, the Melbourne Cup, and of course, Australian Rules Football. If you're visiting Melbourne during the winter, going to an Australian football game is a must. The games are played at two stadiums in the city, Marvel Stadium and the MCG. Both stadiums are in the central business district area and are easy to get to. The easiest way to get to both is by train or tram. Tickets are easy to get and relatively affordable. And finally, if you're traveling to Australia and you're not sure the Barrack 4, well, there's clearly only one choice, the Richmond Tigers.
One of the special things about Melbourne are its parks. Near the central business district, you'll find world-class parks such as Edinburgh Gardens, Carlton Gardens, King's Domain, Fitzroy Gardens, and the incredible Royal Botanic Gardens, just to name a few.
One of the unique attractions in Melbourne are its laneways. I remember living here in the 1970s, and these laneways were dirty, scary, and to be avoided. Well, now the opposite is true. You'll find chic shopping, boutique restaurants, bars, and coffee shops everywhere, plus they are a fun way to explore the city.
Of course, there are many more things to do and see in this incredible city, but frankly, the city is just too large and has too much to do to mention everything in a short video. But a good resource is visitvictoria.com for details on all of the attractions in Melbourne, including nightlife, food, the arts, and sporting events in and around this great city.
If you want to experience life outside of Melbourne, there are many half-day to full-day trips worth looking into. Here are some of the great excursions outside the city of Melbourne:
One of the most beautiful day trips from Melbourne is The Great Ocean Road, which is a 240-kilometer stretch of road along the southeastern coast of Victoria. The highlight of the road, of course, are the 12 Apostles. Allow a full day to drive this road and return back to the city of Melbourne, although a better idea if you have the time would be to stay a night or two and really enjoy this magical area.
South of the central business district along the coastline of Port Phillip Bay is the Mornington Peninsula. There are many stops that you can make while driving south, such as St. Kilda and Brighton Beach, which by the way, is where you'll find the famous Brighton Beach bathing boxes. If you're traveling down the Mornington Peninsula, one of the great places to stop is Sorrento. You'll see a pier behind me, also the town itself is a great little place to grab a bite to eat. Next to Sorrento is another wonderful place to visit if you have the time, and that is Portsea.
One of the best road trips to consider if you're in the Melbourne area is to Phillip Island to watch the penguin parade. It is truly, truly a magical experience. Every night after sunset, the penguins waddle up out of the ocean onto the beach and then onto the shore and then scurry off to their individual burrows. But a word to the wise, book early, book online, and dress very warmly.
About a 40-minute drive from the center of Melbourne is the iconic Puffing Billy. Puffing Billy is a heritage steam railway located in the Dandenong Ranges and is one of the most famous and well-preserved steam railways in the world. The train journey takes passengers through lush forests, fern gullies, and beautiful countryside, providing a glimpse into Australia's railway history and natural beauty. Now, I have to say, this is not just an attraction for kids or young families. I mean, I'm older and I still love it. Remember also, you must buy your ticket online, and it's recommended you arrive about one hour before departure.
If you love wildlife, then another great day out is to the Healesville Sanctuary. This sanctuary is a little over an hour's drive from the city and the place to go if you want to see Australian wildlife up close and personal.
There are, of course, many other sights to see close to Melbourne, but in this list includes the Yarra Valley, Hanging Rock, Ballarat and Bendigo, the Grampians, Gippsland, and Wilson's Promontory.
So there you go, Melbourne, one of the world's greatest cities and my absolute favorite place in the world.
