The ultimate 3-day Melbourne itinerary

With a sophisticated air, eclectic inner-city neighbourhoods and some of the best restaurants in the country, Victoria has good reason to be proud of its culture hub capital.

The rivalry between the Victorian capital of Melbourne and Sydney to its north has always been heated, but pitting these two cities against each other is selling both of them short.

The fact is that Melbourne, with its buzzing restaurant scene, cosmopolitan cafe culture, genteel architecture, headlining sports events, powerhouse arts sector, and compelling inner-city laneways, is a world-class city with a unique appeal all its own. Feel like a local with this comprehensive Melbourne itinerary.

Day One

MORNING

people standing outside Dukes Coffee Roasters, Flinders Lane, Melbourne — Your first stop is the iconic Dukes Coffee Roasters on Flinders Lane. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Any exploration of the city should start at its heart, walking the maze of street art-lined laneways that contribute so much colour and life to Victoria’s capital. A big chunk of the city’s heavy hitters fork off from Flinders Lane (AC/DC, Degraves, Centre Place, Hosier), itself lined with destination diners and cool bars that pulse with action late into the night. Book into a street art tour with Melbourne Street Tours , which is run by street artists, or unleash your creativity at one of its Freehand Spraypainting Workshops.

But first, coffee. Dukes at Ross House is the flagship – and only – store of this specialty coffee roaster, and a longstanding cult classic venue.

a top view of a boutique shop inside Block Arcade, Melbourne — Block Arcade is a popular spot for gift shopping. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Once you’ve had your fill of murals, head to the ‘Paris end’ of Collins Street, which is recognised by the National Trust for its historic architecture, to browse through the grand Block Arcade , or do a spot of luxury shopping at the likes of Dior, Hermès and Tiffany & Co.

MIDDAY

a woman at the counter of a gelato stall handing out ice cream to customers in Pidapipo — Get your freshly scooped gelato at Pidapipo. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Make your way through the throng of locals in Centre Place to shop at family-run Melbourne label Kinki Gerlinki . Or if you’re in the market for gifts, pop into Clementine’s : every last item in this shop was produced or crafted by a Victorian artist or business. Wait for a table at ShanDong Mama Mini for steaming hot dumplings – the mackerel is something of a house signature. Continue on to Degraves Street for dessert: Melbourne-born gelato shop par excellence Pidapipo is the place to indulge, and a splash of chocolate from the Nutella fountain atop your chosen scoop is a non-negotiable.

the building exterior of The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) — The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) features rotating exhibitions of all things film related. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Federation Square is the next stop on any exploration of the city. This arts precinct is the universal meeting spot for locals, who flock here along with tourists to visit the interesting cluster of cultural institutions: ACMI , in celebration of all things film related, The Ian Potter Centre , and the Koorie Heritage Trust . Take one of  KHT’s Birrarung Wilam guided walks (everyday at 1pm) along the Birrarung Marr, the Aboriginal name for the Yarra River. You’ll visit places of cultural significance and hear stories of the river.

the City Circle Tram navigating the CBD — Hop on the City Circle Tram and get around the CBD for free. (Image: Visit Victoria)

If you’ve got any more gas left in the tank for sightseeing then hop aboard the City Circle Tram , which loops around the major sights and offers an audio commentary. Moreover, riding the line’s heritage W-class trams, with their beautiful timber interiors is completely free.

EVENING

an open-air dining venue at Arbory Bar & Eatery, Melbourne — Sit quietly by the water with a drink at the riverside Arbory Bar & Eatery. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Kick off the evening with an aperitif at a Melbourne icon, riverside. Arbory Bar & Eatery is a hit with the after-work knock-offs crowd, pumping come 6pm on a Friday. Or for a quirky archetypal Melbourne watering hole visit tiny Ponyfish Island , hidden under a bridge across the Yarra, like a pontoon.

a spread of food and drinks at Chin Chin, Melbourne — Tuck into the South East Asian fare on offer at Chin Chin. (Image: Visit Victoria)

There’s a glut of great restaurants to uncover, so might we suggest a progressive dinner? Flinders Lane is practically ground zero for culinary cachet in Melbourne, with Chin Chin , Coda, Kisumé and a trio of Andrew McConnell eateries (Cumulus Inc, Supernormal , and Gimlet ) all crowding the streetscape.

the Little Lon Distilling Co signage — The heritage-listed Little Lon Distilling Co is housed in a charming brick building. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Stop in for a nightcap at Little Lon Distilling Co , a CBD 20-seat craft gin distillery and cocktail bar, housed within a heritage-listed red brick cottage (c1877).

Day two

MORNING

coffee making at Market Lane Coffee, Melbourne — Market Lane Coffee showcases Melbourne’s best roasters. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Queen Victoria Market has been serving the people of Melbourne for well over 140 years, and it’s the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere. Browse hundreds of small businesses selling everything from fresh veg to souvenirs. Grab a coffee from another local indie operator, Market Lane Coffee , from inside the Dairy Produce Hall, and while you’re there, stock up on provisions. You’ll find an array of vendors with small goods, fresh bread, pastries, pâtés, and cheeses. A quick trip to the Borek Shop should set you up until lunchtime. And don’t leave without picking up a bag of hot, sugar-coated doughnuts from American Doughnut Kitchen .

MIDDAY

the 2024 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces® Pharaoh, NGV International, Melbourne — Installation view of the 2024 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces® Pharaoh, a collaboration between the British Museum and the NGV, on display from 14 June – 6 October 2024 at NGV International, Melbourne. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Australia’s oldest and most visited public art museum, the main gallery of the NGV is always worth a visit for its headlining international shows, as well as its permanent collection, home to 70,000-plus works of art.

punting on the lake at Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — Float across the ornamental lake at Royal Botanic Gardens. (Image: Visit Victoria)

For a slice of greenery, there are few spots more dreamy than the immaculately manicured Royal Botanic Gardens , featuring a smorgasbord of different flora and habitats. Lush green lawns (perfect for your picnic), an ornamental lake you can punt on, a forest walk, an arid garden full of cacti, and more. Perch under a parasol at lakeside cafe The Terrace, with a glass of bubbly before heading off.

EVENING

the cathedral-esque dining interior of Reine & La Rue — Book an elegant French dinner at the cathedral-esque Reine & La Rue. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Melbourne’s East End Theatre District is alive and well, and home to a host of historic theatres, many dating back to the 19th and early 20th centuries. Catch a play, musical, opera or ballet before hitting the only CBD restaurant that can match the drama, glamour and beauty of a show, Reine & La Rue . The former Melbourne Stock Exchange, with its soaring vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows and granite columns, is a showstopper, and the French fare on offer at this hatted restaurant is equally inspiring.

the Rooftop Bar at Curtin House — Sip on post-gig drinks as you soak up skyline views over Central Melbourne. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Take to the rooftops for a nightcap. Victoria’s capital is known for its array of towering open-air bars that capture the glittering city skyline at night. Rooftop Bar at Curtin House is a failsafe, and one of the city’s OG’s.

Day three

MORNING

the Rathdowne Street in Carlton North — Peruse the restaurants along the leafy Rathdowne Street in Carlton North. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Once you’ve had enough coffee, culture and shopping within the inner-city’s tightly packed grid, it’s time to explore the personality packed suburbs: head to Fitzroy for vintage clothes, op shopping and bohemian cafes; Carlton (Melbourne’s Little Italy) for leafy streets lined with boutiques, bookstores and Italian eateries; or Prahran for its eclectic mix of swish brunch spots, hipster bars and a historic market.

MIDDAY

the timber interior at the all-day diner Cam’s, Melbourne — The local favourite all-day diner, Cam’s. (Image: Nicholas Wilkins)

Just four kilometres from the CBD, Abbotsford Convent was built in the 1800s and sits on six hectares of gardens and land; today it’s Australia’s largest multi-arts precinct. Drop into some of the resident artists’ studios, visit St Heliers Street Gallery and wander the grounds. Stick around at the convent for lunch, and dine al fresco under the cloisters at local favourite all-day diner Cam’s . Inside, the interiors feel inviting and lived-in, all timber, warm lighting and cosy booths. The menu leans Continental, with a handful of pastas and risottos and a number of small share plates.

EVENING

a crowded live entertainment venue at Northcote Theatre, Melbourne — Catch live entertainment at Northcote Theatre. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Go out with a bang at one of the city’s most prestigious eateries. Hit Vue De Monde for city views and refined dining on the 55th floor of the Rialto Building; try Attica for inventive, cutting-edge cuisine with a laser focus on native ingredients; or pay a visit to lauded Chinatown stalwart Flower Drum for Cantonese fine dining with an elegant ambience.

While the night’s still young, check out Melbourne’s much vaunted live music scene: The Richmond Corner Hotel , the historic CBD Forum , or Northcote Theatre are some of the city’s pre-eminent venues.

Victoria’s ‘mussel capital’ is the source of exceptional shellfish used by top chefs far and wide. Step aboard a beautifully refurbished trawler to see how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

A curtain is slowly winched from the placid, teal waters just off Portarlington , like a floating garland beside our boat. The ropes heave with blue mussels, the star attraction of our tour. But as we reach to pluck our own, it’s quickly clear they’re not alone; a mass of weird and wonderful creatures has colonised the ropes, turning them into a living tapestry. ‘Fairy’ oysters, jelly-like sea squirts, and tiny, wriggling skeleton shrimp all inhabit this underwater ecosystem.

We prize our bivalve bounty from the ropes, and minutes later the mussels arrive split on a platter. The plump orange morsels are served raw, ready to be spritzed with wedges of lemon and a lick of chilli as we gaze out over the bay. They’re briny, tender and faintly sweet. “This wasn’t originally part of the tour,” explains Connie Trathen, who doubles as the boat’s cook, deckhand and guide. “But a chef [who came onboard] wanted to taste the mussels raw first, and it’s now become one of the key features.”

A humble trawler turned Hamptons-style dreamboat

inspecting bivalve bounty from the ropes — Inspecting the bounty. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

It’s a crisp, calm winter’s day, and the sun is pouring down upon Valerie, a restored Huon pine workhorse that was first launched in January 1980. In a previous life she trawled the turbulent Bass Strait. These days she takes jaunts into Port Phillip Bay under the helm of Lance Wiffen, a fourth-generation Bellarine farmer, and the owner of Portarlington Mussel Tours . While Lance has been involved in the fishing industry for 30-plus years, the company’s tour boat only debuted in 2023.

holding Portarlington mussels — See how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

It took more than three years to transform the former shark trawler into a dreamy, Hamptons-esque vessel, with little expense spared. Think muted green suede banquettes, white-washed walls, Breton-striped bench cushions, hardwood tables, bouquets of homegrown dahlias, and woollen blankets sourced from Waverley Mills, Australia’s oldest working textile mill. It’s intimate, too, welcoming 12 guests at most. And yet there’s nothing pretentious about the experience – just warm, down-to-earth Aussie hospitality.

As we cruise out, we crack open a bottle of local bubbles and nibble on the most beautifully curated cheese platter, adorned with seashells and grey saltbush picked from the water’s edge that very morning. Australasian gannets soar overhead, and I’m told it’s not uncommon for guests to spot the odd seal, pod of dolphins, or even the occasional little penguin.

The sustainable secret behind Victoria’s best mussels

blue mussels off Portarlington — Blue mussels sourced just off Portarlington.

Connie and Lance both extol the virtues of mussels. They’re delicious. A lean source of protein and packed with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and zinc. They’re cooked in a flash (Connie steams our fresh harvest with cider and onion jam). And they’re also widely regarded as one of the most sustainable foods in the world.

Portarlington mussels with lemon and chilli — Mussels served with lemon and chilli.

“Aquaculture is [often] seen as destructive, so a lot of our guests are really surprised about how environmentally friendly and sustainable our industry is,” Lance says. “[Our mussels] would filter 1.4 billion litres of water a day,” he adds, explaining how mussels remove excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the water. “And through biomineralisation, we lock carbon into mussel shells.”

a hand holding a Portarlington mussel — Mussels are a sustainable food.

Despite their glowing list of accolades, these molluscs have long been seen as the oysters’ poorer cousins. “It was a really slow start,” explains Lance, who says that in the early days of his career, “you could not sell mussels in Victoria”.

But word has slowly caught on. Chefs as globally acclaimed as Attica’s Ben Shewry and even René Redzepi of Noma, Denmark, have travelled to these very waters just to try the shellfish at the source, sharing only the highest praise, and using Lance’s mussels in their restaurants.

guests sampling Portarlington mussels onboard — Sampling the goods onboard. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

According to Lance there’s one obvious reason why the cool depths of Portarlington outshine other locations for mussel farming. “The water quality is second to none,” he says, noting how other regions are frequently rocked by harvest closures due to poor water quality. “We grow, without a doubt, some of the best shellfish in the world.” And with Lance’s bold claims backed up by some of the industry’s greatest names, perhaps it won’t be much longer until more Aussies uncover the appeal of Portarlington’s mussels.

The ultimate 3-day itinerary for exploring Melbourne

With a sophisticated air, eclectic inner-city neighbourhoods and some of the best restaurants in the country, Victoria has good reason to be proud of its culture hub capital.

Day One

MORNING

MIDDAY

EVENING

Day two

MORNING

MIDDAY

EVENING

Day three

MORNING

MIDDAY

EVENING

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This luxe trawler tour is redefining Victoria’s seafood experience

Victoria’s ‘mussel capital’ is the source of exceptional shellfish used by top chefs far and wide. Step aboard a beautifully refurbished trawler to see how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

A humble trawler turned Hamptons-style dreamboat

The sustainable secret behind Victoria’s best mussels