City guide: 72 hours in Melbourne

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

What to expect in Melbourne

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, genteel architecture, headlining sports events and compelling innercity laneways, is a world-class city with a unique appeal all its own.

Explore Melbourne’s colourful laneways

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: Flinders Lane is the leader of the pack, lined with destination diners and cool bars that pulse with action late into the night.

Dukes Coffee Roasters on Flinders Lane, Melbourne.

Hosier Lane is a kaleidoscope of colour thanks to the street artists who favour its walls (browse the giant canvas sipping a coffee from social enterprise café GOOD 2 GO).

Walk through Hosier Lane, Melbourne.

Make your way through the throng of locals in Centre Place to shop at the iconic Kinki Gerlinki and wait for a table at ShanDong Mama Mini for steaming hot dumplings; or continue on to Degraves Street where Melburnians take their out-of-town friends for quintessential Melbourne experiences (including coffee at Degraves Espresso).

Shopping

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

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 visitors to interact with the interesting collection of galleries: ACMI, in celebration of all things film related, The Ian Potter Centre, the Koorie Heritage Trust and NGV Design Studio.

Federation Square in Melbourne.

The main gallery of the NGV is within walking distance and always worth a visit for its headlining international shows and arresting triennial show (currently on display until 18 April, 2021).

Venture out to Melbourne’s precincts

Once you’ve had enough coffee, culture and shopping within the inner-city’s tightly packed grid, it is time to explore the personality packed suburbs: plan to head to Prahran and Windsor to check out the vintage shopping and hipster bar scene of Chapel Street, the waterfront suburb of St Kilda, with its vibrant nightlife and Luna Park for the kids, and the multicultural delights of Brunswick.

How to spend 72 hours in Melbourne

Street Art

Book into a Street Art Tour of the city’s hidden underground treasures with Melbourne Street Tours, or unleash your creativity at one of its Freehand Spraypainting Workshops.

Islamic Museum

Visit the stunning Glenn Murcutt-designed Islamic Museum Of Australia in the suburb of Thornbury to take in an exhibition and enjoy lunch and a coffee at its Ima Cafe.

Art Express

Just four kilometres from the CBD, Abbotsford Convent was built in the 1800s and sits on six hectares of gardens and land; today it is Australia’s largest multi-arts precinct.

Queen Vic Market

Queen Victoria Market has been serving the people of Melbourne for well over 140 years. Browse hundreds of small businesses selling everything from fresh veg to souvenirs.

Park Life

A 25-minute drive from the heart of the city, Organ Pipes National Park is named for the stone columns that sit at its heart; visit for walking, picnicking and wildlife spotting.

Best places to stay in Melbourne

Affordable

The pools with a view at Crown Metropol and The Cullen Melbourne – Art Series are worth the stay alone.

Moderate

Notel’s rooftop Airstreams are the city’s quirkiest stay.

Stay in rooftop accommodation Notel, Melbourne. (Credit: Andrew Curtis)

Luxe

Melbourne does high end well; try W Melbourne, the Grand Hyatt and The Langham.

Where to eat in Melbourne

It is not a stretch to say that Melbourne is the culinary capital of Australia. No other city in the country has such a passionate relationship with food or takes so much pleasure in the pursuit of its next meal.

Little wonder then that it’s crowded with a rollcall of quality eateries, from award-winning fine diners – we’re looking at you Vue De Monde, Attica and Cutler & Co – to tried and true neighbourhood joints that survive and thrive from their loyal local patronage.

And then there are the foodie haunts that the city is famous for, like Chinatown where the iconic Flower Drum has been serving up its classic fare for decades and crowd favourite Longrain was saved from permanent closure last year with the intervention of celebrated restaurateur Scott Pickett; and Carlton, Melbourne’s Little Italy, with its concentration of eateries on Lygon Street.

Carlton Wine Room in Carlton, Melbourne.

But it is inner-city Flinders Lane that is ground zero for culinary cachet, with Chin Chin, Mrs Singh, Coda, Kisumé and the Andrew Mcconnell trio of Cumulus Inc, Cumulus Up Wine Bar and Supernormal crowding the streetscape here.

Dine at Supernormal, Melbourne.

What to do in Melbourne

Riding a tram is a classic Melbourne experience. The City Circle Tram service makes its way past all the major sights, and riding its heritage W class trams is completely free.

Catch the tram in Melbourne.

There’s also no need to pay when travelling in the Free Tram Zone in the city centre. If you want to go further afield, say to St Kilda or Prahran, get yourself a myki to tap on and off to pay for your ride.

Best walks in Melbourne

The long and the short of walking in Melbourne: the self-guided 2.5-kilometre Arcades and Lanes Walk, curated by the City of Melbourne, navigates its way through the heart of the city via its charming arcades and colourful graffiti and street-art daubed laneways.

Meanwhile, the Capital City Trail charts a 30-kilometre loop around Melbourne via the inner and northern suburbs, from Hawthorn and Carlton to Southbank and Docklands. However far you walk, there’s good coffee to be had absolutely everywhere along the way; this is Melbourne after all.

Don’t miss: Fitzroy

Melbourne’s oldest suburb is also one of its hippest; created in 1839, the inner-city enclave of Fitzroy has an alternative vibe and a creative population who make their way past colourful street art to eat and drink at its plentiful restaurants and bars, and shop at independent boutiques along Brunswick street.

Street art in Fitzroy, Melbourne

Conscious Traveller tip

Take one of the Koorie Heritage Trust’s Birrarung Wilam guided walks along the Birrarung Marr, the Aboriginal name for the Yarra River. You’ll visit places of cultural significance and hear stories of the river, before returning to view the Trust’s collection of Aboriginal art and historical objects.