{"id":22007,"date":"2017-10-13T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-10-12T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures?p=22007&preview=true&preview_id=22007"},"modified":"2025-03-18T00:38:07","modified_gmt":"2025-03-17T13:38:07","slug":"melbourne-australia-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/melbourne-australia-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Your ultimate guide to Melbourne"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you tell someone you\u2019re visiting Melbourne, the most common things you\u2019re likely to hear are \u201coooh, make sure you explore Melbourne\u2019s famous graffiti laneways\u201d, and \u201cahhh, you HAVE to get a latte in Hardware Lane\u201d, and \u201cthe pizza and pasta on Lygon Street are soooo authentic\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n

These are all good enough tips, but there’s SO much more to one of the World\u2019s Most Liveable Cities than what we\u2019re stereotypically \u2018famous\u2019 for.<\/p>\n

So please, join me as we walk (and catch a tram or two) around Melbourne<\/a>. Here’s your guide to things to see and do and places to eat and drink in Melbourne’s CBD and inner suburbs.<\/p>\n

Walk Victoria's High Country<\/a><\/div>
5 days<\/span><\/div>
View trip<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Walk the Grampians Peaks Trail<\/a><\/div>
6 days<\/span><\/div>
View trip<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Hike the Great Ocean Walk<\/a><\/div>
7 days<\/span><\/div>
View trip<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n

The Central Business District (CBD), aka downtown Melbourne<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Royal<\/a>

Royal Arcade. Photo by Heidi Sandstrom. on Unsplash<\/p><\/div>\n

You can easily spend a day (more, actually) wandering around the city. The bulk of the shopping\/cheap eats stuff is concentrated in the Russell to Elizabeth\/Collins to La Trobe block, but wander further afield and you\u2019ll hit cute boutiques, tucked-away cafes, and sprawling parks and gardens.<\/p>\n

Mosey south along Flinders Street to Federation Square, where you can visit ACMI <\/a>for an arthouse film or exhibition, or cross the Yarra River and hit up the NGV <\/a>or MPavilion <\/a>for talks, meetups and music. Wander the other way for the State Library<\/a> (its magnificent reading room is not to be missed) or the iconic City Baths<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Downtown Melbourne is FULL of great places to eat and drink. Chinatown, which takes up two city blocks on Little Bourke Street (between Swanston and Exhibition streets), is great for \u2013 yep \u2013 Chinese, while Swanston Street boasts many cheap and cheerful Vietnamese, Thai and Malaysian restaurants. You\u2019ll find bars and pubs just about everywhere you look \u2013 down alleys, on rooftops, inside shipping containers… you get the idea.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The impressive reading room at the State Library. Photo by Geraldine Lewa on Unsplash<\/p><\/div>\n

Unfortunately (or fortunately for some) many of Melbourne\u2019s best restaurants don\u2019t take bookings in advance, so be prepared to line up (or eat much earlier \u2013 or much later \u2013 than you may be used to) if you want to hit up somewhere a bit special.<\/p>\n

That said, it\u2019s not hard to find an eatery to suit your noshing needs in Melbourne\u2019s CBD (at the time of writing, there were around 1,600 restaurants and cafes in the city alone). Check out Broadsheet <\/a>or The Urban List<\/a> for suggestions, or try one of our favourites:<\/p>\n