Ready-made trips · Australia
Melbourne in 5 days
Laneway cafés and street art, the Botanic Gardens and the Shrine of Remembrance, and a day on Phillip Island for koalas and the penguin parade.
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- Length
- 5 days
- Best time
- November to April
- Pace
- Moderate
- Day trips
- Phillip Island
Five days in Melbourne: The Laneways; The MCG, the Botanic Gardens and the Shrine, plus a day trip to Phillip Island. Each full day is one our team has planned, to be walked in order around usual opening hours, with lunch and dinner suggestions close to the stops.
Day by day
1First Evening on SouthbankArrival
- When you arriveFederation SquareCultural plaza.Tip: Melbourne's distinctive modern civic square, genuinely unconventional architecture — a good, central hub for events and gatherings.
Lunch nearby: Chin Chin or NGV Garden Restaurant
Dinner: ShanDong MaMa or Tim Ho Wan Melbourne
2The Laneways
- MorningDegraves StreetThe laneway of espresso bars and cafés that defines Melbourne coffee.Tip: Continue into Centre Place and the Block Arcade for the full laneway walk.
- AfternoonHosier LaneStreet art alley.Tip: One of Melbourne's most famous street art laneways — constantly evolving as artists paint over older work, so it looks different on each visit.
- If you have timeQueen Victoria GardensCity gardens.Tip: A pleasant, centrally-located garden near the Royal Botanic Gardens — a good, relaxed green space within walking distance of the city center.
Lunch nearby: Chin Chin or Hardware Société
Dinner: NGV Garden Restaurant or Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar
3Phillip Island: Koalas, the Nobbies and the Penguin ParadeDay trip to Phillip Island
- MorningKoala Conservation ReserveTreetop boardwalks among koalas in the gum trees.Tip: Koalas sleep most of the day — look up into the forks of the trees.
- AfternoonThe NobbiesBoardwalks over the cliffs at the island’s western tip, facing Seal Rocks.Tip: Australia’s largest fur-seal colony lives on Seal Rocks offshore.
Lunch nearby: The Nobbies café
Dinner: The Nobbies café
4The MCG, the Botanic Gardens and the Shrine
- MorningMelbourne Cricket GroundThe 100,000-seat MCG, with a stadium tour and the Australian Sports Museum.Tip: Tours don’t run on match days; a match is even better.
- AfternoonRoyal Botanic GardensLarge botanical gardens.Tip: Free to enter, with genuinely extensive plant collections — a good, relaxed green escape close to the city center.
- If you have timeShrine of RemembranceWar memorial.Tip: A genuinely significant war memorial in Melbourne, with a ray of light illuminating a specific spot at 11am on Remembrance Day.
Lunch nearby: NGV Garden Restaurant or Chin Chin
Dinner: NGV Garden Restaurant or Chin Chin
5Melbourne AquariumLast morning
- Before you leaveMelbourne AquariumMarine exhibits.Tip: A well-regarded aquarium in central Melbourne, genuinely good for families wanting an indoor option regardless of weather.
Lunch nearby: Vue de Monde or Hardware Société
Dinner: NGV Garden Restaurant or Chin Chin
Where to stay
CBD
The grid of laneways, arcades and cafés between Flinders Street and the State Library.
The free tram zone covers the whole CBD; Flinders Street and Southern Cross stations.
Southbank
The riverbank of arts venues, the NGV and the Eureka Skydeck.
Flinders Street station across the river; free trams nearby.
Fitzroy & Carlton
Bohemian Fitzroy and Italian Carlton, north of the CBD.
Trams 11, 86, 1 and 6 into the CBD.
Everything in the plan is ready to book
The full plan has a map of each day, directions between stops, opening hours, restaurant choices, hotels in these areas and tickets, tours and trains linked to book with the provider you choose.
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