Melbourne Travel Guide

Melbourne at a glance

Melbourne sits on Port Phillip Bay at the mouth of the Yarra River, in Victoria. It's Australia's second city and, depending on who you ask, its cultural capital.

The centre, or CBD, is a grid of wide streets cut through with narrow laneways and arcades, packed with cafés, bars, restaurants and street art. Trams rattle through it, and inside the Free Tram Zone you ride them for nothing.

Around the centre are neighbourhoods with distinct characters. Fitzroy and Collingwood, to the north, are the vintage shops, pubs and live music. St Kilda, on the bay, has a beach, a pier, an old amusement park and a long backpacker history. Southbank, across the river, has the arts precinct, and Richmond and Brunswick have food, pubs and multicultural streets.

Melbourne is obsessed with three things: coffee, food and sport. The Australian Open, the Grand Prix, the AFL and the Melbourne Cup all happen here, and a game at the MCG is an experience even if you don't follow it.

The weather is famously changeable, with four seasons in a day, so pack layers.

Four or five days covers the city, and the Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island and the Yarra Valley are all easy trips from here.