Best Places to Visit in Melbourne

Melbourne, the coastal capital of Victoria, Australia is a vibrant city which has been frequently ranked on the top of the world’s most livable cities. This multicultural city is filled with rich cultural heritage, and known for its best street art, live music and theatre scenes and hosting major annual sporting events. From Victorian buildings to the cruise on Yarra River, from galleries to cafes and shops, from museums to zoos, and much more, there are several best places to visit in Melbourne that will make your vacation memorable.

National Gallery of Victoria

This gallery is a must visit, especially for art lovers. The National Gallery of Victoria is the oldest museum dedicated to art in the country. You will get to see some of the outstanding collections of artworks, both national and international, with regular exhibitions. The most amazing treasures of Rome, Greece and Egypt, proudly displayed, will catch your attention with the main highlight being the triptych format of the Pioneer by Frederick Mccubbin.

Federation Square

Get colored in the culture at the major cultural attraction of Melbourne, popularly known as the Fed Square, Federation Square is no less than the center of cultural fiesta. Main streets of Swanston and Flinders Streets cross here, making this a very populated and highly visited square. Just walk through this square, where you will come across all kinds of people, such as business, leisure seekers, tourists and locals, all occupy this place. Become satisfied here by engaging in different activities, like shopping down its plazas, visiting the famous glass-walled theatre, galleries, bars, restaurants etc. and get entertained at a concerts and festivals, that are also held here from time to time.

Melbourne Museum and Royal Exhibition Building

Learn more about the culture and history at the Melbourne Museum, surrounded by beautiful gardens and parkland. You will witness a diverse collection depicting society and cultures, as well as science and the environment, with the main highlights being the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre; the Phar Lap exhibit, about Australia’s greatest racehorse; and the Children’s Gallery, a series of hands-on activities designed to stimulate and engage youngsters. Apart from the exhibits, you can also catch movies and documentaries on the large screen of IMAX theatre. There is also an amphitheater, a Discovery Centre, a café and a souvenir shop within the museum complex. After the exploration, you can also walk through a vibrant forest and get immersed in a world of life-size dinosaurs.

Adjacent to the Melbourne Museum is the Royal Exhibition Building, which was Built in 1880 to host Melbourne’s International Exhibition. Other than Internation exhibition, the building also organized the first Commonwealth Parliament of Australia in 1901, and it also used for exhibitions and special events.

Eureka Tower

This is one of the best places to visit in Melbourne, from where you will find a great view over the city. Eureka tower lies in Riverside Quay, where you can engage in the thrilling experience from the highest viewing platform. You can’t miss the building’s gold crown and gold-plated windows which literally sparkle when the sun reaches the top of the building, and this adds to the Gold Rush theme.

Go to the Melbourne Skydeck, on the 88th floor, to take in the highest public view of any building in the Southern Hemisphere.

Melbourne Cricket Ground and the National Sports Museum

Are you an avid sports lover, especially cricket? Then Melbourne Cricket Ground is for you, which is like a mecca of this sport. Melbourne is undoubtedly, the sporting capital of Australia, hence its sports stadium is among the city’s top tourist attractions. Having a capacity of 100,000 and a history dating back to 1853, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is considered one of the world’s greatest stadiums and it’s also the largest and oldest sports venue in Australia.

This attraction is home to major sporting events, such as it functioned as the main stadium for the 1956 Olympic Games and 2006 Commonwealth Games, the birthplace of Test Cricket, and the home of Australian Rules Football.

To experience the significance of the Melbourne Cricket Ground and sports museum fully, join the daily tours for a trip down a memory lane of great moments in sporting history and the Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum. You can also catch a game of cricket in summer, or football during winter.

After exploring the MCG fully and learning about its recognitions, discover Melbourne Park, that hosted the Australian Open tennis tournament, held every January.

Arts Centre Melbourne

This is another remarkable gem for art lovers, near South Bank. Arts Centre Melbourne is a wonderful place to attend a performance of theater, dance, music, comedy, and other entertaining elements. There are a range of state-of-the-art theaters and spaces such as State Theatre, where you can enjoy the Australian Ballet and Opera Australia and more such spaces. Also, you can catch the free exhibition of Australian Music Vault, which will tell you the story of Australian contemporary music.

Captain Cook’s Cottage

Do you know, Captain Cook’s Cottage was brought to Melbourne from Captain James Cook’s native home in Yorkshire, England and erected in Fitzroy Gardens. This captivating cottage shares an insight into the life and times of Cook’s seafaring adventures and exploration of Australia and other parts of the world.

Also at the beautiful Fitzroy Gardens, you will observe the glorious Spanish-mission style conservatory, which is always filled with a vibrant floral display. And Children will love the tiny Tudor village and Fairy Tree.

Queen Victoria Market

Walk through the Queen Victoria Market, a popular heritage market filled with locals and tourists and selling fresh products from 1878. Farm-fresh goodies are a highlight here, but you can also shop for clothing, art, unique souvenirs and toys offered by market stalls. You can also Binge on some delicious food and the market’s best treats at the Grand Food Hall

Also, you can participate in the Special events such as winter night markets, music concerts, and other functions, which are often held throughout the year.

Royal Botanic Gardens

Take a break from the fast-paced city life and relax for some time at Royal Botanic Gardens, which has over 8500 species for flora and the expansive grounds. Some of the Highlights you must explore are the Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden, created to encourage the next generation of gardeners, and the Fern Gully Health and Wellbeing Garden, a peaceful spot to escape from the busy life of the city. Go for The Aboriginal Heritage Walk to explore the rich heritage of Indigenous Australians.

If you are visiting in summer, get entertained at the live theater and a moonlight cinema set up under the stars, which become highlights of the gardens. There are also, lovely Rolling lawns, lakes, large trees, and abundant birdlife, where you can enjoy the relaxing walk and a picnic or a traditional high tea at The Terrace café.

Dandenong Ranges

Enjoy your satisfying adventure at the Dandenong Ranges having dense rainforests, where you hike through long walking treks, walk through small towns with box-like shops amidst the views of vast Mountain Ash forests, waterfalls and secret historical gems. The main thing which you can’t miss is the historic “Puffing Billy” train ride, that is one of the most famous narrow-gauge railways in the world that sails through the leisurely winds of mountains and glens and has such a scenic landscape that is worth spending a life. Apart from the Puffing Billy, other highlights you must explore are the beautiful Sherbrooke Forest and the serene village of Sassafras and the Dandenong Ranges National Park.

Yarra River

Take A riverboat cruise, and feel the peaceful atmosphere seeing the sights, while learning about the history of Yarra River. While you’re sailing down the river, try to come across Birrarung Marr, that means river of mists and shadows,” a waterfront parkland celebrating Aboriginal ties with the Yarra River.

Melbourne Zoo

You will love this oldest zoo of Australia, especially, if you love animals and knowing about them. Melbourne zoo will surely be marked as a fun place to visit for the entire family having a wide range of exhibits, events and the various species of animals and birds with the most exciting and the largest exhibit being the Wild Sea exhibit displaying the excellent aquatic skills of penguins and seals. You will also come across an Asian Elephant Trail which is home to 5 Asian elephants and if you are looking for more enhancement, you also have the option to spend the night at the zoo with the elephants.

Coming to the zoo, you can’t miss the Orang-utan Sanctuary, the main highlight, where the animals live in their treetop home. And you can wander down a bush track to meet your favorite Aussie animals, including kangaroos, koalas, and emus.

Be the part of some innovative events like “roar and snore,” twilight music concerts, and behind-the-scenes tours of some enclosures, making the Melbourne Zoo a fun-packed experience for animal lovers.

Conclusion

Apart from the attractions, there are also some of the best places to visit in Melbourne, innumerable on the list that can be best explored. Discover the charm of this Australian city fully with Melbourne vacation packages, where you will get the chance to get to explore some of the important cultural attractions, learn some important historical facts, catch the performances at theatres, be the part of sporting events and learn about the historical significance about it and other activities.

Q1 What are the top tourist spots in Melbourne?

Some of the top tourist spots include Queen Victoria Market, Federation Square, National Gallery of Victoria, Eureka Tower, Melbourne Cricket Ground and National Sports Museum, etc.

Q2 Which places are best for families in Melbourne?

Some of the best places for families include Melbourne Zoo, Puffing Billy at Dandenong Ranges, Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Museum and more.