See the best of Melbourne in 3 days!
Melbourne, the cosmopolitan capital city of Victoria, promises great food, a vibrant arts scene and even better coffee. Great for a short visit or long stay, this lively city has plenty to see and do. If you have only a few days in the city, we hope our 3-day itinerary below will inspire you!
Day 1
Welcome to Melbourne! On your first day in the city, you definitely have to start with a ceremonious visit to a Melbourne landmark, the Queen Victoria Market, to stuff your face with endless amount of local delicacies.
Source: Flickr
The bakery, M&G Caiafa, is somewhat of an institution in the market having been around for over 40 years! Make sure to grab couple of warm croissants and Kwak scrolls, if they haven’t been snatched up already, that is. Besides that, another iconic food is the hot jam donut from American Doughnut Kitchen.
If you’re a true foodie and want to hit up all the must-eat spot, you should definitely Klook yourself a Queen Victoria Market Ultimate Foodie Tour where you can also discover secret shopping tips.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
With your belly full and heart content, it’s time to explore the rest of the Melbourne city centre. Hop on the free tourist tram – City Circle – and get down at Flinders Street Station where you can visit the city’s attractions like St Paul’s Cathedral, Parliament House, Chinatown and the Royal Exhibition Building.
If you’re up for free and easy sightseeing, you can opt for the 24 or 48 hours unlimited Melbourne bus pass where you can hop on and hop off at any stop spanning 2 routes and over 25 attractions in the city. There’s also a morning half day Melbourne city tour if you prefer a guided sightseeing excursion.
A day of sightseeing in Melbourne, of course, isn’t complete without getting lost in its network of cobbled streets and mysterious laneways. Wander around Hosier Lane in search for the vibrant street art and make your way to Degraves Street and Collins Street in search for hidden cafes. Check out our guide to more Melbourne laneways for highlights and a walking map!
Source: Flickr
Come dinnertime, if you’re not afraid of braving the crowd, you won’t regret waiting to get into Mamasita. Serving some of the city’s best Mexican food, it is a favourite amongst locals and visitors. Alternatively, you can also dig into some mouthwatering gyros at Stalactites, a 24-hour restaurant serving classic Greek dishes. As you’d expect, Stalactites is also a local favourite for some late night grub! So if you’re partaking in an evening of drinking and partying, you know where to end your night.
Day 2
To kick off your second day in Melbourne, it’s time for some up close and personal time with the famous Aussie icons, the kangaroos! The Melbourne Zoo Kangaroo Encounter on Klook not only comes with a 1-day entry to Melbourne Zoo but also gets you a 15-min close encounter with the kangaroos!
Aside from the kangaroos, your day in Melbourne Zoo will be filled with learning and discovery other Aussie furry friends. There are 300 species of wild animals in the zoo from Australian natives like the koalas and wombats, to other rare and endangered animals such as Orangutan and Sumatran Tiger.
You can walk on the award-winning Trail of the Elephants or head to the Wild Sea exhibition to say hello to the penguins, seals and other inhabitants of Victoria’s coast and seas. Aside from these exciting animal encounters, you can also learn about the conservation efforts of the zoo to sustain the endangered species.
Source: Flickr
Source: Flickr
After your day at the Melbourne Zoo, make your way to St Kilda beach to catch the stunning sunset! You can take a relaxing walk along the iconic esplanade and St Kilda Pier. Besides that, you will also find an array of restaurant’s scattered across St Kilda’s gorgeous beachfront, so looking for a place for dinner shouldn’t be difficult at all.
Source: Flickr
With different varieties to opt for from Italian cuisine to Asian choices, local comfort favourites or fresh seafood, many of the restaurants come with a fantastic view too. Some of the recommended places to eat in St Kilda include Fitzrovia, Cantina, Claypots, just to name a few.
Day 3
Start your third day in Melbourne bright and early as to embark on a gourmet foodie day tour in Yarra Valley! It’s a region surrounding the Yarra River in Victoria where you can find quality local produce like dairy, wine and more. It’s recognised as one of the world’s premier wine growing regions!
Plus, the best way to learn about a place is to eat your way through it, right? Join the Yarra Valley Gourmet Tour with Klook where you will spend the day eating and drinking the region’s best produce.
The tour begins at with hotel pick-up from 8am to 8:45am to the meet-up location at Rendezvous Hotel in Melbourne CBD. The first visit after departing from Melbourne CBD is to Yarra Farm Fresh, where you’ll have some seasonal fresh fruit and juices. Next up in the itinerary is wine tasting in some of the best wineries in the region like De Bortoli Wines. But of course, a good way to enjoy wine is to pair it with some good quality cheese at Yarra Valley Dairy.
There’s no need to worry about drinking on an empty stomach as the tour includes lunch at the wonderful vineyard, Rochford Wines. Make sure to save some room in your tummy for dessert for your visit to the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie with an exclusive handcrafted chocolate tasting.
Lastly, the tour will cap off with a wine tasting at Yering Station, home of Victoria’s oldest vineyards, first planted in 1838. You can bet that the quality of wine from the winery are absolutely exceptional! After that last sip of wine, you will be dropped off at Melbourne CBD at around 5:30pm.
Source: Visit Victoria
For dinner in Melbourne CBD, what better way to end the day than to dig into a plate of comforting pasta at Tipo 00. Located at Little Bourke Street, you can taste their passion for Italian food in every bite. Even their name is a reference to the type of flour used to make pasta.
From squid ink pasta to braised duck with porcini gnocchi and tagliatelle braised lamb shoulder, you will find the carb heaven you’ve been searching for. The dinner isn’t complete until you’ve had the signature dessert, the Tipomisù.
The bittersweet dessert is the perfect ending to your visit in Melbourne and quite symbolic too. As sweet as the time spent in the vibrant city but sadly it has come to an end!
