Exploring Marvelous Melbourne: A Two Day Itinerary

Sydney may be famous for its natural harbor and world-class Opera House, but Melbourne is Australia’s hot ticket city. It is trendy, it is hip and it is buzzing with life. I’d often heard people rave about Melbourne during my travels. “You’re gonna love it there,” they’d say. And yet, though everybody seemed to love Melbourne, few could articulate exactly what it was that made Australia’s second largest city so special.

Thus, even before setting foot on Australian soil, I knew I’d enjoy Melbourne. I just wasn’t really sure why. 

And so, after a week of gallivanting around Sydney and driving along the Great Ocean Road, we ended our Australian adventure with two days in Melbourne to see what all the fuss was about.

Two Days in Melbourne

Melbourne sits at the eastern terminus of the Great Ocean Road, near sprawling beaches and the Yarra Valley Wine Region.

We spent two full days exploring Melbourne’s resplendent parks, its artsy laneways and its sprawling beaches. 

Melbourne may not be known for one thing in particular, but its funky vibe, its mouthwatering dining, its offbeat neighborhoods and its inclination toward the arts have attracted tourists, expats and young millennials in droves. The city’s architecture is modern, cutting edge and, sometimes, downright wacky. Bold colors, asymmetry and crooked lines are the name of the game here, and they blend together like a giant Tetris puzzle.

We booked a private room at the Urban Central Hostel and enjoyed the accommodation’s clean rooms, affordable prices and proximity to downtown. With a place to stay so close to Melbourne’s Central Business District (CBD), we were able to maximize our time in the city–exploring its quirky neighborhoods on foot, from morning till night.

Day 1: Explore the Central Business District (CBD)

The Central Business District (known colloquially as the CBD) is the oldest part of Melbourne and and a logical starting place for self-guided city tours. During our first day in in the city, we walked along the downtown riverfront, took the free circle tram around the CBD and meandered through the city’s graffiti-covered laneways.

Melbourne has a bohemian and progressive subculture. The city is gritty, yet sleek. Trendy, yet classy. It is a city that isn’t afraid to take risks. It isn’t afraid to juxtapose old with new, traditional with modern. And nowhere is that more apparent than at Federation Square, at the heart of the city.

• Federation Square

Federation Square lies at the heart of Melbourne’s CBD. It is a central gathering place lined with wacky buildings that are incongruent in architecture and daring in style.

Occupying an entire city block cross from the asymmetrical jumble of steel, Flounder’s Street Station’s imposing yellow structure has become an enduring symbol of Melbourne.

 

The Melbourne Laneways

Downtown Melbourne is famous for being chock-full of narrow alleyways that are covered in colorful street art. These maze-like streets are filled with coffeeshops, hole-in-the-wall restaurants and eccentric boutiques.

The Melbourne Laneways are an open-air canvas that douse the city in color and creativity. Some are filled with tasteless graffiti, others contain poignant works of art. Centre Place, Hosier Lane and AC/DC Lane are some of the most interesting laneways in Melbourne.

• The State Library of Victoria

Melbourne seamlessly integrates modern architecture into its historical past—creating a tapestry of Victorian buildings and glass skyscrapers that join together with elegance and grace. Nestled between flashy glass towers, are historic gems that have been beautifully preserved. Among them, the State Library of Victoria. 

Established in 1854, the Victoria State Library is the oldest in Australia and one of the first free libraries in the world. Its colossal interior is a paradise for scholars and book-lovers. At the heart of the library is the La Trobe Reading Room—an octagonal room that sits below a colossal dome. When was completed in 1913, the six story dome was the largest in the world.

• The Queen Victoria Market

The Queen Victoria Market in the Melbourne CBD sits at the corner of Franklin and Swanston Street. It is one of the largest outdoor markets in the Southern Hemisphere and a great place to sample the variety of multicultural food on offer in Melbourne.

The historic 19th century market occupies two entire city blocks. Piled high with delectable foods, artisan crafts, and just about everything else, it is undoubtedly one of the top places to visit in Melbourne.

Melbourne Day 2: Discovering a Sports-Loving City

In addition to boasting a thriving arts scene, Melbourne is regarded as one of the world’s best cities for sports-lovers. It is home to Formula One races, the Australian rules football championships, cricket matches and the yearly Australian Open tournament.

The second day of our Melbourne brought us away from Melbourne’s quirky center, and revealed a city that is as much in love with sport as it is with art.

• Rod Laver Arena

On our second day in the city, we visited the Rod Laver Arena–the tennis complex that is home to the Australian Open. Though we didn’t take an official tour inside the arena, we enjoyed walking in the footsteps of some of tennis’ greatest stars.

True to Melbourne fashion, the architecture of the tennis complex is a sight in itself. 

From the Rod Laver Arena, we continued toward the beach—past the Shrine of Remembrance and along Lake Albert’s shores—to St Kilda’s bustling beachside promenade.

• Melbourne’s City Parks

Melbourne may be one of Autralia’s largest cities, but it is in no way lacking green space. On our second day in the city, we walked from the CBD, to the Rod Laver Stadium, to St Kilda Beach. For nearly the entirety of our walk, we strolled through open fields of green, past lakes, and along waterside trails. The abundance of nature within the city is one of the things I love most about Melbourne.

The sprawling patch of green between the CBD and St Kilda’s is home to numerous gardens and monuments—including the Alexandra Gardens, the Royal Botanic Gardens, and the Shrine of Remembrance.

• St Kilda Beach

St Kilda is to Melbourne what Bondi Beach is to Sydney—a popular spot to lounge in the sand, soak up the sun and surf the waves. St Kilda is teeming with kite surfers and sunbathers. It is a popular place to escape the chaos of the city and revel in some of Melbourne’s best skyline views.

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Prior to visiting Australia, I really didn’t understand what there was to see and do in Melbourne. In fact, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to include the city into my ten day Australia itinerary.

However, after wandering the streets, eating at hole-in-the wall restaurants and strolling through the city’s abundant green spaces I, too, was wooed by Melbourne’s culture, its cuisine and its irresistible lust for life. The city’s lure is powerful and its energy, infectious. 

It didn’t take me long to understand what all the fuss was about.

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Additional Tips on Visiting Melbourne: 

• I suggest you check out Luke’s Ultimate Guide to Melbourne for more information on things to do in Melbourne. There, you’ll find comprehensive information on the city’s food scene, its colorful laneways and its vibrant neighborhoods.