41 Best Things to do in Melbourne

Take to the ice at the O’Brien Icehouse in Docklands. This stadium is home to two ice-rinks and hosts sports like ice-hockey, curling and figure skating.

It is also open for the casual skater among us. Come down, hire some blades and hit the ice – just hopefully not literally.

Grab your gun, throw on your goggles and enter the world of Zero Latency.

This immersive virtual reality game will have you fighting zombies, defeating robots and will even pit you against your mates.

The arena is the size of a tennis court and groups of up to eight can play.

Now you can unleash your inner viking and challenge your mates to axe throwing.

Inside this Abbotsford warehouse, Maniax lets you vent all sorts of frustration. Enter one of their cages and choose from three different types of axes – regular session axe (16 inches), league axe (14 inches) and the comically oversized big axe.

Then you throw your axe at the target – it’s kinda like darts on steroids.

Maniax also have their own bar, but you’ll have to wait till after your session; no one wants to see a drunk viking on the loose.

You don’t need to leave the city to experience rock climbing.

Hardrock offers 16 metre high walls across 44 different climbs, all in the city centre. Catering for beginners to pros, they utilise an automated cable system so you won’t be needing a spotter.

Rock-climbing and bouldering have become a popular past-time for Melbournians.

Boasting one of the biggest screens in the world, IMAX is a theatre of epic proportions; the screen itself spans a massive 32 metres wide by 23 metres high.

They screen the latest blockbusters, as well as a collection of educational 3D documentaries. After you watch a flick, head next door to check out the free exhibitions at The Melbourne Museum.

Nothing quite compares to jumping out of a plane at 15,000 feet.

That’s what the team at Sky Dive Australia will have you do. With locations all around Australia, their most central Melbourne location is St Kilda.

On a tandem dive, you’ll experience one minute of free fall, followed by a gentle eight-minute glide back to earth. The dive itself isn’t that scary, it’s the slow ascent in the plane that really gets the heart beating.

In 1844, Charles La Trobe, the colony’s first Lieutenant Governor, received a request from the Melbourne council asking for parks close to the town, ‘where they could conveniently take recreation therein after their daily labor.’

The 500 acres that La Trobe reserved included Royal Park, The Domain, Fitzroy Gardens, Fawkner Park and the Royal Botanic Gardens.

The Royal Botanic Gardens is now one of Melbourne’s finest attractions; stretching over 89 acres, it is filled with 50,000 individual plants representing 8,500 different species.

There is no entry fee, and you’re welcome to wander around and explore the gardens.

We love a night of jazz, and of the city’s best jazz clubs is the Paris Cat. This long-running jazz club hosts 4-5 shows every week.

Inspired by the 1930s French bee-bop era, the Paris Cat is a fantastic escape. Grab a drink, settle in and get ready for some toe-tapping tunes.

Enjoy some of Melbourne’s best cocktails at this award-winning, underground French bar and brasserie

We’ve whiled away many evenings at Bar Margaux; it’s an instant escape from the outside world.

Their cocktails are expertly concocted. Michael Madruson, the owner, honed his craft at Milk & Honey, a well-renowned cocktail bar in New York City.

The same team is also behind local favourites The Everleigh and Heartbreaker; one a prohibition-style cocktail bar, and the other is a grungy rock ‘n’ roll bar.

Bar Margaux offers the classics; manhattans and martinis – which you can also order in the ever-adorable ‘snack-size.’ But you’ll also find their own creations on the menu.

Inspired by the French bistros of New York, you’ll find a food menu with escargot (snails smothered in butter,) duck frites and a giant two-patty burger (The MGX Burger.)

You’ll find Margaux on Lonsdale Street at the bottom of a staircase; look for their neon sign that simply reads ‘MGX.’

The opening hours are long, and the outside world effortlessly fades away as soon as you arrive.

This Viking-inspired bar & restaurant is straight out of Norse Mythology. The team at Mjølner – named after Thor’s Hammer – have successfully brought an opulent touch to barbarian dining.

This venue is from the team behind Eau de Vie, so expect a high-level of theatrics. You’ll be able to drink beer from a horn and take flaming shots poured down beef-bone.

Mjølner also serves mead, a fermented honey drink that is thought to be the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage.

From Prince doing spontaneous shows at Bennet’s Lane, to Lady Gaga dancing on the bar at the Cherry Bar, Melbourne has some great musical stories.

The city has spawned bands like AC/DC, Jet, and Crowded house – and it continues to deliver. With a strong music scene, there are plenty of opportunities to catch a gig.

Rising 297 metres (975 ft) above Southbank, is Eureka Tower, one of the tallest residential towers in the world.

Named after the Eureka Stockade (a rebellion during the Victorian gold rush) the building’s top is coated in 24-carat gold and split by a red stripe, representing the bloodshed during the battle.

It’s here that you can access the Eureka Skydeck and enjoy an impressive panoramic view of the city.

With 30 viewfinders you’ll be able to find Melbourne landmarks or use the binoculars to zoom in for a closer look.

Or try the Edge Experience – a glass cube that projects out from the 88th floor and suspends visitors almost 300 meters high.

All of this sightseeing, eat and drinking can be tiring, so break it up with a visit to the Peninsula Hot Springs.

Founded by brothers Charles and Richard Davidson in 1997, the inspiration for the baths began when Charles visited several hot springs while living in Japan in 1992.

Throw on your bathers, kick off the shoes and sink into one of many geo-thermal pools.

Inspired by the baths in Japan, the water is infused with natural minerals which they claim detoxifies the body and rejuvenates the spirit.

Phillip Island is known for many things, but just like St Kilda, it’s the fairy penguins that capture visitor’s hearts.

These adorable creatures can only be spotted on the southern coast of mainland Australia, and spend 80% of their time out at the sea. Come sunset they waddle up the beach to take roost, in what is dubbed ‘the penguin parade.’

Phillip Island is its own attraction, and deserving of at least a dedicated day. When’s the most popular time to visit? During the Summer the population of Port Phillip Island swells by 400%.

Mount Hotham is one of Victoria’s popular ski locations.

357 kilometres from Melbourne (4-hour drive,) this is one of Australia’s highest alpine villages. Whether you’re skiing, snowboarding or hurtling down in a toboggan, there are 72 runs to choose from – with all skill levels catered for.

Ski season generally runs from June to September.

Do you like wine? We thought so. You’ll be spoilt for choice at the Yarra Valley. This regional area is home to hundreds of wineries, notably producing Chardonnay, sparkling wine, and Pinot noir.

It’s a very popular tourist destination, welcoming over three million visitors every year. You can visit wineries, try samples, and then purchase your favourites.

There are also non-wine makers, producing gin, vodka and other spirits. Four Pillars & Alchemy are both worth noting.

Avoid driving – we don’t want you going to jail – and take a tour of the Yarra Valley instead.

Melbourne loves sports – and the Melbourne Cricket Ground is the sports capital of the nation. Commonly referred to as ‘The G’ it is the largest stadium in the southern hemisphere and the 10th largest in the world.

Founded in 1853 by the Melbourne Cricket Club, the MCG has since hosted the 1956 Summer Olympics, two cricket world cups, and The Commonwealth Games.

The MCG regularly hosts AFL matches (Australian Football League) and hosts the AFL Grand Final every September.

When it comes to Australian beaches, Melbourne isn’t the first place that comes to mind, but we do have St Kilda, a beachside precinct about 6km from the city centre.

Here you’ll find a dining district, beachside bars, a theme park, and adorable fairy penguins.

Not far from Acland St is Luna Park, a historic amusement park built in 1912. Based on the park in Coney Island in New York, Luna Park is filled with amusement rides, including a roller coaster that skirts the park’s circumference.

Head to the beach, and onto the pier, and you’ll come to the fairy penguin viewing platform. At sunset you’ll see these adorable critters waddle up to their nests in the rocks, returning from a day of fishing.

The humble dim-sim was invented in Melbourne’s Chinatown in the 1940’s. Since then it has become an Australian fast-food staple.

It’s a dumpling-style snack featuring minced meat (usually pork) wrapped in pastry, and then either steamed or deep-fried.

To try one of the best, visit South Melbourne Market Dim-Sims; they’ve been perfecting the recipe for over seventy years. While you’re at the market, browse the deli section for even more delicious eats.

Originally a horse-riding track, The Tan is Melbourne’s most popular running track.

Stretching for 3.8 km it follows the outskirts of the Royal Botanic Gardens. It’s a peaceful path to walk, or join all the other Melbournians and run a couple of laps.

Cook’s Cottage is technically the oldest building in Australia. Built in 1755 in the English village of Great Ayton, North Yorkshire, it was constructed by James and Grace Cook.

Their son, also James, is responsible for the first recorded European contact with the east coast of Australia; you might know him better as Captain Cook.

In 1934 Cook’s Cottage was deconstructed and transported to Melbourne, where it was rebuilt in Fitzroy Gardens.

Purchase a ticket and you’re able to explore the cottage with an audio guide. While you’re here, it’s also worth exploring the Fitzroy Gardens, they’re 64 acres of lush greenery right next to the city.

The Yarra Valley is the heartland of Victoria’s wine scene, but this urban winery is shaking things up.

Noisy Ritual began as a few friends stomping grapes in their basement, now it’s taken over a warehouse in East Brunswick.

This urban winery attempts to demystify the winemaking process, allowing you to make your own drop from start to finish.

Don’t want to get grapes between the toes? There’s a full bar that allows you to sample their range of wines instead – much less exhaustive.