Discover world-class art, adventures, festivals, restaurants, and the magnificent beauty of nature guaranteed to shake up your slow weekend.
Melbourne is home to 19% of Australians and one of the most populated cities in the country. The city is diverse and charismatic, with tourist destinations and activities suited to diverse interests, from a visit to the Zoo to watch rare Australian animals to attending an event in the spectacular Her Majesty’s Theatre. For a fun weekend in this vibrant Victorian capital, below are some of the best places to visit.
1. Melbourne Museum
The Melbourne Museum is a cultural and natural history museum in Melbourne, Australia’s Carlton Gardens.
The museum, next to the Royal Exhibition Building, opened in 2000 as an initiative of the Victorian government.
A trip to Melbourne Museum provides a fascinating look into Victorian life. It shows you Victoria’s permanent collections and temporary exhibitions from around the world. You’ll get a distinct perspective on natural surroundings, civilizations, and history.
2. Bendigo Art Gallery
Bendigo Art Gallery is one of Australia’s largest and oldest regional art galleries, opened in 1887. The collections at Bendigo Art Gallery are substantial, focusing on modern Australian art and a rich selection of nineteenth-century European and Australian artwork.
The Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize, valued at $50,000, has been held at the Bendigo Art Gallery since 2003; it is Australia’s finest open painting prize.
3. Yarra Valley
The Yarra Valley is an area in Victoria, Australia, surrounding the Yarra River. The river begins about 240 kilometers east of Melbourne’s core business district and runs before emptying into Port Phillip Bay.
The Yarra Valley is Australia’s premier cool-climate region, with over 80 vineyards spread across Healesville, Coldstream, Yarra Glen, Seville, and Lilydale.
It is known for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine.
4. City Circle Tram Tour
The City Circle Tram will take you around the town of Melbourne and will give you the way to visit the landmarks of the city and Docklands for free. Tourists could travel around the city with the City Circle Tram, which runs every 12 minutes, with the entire trip taking around 50 minutes.
The hop-on, hop-off historical tram passes take you through major historic structures, such as Parliament House, the Old Treasury Building, the Princess Theatre, and the Windsor Hotel; a narrator usually accompanies tourists. You can get off at popular destinations like Federation Square.
5. Flinders Street
Flinders Street is a Melbourne street in Victoria, Australia. Flinders Street forms the southern boundary of the Hoddle Grid, running almost parallel to the Yarra River. The street is one and a half miles long and one and a half chains wide.
The Melbourne Terminus, a huge assemblage of weatherboard shelters, was named Flinders Street Station in 1854. It was Australia’s first steam-powered railway station. Thousands gathered around the railway to witness the world’s first open steam train.
6. Melbourne Zoo
Animal lovers will find lots to appreciate at the 22-hectare Melbourne Zoo, founded in 1862. Animals from all across the world can be seen here, from big cats to butterflies. You can also meet your favorite Australian creatures, such as kangaroos, koalas, and emus, by strolling down a bush track. The Prize Trail of the Elephants provides a glimpse into the lives of the local Asian elephants in a village garden setting.
The 250-plus kinds of animals housed in state-of-the-art cages are only five minutes from Melbourne CBD.
7. St Paul’s Cathedral
St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne, Australia, is an Anglican cathedral. It is the home of the Archbishop of Melbourne, the metro archbishop of the Province of Victoria, and the cathedral church of the Diocese of Melbourne.
St Paul’s Cathedral was built on the site of Melbourne’s first public Christian service, which took place in 1836.
The block was a government reservation far west of town that was used as a maize market at the time.
8. Her Majesty’s Theatre
Her Majesty’s Theatre, located in Melbourne’s East End Theatre District, has 1,700 seat capacity. It is situated at 219 Exhibition Street in Melbourne and was built in 1886.
The Prince Littler Group bought the theatre in 1945 and set its headquarters in Tree’s iconic Dome Room.
Her Majesty’s (as it had been renamed after Queen Elizabeth II, who rose to the throne in 1952) was transformed into a Stoll Moss Theatre in 1975.
9. Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road is a 240-kilometre stretch of road between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Allansford. It is designated as an Australian National Heritage Site.
The Great Ocean Road, which opened in 1932 as a tribute to Victoria’s First World War servicemen and women, is a permanent reminder of their sacrifice and devotion.
10. Shire of Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula Shire is a local government area in Melbourne, Victoria, southeast Australia. It is situated south of Melbourne’s city center, covering 724 square km, and had a population of 165,822 in June 2018.
The Mornington Peninsula is a well-known wine region, with roughly 60 wineries producing limited volumes of high-quality wine. Many wineries provide public samples, and many have excellent restaurants.
11. Grampians Grape Escape
There’s something for everyone at one of Australia’s longest-running culinary and wine events. For the past 30 years, this legendary wines, food, and music event has been a festival of Western Victoria’s growers and artisans, where wine is poured directly from the winemaker and fruit straight from the grower.
The Grampians Grape Escape at Halls Gap is set against one of Australia’s most stunning natural backgrounds; here, you can have a weekend of regional wine, cuisine, and music.
12. National Archaeological Museum
From 23 April to 14 August, explore some of the most important pieces from Athens’ famous National Archaeological Museum, exclusively at the National Archaeological Museum Melbourne.
Visitors will tour Ancient Greece and learn how the exchange of goods and ideas shaped Greek culture and the ancient world.
13. The Lume Melbourne
The LUME Melbourne, permanently located within the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, welcomes visitors to its inaugural experience, Van Gogh, an epic trip into art, in September.
This Australia’s newest cultural destination hosts a massive exhibition of the world’s best art. Discover, play, dance, and be amazed as every surface transforms into an animated canvas.
From floors to high ceilings, masterpieces come to life, giving visitors the rare opportunity to immerse themselves in the world and craftsmanship of Vincent van Gogh as seen through his eyes.
14. Docklands
District Docklands is the newest waterfront entertainment district in Melbourne. The satellite village has cafés, restaurants, tourist destinations, and parklands. It has the highest concentration of eco-friendly-rated buildings in the Southern Hemisphere. At night, it’s one of Melbourne’s most popular attractions.
There’s something for everyone here. The large observation wheel, Melbourne Star, offers 360-degree views over Melbourne, the Dandenong Ranges, and Port Phillip Bay.
Take photos at ArtVo, a 3d interactive art gallery; walk the Docklands Public Art Walk; or visit Blender Studios to take in some street art scenes.
15. Queen Victoria Market
Since 1878, this historic gem has been at the heart of purchasing fresh produce for locals and tourists. However, though focused on fresh farm goods, the small shops sell everything, from clothes to artwork and games.
Do you enjoy eating? A 2-day guided tour sampling a few of the market’s top delights is available.
During the summer, special events such as night markets, concerts, and other functions are frequently hosted.
16. South Melbourne Market
South Melbourne Market, another Victorian-styled indoor market in Melbourne, is a foodie’s paradise. It is known for its fresh farm produce, restaurants, and cafes, but it also offers many clothing, pet food, hairdressers, home goods, and souvenir businesses.
Throughout the year, the market has live performances or events, giving your shopping experience a lively vibe.
17. Fitzroy Gardens
Captain James Cook’s Cottage was transported to Melbourne from his native Yorkshire, England, and erected in Fitzroy Gardens.
Cook’s maritime experiences and discovery of Australia and other regions of the world are chronicled in this charming house.
A spectacular Spanish-mission-style conservatory, always packed with a colorful floral show, is also located in the lovely Fitzroy Gardens. It has the Fairy Tree and the little Tudor village, which will delight children.
After a stroll through the gardens, visit hipster-heavy Fitzroy for a few of Melbourne’s best vegan cuisine and vintage shopping, and enjoy vivid street art.
18. Australian Heritage Festival
The Australian Historic Festival is the nation’s largest society heritage festival. The Australian Heritage Festival events have brought the country together for more than 40 years. Inviting the public to actively wonder, examine, and learn about environmental, cultural, Indigenous, living, and built heritage around the country.
Hundreds of volunteers and event organizers across the country produce fantastic real-time or virtual history events for their communities each year.
19. Famous Melbourne Restaurants
19.1. Grill Americano
The new Grill Americano, the exquisite bar plus diner from Chris Lucas, is perfectly nestled into the stylish surroundings of Flinders Lane. Inside, there are leather booth seats, and a large marble bar draws your gaze down to the end of the diner, designed to evoke a New York and Northern Italian bistro look.
On the menu, you’ll discover a wide variety of appetizers or Primi plates, as well as hand-made portions of pasta like the saffron Taglioni with scampi and Bottarga, which is small but big on flavor.
19.2. Tipo 00
If you love pasta, the Tipo 00 pasta bar is perfect for you. They’ve transformed homemade pasta into an art form on Little Bourke Street.
From the gnocchi to the rabbit tagliatelle, every dish on the menu is meticulously prepared and adorned. If you need one, save room for their traditional Italian sweets.
19.3. Gimlet
Gimlet at Cavendish House, the newest addition to Andrew McConnell’s empire, is now one of the greatest restaurants in Melbourne CBD.
The charming venue, located on Russell Street in the heart of the CBD, has a traditional artistic fit with marble floors, stained wood, and booth eating, dating back to New York and Paris’ early twentieth-century cafes.
Expect to sit down to a euro-leaning cuisine with outstanding dishes like cured rainbow trout with mustard cucumbers and horseradish and their classic wood-roasted southern rock lobster with saffron rice and bisque sauce.
19.4. David’s, Prahran
David’s is an award-winning Prahran restaurant that serves classic family dishes with a modern twist.
Its menu, which is heavily influenced by the cuisine of Zhouzhuang, a rural village on Shanghai’s rivers, aspires to serve simple, honest, and flavorful food made with fresh local ingredients.
Its foods are notable for being flavored with soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and occasionally entire chiles and garlic cloves.
David’s restaurant is designed to imitate a Shanghai river house and has a peaceful and cozy atmosphere.
19.5. Chin Chin, Melbourne CBD
Chin Chin, on Flinders Lane in Melbourne’s CBD, is a Thai-inspired restaurant that combines cuisines from Southeast Asia.
It adopts a communal dining approach, with tables that imitate Asian hawker dining halls.
Chin Chin’s sauces, pastes, and relishes are all prepared in-house with the highest quality ingredients.
At the 2015 Chowzter Asia Awards, its famous caramelized sticky pork dish was named the Best fresh Pork Dish in Asia.
Takeaway
Melbourne is consistently ranked as one of the world’s most liveable places. The atmosphere in this Australian city is European.
The city’s grand Victorian structures date back to the city’s Gold Rush heyday, while tree-lined promenades and a maze of hidden laneways make wandering the city enjoyable.
To celebrate your weekend, treat yourself, your family, and your friends to a fun weekend at any of Melbourne’s tourist destinations. Visit the restaurants to try out tasty food and catch up with some fun events.
Last Updated on May 13, 2024 by Arnab
