Did you know that Melbourne is currently sitting in second place as the world’s most liveable city? And that’s after sitting in first place for the past 7 years. There must be something good going on in Melbourne. Read on for your Quick Travel Guide to Melbourne.
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Best Places to Visit in Melbourne
Melbourne is best described as an eclectic city. There’s a little bit for everyone. It’s hip, vibrant, and full of character. And it has a very lively festival atmosphere with a busy calendar throughout the year. It seems like there’s always a festival on in Melbourne. And when you’ve had enough of the festivals, here are our recommended Melbourne sightseeing options.
Street Art: Melbourne is well known for having some of the most impressive street art in the world. These days it’s easy to find a Melbourne city tour specifically for street art, where you will meander your way through the colourful city’s alleys and lanes.
Federation Square: This weird looking building is on the street corner right opposite Australia’s busiest train station, Flinders Street Station. Fed Square is a great place to just sit and chill with a nice coffee, do some people watching, check out some buskers, and immerse yourself in the city vibe. Definitely one of the more interesting places of interest in Melbourne.
Royal Botanic Gardens: The botanic gardens is one of those places in Melbourne where you feel like you stumbled upon the best kept secret. Within walking distance of the city centre, and with stunning views over the city centre, they are an urban oasis. These are some of the best botanic gardens on the planet.
Melbourne Cricket Ground: Australia is officially sports mad. Cricket is one of the most popular sports, and so is Australian Rules Football. Both of these are played at this famous sporting ground, situated right near the city centre. Well worth catching a game, or even an after hours tour of the venue.
Free City Circle Tram: Melbourne has a free tram circuit around the city centre, which passes by many of the biggest Melbourne city attractions. It’s just like a hop-on-hop-off bus tour, only the City Circle Tram is completely free. It can get a little busy at times, so it’s probably best to avoid the weekends.
Day Trips from Melbourne
One of the reasons Melbourne locals are so happy is that there are so many awesome weekend trips from Melbourne to choose from. Here are some of the best:
Phillip Island Penguin Parade: These cute little penguins all come out of the water at sunset, then waddle up the beach to their homes in the sand dunes. And you can see all year round at the Phillip Island Penguin Parade. It’s about 90 minutes drive south of Melbourne. Spoiler: Penguins are much cuter than you think.
The Twelve Apostles: These are one of the most stunning natural wonders in Australia. Jagged pieces of rock sticking out of the ocean alongside dramatic cliffs. They are at the far end of the Great Ocean Road, and have regular daily tours to visit them.
Where to Stay in Melbourne
Here are the best places to stay in Melbourne, depending on what you are looking for:
- City Centre: Tourist / shopping
- St.Kilda: Beach
- South Yarra: Boutique shopping
- Fitzroy: Partying
- Footscray: Budget
Cheap Accommodation
Ibis Budget hotels are well known for providing no frills budget accommodation all over the world. And Ibis Budget Melbourne CBD is no exception, in a premium location just near Flinders Street Station.
Mid Range
The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Melbourne -Flinders Street is in a perfect position – across the road from Melbourne CBD’s busiest train station Flinders Street.
Affordable Luxury
St.Kilda Beach is a great place to stay, it’s buzzing with a strong cafe and pub scene, and has some great beaches. It’s about 20 minutes tram ride from the city centre. We really like the Novatel Melbourne St Kilda Hotel, mainly for its perfect position, across the road from the beach.
Shop Around for a Great Deal
You definitely should shop around in expensive Melbourne, and the deals finder on Booking.com is a great place to start.
Booking.comQuick Travel Guide to Melbourne
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