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Spending 2 days in Melbourne soon and want to know exactly what to do? Perfect!
The capital of Victoria is one of the most amazing cities in the world! It was ranked as the most liveable city in the world for years!
There is so much to do and if you follow this Melbourne 2-day itinerary, you will be able to see the best of the city.
Please note that this itinerary only focuses on Melbourne itself. If you were interested in seeing the Great Ocean Road or Phillip Island, make sure to check out this article about the best day trips.
So, are you ready to discover what you’re going to be doing during your weekend in Melbourne? Let’s get started!
Where to stay in Melbourne for a weekend
If you follow this itinerary, the best place to stay in Melbourne is the CBD. Here are some recommendations.
đź’˛Budget accommodation: The Mansion Melbourne is a great hostel located right behind the parliament house.
💲💲Mid-range accommodation: The Victoria Hotel is an amazing hotel in the CBD. Their double room is very good value!
💲💲💲Luxury accommodation: Located in the heart of the CBD, the QT Melbourne features some of the most incredible views and services in the city.
That said, if you are on a budget or don’t want to stay in the busiest part of the city, you can opt for accommodation in St Kilda or Carlton. You will spend a bit more time on public transport though.
Melbourne 2-day itinerary Map
Melbourne itinerary Day 1
Your first day in Melbourne will be pretty full-on. You will be walking quite a bit so make sure you are wearing comfortable shoes. Besides that, you can be sure that you will have heaps of fun!
Morning: Exploring Melbourne CBD
You will start your day at Flinders Street Station and discover the following sites:
- Federation Square
- St Paul’s cathedral
- Hosier Lane: perfect to see some of the most beautiful murals in the city
- Royal arcade and block arcade
- Chinatown
- Parliament House
- Victoria State Library
If you want to know more about Melbourne, its history and culture, I highly recommend going on a walking tour.
You can also choose to do it yourself and follow the self-guided itinerary above.
The walking tour is well worth it though. Not only you will learn plenty about the gold rush, how immigrants shaped Melbourne’s food scene and other fun facts about Melbourne but the guide will also give you loads of insider tips and recommendations.
I highly recommend opting for this walking tour. The guide is amazing and it’s a small group, which means it will be way more comfortable.
Click here to see the prices and availability.
If you are on a budget, you can choose to go on the free walking tour. It’s great too but the group is way bigger and you still should tip the guide.
It’s a great way to discover Melbourne and get around without struggling with a map!
Lunch in Chinatown
After your tour, head back to Little Bourke Street to have lunch in Chinatown. You will find loads of affordable and delicious food there!
Feel free to pick the restaurant that appeals the most to you, they are all good to be honest!
If you want one recommendation though, Shanghai Village is great!
Afternoon: exploring St Kilda
From Flinders Street Station, hop on the tram (16, 67 or 75) to St Kilda.
This beachside neighbourhood is very good fun, hence being so popular amongst backpackers and families.
Once you get there, walk up to the beach. You can stroll along the promenade or relax on the beach for a bit. Don’t forget to take your swimming costume!
You can then go to Acland Street. It’s only 7 minutes walk from the beach.
Acland street is very cosmopolitan. If you like shopping, you will find loads of independent and cute shops.
It’s also a great place to grab some delicious food! Whether you fancy a French patisserie as an afternoon snack or not, make sure to get a sandwich or something and you can eat it on the beach before seeing the penguins.
Just before dusk, head to St Kilda breakwater. Walk along the pier and head to the rocks for the penguin viewing. Every day at sunset, the penguins come back there to sleep. It’s a great opportunity to see these small (and super cute!) penguins.
Another place where you could see them is Phillip Island but you will need to go on a day trip for that. You will find some Melbourne day trips recommendations at the end of the article.
Once it’s dark and you’ve seen the penguins, walk back to the lower esplanade (15 minutes walk) to check out the Luna Park.
This iconic theme park is home to some of the oldest roller coasters in the world! Whether you like the thrill of a good ride or not, it’s well worth checking out! The entry costs $5.
It should keep you busy for the evening before getting back to your accommodation for a good night sleep!
Melbourne Itinerary Day 2
On day 2 of this Melbourne itinerary, you will discover some up and coming neighbourhoods just outside the CBD and some of Melbourne’s most famous landmarks by the Yarra River.
Morning: Fitzroy, Collingwood and Brunswick
Melbourne is known as one of the world’s capitals of street art!
Seeing Hosier Lane on day 1 should have given a good idea of what Melbourne’s street artists can achieve but Fitzroy, Collingwood and Brunswick are also great suburbs to visit.
Unlike Hosier Lane, street art in these neighbourhoods is more spread out. You will find murals absolutely everywhere. They usually tend to be bigger as well!
It’s also a great place to grab a coffee or breakfast! There are loads of independent cafes.
I particularly recommend just walking around and kind of get lost from one suburb to another. That’s the best way to discover hidden gems!
Another thing these neighbourhoods are famous for is shopping! Fitzroy, Brunswick and Collingwood are a paradise for retro and second-hand shopping! You will also find loads of outlets! So if you want to grab amazing bargains, that’s the place to go!
To give you an idea, I got some red converses for $20 there! How much better can it get?!
If you want to go on a shopping tour with a local, that’s also possible. Click here for more information and prices.
Lunch at Queen Victoria Market
It would be impossible to spend 48 hours in Melbourne without going to Queen Victoria Market!
Melbourne is an amazing destination for foodies. If there is one thing Melbournians love, that would be their food (and coffee!)!
Queen Victoria Market is an amazing place to grab lunch and do some shopping.
You will find countless shops with fresh fruit, veggies, cheese, meat and fish! But outside, there are also a few food trucks and tables where you can eat!
Not only is the food delicious, but it’s also very affordable.
Inside the market, you will also find heaps of stands selling souvenirs. I highly recommend you to get them there as they are so much cheaper than anywhere else in the city.
Afternoon: exploring South Bank
Stop 1: Yarra River
From Federation Square, cross the Princes bridge and turn on your right onto South Bank promenade. This is a nice place to stroll along and you will see beautiful views of the city. It’s a very good photo spot!
You will also find many bars and cafes with terraces over the Yarra River. If you want to enjoy the views, stop there for a flat white!
Another thing you can do from there is going on a cruise. It lasts 1 hour, during which you will get to see the Victorian arts centre, Melbourne Cricket Ground and plenty more!
Click here to see the latest prices and availability.
Stop 2: Royal Botanic Gardens & Shrine of Remembrance
Located a few minutes walk from the Yarra River, the royal botanic gardens are one of the best free things to do in Melbourne!
It’s a very nice place to walk around. Most of the paths are paved but there are also forest walks! This little green oasis will make you forget you actually are in one of the biggest cities in the world.
You will find signs next to most plants and trees which is very helpful and informative.
They also offer free guided walks every day, at 10:30 am. Either way, make sure you enter the gardens through the visitor centre gate so you can grab a map.
Once you are done, head back out to the Shrine of Remembrance.
Originally built as a war memorial, it became one of Melbourne’s most iconic buildings! But that’s not all! If you walk up the stairs, you will get to observe beautiful views of the city skyline!
All of that, for free!
Stop 3: Eureka Tower
While you are in South Bank, make sure to head to the Eureka Tower. You can go up to the top and admire 360-degree views of Melbourne from the observation deck on the 88th floor. It’s the highest viewing platform in the southern hemisphere!
Ideally, you will want to make it there before sunset so you can see the views of Melbourne during the day, the beautiful colours of sunset and the lights being turned on!
You will need to book a ticket for this attraction. Although you can do it on-site, I particularly recommend to book it in advance as it can get quite busy. If you are going there for sunset, as mentioned, you will really need to book them in advance. It’s the most popular time. Prices and availability here.
Dinner and drinks at Pizza Pizza Pizza
As it’s your last night in Melbourne, I thought I’d be throwing a hidden bar here!
Melbourne is famous for its laneways and hidden bars.
From the Eureka tower, walk to Elizabeth Street to catch the tram to Spring Street and then walk to Meyers place where you will find Pizza Pizza Pizza.
At first sight, there isn’t much special about it. It’s just a street shop selling slices of pizzas. But if you walk in and through the black curtain, you will discover a hidden bar!
You can order pizza and cocktails there. Cocktails cost about $12 which is very good for Melbourne CBD.
It’s a great place to enjoy your last evening in Melbourne!
What to do if you have 1 extra day in Melbourne?
If you can spend another day in the area but don’t want to stay in the city, you should opt for a day trip.
Here are the two most popular one:
- Great Ocean Road: Known as one of Australia’s best road trips, the Great Ocean Road is the perfect escape from Melbourne. You will get to see Bell’s Beach (famous surfing beach), the 12 Apostles and maybe even koalas! Click here to see the latest prices and availability.
- Phillip Island: This is a favourite as well. It only takes about 1 hour to get there from Melbourne by car or tour. The main attraction is the Penguin Parade but there are also beautiful walks. If you choose to go to Phillip Island, I would skip the penguins in St Kilda. Information and prices here.
- Yarra Valley: if you love wine, then this one is for you! The Yarra Valley is one of Australia’s most famous wine region! It’s a great place to go wine tasting, enjoy the countryside and eat delicious food. Click here to see the prices and availability.
How to get around Melbourne
As long as you are in the CBD, you can take the tram for free. The free zone goes from Federation Square to Spring Street, Queen Victoria Market and the docklands.
You can simply hop on the tram and get off before the free zone ends. They will announce it on the tram but make sure you pay attention to it as you don’t want to get fined for getting off one stop too far.
St Kilda and Fitzroy are not part of the free zone, you will have to pay to go there.
For these, go to any 7 Eleven you see (they are everywhere so it shouldn’t be hard) and buy a Myki card. The card itself costs $5 but that’s refundable. Top it up with $10 or $15 dollars and that should be enough for your 2 days in Melbourne.
How to get from the airport to Melbourne
The best way is to take the Skybus. It only takes 20 minutes and it’s very easy. Click here to see the latest prices.
Map of this Melbourne 2-day itinerary
So, ready to rock your weekend in Melbourne? Have fun!
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