Wander along many of Melbourne’s laneways which have a certain unique charm. Some of these laneways feature street furniture and are paved with bluestone. You’ll find cool bars, interesting restaurants, funky boutiques, used bookstores, and art galleries scattered along the laneways. Get your java fix at Centre Place and Degraves Street. Don’t miss Hardware Lane where you’ll find contemporary restaurants in warehouses which were once stables and blacksmith shops.
Ride on the Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle which is a complimentary “hop on/hop off” bus with stops at key attractions. If you don’t get off at any of the stops, a complete city circuit takes about an hour and includes an excellent commentary about Melbourne.
Stop at the Melbourne Visitor Booth, located in the Bourke Street Mall, between Swanston and Elizabeth Streets. They’re open daily except on Good Friday and Christmas Day. Melbourne City Ambassadors, dressed in red uniforms, can be found in the retail district on Swanston Street corners at Bourke and Flinders streets. They’re also in the main shopping area near Elizabeth, Flinders, La Trobe, and Russell streets. These volunteers are happy to help you enjoy their city Monday through Saturday (except Good Friday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day).
Hop on and hop off the Yarra River Shuttle; it runs from November until sometime in April. Stops include all of the main riverside attractions. You might also enjoy a short cruise which leaves from Southbank. Alternatively, you could charter a boat at Melbourne Docklands.
Check out what festivals and other events will coincide with your visit to Melbourne. Every August, Melbourne Day celebrates the founding of this city by its first European settlers in 1835. Their spring (the northern hemisphere's fall) brings the Melbourne Spring Fashion Week with shopping tours, lunch-time fashion shows, fashion seminars and workshops, even a glam Official Evening Parade at the Melbourne Town Hall. Over 100 fashion events are planned annually, many of them free to the public.
Check out what festivals and other events will coincide with your visit to Melbourne. Every August, Melbourne Day celebrates the founding of this city by its first European settlers in 1835. Their spring (our fall) brings the Melbourne Spring Fashion Week with shopping tours, lunch-time fashion shows, fashion seminars and workshops, even a glam Official Evening Parade at the Melbourne Town Hall. Over 100 fashion events are planned annually, many of them free to the public.
