Australia · 3 days · 18 stops
3 days in Melbourne – a ready-made itinerary
Melbourne is less about one big landmark than about its lanes, arcades and neighbourhoods. The plan takes you through the centre with its laneways and markets, then via the gardens along the Yarra to the sea at St Kilda, and finally from the cricket ground up into Carlton and Fitzroy.
In short
- Length
- 3 days, 18 stops
- Highlights
- Federation Square, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Hosier Lane, Block Arcade
- Where to stay
- City centre (CBD), Southbank, Fitzroy
- Getting around
- The centre is a grid of wide streets and narrow lanes and easy to cover on foot.
- Best time to go
- March to May and September to November are the most pleasant, mild with plenty of clear days.
Free, sign in with an email code. In the app you only pick your start date and adjust the plan.
Plan created with AI support – please check opening hours, prices and routes before you go. YesTrip editorial team · Updated: .
Top things to do in Melbourne
15 places you should not miss in Melbourne – each one is in the plan below with a time and the way there.
Federation SquareThe square from 2002 with its angular facades sits opposite Flinders Street Station, whose yellow dome and clocks over the entrance come with the view.Day 1- Hosier LaneThe city's best-known lane, with walls and bins entirely covered in graffiti and street art that changes all the time.Day 1
- Block ArcadeA Victorian shopping arcade from 1892 with a mosaic floor and a glass roof, a few steps through the lanes from Collins Street.Day 1
- State Library VictoriaThe state library with the octagonal La Trobe Reading Room under a large dome, which you can look down into from the upper galleries.Day 1
- Royal Exhibition BuildingThe domed exhibition hall from 1880, World Heritage since 2004 together with the Carlton Gardens around it.Day 1
- National Gallery of VictoriaAustralia's oldest public art museum. In the Great Hall, lie down on the floor for a moment and look up at the stained-glass ceiling.Day 2
- Shrine of RemembranceThe war memorial from 1934 on St Kilda Road. From the upper terrace you look down the boulevard to the skyline.Day 2
- Royal Botanic GardensRight next door: wide lawns, old trees and a curving lake, laid out in the 19th century.Day 2
- Luna ParkThe amusement park from 1912 on the foreshore, entered through a giant laughing face.Day 2
- St Kilda PierThe long pier into Port Phillip Bay. A colony of little penguins lives on the breakwater at the end and comes ashore towards evening.Day 2
- Melbourne Cricket GroundAustralia's largest stadium, home of cricket and Australian football. A tour takes you into the change rooms and out to the edge of the turf.Day 3
- Fitzroy GardensA park with elm avenues and a conservatory. It holds Cooks' Cottage, the home of James Cook's parents, shipped here from England in the 1930s.Day 3
- St Patrick's CathedralA Gothic Revival cathedral in dark bluestone, right on the edge of the Fitzroy Gardens.Day 3
- Brunswick StreetFitzroy's main street with vintage shops, bookshops, bars and murals, one neighbourhood east of Carlton.Day 3
- Eureka TowerThe residential tower in Southbank has an observation deck on the 88th floor. In the early evening you see the city out to the bay.Day 3
Day 1
Laneways, arcades and the market
Federation Square
The square from 2002 with its angular facades sits opposite Flinders Street Station, whose yellow dome and clocks over the entrance come with the view.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Federation Squareright next door
Hosier Lane
The city's best-known lane, with walls and bins entirely covered in graffiti and street art that changes all the time.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Hosier Laneabout 5 min on foot
Block Arcade
A Victorian shopping arcade from 1892 with a mosaic floor and a glass roof, a few steps through the lanes from Collins Street.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Block Arcadeabout 10 min on foot
State Library Victoria
The state library with the octagonal La Trobe Reading Room under a large dome, which you can look down into from the upper galleries.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): State Library Victoriaabout 10 min on foot
Queen Victoria Market
The large 19th-century market with halls for meat, fish and deli goods and plenty of stalls for a quick lunch.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Queen Victoria Marketabout 20 min on foot
Royal Exhibition Building
The domed exhibition hall from 1880, World Heritage since 2004 together with the Carlton Gardens around it.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Royal Exhibition Building
Day 2
Art, gardens and St Kilda
National Gallery of Victoria
Australia's oldest public art museum. In the Great Hall, lie down on the floor for a moment and look up at the stained-glass ceiling.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): National Gallery of Victoriaabout 15 min on foot
Shrine of Remembrance
The war memorial from 1934 on St Kilda Road. From the upper terrace you look down the boulevard to the skyline.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Shrine of Remembranceabout 10 min on foot
Royal Botanic Gardens
Right next door: wide lawns, old trees and a curving lake, laid out in the 19th century.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Royal Botanic GardensTram or walk to South Melbourne, about 25 min.
South Melbourne Market
A 19th-century market hall known for its dim sims, plus stalls with oysters, baked goods and coffee.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): South Melbourne MarketTram to St Kilda, about 20 min.
Luna Park
The amusement park from 1912 on the foreshore, entered through a giant laughing face.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Luna Parkabout 15 min on foot
St Kilda Pier
The long pier into Port Phillip Bay. A colony of little penguins lives on the breakwater at the end and comes ashore towards evening.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): St Kilda Pier
Day 3
The MCG, Carlton and Fitzroy
Melbourne Cricket Ground
Australia's largest stadium, home of cricket and Australian football. A tour takes you into the change rooms and out to the edge of the turf.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Melbourne Cricket Groundabout 15 min on foot
Fitzroy Gardens
A park with elm avenues and a conservatory. It holds Cooks' Cottage, the home of James Cook's parents, shipped here from England in the 1930s.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Fitzroy Gardensabout 5 min on foot
St Patrick's Cathedral
A Gothic Revival cathedral in dark bluestone, right on the edge of the Fitzroy Gardens.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): St Patrick's Cathedralabout 3.6 km as the crow flies – by bus, train or taxi
Lygon Street
The Carlton street where Italian immigrants settled. Today it is lined with trattorias, pizzerias, gelato shops and espresso bars.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Lygon Streetabout 2.4 km as the crow flies – by bus, train or taxi
Brunswick Street
Fitzroy's main street with vintage shops, bookshops, bars and murals, one neighbourhood east of Carlton.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Brunswick StreetTram into the centre and walk across the Yarra to Southbank, about 30 min.
Eureka Tower
The residential tower in Southbank has an observation deck on the 88th floor. In the early evening you see the city out to the bay.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Eureka Tower
Good to know
Best time to go
March to May and September to November are the most pleasant, mild with plenty of clear days. Summer, from December to February, is warm and on some days very hot. Winter is cool and often grey. Melbourne is known for weather that changes quickly, so bring a jacket even in summer.
Getting around
The centre is a grid of wide streets and narrow lanes and easy to cover on foot. Melbourne has one of the largest tram networks in the world, and within the central zone trams are free. Outside it, trams, trains and buses need a myki card. An express bus runs from the airport to Southern Cross station.
Where to stay
City centre (CBD)
Right among the laneways, arcades and stations, with most stops within walking distance. The most practical base for three days.
Southbank
On the south bank of the Yarra, close to the National Gallery and the gardens, with views of the skyline.
Fitzroy
A lively neighbourhood of cafés and bars, quieter than the centre and a short tram ride from it.
Ad Where to stay in Melbourne? Compare prices: Melbourne
Ad Flights to Melbourne: compare live prices →
More on Melbourne in our blog: How many days in Melbourne? Plans for 1–5 days
Your plan
Start with this plan.
Copy it into YesTrip, pick your dates and make it yours: move stops, drop them or let the AI add more. On the road the app shows you the next stop and how to get there.
Melbourne: frequently asked questions
What are the must-see sights in Melbourne?
The must-see sights in Melbourne are Federation Square, Hosier Lane, Block Arcade, State Library Victoria, Royal Exhibition Building and National Gallery of Victoria. This plan links 15 of them into short walks over 3 days – with times, a map and tips.
Are 3 days enough for Melbourne?
For the city, yes. With more time, drive the Great Ocean Road to the Twelve Apostles rock stacks, ideally by car or on a day tour, or head out to the Yarra Valley wine region.
Where can you see street art in Melbourne?
Mainly in Hosier Lane and the neighbouring lanes such as AC/DC Lane, and in Fitzroy around Brunswick Street. The pieces are painted over constantly, so every visit looks a little different.
Can you see the penguins at St Kilda?
Yes. The little penguins live on the breakwater at the end of the pier and return after sunset. Keep your distance and take photos without flash.
What makes Melbourne's coffee special?
The city has a strong espresso culture that goes back to Italian immigrants. In the lanes of the centre there is a small café on almost every corner.
Plan created with AI support – please check opening hours, prices and routes before you go. Coordinates checked with Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap (Photon). Photo: Created by Philip Mallis in 2021; cropped by HappyWaldo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. More in Sources & licences. YesTrip is a trip planner, not a travel agency – nothing is booked.
More trip plans
Australia · 3 daysSydney
Photo: Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Singapore · 3 daysSingapore
Photo: Shiny Things ., CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Malaysia · 3 daysKuala Lumpur
Photo: Chainwit., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
.jpg){kind=link}
