Melbourne Tourist Attractions

There are many Melbourne tourist attractions that will give you a good impression of what Melbourne is about –

From Federation Square to river foreshores, from historical attractions to city laneways and observation decks.

It takes time to get to know Melbourne. You can’t absorb it with a few snap shots.

Here are the most popular Melbourne attractions to get you started.

Yarra and Federation Square

A good place to start your Melbourne sightseeing is around Federations Square and Southbank.
Meeting Place Federation Square Melbourne

Fed Square, as we call it, is Melbourne’s hub and meeting place. It is surrounded by galleries, cafes and bars and is a great place to absorb the Melbourne vibe. Often there are free concerts and street performances.

It is adjacent to the Yarra foreshore with its inviting river walks. Just a short walk across the Princess Bridge is the Southbank arts and entertainment precinct.

Melbourne Southbank foreshore

I recommend you take one of the popular Yarra Cruises . They travel either up- or downstream along the river and into Port Phillip Bay.

Taking a River Cruise is an ambient Melbourne experience with magnificent views of the Melbourne Skyline, city foreshore, urban parklands, sports arenas and Melbourne Docks.

Melbourne City attractions

The Free Melbourne City Circle Tram and the Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle are hop on – hop off services that give you a good overview of what there is to see. They have announcements about all the Melbourne Tourist attractions on the way.

One of Melbourne’s star attractions is the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant. It follows along the city circle tracks. You can experience exquisite dining and wining in a historical tram passing by the city lights, sights and attractions.

There are two observation decks that both give you a great vista over Melbourne, Port Phillip Bay, and on a good day all the way to the Dandenongs and surrounding areas. Which Melbourne Observation deck to choose? – That is the question…

Right on the Yarra, there is the Melbourne Aquarium , Australia’s only Southern Ocean aquarium. The state of the art complex, featuring over 1000 sea creatures, including giant sharks and stingrays, is well worth a visit.

Melbourne Guide for the Senses

Melbourne is famous for its multiplicity of tastes, sub-cultures and styles.

China town Melbourne gate

The various city precincts are important attractions Melbourne has to offer: there is China Town , the Greek precinct, the Italian quarter, and more – each of them with their distinctive shopping and dining experiences from around the world.

Melbourne is also Australia’s fashion and coffee culture capital. The list of Australia tourist attractions has to include the various exquisite Melbourne shopping experiences you can have right in the city.

To check out the arts scene, investigate the Melbourne guide to art galleries.

Historical attractions

Entry to the historical Royal Arcade Melbourne

If you are on a history trail, there is a fantastic array of historical Melbourne attractions . Throughout the city there are many heritage buildings as well as stunning new constructions along its wide tree-lined avenues and in its intimate lanes.

For a deeper understanding of Melbourne’s history, there is a whole list of museums Melbourne is proud of: the Gold Treasury, the Melbourne City museum, the Immigration museum, and the Old Melbourne Goal are just the beginning of a list of places tracing Melbourne’s past times and influences.

This is a long list of Melbourne tourist attractions. Many visitors return to Melbourne to take in elements missed on earlier visits - and we locals are still finding new areas to explore.

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