Discover Melbourne's diversity in one day

Insiders tip for the early riser in the morning:
Start your day early and take off on a Balloon Flight to discover the awakening city following sunrise.

Morning:
Begin your day in Melbourne with a delicious breakfast in your hotel or in one of the cafes in Melbourne’s arcades and laneways (Degraves Street, Centre Place, Block Arcade, Royal Arcade) and capture the charm of the Melbournians. As a lot of local Australian designers and artists have their shops and galleries in the laneways, it is worthwhile to stroll through the city precinct and discover Melbourne’s hidden secrets.

Stop at the Immigration Museum (Flinders Street) to learn about Melbourne’s history and where all the immigrants came from that now play an important part in the culture of the city.

Just a few minutes walking distance from here you will find one of the highest buildings of Melbourne, the Melbourne Observation Deck. From above 253metres, the platform on top of the tower invites you to stunning views over the city and an interesting video tells you about all of Victoria’s scenic highlights.

Midday/Afternoon:
Travel with Melbourne’s famous free City Circle Tram to Queen Victoria Market (closed on Monday and Wednesday). Next to the Fruit and Vegetable Market, you will find the Deli section which is full of local specialities. If you want to go multi-cultural, enjoy some Indian and Asian food in the food halls or indulge in the fine sweets of the bakeries. You will love the atmosphere and may even bargain for some souvenirs in the general trading section.

It’s hard to leave the market, but only a short distance away by tram you will find the Carlton Gardens. Follow the shaded footpath and you find yourself standing in front of the impressive “Royal Exhibition Building”, a world heritage listed building that compliments the very modern Melbourne Museum opposite it. Feel the glamour of the times when the Royal Exhibition Building was hosting some of Melbourne’s first international exhibitions and the historic importance it has played - it was here in 1901 that the foundation was laid for Australia’s Federation.

Now you can enjoy another ride with the “City Circle Tram’ to Federation Square. Maybe there is still time for a short visit at the Ian Potter Centre:NGV, as the ground floor exhibits some of the best indigenous art in Australia.

When the weather is nice, the river banks of the Yarra River invite you to a relaxing walk through Birrurang Marr or even the “Royal Botanical Gardens“ before you conclude the day with a delicious dinner in one of Melbourne’s fabulous restaurants.

Evening:
Melbourne is well known for its multicultural cuisine with over 3000 restaurants offering something for every possible taste. In the city centre alone there are more than 200 bars, waiting to be discovered by you.

We recommend a visit to Southbank, a precinct located right at the Yarra River, as it is probably not too far away from your hotel. You will find a great selection of restaurants in all price categories and the Crown Hotel with its entertainment centre is not far away. From the Eureka Skydeck 88 you can view the city from almost 300 metres until late in the evening.

However, if you still have plenty of energy after this exciting day, you may prefer to take the tram or taxi to the beach suburb St Kilda, the more bohemian-hip precinct Fitzroy (Brunswick Street), or upmarket South Yarra (Chapel Street) . The diversity of Melbourne’s restaurants and bars continously provide evidence, even to the locals, of how lively and exciting Melbourne really is - and that a place exists where you can discover „one world in a single city“.