Melbourne is set around the shores of Port Phillip Bay. The city itself, laid out in a large rectangle and boasting a lively and cosmopolitan pulse, sits on the northern banks of the Yarra River, about five kilometres from the bay.

Melbourne is a planned city: a tidy, balanced grid of neatly angled streets, but beneath this sense of everything in its place restraint lies a restless creative energy constantly pushing back at the city’s seeming conservatism. The CBD is made up of precincts – distinct enclaves each with its own flavour and charm. Some are just a lane or two, while others cover the banks of the Yarra River or a busy CBD street.

Here you can soak up culture, hit the sporting grounds, taste the dynamic food and wine scene, dance til dawn or wander the parks and leafy boulevards.  Visit Federation Square, the city’s landmark cultural space, and enjoy a sunset beer on the St Kilda promenade. Shop till you drop on funky Brunswick Street or upmarket Chapel Street. Wander Southbank’s cafes, bistros and bars and get a world tour of cuisines in Carlton, Richmond and Fitzroy. Take an Aboriginal Heritage Walk through the Royal Botanic Gardens and cheer with a capacity crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

5 Must-Do Things

	Shop till you drop Bag a bargain at the Rose Street Artist’s Market and browse the funky boutiques on Brunswick Street. Buy designer labels such as Akira Isogawa and Zimmerman on Chapel Street in Prahran or in the historic Melbourne General Post Office, which covers an entire city block. For everything from fashion to furnishings at fantastic value, visit Bridge Road in Richmond. Melbourne is a shopper’s haven, offering eclectic boutiques, high-end fashion, funky homeware stores and European style piazzas in the city’s arcades and hidden laneways. Click here to book Melbourne Shopping Tours>>
	Bar hop and dance till dawn Sip a cocktail in a converted sea container in Chinatown, enjoy a sunset beer in a St Kilda pub or listen to cabaret in lush retro surroundings in jazz bars in the city. Linger over exquisite tapas and exotic wine in a Little Collins Street bar and mingle in a pink parlour with fake grass in Bourke Street. You can party from dusk in the bars of Brunswick Street. Or dance till dawn in bars in the city’s lantern-lit laneways, secret apart from the spill of coloured light under heavy brass doors. Click here to book Melbourne Bar, Club & Pub Tours>>
	Great Ocean Road Take a ride through nature on the spectacular Great Ocean Road, which winds alongside the wild and windswept Southern Ocean from Geelong to Portland. This diverse and dramatic region takes in surf beaches, historic ports, whale lookouts, breathtaking mountain ranges, rainforests and national parks.See monster waves at Bells Beach and laze on the golden sands of Lorne. Visit an important Aboriginal site near Tower Hill or spot shipwrecks near the charming fishing village of Port Fairy. Of course, you can’t miss the Twelve Apostles - craggy limestone stacks rising majestically from the Southern Ocean. Click her to book Great Ocean Road Trip>>
	Get into the gourmet goodness Let the aroma of good coffee waft over you in Melbourne’s gothic European laneways. The city is famous for its coffee and old-world café culture but there’s so much more to explore. Once you’ve downed a ‘short black’ or taken an afternoon aperitif, try tea in a nineteenth-century hotel or salivate over your silver spoon in acclaimed restaurants like Nobu, Botanical and Becco. Pick up fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood at the Queen Victoria Market on a Saturday, known for its bustling crowds and buskers. Try out the restaurants, cafes, bistros and bars in Southbank or Federation Square. Make your way around Melbourne’s multicultural cosmos of cuisines: Carlton for Italian classics, Richmond for budget-friendly Vietnamese and Fitzroy for Spanish tapas.
	Go sports mad Cheer for an Australian Rules Football game with a capacity crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground over winter.   Go cricket mad in summer, when the city hosts the Ashes and one day internationals. Or join the huge crowds watching the Australian Tennis Open at Melbourne Park. Rev heads head to Melbourne in March for the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix in Albert Park. And whether you are a racing fan or just a casual punter, you won’t want to miss the Melbourne Cup - the world’s richest horse race on the first first  Tuesday in November. Click here to book Melbourne Sports Events>>

Recommended Accommodations

Melbourne City

Crown Metropol Melbourne

Crown's newest hotel - Crown Metropol Melbourne offers fresh, vibrant, modern, stylish accommodation an exciting romantic getaway for lovers or for a luxury family trip. 

Crown Towers Melbourne

Crown Towers is located on the southern bank of Melbourne's Yarra River, the extraordinary quality, standard of customer service and attention to detail hail Crown Towers as a premier hotel resort.

Sofitel Melbourne

Refined elegance with a spectacular location. An exquisite choice for conference, corporate and leisure guests.

The Peninsula Country Golf Club, Melbourne’s Sandbelt

The Peninsula Country Golf Club enjoys a reputation as one of the premier private golf clubs in Australia, with two golf courses ranked in Australia's top 30 and club facilities of the highest standard available.

Yarra Valley

Montrose Reserve

Other Accommodation

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 Melbourne Airport Transfers
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 Things to Do in Melbourne
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