Complete 4 Days In Melbourne Itinerary

Are you planning a trip to Melbourne and want to see as much of this amazing city as possible? This 4 days in Melbourne itinerary will do just that! Taking you through some of the city’s most iconic landmarks like the Docklands, Queen Victoria Market and Flinders Street Station, as well as a few hidden spots that only locals know about; like where to find the best speakeasy style restaurant that does amazing food!

Melbourne was our first home when we moved to Australia and after spending many months exploring, here’s our guide to 4 days in Melbourne with everything to do and see in the most livable city in the world.

Day 1 In Melbourne;

For day 1 of your 4 days in Melbourne, we’re going to guide you through the most popular things to do while you’re here. Either follow our carefully planned route below, or, join a free guided walking tour instead if you’d like a local guiding the way in person!

Now. The walking time on Google Maps for this comes in at under two hours but that’s not accounting for time spent at each location, stoppin for food and maybe getting a little lost along the way.

This walking tour on day 1 can easily fill the full day. While Melbourne is a really easy city to navigate on foot, If you choose to get transport between some of these spots (very doable) and think you’ll have more time to spare on your first day, some of the day 2 options can be merged for an extended day 1 itinerary.

Arrive At Flinders Station

Every visit to Melbourne should start with a visit to Flinders Street Station, not only is it the perfect place to start your exploration of Melbourne but having been built in  1854, it’s Australia’s oldest train station.

For your first day in Melbourne we recommend hopping on the nearest train, tram or bus from your accommodation and hopping off at Flinders.

Snap some photos from inside then head onto the corner of Flinders Street and Swanston Street to grab an iconic photo in front of the station. 

Not sure where to go? This Google Pin will help you get to the right place!

Experience Federation Square

Located practically next to Flinders Street Station is Federation Square.

There is always something going on here. From live performances and art displays to ice skating and film screenings, Federation Square could take up the majority of your first day in Melbourne if you’re into that day’s activities.

While you’re there, be sure to pop into the Ian Potter Centre which is located on the square. It’s a uniquely designed art gallery that is home to some of the most beautiful, weird and wonderful Australian art pieces. The entrance to the gallery is worth seeing, even if the gallery itself doesn’t interest you.

Aside from the free activities, Federation Square is also home to some amazing bars and restaurants so it would be a great place to grab something to eat before heading out for the day. Don’t worry if not though, Melbourne isn’t short of breakfast, brunch and lunch spots!

Admire St. Paul’s Cathedral

Hopping across the road from Federation Square, your next stop is St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Something we really missed in Australia and New Zealand was European Architecture and while St. Paul’s has nothing on some of the buildings in Portugal or Spain, it was refreshing to have at least a small reminder of buildings back home.

It’s one of Melbourne’s most visited sacred sites and is free to enter between 10am and 6pm during the week, as well as holding Sunday Service at 8am, 10am and 4pm.

Explore Melbourne’s Graffiti Lanes 

A stone throw from the cathedral is possibly one of Melbourne’s most famous networks of streets.

These narrow laneways, predominantly Hosier Lane and AC/DC Lane. are home to Melbourne’s iconic ever-evolving graffiti that I’m sure you’ve seen photos of across Instagram and Pinterest. 

It was one of the first places we visited after getting over our jetlag and it didn’t disappoint!

The laneways can take an hour or so of your time but if you want to see even more of Melbourne’s street art, you can join a dedicated street art walking tour that takes 3 hours.

My favourite thing about Hosier Lane and AC/DC Lane is that they’re always changing. I can show you photos of what they were like when we were there, but within a few months, maybe even weeks, it was completely different.

There’s almost always an artist actively bringing something to life so you’ll be able to see the art in process too!

Shop ‘Till You Drop On Collins Street

Collins street is the go-to shopping. With a mix of high end designer stores, and local boutique brands.

What made us love it so much were its shopping arcades and unique mix of architecture. If you want to feel like you’ve been transported to the 1800’s, The Block and The Royal arcades are a must.

Royal Arcade was built in 1869 and is Melbourne’s oldest covered shopping precinct and the longest standing arcade in the country.

The Block Arcade was built in 1892 and has been named Melbourne’s most ornate shopping precinct. I have to say, Australia does indoor shopping arcades really well with Adelaide and Sydney having a couple that we really liked too but Block Arcade is a firm favourite.

Don’t forget to check out the ANZ bank building while you’re here to see its gothic style architecture.

Explore Chinatown

The Western world’s longest running Chinese settlement, and home to the best Asian restaurants in Melbourne, Chinatown is just around the corner from Collins Street and offers a great detour on the way to your next location on this 4 day Melbourne itinerary.

Follow the Chinatown heritage trail and pop into the Museum of Chinese-Australian History to learn more about Chinese immigration history in Australia. It’s also where the world’s largest dragon, Dai Loong, lives when he isn’t being paraded around during the Chinese New Year which is kind of cool to see!

Psst. Chinese New Year is a big thing in Melbourne. If you’re visiting around that time of year, be sure to check out one of the many Chinese New Year festivals that happen around the city.

Discover State Library Victoria

If you love exploring unique buildings, the State Library Victoria is going to be right up your street. Especially if you’re looking to escape some rain!

From the outside you’d be forgiven for thinking it looks just like every other old building in the city. Beautiful, but nothing ‘wow’ to make it stand out and certainly nothing to entice you to go inside. 

The reason for the State Library making an appearance on our Melbourne 4 day itinerary is thanks to the domed La Trobe Reading Room, which gives Harry Potter vibes when viewed from above. 

The Library, despite its popularity with tourists, is free to enter and offers plenty of free exhibits if you want to stick around for a bit longer.

When we visited there was a really good Ned Kelly exhibit that was supposed to be permanent but I’ve since heard that it’s been reduced and isn’t as good – you’ll have to visit and let us know what you think. I hope his armour is still there!

Get Lost In Melbourne Central

One of our favourite shopping centres and train stations, on the surface Melbourne Central might seem like an odd choice for your Melbourne Itinerary but I promise, it’s not. 

With a cinema, all the top highstreet brands of clothing and a generous food court, Melbourne Central was a popular spot for us when we needed a one-stop-shop for new clothes but the reason I think tourists need to check it out is because the shopping centre is built around what was once Melbourne’s tallest building until the 1940s.

The Coop’s Shot Tower was originally used for lead production and is now the best preserved remaining shot tower in Australia thanks to the shopping centre being built around it in the 1980’s.

Maybe it’s because I’m Northern (British) but I really appreciated this piece of industrial revolution history in the middle of something so modern, and the newer glass dome that was built around the tower itself creates a really unique photo when you get the angle right.

Explore Queen Victoria Market

Love food? How about a trip to the largest open-air market in the southern hemisphere?

Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne is a National Heritage site that is extremely popular with tourists and locals alike. With a wide range of market stalls and little shops, you could spend a full afternoon exploring the lanes here.

The fun doesn’t stop when the sun goes down though, QVC continues into the night with its popular night market.

If you want to beat the crowds, an early access food tour is a great option for this!

It’s not just food stalls here though! There are plenty of craft, DIY and souvenir shops at the Queen Victoria Market so you could pick up gifts for back home quite easily here.

Feast At Mjolner

It’s no secret that Dec and I aren’t foodies. There’s a reason we rarely recommend places to eat in our city itineraries and that’s because we usually just snack as we walk and aren’t shy about just picking any random restaurant or cafe without much thought. Or, eating pastries and cake for most of the day!

However, we want everyone to know about Mjolner who we actually discovered through their Sydney location where I (Leah) worked for the best part of 6 months. So yes, we might be biassed!

Mjolner is a Viking themed restaurant where you’ll get to experience a meal like never before and leave with your heart and stomach full thanks to the gigantic portions and warm family-like atmosphere created by the staff – who, yes, have themed uniforms. 

The menu changes seasonally but you can expect to drink out of horns, have flaming cocktails served at your tables and get to drink shots from Thor’s hammer. If you can find the place, that is.

Both Mjolner locations are set up like a speakeasy bar, with hidden doors and very little street level advertising. All I’ll say is, look for the Mjolner hammer logo and you’re in the right place!

Don’t forget to book your table in advance if you’re in Melbourne Thursday – Saturday.

Day 2 In Melbourne;

For day 2 of your 4 days in Melbourne, it’s time to head to the other side of the city! If you have spare time during day one, these activities can easily be moved across and rejumbled. Keep reading to the bottom for bonus extras you can use to fill in any gaps in your itinerary if needed!

Walk Around The Docklands

Do you want to know a secret? We called the Docklands home for a couple of weeks after we bought our first campervan! We were very new to van life, city camping and travel in general to be honest so the Docklands will always feel like home to us (times were different back then for freedom camping!)

Aside from the free hot showers available at the Docklands Library (if you’re a van lifer, you’ll understand!) The Docklands is a great place to grab a cocktail, watch the sunset and enjoy being by the water.

Wander around the art sculptures, dream of owning one of the many boats that dock here and maybe catch a gig at the Marvel Stadium, there’s lots to do here but our favourite was just relaxing and people watching.

You can get to the Docklands easily by getting the train to the Southern Cross station (Melbourne’s main train station) which pretty much backs onto the Docklands area.

Fancy a change of scenery? Try a Kayaking tour of Melbourne for a more quirky view of the city!

Experience South Wharf & Southbank

Crossing the river from The Docklands you get to South Wharf and Southbank, which likes to market itself as the place to go for the best food and drink in the city.

We never actually ate along here, aside from ice cream (I told you, we’re snackers haha) so I can’t vouch for that, but what I can vouch for is the atmosphere along here is incredible.

Having spent a few months working in the popular DFO’s food court, this is another great spot to hit up if you want to do a bit of discounted shopping and grab a bargain.

There’s also the Melbourne Exhibition Centre which hosts all kinds of conferences and exhibitions throughout the year.

Southbank is where you’ll find the Crown Entertainment Complex which houses some of the top restaurants, the casino, a hotel and space, incredible live shows and some quirky date night ideas like escape rooms and the insane holey moley crazy golf course.

It’s a spectacular place to visit on an evening when the gardens, bridges and high rises all light up.

Brave The Eureka Tower & Melbourne Skydeck

The tallest observation deck in the southern hemisphere, Melbourne Skydeck is 298 metres high and will test your bravery with heights – or at least it did for me!

Hop into the elevator that travels at 9 metres per second and gets you to the 88th floor in a gut wrenching 33 seconds to see incredible views over Melbourne city.

At the top, you can relax at Bar 88, take a walk onto the glass platform, wine and dine at restaurant 89 or walk the plank with the Skydeck Plank VR Experience.

You can buy your tickets online or from the ticket office on site for any of the experiences on offer. 

We chose to go just before sunset and were able to watch the city come alive for the night, an experience we really really enjoyed!

Walk To The Shrine Of Remembrance

A 20 minute walk from the Melbourne Skydeck, or a bit longer if you take a detour through Kings Domain, you’ll find one of the most beautiful remembrance buildings we’ve visited.

Inside this peaceful and thought provoking memorial, on the lower level, is a museum dedicated to the stories of the Australians involved in global wars. With over 800 artworks and historical objects, rare photos and interactive displays, you want to set aside at least an hour and a half to explore it completely.

The top levels of the Shrine of Remembrance is dedicated to sacred space called the Sanctuary. This is where commemorative ceremonies are held throughout the year, it has a really special atmosphere so don’t be surprised if you find yourself lost in thoughts as you walk around this space.

It’s free to visit and is open from 10am to 4pm daily, on top of the couple of hours needed to view everything inside, make sure to factor in some time to explore the grounds too.

Explore The Royal Botanic Gardens

Adjacent to the Shrine of Remembrance is the Royal Botanic Gardens of Victoria. Spanning across 38 hectares, this truly is the place to go if you’re looking to escape the business of the city.

It’s one of the first places we explored when we moved to Melbourne and while it might not be the best free botanic garden I’ve ever been to (the one in Christchurch, New Zealand holds that title) it’ll always be one of my favourite places in Melbourne.

So, for day 2 of your 4 day Melbourne itinerary, I recommend spending the afternoon wandering around the landscaped gardens, bird watching and enjoying some much needed peace and quiet!

Some of the highlights of the Royal Botanic Gardens include fern gully which feels like walking through the set of Jurassic Park, and Guilfoyle’s Volcano which despite its name isn’t a real volcano. Instead, it’s a beautifully designed reservoir that was built over 150 years ago and now serves as a great viewing platform for the botanical gardens. 

The botanic gardens are free to enter, with cafes on site or plenty of places to sit and enjoy a picnic. For plant lovers like me, it could be an all day activity, but if you want just a quick look I would set aside at least an hour or two to walk around everything.

Day 3 In Melbourne;

The penultimate day of this 4 day Melbourne itinerary will be spent exploring the surrounding suburbs South Yarra, St. Kilda and Brighton Beach!

South Yarra

During our time living and working in Melbourne, South Yarra was one of our (many) home bases while we were on the hunt for a campervan.

When it comes to city suburbs, South Yarra is probably one of our favourites. It’s home to the infamous Chapel Street which where you’ll find plenty of boutique shops, family run cafes and even comedy clubs!

If you’re on a budget, The Lucky Coq do amazing $5 pizzas which were always really popular with backpackers and van lifers!

There’s also free comedy nights at The Attik every Thursday that we really enjoyed, along with their cheap food and drink it makes for a really good night out!

St. Kilda

Switch up the energy of the city for the hip beach vibes of St. Kilda. One of Melbourne’s most popular suburbs, with a busy highstreet full of shops, bars and boutique cafes, there’s so much to do here it could quite easily take up a couple of your 4 days in Melbourne.

St. Kilda’s Luna Park

Hop on the tram from Melbourne CBD and visit Melbourne’s traditional amusement park that opened in 1912! Boasting the oldest continuously operating wooden roller coasters in the world, Luna Park holds on to its vintage vibe and passing through the iconic clown mouth entrance will transport you to bygone years. 

You can enter the park for free if you want to have a curious look around, or, buy tickets for the rides and let your inner child run loose.

See The Penguins

St. Kilda beach and St. Kilda pier are home to around 1400 little penguins which can be seen around sunset every night of the year. If you’re on a mission to see wildlife in Australia, this is a good place to start! 

It’s also a great view point for looking back over Melbourne city, so even if you don’t see any penguins, watching the sunset from here is a must!

The breakwater is currently closed, check for updates with this website

Brighton

30 minutes south of St. Kilda by bus are the famous bathing huts located in one of Melbourne’s most famous beach towns; Brighton.

Take a walk along Brighton beach and take the iconic photo of the brightly coloured huts before checking out one of the many cafes.

If you want to stretch your legs, make your way back to Melbourne by following the coastal walking track from Brighton to St. Kilda before hopping back on the tram or train.

Day 4 In Melbourne;

To finish off your 4 days in Melbourne itinerary, we think it’s time to do a day trip from Melbourne. 

There are so many great choices that we’ve done a roundup post about our favourites, but the Great Ocean Road with a detour to the Grampians National Park is probably one of the most popular day trips from Melbourne, for a very good reason!

Not only is it great for views and epic landscapes, such as the 12 Apostles and Gibson Steps, but it’s also an amazing place to go for wildlife spotting opportunities! From Koalas and whales to kangaroos and a whole host of birds… there’s no shortage of what you’ll see there!

Although we would encourage you to hire a camper (if you don’t already have your own!) and take your time down this scenic route, it is possible to be done in a day. Don’t panic! If you don’t have your own transport for this trip you still have options;

1. You could use one of Melbourne’s many car hire companies and rent a car for the day
   or
2. You could hop on a guided bus tour and experience the Great Oceanic Views with a knowledgeable guide and other like-minded travellers.

Whichever you decide, this is one of Australia’s most famous road trips, and at the very top of our recommendations whenever we’re asked, you’ll definitely regret not going.

Where To Stay In Melbourne

When spending 4 days in Melbourne, you’re going to want to choose somewhere that has easy access to the city. Thankfully, Melbourne is one of the easiest cities to navigate with public transport so you can’t go wrong whichever suburb you choose to stay in.

When we first moved to Melbourne, we first stayed in Footscray which is a really quiet suburb with great train access to the CBD.

Other suburbs we enjoyed were Fitzroy and South Yarra, both are fairly modern ‘hipster’ areas with plenty of cafes, bars and unique shops around.

For the most part we used private apartments so we can’t recommend any hotels, however if you’re road tripping and want to stay at a holiday park, we always recommend the Big4 sites!