Are you looking for things to do in Melbourne on a budget? With this beautiful city in Australia ranking high as one of the most livable cities in the world, year after year, it’s really no surprise that there’s so much many cheap and fun things to do here!
During our time road tripping around Austrlia, we spent quite a while in Melbourne – especially while we built our campervern. So this week we’re looking back over our time in Melbourne to bring you just a few of our favourite FREE things to do in Melbourne to help you build the most incredible city itinerary, even if you’re on a budget.
Ready? Let’s go!
Photo by Dmitry Osipenko on Unsplash
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This post was originally written in January 2018 and updated in Deceber 2023 with the latest information
FREE Things To Do In Melbourne, Australia
Let’s kick this off with some of the best FREE things to do in Melbourne. That’s right, you can spend the day in Melbourne city and not spend a penny while also taking in some incredible sights and soaking in the vibe of this beautiful city.
Free Things To Do In Melbourne WITH NATURE
If you’ve been with us a while, it’ll come to no surprise that nature and wildlife was at the top of my priority list when it comes to free things to do in Melbourne. So, here are some of my favourites.
Melbourne Royal Botanical Gardens
This in itself could take you a full day. It was one of the first places Dec and I headed while we got over our jet-lag and it’s probably one of the best botanical gardens we’ve been to. If you need a dose of nature to break up the urban exploring – this is the place to go!
Walk Along South Bank
Ok Ok, not exactly nature, but there’s a river and that counts right? South Bank has an incredible vibe at night with several of the restaurants here having little ice cream stands for those passing by.
Walk St Kilda Pier
We didn’t spend much time in St. Kilder, but one thing we made sure to do was take a walk up St. Kilder Pier. It’s an iconic part of the city and home to little penguins, so it’s an absolute must, as are many of the free things to do in Melbourne!
St. Kilder Pier is closed at the moment for renovations. Please check here for updates before you plan to head there for a sunset stroll!
Photo by Parks Victoria
St. Kilda Penguin Parade
While you’re in St. Kilder, it’s a great chance to see Little Penguins in their own environment/ Take a coat, it gets surprisingly cold at night. For the best chance of seeing them, head there just before sunset and grab a seat to the side of the pier.
Due to renovations, the Penguin Parade section isn’t accessible. I hope the penguins continue to call St. Kilder home once the construction is done. You can check for updates here.
Watch the sunset from the Docklands
We absolutely loved the Docklands area. Partly because it’s where we stealth camped for a few weeks when we first moved into our van Mo, but also because it just has a whole different feel to it. It’s also where I got my first job when we moved to Australia, so that whole area hold a different kind of special place… go check it out, especially at sunset, and let us know what you think!
Visit Brighton Beach huts
A little bit south of St. Kilder you’ll find the beach suburb of Brighton. For all you guys in the UK, this Brighton is much nicer than the one in the UK and the beach huts are somewhat of an Instagram hot spot. This beach is a great free place to hang out if you’re looking to just relax, and of course, snap a shot of yourself with the colourful beach huts.
URBAN Free Things To Do In Melbourne
So let’s step away from the outskirts, and into the bustling city to explore these urban free things to do in Melbourne
Victoria State Library
This is another iconic free thing to do in Melbourne and really, one of the best if you like quirky buildings. You’ll need to take the Metro to Melbourne Central (or walk if you want to keep this truly free)… It’s directly opposite Melbourne Central. If you want the best views, head straight to the top, but don’t forget to walk through the dome too.
Remember that while this is a hot spot for tourists, it is still a library and there will be people working/studying, so be respectful and stay quiet.
Take the old City loop Tram
Not to be confused with the old tram restaurant (more on that later!), the city loop tram is a completely free way to travel around the city & there’s even old tram cars in circulation for an authentic old-world travel experience. You can see time tables and more information here.
Walk the Graffiti Lanes
There are so many of these you’ll struggle to not find them while you’re walking around Melbourne. And if you’ve been to Melbourne before and think you’ve ‘been there, done that’… go check them out again because they’re always changing and you might be lucky enough to catch a new one in the process!
A Free City Walking Tour
A backpacker classic for a reason. A city walking tour is not only one of the best free things to do in Melbourne if you want to learn about the city from a loca, but it’s a great way to meet new people too!
For a city tour that includes sampling the local beer and coffee, we recommend this tour!
Visit Melbourne Chinatown
Did you really visit any Australian city if you didn’t visit Chinatown? Melbourne’s Chinatown could be as free or as expensive as you want to make it depending on where you eat, but I can assure you you’ll find some of the best chinese food outside of china, right here in Melbourne’s chinatown!
Photograph the Iconic Flinders Station
A trip to Melbourne wouldn’t be complete without snapping a shot of the famous Flinders Station. This item on our list of free and cheap things to do in Melbourne doesn’t need much explanation. Hop on a train from anywhere in the city then cross the road before turning around to admire its splendour.
Check Out Street Artists At Federation Square
Federation Square is very much an open air theatre and art gallery. There’s always something going on here so if you have time and want to sit and relax with some free entertainment, head to Federation Square at any time of day. During the winter there’s usually ice skating and Christmas markets here too!
Want a guided tour of street art, led by an Artist? Check out this tour!
Urban Photography Around The City
As with any city, there are so many great photo opportunities scattered around this city, so it seemed only fair to feature it as an option for one of the free things to do in Melbourne. Some of our highlights for photography have already been mentioned, but you won’t have to wander for long before you find more!
Discover Something New at Melbourne Central shopping Centre.
I absolutely loved this shopping centre. Not only because it’s conveniently contained within Melbourne Central station, but also because it hides one of our favourite shots from Melbourne. Find the tower, and look up if you want to snap this shot for yourself. That’s all I’m saying haha.
Walk Chapel Street in South Yarra
The walk itself is free, of course, but depending on your personality you may end up spending quite a bit here! South Yarra, and Chapel Street in general, is a shopping & night light hot spot in Melbourne. We lived here for a few weeks while looking for our perfect campervan and let’s just say – we were happy to head for quieter nights haha. That aside though, there’s lots of great boutique cafes, little stores and bars along here with the atmosphere being chill during the day, and crazy in the evening.
Comedy night at The Attik
This is one highlight for our time in South Yarra. Even as I’m updating this post almost 6 years later I’m thrilled that this palace is still open! The Attik hosts free comedy nights every Thursday from 6pm with free popcorn and cheap pizzas. The lineup when we were there was good but the pizzas were to-die-for, and as a penny-pinching backpacker, I’d eaten a lot of cheap pizza. If you’re in the area and looking for a laugh, we really do recommend hitting up the Attik and if you do, let us know in the comments if it’s as good as we remember!
HISTORIC Free Things To Do In Melbourne
Melbourne might not be the oldest city in the world but it’s still full of history if you know where to look. So let’s dive into the best historic free things to do in Melbourne!
South Melbourne Market
We’ll talk about Melbourne’s more famous market in a minute but right now, I want to let you know about South Melbourne Market. While the next market is arguably more popular, I think South Melbourne Market is perhaps more impressive. It might not be as big, but it’s older (built in 1867) and that’s gotta count for something? Here you’ll find a lot of traditional style market stalls including butchers, veg stalls etc.
Queen Victoria Market
This one is likely already on your list of historical free things to do in Melbourne, but like I just mentioned, built in 1887, it isn’t actually the oldest market in Melbourne. So why’s is so popular? Well, it’s the largest open air market in the southern hemisphere. If you want to pick up some cheap souvenirs or some street food, this is where you need to go! If you’re here in the winter, their night market is really fun!
Visit Block Arcade
For great architecture and a good feel of how things used to be, a visit to Block Arcade is a must! I could spend hours wandering up and down this little shopping hall, looking at the fine details that many of the daily visitors miss. Don’t forget to look up!
Why not try out this new Donut & history walking tour to really make the most of your time in Melbourne?
National Gallery Of Victoria
If you’re a fan of art, you’ll really appreciate the National Gallery of Victoria. I love that many of the museums in Melbourne are free, so they make for really good rainy day things to do in Melbourne. This place is huge and has a mix of everything, it could easily take up half a day.
Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance
Located in Kings Domain, the Shrine of Remembrance is a war memorial like no other that we’ve visited. Not only does it offer amazing views over the city, but it’s beautifully built too.
St. Paul’s Cathedral
After a few month’s in Australia I was really missing European architecture, churches and cathedrals. I’m not at all religious but I think they add a certain feel to a town or city that Australia often feels like it’s missing. St. Paul’s Cathedral is another of the best historic free things to do in Melbourne if you feel the same. It’s no The Sagrada Família in Spain, but there’s no denying it’s really well built inside!
Cheap Things To Do In Melbourne
Ready to see more of the city, and happy to spend a few dollars? Here are some of our favourite things to do in Melbourne on a budget. Since everyone’s budget is different, and we all have different priorities, there’s a good mix of cheap things to do in Melbourne here so you’re sure to find one or two things to add to your list!
Cheap Things To Do In Melbourne With Friends & Family
Starting the list with some cheap, and not so cheap things to do in Melbourne with friends and family. There’s a few things on this list that perhaps aren’t considered cheap but I felt it worth including them because they’re fun and I know the kids will love them. Hey, I loved them and it’s been a while since I could get away with a child’s ticket.
Eureka SkyDeck Experience
The Eureka SkyDeck is the Southern Hemisphere’s tallest viewing platform. At $30 per person, it’s 100% worth the entrance fee. After travelling up 88 floors in 38 seconds, you’ll get 360’ views of the city and amazing views of the city if you go at night!
Melbourne Aquarium
Who doesn’t love an Aquarium? At $37 per person I know it’s not the cheapest thing on this list but I still thought it was a reasonable price and SeaLife always makes for a fun day out with the family!
If you’re not travelling up to Queensland, there’s also Melbourne zoo which makes a nice replacement if you can’t go to the Australia Zoo.
Immigration Museum
An interesting museum choice for people interested in history and how immigration has changed the world. For $15 per person, it’s a cheap thing to do in Melbourne with friends on a rainy day or if you want to kill a few hours. They always have something going on, so check their website for the latest timetables.
A Tour Of The Great Ocean Road
Although personally, I’d say hire a car and experience it at your own pace, there are plenty of options available for budget friendly Great Ocean Road tours. This road is incredible, and incredibly popular with tourists, tour coaches, van lifers and surfers. From amazing wildlife, to breathtaking scenery, it’s a road I wish we’d spent more time on.
Hit the hot spots and see wild Koalas with this tour of the Great Ocean Road
Go Gold At The Cinema
If you’ve exhausted everything else on this list of free and cheap things to do in Melbourne, then you really should try out the gold seating in Australian cinemas… If you think premier seating at home is good… Gold here will blow.your.mind. Get table service, completely relaxed seating and your own little nook to enjoy the film from. It’s like your own private viewing.
Shop ‘Till You Drop At Melbourne’s Biggest Discount Shopping Centre – The DFO.
Again, fond memories of this place due to the food court being where I got my first Aussie job. This shopping centre is awesome for picking up a bargain & the food hall is pretty good too if I do say so myself.
Cheap Things To Do In Melbourne FOR FOOD
If there’s one thing Melbourne does best, it’s incredible food. We certainly ate plenty of it while we were there, so I’m dedicating our final section to cheap things to do in Melbourne for food! Some are quirky, some are just down right delicious.
Grab One of Melbourne’s Infamous Freak Shakes
When I first wrote this post in early 2018, freak shakes were a huge deal in Melbourne and I’m pleased to say they still are! Most cafes sell them now but our favourite was at ‘Abbey Road’ in St. Kilda…. it came topped with a whole doughnut!
Photo by Fatima Akram on Unsplash
Try Some Famous Eats
Knowing famous restaurants and their price tag, this one shouldn’t really be on this list of cheap things to do in Melbourne but hey ho, here it is because Melbourne is home to a few restaurants owned by famous chefs, so it’d be rude not to include them. From Heston Blumenthal to MasterChef Australia’s George Calombaris, there’s quite a few celebrity chef eateries in Melbourne so why not treat yourself and let us know how it was?
Have A Meal At The Old Tram Restaurant
Unfortunately this has closed down now but I didn’t want to remove it from this list completely because it was such a cute little place and I feel it should be remembered by tourists past and present. It was An old-style tram that took you around the city whilst you dine. It always had a massive waiting list so we never got a chance to go, such a shame it closed.
Grab A Meal And Entertainment At Witches Britches
Love halloween? Love good food? This themed restaurant & theatre is a must if you love anything quirky. Again, tickets sell out fast so we never got a chance to go while we were in Melbourne but if you’re heading over, definitely check them out. You can see what’s on and grab tickets here.
Eat And Drink Like Viking With Mjolner
This one’s here for nostalgia sake too – sorry not sorry – because I worked at the Sydney branch of this incredible quirky brand. Another themed restaurant, the Mjolner restaurants are set up like speakeasies, with hard to find doors and hidden rooms. You’ll get to eat with giant hand-forged knives and drink from cows horns while being served by vikings. Try one of their flaming cocktails, eat like an absolute king and then take home one of their many souvenir choices including one of a kind knives.
On quieter days (Monday to Wednesday) you can usually grab a table pretty easily or sit at the bar. Thursday to Saturday you’ll need to book in advance and get there on time – they run on a strict 2 hour eating slot because of how busy they are.
And there we have it! 40ish free and cheap things to do in Melbourne on a budget, whether you’re travelling with friends or family, there’s something to do for everyone in this city that won’t wipe out your travel budget. If you’re exploring further afield than the city, checkout our other Australia itineraries and drop us a comment to let us know what you thought.
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As I read I felt like saying “..and the list goes on and on”. Melbourne certainly has a lot of exciting places to see. As a tourist I would like to visit the beautiful Melbourne Royal Botanical Gardens and Victoria State Library. Comedy night at The Attic and the National Gallery Victoria seem equally interesting. I wonder how does their Chinatown compare to Chinatown in New York
It seems there are many free things to do in Melbourne.Botanical Gardens are always in my interests.I also like to photograph iconic buildings.Thanks for this awesome list!
Melbourne is a beautiful city been there few years back.. If I visit again I will remember your post..
Will keep this list in mind. Thanks! I look forward to visit Melbourne, Australia soon.
I have always wanted to go to Australia. Melbourne seems absolutely amazing and like there are so many things to do.
I love to visit Melbourne and your guide is very detail and helpful. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, Australia has a lot things to offer. This is useful to those who travels on budget in Melbourne. From your list, aside from food spotting that helicopter ride and Eureka Sky deck experience caught my attention. You surely had a great time at Melbourne.
Well doesn’t Melbourne look absolutely beautiful! Australia is bucket list destination and not just for a week I would need a few months to uncover all of its jewels! Thank you for sharing a piece of Melbourne with us.
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I have been to Australia twice but never to Melbourne (been in Sydney and Bathurst twice). I want to visit the St. Paul’s Cathedral. I also love to have a selfie on that mural.
What a great list! I’ve yet to visit Australia and I hope to in the next few years!
Marriah Tarango
Have been to Australia a few times, somehow always missed going to Melbourne. Your article gives lots of interesting information, which I will refer to when I visit the city.
Wow! Thanks for the list of budget friendly to dos in Melbourne. Hopefully to visit it soon.
Australia is on my bucket list. It’s been on there for years. If I ever get there I appreciate that there are plenty of free places to visit in addition to the paid attractions.
I will be sure to pop down to some of these areas when I am on my travels great post!
such a vibrant fun city! definitely in my travel goals!