As a Melbournian, you may assume you’ve got the city and its multiple sights, activities and attractions down pat (that ‘secret bar’? Please, you’ve been there 5 times and know the head bartender.).
And we get it; we spend so much time avoiding the out of town crowds, instead sticking to our own local haunts that we end up missing (or actively steering clear of) Melbourne’s main attractions; but what if the tourists are onto something? It’s time to find out, by acting like a tourist in your own city with this ultimate Melbourne bucket list.
1) Cafe Hop Your Way Down Degraves Street
While the cafes speckled along historical Degraves Street mightn’t necessarily serve up the best coffee our fair city has to offer, they are a tourist favourite - and for good reason. Propped in one of the cosy al fresco chairs you’ll have prime access to watching Melbourne life amble by from a distance (rather than being caught up in it all yourself).
If you’re planning on making your way through multiple of the quaint cafes on Degraves, we recommend switching to vino later on to avoid the dreaded caffeine jitters.
2) Have a Wander through the Royal Botanic Gardens
You’ve walked through the Melbourne Botanic Gardens before, of course you have, but have you ever really walked through the Melbourne Botanic Gardens? The next time you do, make a conscious effort to appreciate the natural surroundings in their full glory; take note of the flora, people watch to your heart’s content, and settle down with a good book or a picnic with friends.
Seeking a unique twist on the classic picnic? Check out AmazingCo’s Mystery Picnic experiences, where you’ll spend the day solving clues and riddles, the answers to which lead you to multiple boutique food stores where your picnic pieces await!
3) Go on a Free Walking Tour
Ever wondered what it would be like to see your home city for the first time? Join a walking tour through Melbourne, and you just as well might.
While the inescapable herd of doe eyed camera wielding tourists blindly following an overly excited guide decked out in fluorescent green attire may be a deterrent, the free Melbourne walking tours (departing from the State Library) offer a fresh new perspective of the city, and the history underpinning some of its buildings, bars and laneways.
4) Snap Your Way Through the Graffiti Adorned Alleyways
We’re not going to lie to you, Melbourne’s most graffiti sprawled laneways (we’re looking at you, AC/DC Lane and Hosier Lane) are typically crawling with tourists - but still a must see.
While we’re accustomed to obliviously rushing through -eyes glued to our phones- the street art adorned alleys on the daily, make a conscious effort to actually observe and appreciate the graffiti from an outsider’s perspective.
5) Bewonder the Skyline at a Rooftop Bar
High on any Melbournian’s bucket list should be admiring the city from above, fancy and overpriced cocktail in hand.
It’s no secret that Melbourne loves a good rooftop bar, so much so that our options are beyond plentiful; our top picks are Rooftop Bar in Curtin House (popular to the point of being overcrowded, but justifiably so), Goldilocks (accessed via a Chinese Restaurant on the fourth floor, naturally) and Naked in the Sky (Naked for Satan’s rooftop counterpart).
6) Set Sail Down the Yarra, Beverage in Hand, on a Go Boat
Experience Melbourne CBD from the middle of the Yarra River with GoBoat; an eco friendly, zero emission boat made from recycled bottles. You’ll be hiring the boat for 1, 2 or 3 hours, and 8 people can fit on board.
Best of all, you’re free to bring snacks and alcohol on board so you can truly make a day of it - just make sure your captain isn’t drinking to avoid a crash situation.
7) Watch the World Go By on the Free City Circle Tram
There’s something incomparably relaxing about sitting on a tram without having anywhere to go, absentmindedly watching the world flurry past without the unnerving feeling you may miss your stop if you get to entranced in your book/ phone/ people watching activities.
The free city circle tram, while possibly the slowest tram in the country and enemy to all those automobiles unfortunate enough to be trapped behind it, captures Melbourne in its most touristy light. To truly become one with the hoards of out of towners slouched on the ancient tram seats, give Spotify a miss, and listen to the auditory commentary detailing the passing by CBD attractions.
8) Get Your Culture on with a Museum and Art Gallery Hop
On every Melbournian’s bucket list should be a cultural meander through our city’s plethora of galleries and museums.
Top of every self professed art lover’s list is the National Gallery of Victoria and Melbourne Museum, but our creative venues don’t end there; lovers of modern art will find solitude in the Heide museum, while venturing North leads to the (very) quaint, boutique Brunswick Street Gallery.
9) Stand on the Edge at Eureka Skydeck
Lending itself as an excellent exposure therapy exercise for those with a crippling fear of heights, the Eureka Tower looms grandiosely over the city at 300 metres tall- and you can be right in the action at the very top on the 88th floor!
Questions regarding the obnoxious height of the building aside, venturing up the top floor makes for a superbly high adrenaline, very non run of the mill weekend activity; for just $12, you’ll be suspended nearly 300 metres over the CBD in a completely transparent glass cube (look down, and your feet will literally look like they’re suspended mid air - freaky stuff).
10) Amble through the Queen Victoria Market (Or Any Market for That Matter)
If you haven’t paid Melbourne’s reigning favourite market a visit in a while, it’s time to. Buzzing, lively, home to this fair city of ours’ best spinach boreks and walking distance from Melbourne’s best coffee shops (we’re looking at you Seven Seeds and Brother Baba Budan), the Queen Vic is inarguably the mecca of all markets.
But why stop there? - Your market choices aren’t restricted to that of her majesty Victoria alone; venture to South Melbourne Market and sip on a coffee in the sunshine at Market Lane coffee (or grab a takeaway and stroll through the quaint, hidden residential alleyways) or make your way to the crafty St Kilda Esplanade Market for a beachy day out.
