What to see, where to stay and the best time to visit Melbourne, Australia.
Photo: John Simmons / Pexels
Melbourne is a coastal Australian city of 5,350,705 people. Many of the main sights are in the CBD: Queen Victoria Market, State Library Victoria, Federation Square and the Hosier Lane and Degraves Street laneways. Art, gardens and sport are close by in Southbank, South Yarra and East Melbourne. St Kilda adds a beach. The best months to go are December, January, February and March.
Most main sights take between 1 hour and 2–3 hours each. Melbourne Museum and St Kilda each need half a day. Add time for food and nightlife in Fitzroy and Collingwood.
Southbank
Australia's oldest public art museum, with international collections at NGV International on St Kilda Road and Australian art at the Ian Potter Centre in Federation Square. It is a strong choice on a rainy day.
South Yarra
Large, landscaped gardens with lakes, lawns and plant collections from around the world, a short walk from the city centre. Good for a slow walk or a picnic when the weather is fine.
Melbourne CBD
A large open-air and covered market selling fresh food, deli goods, clothes and souvenirs. Go in the morning for the food halls. Parts of the site are being redeveloped, so some areas may be closed or moved.
Melbourne CBD
Narrow lanes and arcades in the city centre known for street art, small cafés and bars. Hosier Lane is covered in graffiti art, and Degraves Street is a good place for coffee. It can get crowded with photo groups.
East Melbourne
One of the world's largest sports stadiums and the home of Australian cricket and Australian rules football. See a match if you can, or take a stadium tour and visit the Australian Sports Museum inside.
Melbourne (Kings Domain)
Victoria's main war memorial, set in parkland near the Botanic Gardens. There is an exhibition space below, and the balcony gives a good view back towards the city skyline.
Carlton
The museum covers natural history, science and Aboriginal culture, including the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre. Next door, the Royal Exhibition Building is a UNESCO World Heritage site set in the Carlton Gardens.
Melbourne CBD
A grand public library in the city centre, known for its domed reading room. Entry is free and it has small exhibitions on the history of Victoria.
Melbourne CBD
A public square across from Flinders Street Station, with cultural venues including the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI). It is a useful meeting point and a starting place for walks along the Yarra River.
St Kilda
A seaside suburb with a beach, a long pier, the Esplanade and the old Luna Park amusement park. It is easy to reach by tram from the city. The bay is often windy and cool outside summer.
Average weather and our month score, from 10 years of climate data.
| Month | High / low | Rain days | Sunshine | Sea temp | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best month: January | 26°C / 16°C | 8 days (72 mm) | 11.1 h/day | 22°C | 8.3/10 |
| Best month: February | 26°C / 15°C | 6 days (32 mm) | 11.1 h/day | 22°C | 8.9/10 |
| Best month: March | 24°C / 14°C | 7 days (38 mm) | 9.7 h/day | 21°C | 8.6/10 |
| April | 20°C / 11°C | 9 days (66 mm) | 8.4 h/day | 18°C | 8.2/10 |
| May | 16°C / 9°C | 12 days (62 mm) | 7.4 h/day | 15°C | 6.6/10 |
| June | 14°C / 7°C | 11 days (60 mm) | 6.9 h/day | 12°C | 5.4/10 |
| July | 13°C / 7°C | 12 days (56 mm) | 6.9 h/day | 11°C | 4.9/10 |
| August | 14°C / 7°C | 13 days (59 mm) | 7.9 h/day | 12°C | 5.5/10 |
| September | 17°C / 8°C | 13 days (68 mm) | 9.2 h/day | 13°C | 6.7/10 |
| October | 20°C / 10°C | 12 days (80 mm) | 9.9 h/day | 16°C | 7.6/10 |
| November | 22°C / 12°C | 11 days (82 mm) | 10.7 h/day | 18°C | 7.8/10 |
| Best month: December | 25°C / 14°C | 8 days (66 mm) | 11.5 h/day | 21°C | 8.3/10 |
Highs reach 26.4°C with just 7.5 rain days, making this a best-rated month for a visit to Melbourne.
The warmest feel of the year holds with a 25.6°C high and only 5.6 rain days, the top-scoring month overall.
Highs ease to 24°C with 6.9 rain days and 9.7 sun hours, keeping March in the best-rated tier.
Autumn brings a 20°C high and 8.9 rain days; still rated a best month despite cooling temperatures.
Highs drop to 16.2°C and rain days climb to 11.9, pushing the verdict down to good as cooler, wetter weather sets in.
Winter arrives with a 13.6°C high, 10.7 rain days and just 6.9 sun hours, rating only ok for most travellers.
The coldest month: a 13.2°C high, 12 rain days and the lowest score of the year at 4.9, reflecting grey, wet conditions.
Still cold at 14.2°C high with the most rain days of the year, 12.9; the ok rating shows this is tough weather for sightseeing.
Highs rise to 16.5°C but rain days stay high at 12.8; the score improves to good as spring begins.
Highs reach 19.6°C though rain days remain frequent at 12.1 and rainfall peaks at 80mm; still a best-rated month.
Warming to 21.8°C with 10.9 rain days, this best-rated month also has the second-highest rainfall total at 82mm.
Highs of 24.6°C and fewer rain days, 8.4, make December one of the best-scoring months to visit.
Climate averages 2015–2024 · Best time to visit Australia →
The best areas to base yourself and who each one suits.
Good for first-timers, short stays, public transport users
The city centre is a grid of main streets and narrow laneways full of cafes, bars and shops. You can walk to many sights, and trams and trains leave in every direction. It can feel busy and noisy on weekdays, and some streets go quiet late at night.
Good for first-timers, arts lovers, couples
Southbank sits on the south side of the Yarra River, a short walk from the CBD. It is close to the main arts venues and has a riverside path lined with restaurants. It is mostly high-rise towers, so it can feel less personal than older inner suburbs.
Good for food lovers, nightlife, repeat visitors
These inner-north suburbs have old terrace houses, street art, independent shops and many bars and cafes. They are a good base if you want to eat and drink well and see a more local side of the city. Streets near the main strips can be loud at night, especially at weekends.
Good for beach lovers, backpackers, relaxed stays
St Kilda is a seaside suburb with a pier, a foreshore path and a long history as a nightlife area. It is a good choice if you want to be near the water, and trams run to the city. The trip into the CBD takes longer than from inner suburbs, and some streets are rowdy late at night.
Good for shoppers, couples, style-focused travellers
These suburbs south-east of the centre are known for shopping streets, cafes and a well-known food market in Prahran. Train and tram links make it easy to reach the city. Chapel Street can be noisy at weekends, and the area feels more polished than characterful.
Good for families, quiet, food lovers
Carlton is just north of the CBD, with wide streets, parks, the University of Melbourne nearby and a long Italian food tradition on Lygon Street. It is calmer than the CBD but still walkable to the centre. Evening options are fewer than in Fitzroy or the CBD.
Typical journey times and fares from the airport and other cities.
| Route | By | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney → Melbourne NSW TrainLink XPT runs twice daily (day and overnight) from Sydney Central to Melbourne Southern Cross via Albury. The trip takes about 11–12 hours. The $18 'online saver' is the lowest advertised fare. Seats must be reserved before travel. | train | 11 h | 18 AUD ↗ |
| Sydney → Melbourne Firefly Express runs a daily overnight coach from Sydney Central (Pitt St bays) to Melbourne Southern Cross along the Hume Highway. It takes about 12 hours. Fares start at $60 one way. Free WiFi, USB charging and a toilet on board. | bus | 12 h | 60 AUD ↗ |
| Melbourne → Adelaide The Overland (Journey Beyond) runs 2 times a week in each direction, a daytime trip of about 10.5 hours. The fare from $160 comes from Rome2Rio (rome2rio.com/Train/Adelaide/Melbourne), not from the operator. Book early because there are only a few departures. | train | 10 h 30 min | 160 AUD ↗ |
| Melbourne → Adelaide Direct flights from Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Adelaide (ADL). About 3h20m including getting to and from the airports. The fare range is a Rome2Rio estimate (not an operator page), so compare airlines when you book. | flight | 3 h 22 min | 89–254 AUD ↗ |
Melbourne claims to have invented this espresso drink. Locals grab one from a laneway café on the way to work, any day of the week.
Melbourne's small city lanes are packed with cafés serving brunch plates. Weekends mid-morning are the busiest time for this.
Melbourne has a large Greek community, and souvlaki wraps are a common quick lunch or late-night snack in the city centre.
Melbourne's Chinatown, one of the oldest in the Western world, serves dim sum for lunch, popular with office workers and weekend family groups.
Lygon Street has a long history of Italian immigration and is known for pasta and pizza, eaten for dinner by locals and visitors alike.
Melbourne is only an ok choice in August, scoring 5.5 out of 10. Days reach just 14.2°C and nights drop to 7.2°C. It's also one of the wetter months, with rain falling on 12.9 days, so pack a warm layer and a rain jacket.
The best months are December to April, all scoring 8.2 or higher. February tops the list at 8.9, with highs around 25.6°C, lows near 15°C, and only 5.6 rain days. January and March are close behind, with warm days and 9.7 to 11.1 hours of sun.
Plan on 2 to 3 days for the main sights. The National Gallery of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens, and MCG each take 2 to 3 hours, while Queen Victoria Market and the laneways need 1 to 2 hours. Add a half day each for the Melbourne Museum area and St Kilda if you have more time.
It rains on fewer days in summer than in winter. February has the fewest rain days at 5.6, while July has the most at 12. Rainfall amounts are fairly steady year-round, from 32mm in February to 82mm in November, so no month is dry, but winter brings rain more often.
Sea temperatures are warmest from January to March, peaking at 22.4°C in January. They drop through the year to a low of 10.6°C in July, which is too cold for most swimmers. For a swim without a wetsuit, aim for the December to March window.
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