Known for its coffee, food and colorful street art, Melbourne is Australia’s second most populous city after Sydney. This post covers how to spend one day in Melbourne if you find yourself strapped for time. There are definitely things to do for a few days in Melbourne, but if one day is all you have, then I got you!
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Table of Contents
Is One Day in Melbourne Enough Time?
I think you need at least two days in Melbourne. While you can definitely see everything I have listed in this one day in Melbourne itinerary within a day, adding a second day will allow you to also see the sites I have included in the “With More Time” section below.
Most of the sites on this one day in Melbourne itinerary are within walking distance, barring a couple which I will call out.
How to Spend One Day in Melbourne
Brighton Beach
Start your day at Brighton Beach. You could go for a swim (in the summer) or check out the Brighton bathing boxes. Believe it or not these wooded boxes are worth hundreds and thousands of dollars! This is a great photo spot for those who like taking pictures of colorful things like I do. If you are not interested in swimming nor taking pictures of the beach boxes, you could skip this and start directly at the next destination outlined below. From Brighton, catch an Uber to your next destination. If you have your own vehicle, stop at Green Point just up the road from Brighton to see a nice view of the Melbourne skyline.
Queen Victoria Market
The Queen Victoria Market is a Melbourne classic and has been in operation since 1878. This market has everything you can imagine and is a must see even if you only have one day in Melbourne! From fresh produce to souvenirs to food trucks to clothing and so much more! It’s the ideal place to get souvenirs to take home. It is opened everyday except Monday and Wednesday. However, they do have a night market on Wednesdays during the summer months.
State Library of Victoria
It is well worth going into the State Library to see the La Trobe Reading. Climb a few stories up to really see the beauty of this room.
Explore Melbourne’s Arcades
Melbourne is home to a few Victorian shopping arcades that have been around since the late 1800s. Definitely check out Royal Arcade and Block Arcade. These are both very close to each other.
Roam Melbourne’s Busy Roads and Streets
From little streets full of cafes to big shopping streets, Melbourne has some really interesting streets that you should check out. Little Bourke Street, Collins Streets, Little Collins, Block Place, Degraves Street are a few you should check out!
Flinders Station
Flinders Station is one of Melbourne’s most iconic buildings! This art nouveau style building is over 100 years old and houses one of the longest platforms in the world! The busy crossing in front is also worth observing as locals and tourists alike all scurry along. On the opposite side of the station is Federation Square, a popular place for cultural events in Melbourne.
National Gallery of Victoria
If you are still doing good on time, then check out the National Gallery of Victoria. The gallery is free to enter (unless you want to visit a special exhibit). If you love art, you could easily spend a few hours here exploring ancient and modern art and artifacts from around the world.
St .Paul’s Cathedral
St. Paul’s is another major landmark in Melbourne and was built in the late 1800s on the site where the first public Christian service in Melbourne was conducted in 1835. The interior is very interesting and nothing like I have seen before!
Hoiser Lane
I love colorful streets and Hoiser Lane did not disappoint! This narrow lane is full of street art and if you are lucky, you may even see an artist at work! Definitely recommend checking out Hoiser Lane during your one day in Melbourne.
Penguin Parade at Philip Island
This is a cool experience and one you can easily do if you have a car. One thing to note is that it takes around 2 hours to get to Philip Island from Melbourne so keep plenty of time to get there. Each evenings a colony of penguins emerge from the ocean and walk into their burrows at shore. This happens almost like clockwork close to sunset. Sunset does vary by time of year so check out opening times and tickets HERE. It is very highly recommended to get tickets in advance.
If you don’t have a vehicle, you can check out one of the tours below, however, they start around 1 pm so you will have to wrap up the rest of the things on this one day in Melbourne itinerary before this time (doable I think if you start your day early and don’t swim at Brighton).
Walking Tours
If you much rather have someone else organize a tour for you and have a local guide walk you through most of the places on this one day in Melbourne itinerary, then check out this highly rated tour below!
A Quick Note About Melbourne
Melbourne is famous for some of the best coffee in the world! I don’t drink coffee so I unfortunately cannot recommend where to find the best coffee but please include some coffee stops into this itinerary if you love coffee!
More Than One Day in Melbourne?
You can add these to your time in Melbourne if you have more than one day in the city!
Melbourne Skydeck
The Melbourne Skydeck is the tallest viewing platform in the Southern Hemisphere and offers 360 degree views of the city of Melbourne. If you want to, you maybe able to add this to your one day in Melbourne if you have time after seeing the rest of the city but before you venture out to see the penguins. But, I would probably play this by ear! See HERE for opening hours and tickets.
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The famous MCG is an iconic stadium! It is the largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere, the 11th largest globally, and the second-largest cricket arena by capacity. You can visit the stadium on a tour.
South Melbourne Market
Similar to the Queen Victoria Market, the South Melbourne Market also carries a wide variety of goods. The market is open on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
St. Kilda
St.Kilda is a seaside suburb in Melbourne that is known for its bohemian and artistic vibe. It’s also home to Luna Park, which is an amusement park and the Palais Theatre, which houses many live music event.
Museums
If you have more than one day in Melbourne, you may want to check out one or two of its many museums. The Melbourne Museum is the largest museum in the Southern Hemisphere and is a natural history museum. There is also an Immigration Museum that share stories of Melbourne’s immigrants and a former jail now turned museum called the Old Melbourne Goal which was Victoria’s oldest prison, which housed criminals and the infamous Ned Kelly.
Day Trips
Melbourne is a great base for a couple of recommended day trips. Click the link on each one to read more!
Where to Stay with One Day in Melbourne?
With only one day in Melbourne you should aim to stay at a central location like the CBD (Central Business District). The place I stayed at in the CBD was close to a tram and was walking distance to a lot of places. It has a 9.5 location score on booking.com. Check it out HERE!
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