Melbourne 7 Day Itinerary (No Tourist Traps)
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Seven days is our 6-day itinerary , the city core, the Yarra Valley, and the Dandenongs, with a seventh day added: Ballarat and Sovereign Hill, a genuine 1850s gold-rush open-air museum reachable by V/Line train. By now the city core is well and truly done, this stays a light final add rather than a full day trip week, that version of the trip is our Melbourne + Beyond 7-day itinerary .
Day-by-day at a glance
| Day | Focus | Est. spend (excl. hotel) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CBD laneways, Federation Square (NGV/ACMI), the Yarra and Southbank | ~AUD $80-120 |
| 2 | MCG, Queen Victoria Market, St Kilda | ~AUD $100-150 |
| 3 | Fitzroy, Carlton, Royal Botanic Gardens/Shrine, Eureka Skydeck | ~AUD $90-140 |
| 4 | Brunswick/Richmond food, Williamstown or Brighton boxes | ~AUD $70-110 |
| 5 | Yarra Valley: wine and Healesville Sanctuary | ~AUD $150-250 |
| 6 | Dandenong Ranges and Puffing Billy | ~AUD $80-130 |
| 7 | Ballarat and Sovereign Hill | ~AUD $100-160 |
Book these before you go
- ETA or eVisitor : sort entry before you fly, Australia has no visa-free entry.
- Sovereign Hill: buy tickets ahead in peak season, the site is large enough to need a full day.
- St Kilda penguins: the dusk viewing slot is free but needs a timed reservation that books out.
Day 1: CBD, laneways, and Federation Square
Federation Square and Flinders Street Station, then the laneways, Hosier Lane, Degraves St, the Block Arcade (1892), and Royal Arcade (1870). ⚠ NGV Australia at Fed Square and NGV International on St Kilda Rd are two separate free buildings, not one gallery. ACMI, a walk to Southbank, and dinner in Chinatown, the oldest continuously running Chinatown in the Western world.
Day 2: MCG, markets, and St Kilda
The MCG (Australia’s largest stadium, ground tours around AUD $38), Queen Victoria Market (1878), and St Kilda’s Luna Park and Acland St. The little penguins come ashore on the breakwater at dusk, free but book the timed reservation ahead.
Day 3: Fitzroy, Carlton, and the gardens
Fitzroy’s Brunswick St, then Carlton’s Lygon St, credited as the country’s espresso birthplace, Pellegrini’s (1954) is still there. The Royal Botanic Gardens or the Shrine of Remembrance (both free), then Eureka Skydeck (around AUD $30-40) for the evening view. ⚠ The Melbourne Star wheel nearby is closed for restoration.
Day 4: Brunswick, Richmond, and a half-day out
Morning: Brunswick’s Sydney Rd for multicultural food and live-music venues.
Midday: Richmond’s Victoria St, “Little Saigon,” for Vietnamese food.
Afternoon: A half-day trip: either the historic seaport of Williamstown (ferry or tram) or the Brighton bathing boxes, ⚠ these are in Melbourne’s own bayside suburbs, not on the Mornington Peninsula, so no long drive is needed.
Evening: A relaxed last dinner wherever you haven’t already eaten, Fitzroy, Richmond, and the CBD all have room for one more.
Day 5: Yarra Valley
Morning: About 1h15 from the city by car or tour, a true day trip, no overnight needed. Wine cellar doors are the draw.
Midday: A cellar-door lunch at one of the wineries.
Afternoon: Healesville Sanctuary for Australian wildlife, koalas, kangaroos, and wombats in a bush setting.
Evening: Back in Melbourne for a last dinner, no long drive involved either way.
Day 6: Dandenong Ranges and Puffing Billy
Morning: About an hour from the city, and ⚠ reachable by Metro train to Belgrave, no car needed.
Midday: Puffing Billy, the heritage steam train through the ranges, one of the easiest genuine day trips in Victoria.
Afternoon: The forested Dandenong Ranges themselves, cooler and greener than the city, worth the walk between stops.
Evening: Back in Melbourne for a last relaxed dinner, no long return drive involved.
Day 7: Ballarat and Sovereign Hill
Morning: About 1.5 hours from Melbourne, workable by V/Line train, no car required.
Midday: Sovereign Hill, an open-air recreation of an 1850s gold-rush town, easily fills the middle of the day.
Afternoon: Panning for gold and exploring the underground mine tour are the two things worth budgeting real time for here.
Evening: Back to Melbourne for a final dinner, this closes out the week without another long day on the road.
Is a full week worth it in Melbourne?
Yes, if you split it the way this itinerary does: four days of city, three of increasingly rewarding day trips, rather than cramming everything into the city itself. If a Grampians overnight or the Mornington Peninsula appeals more than Ballarat, swap day 7 for either, the rest of this spine holds either way. Get your ETA or eVisitor sorted before you fly and load a Myki once you land, trams and buses outside the Free Tram Zone need one.