Melbourne Sightseeing: Landmarks and Views
Melbourne’s landmarks sit close together, and many can be seen from a free tram or on foot.
Flinders Street Station and Federation Square
Flinders Street Station is the yellow Victorian terminus where locals arrange to meet under the clocks. Federation Square faces it across the road and holds galleries, cafes and an open plaza. The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia is here, and its permanent collection is free.
Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens
The Royal Exhibition Building was built for the 1880 International Exhibition. It and the surrounding Carlton Gardens were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004, which made it the first built-heritage site in Australia to be listed. Melbourne Museum stands beside it in the same gardens.
State Library Victoria
The domed La Trobe Reading Room is free to enter. Check opening hours on the day before you visit.
Shrine of Remembrance
The Shrine is a war memorial in the Kings Domain, and visitors keep a quiet, respectful manner. Entry is free, with donations welcome. It opens daily from 10am to 5pm, and the last entry is at 4:30pm. It is closed on Christmas Day and Good Friday. Free guided tours run on the hour from 10am to 4pm, except at 1pm. Go to the Shrine of Remembrance visit page for current details.
High views
Melbourne Skydeck on Level 88 of Eureka Tower looks across the bay and the grid. It is open from noon to 10pm, and the last entry is at 9:30pm. Online adult tickets run roughly AUD 33 to 43, and the Edge glass cube costs extra. The Melbourne Star wheel in Docklands reopened on 15 October 2026 and gives a lower, slower view in a 30-minute rotation. See the Melbourne Skydeck site for hours.
City Circle tram
The City Circle tram, route 35, runs inside the Free Tram Zone, so rides cost nothing. Check Public Transport Victoria for its current hours.
St Kilda Pier
St Kilda Pier gives a view back toward the skyline. The pier reopened in December 2024. Little Penguins live on the breakwater, and the viewing sessions run after sunset by free ticket only.
How to string it together
A first day can run from Flinders Street Station through Federation Square to the Southbank riverside and up to Skydeck for the evening. A second day suits the Royal Exhibition Building, the State Library and the Kings Domain. Trams inside the Free Tram Zone link most of the CBD stops at no cost.
Weather
Melbourne can swing through four seasons in a day, so pack layers and a rain shell. Summer is December to February and winter is June to August.
Booking
Sightseeing passes and city tours can be compared on GetYourGuide .
Read more: Things to do in Melbourne and Walking tours in Melbourne .