Things to Do in Melbourne: City Highlights

November 5, 2026

Melbourne packs its best days into a compact grid, so most of what follows sits within a short walk or a free tram ride of Flinders Street Station.

Getting around the centre

Trams inside the Free Tram Zone, which covers the CBD and Docklands, cost nothing, and you do not touch on for trips that stay inside it. Touch on at the reader if your trip starts or finishes outside the zone. Victoria runs half-price public transport from 1 June 2026 until 1 January 2027, and bank cards and phones now work as tickets on trains, trams and buses for full-fare passengers. Concession and youth riders still need a myki. Tap on and off with the same card or device.

Queen Victoria Market

The market trades on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 6am to 3pm, on Saturday from 6am to 4pm and on Sunday from 9am to 4pm. Monday and Wednesday daytime are closed, so plan your visit around those days. A Saturday morning gives the most atmosphere, and a Tuesday gives quieter aisles. The market has traded on its site since 1878 and the Queen Victoria Market site lists current hours.

Laneways and arcades

Hosier Lane and AC/DC Lane carry the street art, and the murals change often. Degraves Street and Centre Place are the coffee lanes. Royal Arcade dates from 1870, and Block Arcade from 1892, where The Tea Rooms 1892 serves tea and cake under a mosaic floor.

Galleries

NGV International on St Kilda Road and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square are two separate buildings. Both open daily from 10am to 5pm, including Mondays, and the permanent collections are free. Special exhibitions may charge, and the free NGV Triennial runs from 13 December 2026 to 11 April 2027 at NGV International. See the NGV visit page for hours.

Views and green space

Melbourne Skydeck sits on Level 88 of Eureka Tower in Southbank. It opens daily from noon, and the Edge glass cube costs extra. Adult entry runs from roughly AUD 33 to 43 online and changes by date. The Melbourne Star wheel in Docklands reopened on 15 October 2026, with 30-minute rotations. The Royal Botanic Gardens are free to enter, and Punting on the Lake runs daily from 11am to 5pm.

Money and manners

Australia is close to cashless, so a contactless card or phone works almost everywhere. Tipping is not customary, and the price on the menu or ticket already includes 10 per cent GST.

Booking

Guided options and combined tickets can be compared on GetYourGuide . Check opening hours on the venue site before you set out, since hours shift for events and holidays.