Melbourne Holidays

Melbourne is an intricate city packed with big sights and secret places. It’s cultured and creative, takes shopping seriously, and loves a rooftop bar almost as much as a rooftop garden. Don’t miss the cobbled 19^th-century laneways in the city centre for design studios, galleries, cafés and indie shops. If you only catch one gallery, make it the National Gallery of Victoria. It’s Australia’s oldest and the permanent collection runs to over 70,000 works of art. 

With loads of Melbourne neighbourhoods to discover, be selective and use the city trams. Head for the coast to stroll down historic St. Kilda Pier, or head to fashionable South Yarra for restaurants. Get your cultural bearings on Federation Square at the heart of the city. If you’ve got a hankering for food trucks, you’ll find them in arty Northcote. And don’t miss hip little Fitzroy for the Rose Street Artist’s Market at the weekend.

The 10-day Melbourne Food and Wine Festival held every year in March is just a hint of the city’s passion for eating and drinking. And there are loads of great places to do both, anytime. 

Don’t even consider skipping breakfast on your Melbourne holiday. It’s definitely the most important meal of the day at the coolest cafés in South Yarra. And, if you want to spin breakfast into brunch, Northcote is the neighbourhood to choose at the weekend. Or head to St Kilda for brunch followed by the beach.

Café culture thrives in Melbourne and it’s practically impossible to get bad coffee here. There are even cafés like Auction Rooms in the north of the city, which have their own roastery. Rooftop bars are another Melbourne signature and you’ll find several with great views and gorgeous gardens, tucked above the city’s historic laneways. Naturally, a few of Australia’s top restaurants are also at home in Melbourne too. Our favourite is the award-winning Attica, found on the lovely Rippon Lea Estate. 

Melbourne is ideal for days out to the coast, exploring wine country or even doing a spot of island hopping. Head to Mornington Peninsula, south of the city, to tour award-winning wineries, visit pretty beach towns, or soothe in thermal pools at Peninsula Hot Springs. Just north of Melbourne, Yarra Valley is the region where wine tours blend with art galleries. You can also visit Dame Nellie Melba’s historic house and gardens.

Dandenongs is a must for nature lovers. You can enjoy woodland walks, have close encounters with kookaburras, and wander round the National Rhododendron Gardens. If you’ve got time, catch the 100-year-old steam train in Belgrave for a trip through Dandenongs impressive forests. For drama of a different sort, make your way south of Melbourne to San Remo, then cross the bridge to Phillip Island. Wait around until the evening and you’ll see hundreds of tiny penguins congregate on Summer Beach after a day at sea. 

Unlike a lot of Australian cities, Melbourne has four distinct seasons, similar to the UK. And, like the UK, it’s known for changeable weather. Locals say you can experience every season in a day, especially during springtime between September and November. And they’re not wrong.

That said, the city really heats up in summer – December to February – with temperatures as high as 30°C. If you want a mixture of beach days, al fresco lunches by the river and rooftop bar sunsets, this is the best time to visit Melbourne. But cooler autumn – March to May – is also a great time to go. Temperatures of 20°C mean you can explore the city in comfort, but there’s still plenty of sunshine to tempt you to visit St. Kilda Beach or go on a wine tour around Mornington Peninsula.  

Melbourne holidays in winter are best avoided. It tends to be overcast and chilly, with frosty nights and daytime temperatures as low as 7°C.