5 things you need to experience at least once in Melbourne
Melbourne is one Australia's most fun places to visit. These are the hidden gems and off-the-beaten-track ways to find the best of the city.
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Melbourne is one of Australia’s most loved cities for its foodie culture, vibrant bar scene and hosting of major sporting events.
One of the joys of visiting Melbourne is discovering hidden cafes, small bars and stunning restaurants amid its many famous laneways. The creativity and resilience of this city is an inspiration.
It's also a place where you can get active and enjoy the sights from a different perspective.
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But if you do want to find the best Melbourne has to see, do and taste - here's some of our top picks.
GO KAYAKING ALONG THE YARRA
Moonlit Melbourne City Kayak Tour and Dinner, RedBalloon, $120
It’s not quite as domineering as Sydney Harbour but the Yarra River provides a gentle backdrop for Melbourne’s interesting architecture and a great place to admire the city’s skyline.
Kayaking by moonlight is a spectacular way to experience Melbourne from a unique water-level perspective.
The tour meets just before sunset in Victoria Harbour, part of the modern Docklands precinct in the west end of the city.
There will be a exploration of the sights in Victoria Harbour before the kayaks dock at a marina for a dinner of fish and chips on the water.
GET ARTY IN MELBOURNE'S LANEWAYS
Melbourne Street Art Tour, Viator, $80
Melbourne is a place that embraces street art and is famous for the vibrant displays that have taken over many of its bustling laneways.
You can take an small group tour of the local street art with practising artists as guides who will describe the different techniques artists use, such as spray painting, stencil art, and paste-ups.
They will also talk about the current issues that influence the local art scene, and about the backgrounds of the artists behind the work.
The tour will end at Blender Studios where you can meet some of the artists themselves while enjoying a gourmet selection of cold beer, wine or soft drink, and refreshing fresh fruit.
"Couldn't recommend more highly. 11/10!" glows one traveller. "I felt like we got taken to places that were off the beaten track and that other tours wouldn't even know about. The chance to see the workshop at the end and share a drink was the icing on the cake."
DISCOVER MELBOURNE’S LEGENDARY BAR SCENE
Three-Hour Melbourne Bar Tour, RedBalloon, from $99
Sydney has tried to imitate Melbourne’s bustling bar scene but nothing beats this city’s eclectic and plentiful selection of small bars.
A three-hour walking tour will take you to four of Melbourne’s trendiest venues, including a visit to a classic Aussie pub, a trendy cocktail bar and a wine bar showcasing some of Victoria’s famed wines. The fourth venue will cater to the group’s interests, the weather or what’s currently hot.
You can meet the bartenders and bar owners as well as get some recommendations for the rest of your stay.
GET YOUR CAFFEINE FIX
Coffee-Lovers Walking Tour, Klook, from $90
The early wave of Italian migration to Melbourne, especially in the 1950s, has had a big influence on this coffee lovers paradise.
You can get your caffeine fix on this walking tour that takes in four top cafes where you can savour different styles of coffee crafted by expert baristas and brewers.
The city is filled with little cafes that have speciality coffees such as Dukes Coffee Roasters, which uses beans that are ethically traded and sourced from individual farms or small cooperatives.
EXPERIENCE AN ADRENALINE RUSH
Rally Car Drive with Hot Lap Experience, RedBalloon, from $345
Melbourne is home to the Grand Prix and where better to experience a rally car drive?
You can drive eight laps at Mount Cottrell, about 40 minutes drive from Melbourne’s CBD, and also experience a lap with a professional race car driver.
The driver will take you on four familiarisations laps before you get behind the wheel of a turbo Subaru STI or Mitsubishi Evo for eight laps.
Afterwards the professional rally driver will take you for a hot lap to experience the car’s top speeds as the pro pushes the car to its limit.
HOW DO I GET FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE CITY?
One of the best ways to get from Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport to the city is via the SkyBus, which runs express services to Melbourne CBD, between 4am and 1am, seven days a week.
You can also catch a public bus from the Terminal 4 Ground Transport Hub, and taxis, rideshare and car rental is also available.
If you’re coming from Avalon Airport, SkyBus operates the Avalon City Express, which runs airport transfers to Southern Cross Station in the Melbourne CBD, as well as Werribee, southwest of the city.
Taxis, rideshare and car rental is available at Avalon Airport, too.
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