15 Things To Do in Melbourne When You’re in Town for the Australian Open
The players are warming up and in just a matter of days the likes of Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, and Australia’s own world No.1 Ash Barty will hit the courts at Melbourne Park for the Australian Open 2021. If you’re heading to Melbourne to watch tennis' greatest stars battle it out at the socially distanced Grand Slam, here are 15 off-the-court things to do while you’re there.
1. Go behind the scenes at Melbourne’s sporting venues
Melbourne isn’t just home to the Australian Open. It’s also the host city for other major sporting events including the Formula 1® Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park, the Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse, and both the AFL Grand Final and the annual Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Join a sports tour to access normally off-limits parts of these legendary venues.
2. Eat your way around Queen Victoria Market
Queen Victoria Market is food mecca for Melburnians and visitors to the Victoria capital. Pro tip: Don’t skimp on ordering a hot donut from American Doughnut Kitchen.
3. Scan the laneways for street art
Check out the graffiti and murals along the laneways (don’t miss Hosier Lane, AC/DC Lane, and Croft Alley). For more, head to Blender Studios, a converted warehouse where street artists paint, run workshops, and exhibit work.
4. Take a ride on the City Circle Tram
Hop on the City Circle Tram, which stops at Flinders Street Station, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Parliament House, and other must-see sights.
5. Find Melbourne’s best hidden bars
To find Melbourne’s best cocktails, you’ll need to navigate the laneways, disappear behind bookshelves, and descend staircases leading underground. Avoid inadvertently breaking into a restaurant’s storeroom (trust us, we've been there) and let a local guide show you where to go.
6. Get to know the city's coffee culture
Coffee is as synonymous with Melbourne as street art and next-level avo on toast. Take a specialized coffee tour to scratch below the surface of the city’s distinct coffee and cafe culture—tastings included.
7. Walk the Golden Mile
Follow the Golden Mile Heritage Trail from the Immigration Museum to the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Royal Exhibition Building via a roll call of Melbourne’s most significant buildings for a crash course in the city’s history.
8. Spend a day at one (or more) of Melbourne’s bay beaches
Sure, Melbourne isn’t known for its beaches in the way Sydney or Perth are, but the city’s bayside beaches shouldn't be overlooked. Our top picks? Brighton Beach, with its Instagram-famous bathing boxes, and St. Kilda (with a trip to Luna Park tacked on).
9. Explore Melbourne's neighborhoods
Go beyond Fed Square and the CBD in search of the neighborhoods that make Melbourne tick.
10. Shop the arcades
Browse Melbourne’s arcades, from the historic Royal Arcade, which opened in 1870, to art deco Campbell Arcade, where you’ll find record stores and eclectic clothing and jewellery shops.
And if you’re making a longer trip of it ...
11. Go hiking in Grampians National Park
Pack your hiking boots for a day of bushwalking, waterfalls, ancient Aboriginal rock art, and wildlife-spotting in Grampians National Park.
12. Hit the Great Ocean Road
Take a road trip along the Great Ocean Road to see the route’s natural rock stars: Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, and the Gibson Steps.
Related: Ways to See the Great Ocean Road
13. Ride a steam train through the Dandenong Ranges
Take a drive through the Dandenongs, just an hour from Melbourne, and ride the oldest steam train in Australia through forests of towering mountain ash trees.
14. Taste wine in the Yarra Valley
Did you even go to Melbourne if you didn’t make the 1-hour trip to Yarra Valley for a day spent sipping Australia’s best pinor noir and sparkling wines?
15. Watch the penguin's parade
Little penguins (that’s actually what they’re called) waddling up the beach en masse to cozy up in their nests after a long day of swimming and fishing. The Penguin Parade on Phillip Island is a definite bucket list item, and only two hours outside of Melbourne.
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