You could easily spend an entire afternoon strolling around Chapel Street. Start at the South Yarra end, where you’ll find plenty of designer shops, chic hotels, and cocktail bars, plus the Palace Cinema and the Jam Factory Entertainment complex. Further south, the Prahran and Windsor districts offer a more laid-back vibe, with highlights including Prahran Market, the Chapel Off Chapel theater, and the Chapel Street Bazaar.
Chapel Street is a must for those wanting to get a taste of local life in Melbourne.
Leave yourself plenty of time and wear comfortable shoes—it takes at least 45 minutes to walk the length of the street, but you’ll want to leave extra time to browse the shops along the way.
Most shops along Chapel Street are open morning to early evening Mondays to Saturdays, with shorter opening hours on Sundays.
Chapel Street is wheelchair and stroller accessible, and many shops and cafés are accessible too.
Chapel Street runs for more than 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) from South Yarra, through Prahran and Windsor, to Balaclava. Tram #78 runs the entire length of the street and the Sandrington Train line links Flinders Street Station in downtown Melbourne with the South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor, and Balaclava train stations—all close to Chapel Street.
Any time is a good time to visit Chapel Street—head there during the day to shop or stay until the wee hours to sample the nightlife. The best days for shopping are Thursday to Saturday, when Prahran Market is open, and many shops also stay open later on Friday evenings.
Experiencing Melbourne like a local means getting to know the city’s diverse neighborhoods. After browsing the luxury boutiques of South Yarra and partying at the hip bars of Windsor, head to laid-back St Kilda to catch some rays on the beach and visit the lively Sunday market. Closer to downtown, Southbank is Melbourne’s arts district, full of museums, performing arts venues, and restaurants; the redeveloped Docklands has harborside shopping malls, gleaming skyscrapers, and the Melbourne Star; while bohemian Fitzroy is crammed with budget eateries, tapas bars, and independent art galleries.
