17 Things to do as a backpacker in Melbourne

Melbourne was my first stop in the land of the kangaroo. It’s a cultural, vibrant city with shiny skyscrapers decorating the skyline and greenery and nature spread throughout on the ground below. It offers something for everyone and has so much to do. I spent two weeks in the city. You may hear about how Melbourne experiences four seasons in a day. Trust me its true. It may be sunny in the morning, raining in the afternoon and freezing in the evening. I thought every day would be scorching as a clueless tourist. So, always take a light jumper with ya. In no particular order… here are 17 things to do in Melbourne.

1. Free Walking Tour

You don't need to book, just turn up and meet your friendly local in a bright green shirt. This was one of my absolute favourite things that I did. It's the best way to learn about the city and you go to the main places so it really serves to orient yourself around too. You learn about the origins of the country and the city. On top of this, you'll see the art in the laneways, major landmarks like the very grand flinders street station, visit and sample some locally recommended coffee.

They run tours daily at 10:30 am and 2:30 pm.

2. Eureka Tower

The best way to see the whole city is from the goldplated skyscraper, the Eureka Tower. The Eureka sky deck is the third tallest building in Australia at 297.3 m tall. It can be found on the 88th floor and offers panoramic views of the city. If you are brave, you can pay extra to walk on a dangling cube suspended 300 metres above the city. It was $22.00 to go up, sunset/sunrise is the best time to experience these views.

3. Chinatown

If you are craving some bubble tea or anything Chinese, this is the place to go. I went during the Chinese new year so I saw the lions dancing around smacking lettuces into restaurant doors for good luck. It was established during the 1850's gold rush and it's the longest continuous Chinese settlement in the Western world.

4. Yarra River Cruise

Personally, I love seeing a city from the water. Melbourne is home to the Yarra River and there is an array of companies doing tours along the river. Go to the river opposite Flinders Station and find the best deal. As you travel downwards you'll pass some of the big sites like the Crown Casino and the Aquarium, you'll end up at the dockyard, learning some history as you go.

5. State Library of Victoria

Built-in 1854, with over 2 million books the library is definitely worth seeing, especially for its neoclassical architecture. It's Australia's oldest public library. The dome was my favourite part, reminding me of a Wes Anderson movie.

6. Bourke Street

If you want to quench your shopping urges this is the place to go. There's the Meyer centre, which is a large department store and lots of other chain and independent stores. The H&M store used to be the city's general postal office so it's worth checking out for its architecture. However, the best thing about Bourke street is the street performers. It's difficult to get a licence in Melbourne with performers having to perform before a panel of judges before being allowed to perform to the public. This means that the street performers there are unique and incredibly talented. I saw some amazing violin players whilst I was there.

7. Queen Victoria Market

The Queen Vic market is the biggest open market in the southern hemisphere. If you are a massive foodie like me, you will not be disappointed. There is food from all over the world and live music. Just make sure you go with an empty stomach!

8. The Old Treasury Building

I stumbled across this free museum as I'd always go to the Treasury Gardens to read. It's a beautiful building, which delves into Melbourne's history with a particular focus on the gold rush. You'll see the original gold vaults where the gold was stored during the gold rush era and see what it was like to live there in the past!

9. National Gallery of Victoria

With over 70,000 works of art, the NGV is well worth seeing. It hosts international and local art. My favourite section was the aboriginal art.

10. Botanic Gardens and Shrine of Remembrance

The shrine of remembrance is a war memorial for all the Australians who have been to war. From the top, you see an expansive view of the beautiful gardens.

11. The Sofitel Toilet

Ok, a bit of a random one but let me explain. The toilet is rated as one of the must-sees by Times in Melbourne. This is because of the panoramic views you see of the city for free.

12. Laneways

You can't go to Melbourne without seeing the Laneways. These are streets full of creative Graffiti. The rule is you can only paint over other artists work if you are going to create something that's better. Hence, the artwork is so incredible and always changing.

13. Museum of Melbourne

if you are interested in learning about natural and cultural history then the museum is worth visiting. The cost of entry is $15.

14. Federation Square

This is the main square opposite Flinders Street station. It's a venue for public events and large scale sporting events are showcased on a giant projector. It's a nice place to have lunch from surrounding food stalls and people watch.

15. St Kilda

You probably went to Australia for the beaches right? A short tram ride from the city there's St Kilda beach. It's a nice spot to sunbathe, with lots of parties and bars all around. There are so many backpackers here and it's a good place to stay to meet new people. I stayed at X Base. This was my first ever hostel experience and I met so many crazy and amazing people. There's always an event happening in the evening from chilli eating competitions to bingo. It's a lot of fun. If you are looking for a party hostel then X Base is a good option.

16. ArtVo

This is an interactive art museum. Basically, the walls are decorated with large murals that you can stand in making it look like you are part of the artwork. It is really fun jumping into the art, pulling strange faces and posing for the cameras. They make good Instagram pics! It is a little pricey at $28 but keeps you entertained for a few hours. It's in a shopping mall so you can spend even more money if your heart desires!

17. Kokoda Track Memorial Walk

If you are feeling active and enjoy the outdoors I'd recommend this short hike. It's a pretty easy bushwalk with beautiful views at the top and along the way but it involves going up 1000 steps. FYI it's free!

Melbourne was the first city of my first solo travel adventure. I completely fell in love with it. A modern city, with greenery, art and amazing food is hard not to love. I thought I wouldn't be away from Melbs for very long having met so many incredible people but the rest of Australia beckoned and the travel adventure had to continue. I can't wait to return to Melbourne one day. Thanks to all the beautiful people that made Australia feel like home, to all the people back home that connected me to friends and helped make the transition so easy.

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