How To Spend 2 Days In Melbourne City

Last updated on 6 July 2024

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With only two and a half full days in Melbourne city, we knew we had to spend our time wisely.

If you haven’t caught up on recent posts, my friend and I travelled over to Melbourne, Australia, for a total of a week about a month ago. We spent the first full day in Melbourne city before heading out on our Great Ocean Road trip. The Wednesday we returned the rental car and go ready to be city-slickers until our flight back to Auckland on Saturday.

Knowing that we had limited time, we decided to buy tickets for the Hop-on Hop-off bus that does a city loop. If you’re unfamiliar with these, they’re exactly what they sound like; you buy a ticket that last the day (or in our case, two days), and any time during the day you can jump on the bus from one of the designated stops and hop off when you like the look of something.

We spent Thursday and Friday travelling around Melbourne city like this and it was brilliant. Rather than give you an hour-by-hour run down of what we did (you don’t want to be here for that long, I get it!), I thought I’d pick out some of the highlights of the spots we checked out.

The Melbourne Star

We had bought tickets for the Melbourne Star online prior to arriving, but it was something that we really wanted to do to get a good feel for the city … and because it’s a Ferris wheel and that’s fun. We went at dusk, and it was beautiful seeing the sun set by the Yarra River, the cityscape lit with golden rays on the other side. Definitely recommend the half-hour trip around; the narrator in the pods (we didn’t even have to share our one!) tells you about the city and the history and highlights points of interest.

The State Library of Victoria

I know a library isn’t one of the things that most people head to while they’re on holiday, but you know me and my books. Also, we had heard from a friend who had visited Melbourne about two weeks earlier that the State Library of Victoria had this incredible reading room. And boy was she right.

If you take the elevator to the top floor and then make your way down the levels via the stairs, you get to experience the glorious architecture of the reading room from all angles. On some of the middle floors, there are mini exhibitions set up, including Ned Kelly’s famous armour. Even if you’re not a book lover, it’s still an incredible place to visit.

Queen Victoria Market

When you tell someone you’re heading off to Melbourne, 90% of the time their reactions includes ‘make sure you go to Queen Victoria Market!’ and you nod dutifully and tell them that everyone has told you that and that it’s literally at the top your list and your hotel is a minute walk away.

But they were right. Queen Victoria Market was amazing, and you have to go if you’re ever visiting (they’re not open on a Monday though, so plan ahead). Rows and rows of everything from fresh fruit and veg, to meat and fish, on-the-go food options, souvenirs, jewellery, clothes, nick-nacks … everything. There was even a pet shop in the middle where we saw the cutest bunny that I wish I could have adopted. Alas, photos were not my priority in the market.

Shrine of Remembrance and the Royal Botanic Gardens

One of the stops on the bus route is the Royal Botanic Gardens, which is also home to the Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne’s war memorial. Top marks to the creators, curators and the team at the Shrine because it was so incredibly done. Auckland Museum could learn a few things from them I think (but shh, you didn’t hear it from me!).

As well as an incredible museum floor with information tucked into every corner, you could climb to the top of the Shrine and look out over the gardens and the park. We happened to be there on the hour, and there was a minute of silence as we remembered those ANZACs who have fought over the years. Even if you’re not from Australia or New Zealand, it’s still a superb memorial and doesn’t take you too long to experience.

The gardens are beautifully looked after too, and despite the fact we were there in winter, it was a lovely stroll through the different sections of the park.

Special shout out to Hosier Lane, the National Gallery of Victoria, Emporium Shopping Mall, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Chinatown, and Fitzroy Gardens for more fantastic times over the course of the two days.

Have you been to Melbourne City? What were your favourite parts?