We currently reside in Melbourne, an Australian city that is full to the brim of culture, hospitality and liveability! While we enjoy traversing the globe and exploring diverse cultures and experiences, we absolutely love living in Melbourne! The past few weeks has seen Ky return back from Indonesia, and Tess head off to Tanzania (volunteer work trip). This has left Ky with a little extra time, which is the perfect excuse to head into Melbourne and explore. This blog covers Ky’s day trip into the city from a locals point of few, highlighting some of the things we love to do in this great city! Read on to see a great one day itinerary for Melbourne!
A locals ‘one day itinerary’ for Melbourne
Stop 1: Coffee
What better way to start your day trip in the city than with a cup of coffee! Melbourne is the coffee capital of the world.. think this is an overstatement? Try a coffee from every cafe on the list below then get back to us. Still not convinced? Got to a random cafe within 10kms of the CBD, actually, make that 20kms of the CBD.. you’ll struggle to find a bad cup of coffee in Melbourne!
Ky started his day trip with a coffee at INI Studios on the northern fridge of the CBD for an excellent coffee. Grab an sensational coffee from one of the amazing cafe’s on the list below all serving up some of the best coffee in Melbourne CBD:
- Slater Street Bench (& Bench Coffee Co.)
- INI Studios
- Halcyon Days
- 7 Seeds Carlton
- St Ali
- ACoffee Collingwood
- Little Rogue
- Brother Baba Budan
- The Kettle Black
- Chez Mademoiselle
- Mitte Cafe
- Monk Bodhi Dharma
- Chez Dre
- Wall Coffee
- And so many more!
Stop 2: Explore the Laneways
Melbourne is home to some charming laneways, many with different feels and aesthetics. While it’s not quite your ‘European laneways’, Melbourne’s alleyways have a unique culture and feel about them. Enjoy the street art, the little shops and cafe’s that you’ll find hidden, and take lots of pictures! We highlight recommend the underrated Guildford Lane, a vibrant alleyway shrouded with plants. See below for a list of further laneways you should definitely check out on your Melbourne day trip!
- Guildford Lane – Cute lane, lined with plants and trees.
- Hardware Lane – The closest to Europe you’ll get in Melbourne and home to our favourite restaurant, Miznon.
- Drewery Lane – a cute alley home to a great wine bar (HER) and cafe (Little Rogue).
- Rankins Lane – Another leafy lane that is home to a great bagel cafe (Manchester Press).
- See street art at Hozier Lane, AC/DC Lane and Duckboard Place.
- Degraves Street & Centre Place – Distinct Euro-feel and lots of cute cafes and shops.
- Royal & Block Arcades – A little touristy but definitely worth a look.
See our Melbourne Laneways guide here!
Stop 3: Lunch
You’re in luck, it’s time for lunch in one of the great foodie cities! There’s so many good options, but Ky chose a bite to eat at popular (but hidden) Thai street food institution Soi38. Located inside a carpark (yes, you read that right), this little restaurant has tasty lunch specials and is well worth a look.
Not your cup of tea? Perhaps try our favourite restaurant in the city, Miznon, for some great pita pockets. There’s so many good options to choose from, see our favourite restaurants of Melbourne below!
Stop 4: Coffee #2 (& more laneways)
You know the drill.. one coffee isn’t enough. Head to the list above (or discover another gem yourself), grab another coffee, rest your legs, and people watch. Your day trip the coffee mecca wouldn’t be complete without at least 2 coffees for the day!
Stop 5: Shopping
Melbourne is home to many great areas to browse and do a little shopping. While the chaos of the large malls and stores isn’t really our cup of tea, we enjoy the markets and boutique stores. Ky visited the CBD on Sunday, with the Arts Centre having a pop-up market running every Sunday. Other great markets include the St Kilda Foreshore market on Sundays, or the South Melbourne Market which runs every day. Many of the little alleyways (see above) will have boutique stores worth checking out, otherwise make your way to Emporium, QV, DFO or Melbourne Central for some proper retail therapy.
Stop 6: Royal Botanical Gardens
Time to step out of the city and explore some of the beautiful parks nearby. The Royal Botanical Gardens is located a short walk from the city and is definitely worth a visit. This was the next stop of Ky’s city day trip! If you want another good option, also consider Albert Park Lake, boasting one of the best views of the city skyline.
Stop 7: Beach for Sunset
What better way to finish the day than a sunset down the beach. Pick a point along the foreshore between Brighton and Port Melbourne, take a picnic, beverage, or buy some take-away dinner, relax, and enjoy the sunset. The popular Point Ormond is well known for sunset, but can get busy. We both often visit local beaches like South and Port Melbourne for sunset, or enjoy a walk/run between Elwood to St Kilda.
Want to do more in Melbourne?
See our detailed guide to our home-town city below! This covers off were we love to visit, our favourite parts of the city, great restaurants, coffee, shopping and more!
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