Melbourne 3 day itinerary — How to spend 3 days in Melbourne & What to do in Melbourne for 3 days?

Melbourne – the largest city in Victoria state, the second largest city in Australia after Sydney and one of the most livable places in the world. Thanks to owns the magnificent architectural works, Melbourne prides itself on a harmonious combination of ancient and modern features. Parks and gardens, beautiful roads, and a vibrant multi-ethnic community make Melbourne become one of Australia’s most attractive destinations. Dubbed as the city of “Four seasons in one day”, so you can traveling to Melbourne all year round. Are you planning a trip to Melbourne during this holiday season but do not know where to start? Let’s check out our suggested Melbourne 3 day itinerary on how to spend 3 days in Melbourne and what to do in Melbourne for 3 days to find out the answer!

Take time to explore the cafes, bars or shops hidden in the alleys in a busy, bustling city. Take a walk along the river and breathe the fresh air from Southbank and visit Federation Square, experience the creative coffee culture.

A cruise down the Yarra River, wandering on the grass, and visiting the famous lakes at the Royal Botanic Gardens is also a great idea when coming to Melbourne. The varied lands from upstream South Yarra to the beaches of St. Kilda or Fitzroy headland give you new and energetic experiences.

It would be great if after the journey above, you spend time visiting the wineries, galleries, and entertainment at the golf course of the Mornington Peninsula.

You can start from the exciting alleyways in the vibrant city of Melbourne to St Kilda Bay. Afterwards, get ready for a trip straight to the Mornington Peninsula and explore wineries and spend relaxing moments at the coastal villages.

Melbourne 3 day itinerary — Day 1: Discover Melbourne city center

In the morning, get up early to start your Melbourne tour by taking the City Circle Tram tram around the city without worrying about the price. This is one of the free trams in the city tourism conservation and introduction program. City Circle Tram has an old style design, painted in dark brown with yellow borders and golden letters. This tram runs through Melbourne’s main streets such as Flinders, Spring, Latrobe and Spencer Streets, every 10 minutes with a trip.

You’ll go to visit Melbourne attractions not to be missed such as St Paul’s Cathedral, Parliament House and the Royal Exhibition Building. Then get off the tram at Flagstaff Station, from here you are just a five–minute walk to Melbourne Market – a famous tourist destination in Melbourne with a diverse and rich local cuisine.

To recharge for your next city adventure, buy a cup of coffee and some snacks to eat along the way before returning to the City Circle Tram to getting to Federation Square. The site is famous for its liberal architectural style, in stark contrast to the imposing Victorian and Gothic buildings surroundings. Only with the bold and angular structures in Federation Square have created a tourist attraction not to be missed.

Once the day’s sunshine has softened on the patios, it’s time to take a stroll around the cobbled streets of Melbourne. Melbourne’s cobbled lanes are a mecca of coffee shops, small shops selling extremely unique clothes and items. Here you can find special souvenirs, or enjoy special dishes with culinary tastes from around the world.

You can also stop by at the Royal Botanic Gardens – a tourist destination not to be missed when traveling in Melbourne. Stretching along the Yarra River, the gardens are beautifully designed with a selection of flora from all over the world and Australia’s signature plant species. Small flora, such as cacti, herbs and native tropical plants, are planted among the vast grasslands. You just need to bring a book, prepare a picnic and spend time relaxing for yourself in this place.

When you’re hungry, head to Little Bourke Street to tasting Chinese food for dinner. End your day in downtown Melbourne with the melodious sounds of jazz at a performance at Bennetts Lane.

What to do in Melbourne for 3 days — Day 2: Discover interesting life on the banks of the Yarra River

Melbourne was founded on the banks of the Yarra River of Australia in 1835, creating opportunities for the first city settlers. Today, the Yarra River becomes a famous entertainment and playing area in Melbourne. Along the river banks are public picnic and barbecue areas, fishing pier, bicycles and pedestrian trails that are commonly used by both Melbourne residents and visitors.

Start your day at the famous breakfast restaurant Two Birds One Stone, enjoy a ricotta cake covered with creamy sauce, syrup, baked with sunflower seeds to help you recharge for your upcoming trip to explore Melbourne.

Next, you can visit Prahran market – the cheap market of Melbourne. Here you’ll find some gourmet food, bargain-bought clothes and all sorts of merchandise, along with troubadours and the bustle of the locals. From here you only take 15 walk to St Kilda beach – located in the south of downtown Melbourne. St. Beach Kilda has almost no wave, so visitors can relax without worry. If you don’t want to swim, you can take a walk on St. Kilda pier, which stretching deep into the bay and at the end of the pier had a gazebo and a pretty little kiosk. From the pier, visitors can take beautiful pictures of the sea and the Melbourne skyline.

From St Kilda Beach, take the tram to return to the city center. The afternoon is a good time for you to visit Australia’s oldest exhibition – the National Gallery of Victoria. It has a fixed rich collection of more than 66.000 works of art from Europe, Asia, the Americas and Oceania. Admiring the sculptures, drawings, paintings and antiques created by international and local artisans.

If you want to explore more aspects of Melbourne, take a yacht on the Yarra River or kayak on the river. The cruise will take you through the city’s fascinating attractions such as Federation Square, Princes Walk, Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Lower Promenade, Crown Casino and Westgate Bridge.

3 days in Melbourne — Day 3: Exploring Mornington Peninsula

Rent a self–driving car from Melbourne and go to the Mornington Peninsula in the southeast of Melbourne – the capital of Victoria state, about an hour from the south of the city center. This is considered to be Australia’s summer paradise, and is a favorite holiday spot for Australians on the weekends. Unlike many other tourist attractions, you can spend a week on the Mornington peninsula to experience without getting bored because there are so many interesting things waiting for you to explore.

Imagine the moments of strolling along Sorrento Ocean to Portsea, stopping by galleries, visiting big hotels and cafes with impressive designs.

In the Mornington Peninsula there are many beautiful and highly safe beaches located in Port Philip Bay and the bays in Franston such as Mount Martha, Dromana, Safety Beach, Point Leo, Flinders, Portsea, Sorrento. After immerse yourseft in the sea, you can lie on the sand to sunbathe, the beaches of the Mornington Peninsula are always full of sunlight, so you can take care of your skin.

In addition, tourists can also participate in sea sports such as swimming, snorkeling, sailing. Another special feature is that on the beaches of Mornington Peninsula, there are always beautiful wooden houses with many colors so that tourists can change clothes, as well as avoid the intense sun. Nowadays, these houses have been renovated into extremely strange beach resorts.

For explore and adventure lovers, take a swim with dolphins or watch and observe them from a yacht. On the verdant hill of the peninsula, you’ll see the Portsea, a separated amusement park for the wealthy and famous of Melbourne, a series of luxurious mansions lining the cliffs.

After all, drive to Red Hill and enjoy a romantic dinner at the restaurant, visit the wineries and delight in picking the berries at the farms.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in and from Melbourne you can refer to

• Melbourne Tullamarine Airport (MEL) Express Transfers by SkyBus
• Shared Melbourne Airport Transfers (MEL) for Melbourne
• Private Melbourne Airport (MEL) Transfers for Melbourne
• Avalon Airport (AVV) Express Transfer by SkyBus for Melbourne City
• Private Melbourne Airport (MEL) Transfers for Melbourne CBD
• Private Avalon Airport (AVV) Transfers for Melbourne
• Great Ocean Road Day Tour: 12 Apostles, The Loch Ard Gorge and More
• Morning City Sights Half Day Tour
• Melbourne Morning City Sightseeing Tour
• Great Ocean Road and Twelve Apostles Day Tour from Melbourne
• Grampians National Park Day Tour from Melbourne‎
• iVenture Melbourne Unlimited Attractions Pass
• Melbourne City Sightseeing
• iVenture Melbourne Flexi Attractions Pass
• Greyhound Australia Hop On Hop Off Bus Pass from Melbourne (3 Months)

Are you looking for more Melbourne travel guide and top things to do in Melbourne: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Read more: Melbourne travel blog — The fullest Melbourne city guide for a budget trip to Melbourne for the first-timers.