Traveling can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are 5 of the best free things to do in Melbourne Australia.
Free Things to do in Melbourne
Melbourne is known for its great cafe and cocktail scene, but that’s not all it has to offer. This capital city also has world class museums and beautiful gardens. Best of all, many of these are also things to do in Melbourne for free.
Parks & Botanical gardens
Melbourne has an abundance of green space all around the city center. This provides a nice respite from an otherwise bustling city. You can find parks large and small throughout the city, where you can enjoy beautiful gardens, relaxing ponds or just a stretch of grass to relax with a book.
Royal Botanic Gardens
The Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria is one of the largest parks in Melbourne. You can wander through the miles of pathways that wind through the garden. The Melbourne Gardens are home to over 8500 species of plants including trees, flowers, herbs and spices.
Want to learn more about the different plants and animals in the park? Sign up to join the free guided walking tours of the Melbourne Gardens.
Fitzroy Gardens
One of the early colonial gardens in the city is the Fitzroy Gardens. These are in East Melbourne, a short walk from the Parliament House and Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. This park has a conservatory and small cottages that date back to the late 1800s, but it also has a few other quirky features. There is the Model Tudor Village, a miniature English village that was a gift from people in the UK for Australian service during WWII. Near that is the Fairies’ Tree, an old Gum Tree that has since been carved and painted by a local artist.
To learn more about the various fountains, buildings, and other landmarks, take a self guided tour of the gardens.
Carlton Gardens
Just north of the CBD are the Carlton Gardens that surround the Melbourne Museum and the Royal Exhibition Building. This park has beautiful tree lined paths, and large areas of open grass. Be sure to stop by the fountain and surrounding gardens on the south side of the Royal Exhibition Building. There are also playgrounds for kids and families to enjoy.
Queen Victoria Market
The Queen Victoria Market is a must do Melbourne activity. The market does not have admission, so while it is considered one of the free things to do in Melbourne, you’ll be hard pressed to leave without spending any money.
There are two main spaces, an enclosed building with various food vendors, and an open air market. The open air market has stalls for a farmers market on one side, and shopping on the other. There are also food trucks in and around the market.
This market is the best place to buy souvenirs in Melbourne. You’ll get much better pricing than in the brick and mortar shops. This is also the place if you’re looking to pick up a new pair of authentic Ugg boots or slippers at a discount.
Hours vary by day, and usually close by mid-late afternoon, so check their website for hours.
For free things to do in melbourne at night, be sure to check the event calendar for the Wednesday Night Market.
National Gallery of Victoria
If you only have time to go to one museum in Melbourne, it should be the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). This museum is hands down one of the best free things to do in Melbourne.
The NGV is located on the south side of the Yarra River, past the Southbank. This museum is not only the oldest in all of Australia, it is also the most visited. The main exhibits are free to the public and extensive. The gallery has a collection of over 76,000 works of art from around the world. The art is spread over two main floors hosting different collections and special exhibitions.
There is usually a larger temporary exhibit featured on the main floor. When I visited it was a retrospective of the work of Yayoi Kusama, and was truly exceptional. The special exhibits do have admission fees, but considering you get the entire rest of the museum for free, it is well worth the cost.
State Library Victoria
For some, a library might not be the first place they think to visit, but this library is a must for a few reasons. The library has beautiful architecture from the Queen’s Hall to the La Trobe Reading Room with its large rotunda and famous dome. However, don’t sleep on the galleries and special exhibits. There is a rotating gallery space right at the main entrance, and a second in the North Rotunda.
Libraries are also the perfect place to take a break (for free) from adventuring to sit somewhere climate controlled and charge your phone if you need to.
See what exhibitions are on display here.
Walk along the Yarra River
The city of Melbourne is divided by the Yarra River which has the CBD to the north and the Southbank to the south. There are walking paths along both sides of the river as well as bridges, and footbridges to cross the river. You can take in different views of the city center while you stroll, or stop for a bite at one of the many restaurants along the Southbank. You can even have a cocktail from a bar in the middle of the river: 5 Melbourne Cocktail Bars you need to visit
Free Things to do in Melbourne outside the CBD
Beaches
Weather in Melbourne is a little unpredictable, even in the summer. One day it might be 92F and the next day it’s 63F and raining. But on the hot summer days, you’re going to want to find a way to cool off.
Visiting a beach is one of the many fun things to do in Melbourne, and Australia in general. The closest beaches to the Melbourne Central Business District (CBD) are in South Melbourne from Port Melbourne down to St Kilda. These beaches are about 15 minutes from the CBD by car or 30 minutes by transit.
How to get around Melbourne (for free)
When trying to visit the different free things to do in Melbourne the best way to get around is by taking public transportation. The city of Melbourne offers a free ride zone in the CBD. This will get you either directly to, or 1-2 stops away from the main Melbourne activities. The trams are a quick, easy and low cost way to quickly get around the city.
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- Everything you Need to Know Before booking a Melbourne Airport Transfer
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- What You Need to Know Before Renting a Car in Brisbane
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