If you’re planning a trip for 3 days in Melbourne for first time visitors, there can be an overwhelming number of things you’ll want to see, do and eat in one of Australia‘s greatest cities. Planning a 3 day itinerary can seem impossible, which is why I’ve designed what I think is the perfect itinerary for 3 days in Melbourne, especially for first time visitors. I’ve lived in Melbourne for nearly ten years, and have used this experience (including hosting family and friends many times!) to design a 3 day itinerary that includes a balance of the best things to do in Melbourne, famous sights, cafe culture, laneway hopping and some of Melbourne’s best restaurants and bars.

This 3 day itinerary for Melbourne includes exploring Melbourne’s beautiful CBD, seeing Flinders Station and Fed Square, dining along the Yarra River, visiting the NGV, exploring laneways, Carlton, Fitzroy and St Kilda, hitting the South Melbourne Markets and visiting the Brighton Bathing Boxes. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Melbourne itinerary without some perfect cafe, bar and restaurant recommendations, like Gimlet, Code Black Coffee, Attica, The Espy, Kirk’s Wine Bar and Carlton Wine Room, to name just a few!

Please reach out if you have any questions, I’m always happy to help with suggestions!

Day 1: Melbourne City

NGV International

The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) is the best art museum in Australia, and luckily, it’s also free which means there are no queues to get in! The NGV has two locations, the NGV International on St Kilda Road (my favourite) and the NGV Australia at the Ian Potter Centre in Fed Square. At the NGV International, you can check out artefacts from the Ancient world (Greece, Italy and the Americas), marvel at Medieval masterpieces and precious Renaissance paintings and sculptures, as well as art from Asia, India and modern times. There are free guided tours twice daily too. I definitely recommend visiting the NGV on a weekday if you can, when you’ll have the museum nearly to yourself.

Yarra Botanica

After working up an appetite at the NGV, stroll along Southbank to Yarra Botanica for lunch. Yarra Botanica is a floating bar & casual restaurant, with some of the best views of the Melbourne CBD. Yarra Botanica is a uniquely Melbourne drinking & dining experience, with 100% of the drinks list and nearly 100% of the food menu, made from exclusively Victorian produce. I love the pizzas at Yarra Botanica, but there are lots of great share plates to choose from.

Flinders Street Station & Fed Square

After lunch, walk across the beautiful Princes Bridge into the Melbourne CBD. As you walk along the bridge towards the city, you’ll have views of Melbourne’s two most iconic sights: Flinders Street Station and Federation Square. Fed Square’s design ruffled a few feathers when it opened in 2002, but it’s since become a well-loved part of Melbourne’s unique skyline. Flinders Street Station is an icon of Melbourne, and a great photo opp. Behind Fed Square is the iconic, towering St Paul’s Cathedral. Three major sights, down!

Melbourne’s laneways & street art

Spend the afternoon exploring Melbourne’s laneways, home to beautiful street art, and an array of coffee shops, boutiques, bars and restaurants. Hosier Lane is the most famous laneway for street art, but they can be found all over the city. You’ll find the most dense collection of street art in the laneways off Flinders Lane (like Hosier Lane, ACDC Lane), but also off Little Bourke Street. Degraves Street and Centre Place are two iconic Melbourne laneways, jammed with tiny cafes and restaurants. Hardware Lane, a little further north in the city, is home to some excellent wine bars – like Kirk’s Wine Bar, one of my favourites!

Elegant Collins Street is one of the most beautiful streets in Melbourne. Stick to the eastern half of Collins Street (between Swanston St & Spring St) to see what is called the “Paris end” of town.

Dinner & drinks in the city

Melbourne’s CBD is full of excellent bars and restaurants. Some of the best rooftop bars in Melbourne are Morris House, Imperial (a pub) and Siglo. Some of the best dinner reservations in town are Gimlet, Grill Americano, Reine & La Rue and Tipo 00, but you’ll need to book these well in advance! Some other reliable spots which may involve a wait, if you don’t have a reservation, are San Telmo, Trattoria Emilia and Embla. Check out my full list of the best restaurants in the Melbourne CBD for more ideas.

For cocktails, head to Nick & Nora’s or the Apollo Inn, but you’ll be rolling the dice if you don’t have a reservation.

See a show

Take advantage of Melbourne’s cultural capital and see a show. There are three major theatres in the CBD: Her Majesty’s Theatre, the Regent Theatre & The Princess Theatre. There are dozens of other theatres in Melbourne as well, including most notably the Palais Theatre (St Kilda), and Hamer Hall & the Arts Centre in Southbank.

Day 2: South Melbourne Market, Albert Park Lake & St Kilda

South Melbourne Market

Melbourne has dozens of markets, but the absolute best is the South Melbourne Market. Most tourists visit the Queen Victoria Market because it’s the oldest and largest, and at the top of the Melbourne CBD, but it is WELL worth getting an Uber or the 96 Tram to the South Melbourne Market instead!

The South Melbourne Market is a historic covered market, open on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday. You’ll find food stalls, coffee, bakeries, flowers and even small restaurants, alongside seafood, delis, butchers and fresh produce. There are also several sections dedicated to homewares and design, much of which is locally made. Come for coffee & breakfast – the best coffee is at Code Black, and you can either graze from a number of permanent food stalls, or sit in at Proper & Son.

My favourite stalls at the South Melbourne Market are Market Borek, any of the seafood counters with oyster bars (grab a tray & enjoy on the spot!) and the Fish Peddler outside Claypots Evening Star.

Albert Park Lake

This won’t be for everyone, but if you’re up for a 5km walk, head to beautiful Albert Park Lake, in Albert Park. It’s a short drive or tram ride (96) from the South Melbourne Market, and one of the most beautiful places in Melbourne on a clear day. There’s a 5km trail around the lake, and from the southern end you have beautiful views of the CBD. Keep your eyes out for some of the lake’s resident black swans. A lap around the lake is one of my favourite things to do in Melbourne!

Brighton Bathing Boxes

Alternatively, you might like to visit the iconic Brighton Bathing Boxes, in the bayside suburb of Brighton. The Brighton Bathing Boxes are a Melbourne icon. The Brighton Bathing Boxes are Victorian beach huts, painted in bright colours, which line Dendy Beach in Brighton. They’re a major tourist drawcard, and are free to see – but they are privately owned, so you can’t go inside and need to be respectful.

St Kilda Beach, The Palais Theatre & Luna Park

In the afternoon, explore St Kilda, one of Melbourne’s most famous neighbourhoods. The beachside neighbourhood is popular with backpackers and tourists, but it’s full of local residents and Melburnians as well. The historic Palais Theatre and iconic Luna Park and located side by side, which make a great photo opp. Stroll through St Kilda along the pretty bayside trail on the waterfront, to St Kilda Beach. You can swim, but it’s often very cold. I love getting a coffee from a cafe by the St Kilda Sea Baths, and enjoying a view of the water.

Acland Street

Head inland to Acland Street, which is St Kilda’s most famous shopping strip. Acland Street is quite touristy, but the historic Acland Street cake shops are worth browsing, and you’ll also find an outpost of Readings, Melbourne’s best bookstore.

The Espy (Hotel Esplanade)

For dinner, head to Hotel Esplanade, known to locals as The Espy. It’s one of Melbourne’s most iconic pubs, and offers a classic pub experience, live music with a bandroom, as well as two restaurants and a cocktail bar. The restaurants are Mya Tiger (Cantonese) and Louey’s (Italian-American). Book for dinner at either restaurant, and then head to the cocktail bar, The Ghost of Alfred Felton, afterwards. If you’re timing dinner with sunset, you’ll get sunset views from Mya Tiger.

Attica

Alternatively, if you’d like to dine at the best restaurant in Australia, make sure you have a reservation (months in advance) at Attica. Located a short drive from St Kilda, in the sleepy residential suburb of Ripponlea, Attica is a truly phenomenal dining experience – with the price tag to match. We were lucky enough to dine at Attica, and I’ll never forget the meal here! Despite the stellar food, service and wine list, Attica is not a stuffy dining destination. The team are warm, friendly and down to earth, and without sharing any spoilers, Attica is fun. How often can you say that about fine dining?!

Day 3: Carlton & Fitzroy

Fitzroy

Start your third day in Melbourne in Fitzroy, often considered to be the coolest neighbourhood in Melbourne – and some say, one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world. I love getting brunch at Alimentari, but there’s no shortage of cafes and coffee shops in the area to choose from.

After brunch, stroll down Smith St and Gertrude Street to find Fitzroy’s best boutiques, homewares and design stores.

Royal Exhibition Building & Carlton Gardens

Swing by the beautiful Carlton Gardens to take a peek at the magnificent Royal Exhibition Building. The Royal Exhibition Building is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and one of the few manmade UNESCO World Heritage sites in Australia. This 19th century pavilion is the centrepiece of the beautiful Carlton Gardens, which are a great place for a picnic or just a break from the city. The Carlton Gardens is also home to the Melbourne Museum, which hosts interesting exhibitions, however the permanent collection is best suited to families.

Lygon Street, Carlton

Where better to end your 3 days in Melbourne, than in Carlton, Melbourne’s most iconic neighbourhood? Carlton is Melbourne’s historic Italian neighbourhood, which centres around Lygon street. There are plenty of old school Italian restaurants, some are great, and some are tourist traps – very much like in Little Italy in New York.

I love the modern Italian deli & wine bar, King & Godfree, browsing Readings‘ flagship bookstore, going for coffee & cake at classic Italian institution Brunetti or stopping for a glass of wine at Heartattack & Vine. For dinner, my picks are Johnny, Vince & Sam’s for camp, Australian-Italian nostalgia and generous portions, or the elegant local favourite, Carlton Wine Room. Book ahead for either. Otherwise, head to DOC for some of the best pizzas in Melbourne.

What’s your favourite thing to do in Melbourne? What would you like to do on your first time visiting the city?