Melbourne: Explore the City for a Day: Private Guided Walking Tour
Joined 2022
A day-long tour through Melbourne's CBD is the perfect way to explore the coolest city in Australia.
A tour not only on foot, but by tram – which is an essential Melbourne experience.
Melbourne's delights are subtle. The city rewards those who are curious.
Some highlights:
* the epicure and style of the Laneway Culture
* the grandeur of the public buildings
* the boldness of the street art
* the bustling magic of Queen Victoria Market
* the red-brick charm of Hardware Lane.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
Your hotel foyer
- Alternative meeting point: on the steps of Flinders Street Station.
Degraves Street
Gateway to the Laneway Culture
* creative small businesses
* vibrant al fresco dining area
* fizzing with life.
Centre Place
Melbourne's emblematic laneway
* cosy, dark, intimate
* most photographed location
* like no other thoroughfare in cities throughout Australia and New Zealand.
10:00 AM
Collins Street
Melbourne's most famous street
* home to luxury shops and international brands
* wide, bustling, tree-lined
* focus of finance throughout the city's golden history.
Block Arcade
Tasteful and tasty since 1892
* modelled on major galleria in Milan, including the beautiful mosaic floor
* high-tea cafe – featuring sumptuous cakes – has a history that stretches back to the opening of the arcade
* no pinball machines; the original meaning of the word "arcade" was small businesses under one roof.
Royal Arcade
The original citadel of shopping
* modelled on the earliest arcade, in Covent Garden in London.
* home of Thomas Gaunt clock, traditionally the city's most accurate
* home of Gog and Magog, European mythological figures who bring unease to some and delight to others.
Bourke Street Mall
Art and commerce
* closed off to traffic since 1983
* once the site of cinemas and dance halls; now defined by department stores Myer and David Jones; soon to become a hotel hub
* home of the General Post Office, a grand building that is considered the central point in Melbourne.
Postal Lane
Beware the vans
* old delivery point for mail being dispensed from the General Post Office
* touch of nostalgia: signs still warn pedestrians to "Beware the vans" – that is, look out for postal vehicles as they make their way to the street
* now a restaurant location and a thoroughfare from Bourke Street to Little Bourke Street.
Queen Victoria Market
At least five major food groups
* fresh produce on city's edge
* colourful, vibrant – and good cheese
* buzzing with locals; loved by tourists.
Queen Victoria Market
Lunch.
Guildford Lane
Green
* once characterised by warehouses and factories housed in low-rise, red-brick buildings
* now a green haven, with plants spilling out of window sills
* once home to many art studios; now a residential pocket, and a classic example of the cycles of urban makeovers.
Hardware Lane
Relaxed, cosmopolitan feel
* red-brick paving
* restaurants of many cuisines
* one-time site of a horse-trading bazaar.
Chinatown
Home of longest continuous Chinese settlement in the Western world
* Gold Rush origins
* five major arches constructed by professional arch-makers from China
* site of Australia's largest dragon procession, called Dai Loong, which is the highlight of Chinese New Year celebrations.
Top of Bourke Street
Cultural precinct
* in the shadow of the House of Parliament, which was Australia's original parliament house
* Pellegrini's, disputed home of Melbourne's first espresso machine, in 1955
* two bookshops, Hill of Content and Paperback, which are among the reasons behind Melbourne's status as a UNESCO City of Literature.
Bard's Apothecary, Crossley Street
Sundowners
* cool, relaxed, yet intimate
* occasional bands and plays in the tiny performance space in the basement
* examplar of Melbourne's thriving bar scene.
Ending Point
Bard's Apothecary
Want to personalize this tour?
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Inclusions & Exclusions
Tea or coffee and cookie.
Lunch at Queen Victoria Market.
Drink at conclusion of tour.
Entry to any paid events.
Tour Important Information
This tour involves a lot of walking, so make sure to wear comfortable shoes.
This tour is wheelchair accessible.
Important message from the supplier
I do walking tours through Melbourne's CBD, but I sometimes use our free trams to get to the next location. This in itself is an essential Melbourne experience. I am available most days. My tours take from four to eight hours, and include stops at cafes or bars along the way. I'm very happy to tailor a tour to your request.
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
Joined 2022
About Tour Guide Paul D.
Hi, I'm Paul. I grew up in Melbourne and I've lived here most of my life. I was a journalist for a long time. For the past 10 years, I've been a tour guide. It's storytelling either way. I love showing off my city. I love Melbourne's history, from the Gold Rush through to the phenomenal rise of the Laneway Culture. I love the food and wine. I love the emphasis on major events, both in sport and the arts. I'm into Australian football, cricket and tennis, and anything to do with music and books, and the whole Melbourne vibe. This is a dynamic city, a sophisticated city. Let me show you around.
$500/ per group
More tours by Paul D.
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