Great Itineraries in Melbourne

If You Have 1 Day

If you're short on time, the free City Circle Tram and the Yarra River Shuttle Service (A$14) are both hop-on and hop-off ways to see many of the city's sights without exhausting yourself. The Parliament House tram stop gives access to the Princess Theatre, the grand Windsor Hotel, Parliament House, the "Paris End" of Collins Street, and St. Patrick's Cathedral. Get off at Flinders Street to take a peek in Young and Jackson's pub at the infamous Chloe painting, and then walk over the Princes Bridge. There you can stroll along the banks of the Yarra, looking back at Federation Square, and then wander along Southbank while checking out the restaurants and shops and the Crown Casino. A trip to the new Eureka Skydeck, the southern hemisphere's highest viewing platform, will put the city into perspective, and you can decide whether or not you want to head northeast to Fitzroy for a meander along groovy Brunswick Street, or north towards Carlton to immerse yourself in Little Italy.

If You Have 3 Days

You might squeeze in a bit more exploring on Day 1 with a stroll through Treasury Gardens and over to Fitzroy Gardens for a look at Captain Cook's Cottage, or see the sharks at the Melbourne Aquarium opposite Southbank. On your second day, stroll through the Royal Botanic Gardens and see the Shrine of Remembrance. Then take a tram on St. Kilda Road to the hip Acland Street area, in the suburb of St. Kilda, for dinner. On Day 3, take a tour of Chapel Street's shops, restaurants, and bars; it's Melbourne's hippest district.

If You Have 5 Days

Head east to the Yarra Valley on an organized winery tour, or head to the Dandenong Ranges for a ride on the Puffing Billy steam railway from Belgrave through the fern gullies and forests of the Dandenong ranges. On the way back, stop at a teahouse in Belgrave or Olinda and browse the curio stores. Or take an evening excursion to Phillip Island for the endearing sunset Penguin Parade. A trip to the Mornington Peninsula wineries and Arthurs Seat, just 90 minutes south of Melbourne, is another great day trip. There you can rest and recuperate with a soak in the Peninsula Hot Springs.

If You Have 7 Days

Hang out in Melbourne for 2 days, and on Day 3 drive to the Dandenong Ranges and poke around the cute towns and fabulous gardens, or visit one or two wineries in the Yarra Valley.

On Day 4 head south, either to the Mornington Peninsula or Phillip Island; the former promises beaches and wines, the latter beaches and wildlife.

On Day 5 make your way to the Mornington Peninsula town of Sorrento and take the car ferry across to Queenscliff. Check out the old fort in town before heading west to join the Great Ocean. Choose Princetown or Port Campbell for an overnight stop and spend the afternoon exploring the Twelve Apostles. On Day 6 either head north to Ballarat and the goldfields or northwest to the Grampians. Then take the Western Highway back to Melbourne.