Melbourne Guide | How to Spend 8 Days 7 Nights! Must-Visit Guide!
Melbourne self-guided tour 8 days 7 nights super detailed guide + must-visit attractions recommendations
Outbound: Hangzhou >> Xiamen >> Melbourne. The flight from Xiamen to Melbourne is an overnight flight, so you can save one day for city walking in Melbourne, and most importantly, you can see the sunrise from the plane.
Return: Melbourne >> Guangzhou >> Hangzhou. This trip takes up the whole daytime, but it's relatively convenient.
We chose a hotel near Chinatown in the city center. Right outside is David Jones, in the core of the CBD, very convenient.
Hotel prices in Melbourne are very affordable. The service, room environment, and location far exceed the price expectations.
St Paul's Cathedral + Flinders Street Station + Royal Arcade + Yarra River
Ticket 🎫: Free
Location: Basically all together, you can visit them all at once.
Opening hours: St Paul's Cathedral (10:00-17:00) / Royal Arcade (7:00-20:30). Others have no time restrictions.
These places are basically connected, so you can just stroll over. On the first day of arrival, because the body and mind are still affected by the long flight, we just did a light city walk.
South Melbourne Market + Point Ormond for sunset
1. South Melbourne Market
Ticket 🎫: Free
Opening hours: Every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 8:00-16:00
A delicious and fun market, very clean overall. Compared to Queen Victoria Market, it has more food and seafood, great for a meal.
Famous shops: Padre Coffee (flat white is very good), Agathé Pâtisserie (signature is pandan croissant, but didn't get it, but the almond croissant completely won me over, many flaky layers), two seafood shops SMS Oyster Bar and Aptus Seafood, can choose freely, oysters are a must, salmon is also very fatty and delicious.
2. Point Ormond - perfect spot for sunset
It was a photo of Point Ormond that deeply attracted me to go to Melbourne, wanting to enjoy the gorgeous sunset and chill atmosphere.
No ticket needed, connected to the beach. You can sit and watch the sunset or take a walk along the beach path.
Recommend going at sunset time to take stunning photos.
You can also walk along the beach and capture the blue hour at night.
National Gallery of Victoria + Shrine of Remembrance + Royal Botanic Gardens
1. National Gallery of Victoria
Ticket 🎫: Free, special exhibitions may charge an entry fee
Time ⌚️: 10:00-17:00
It is one of Melbourne's cultural landmarks and the largest and oldest art gallery in Australia. It permanently houses over 70,000 works, with world-class treasures from Australia, Asia, Europe, and pre-Columbian times, including the history and development of Australian, Indigenous, and international art, design, and architecture since its establishment.
2. Shrine of Remembrance
Ticket 🎫: Free
Time ⌚️: 10:00-17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Located next to the Royal Botanic Gardens, with a classical design. It commemorates the Australians from Victoria who died in World War I. Notably, on the top floor there is a memorial stone engraved with 'LOVE'. It is said that every year on November 11 at 11:00 am, a beam of sunlight called 'Ray of Light' shines on 'LOVE', and this phenomenon will last for at least another 5,000 years.
3. Royal Botanic Gardens
Ticket 🎫: Free
Time ⌚️: 7:30-19:30 (last entry 16:30)
The Royal Botanic Gardens is very large, next to the Yarra River. There are many types of plants and they are very lush. Even though I went in Australia's autumn, the layered green still mesmerized me. From afar, you can see the city's beautifully designed high-rise facades. Every snapshot looks like a movie scene. The garden is very open; you can sit on chairs or sit on the ground anytime, experiencing the wonderful mental healing of '20 minutes in the park'. Around the Royal Botanic Gardens, there are devices that record running distance. You can see many fitness enthusiasts running laps and updating records. The vitality of plants and the vitality of people may also be part of the healing.
Day 4 + Day 5
Day 1: Geelong + Split Point Lighthouse + Lorne Pier + Teddies Lookout + Apollo Bay
Day 2: Otway Tree Top Walk + Gibson Steps + Twelve Apostles + Loch Ard Gorge + London Bridge
Ticket 🎫: All are natural attractions along the Great Ocean Road, all free.
Time ⌚️: No time restrictions, but the Great Ocean Road is really vast, and many areas are basically uninhabited. The few commercial clusters are fixed spots. Do not go at night.
First, answer whether the Great Ocean Road is worth visiting — it is! Because it takes a lot of time and transportation costs are high, and most are natural landscapes, many people have this doubt. But from my personal perspective, it was a worthwhile trip. You can see many animals, like koalas and kangaroos, and also see rocks that have changed or fallen over time. I always believe that travel is about seeing the world; you will always see and feel many differences. If you have such expectations, it's worth going. When the blue waves 🌊 crash against the rocks, you feel all worries disappear, and you feel the power of time.
City Shopping Trip
Melbourne's shopping malls and stores generally operate from 10:00 to 18:00.
So before, we were busy sightseeing and had no time for shopping, because most attractions also stop entry around 17:30/18:00. Therefore, it's necessary to arrange a separate day for shopping.
In Melbourne, items that are cheaper compared to domestic (China): Lululemon, Arc'teryx, health supplements, and local essential oils.
Puffing Billy Railway + Maru Koala and Animal Park + Nobbys Centre + Phillip Island
Ticket 🎫: Puffing Billy Railway, Maru Koala and Animal Park, and Phillip Island all require tickets.
Time ⌚️: Puffing Billy Railway (9:00-17:00) / Maru Koala and Animal Park (09:30-17:30). Others have no time restrictions.
We chose to visit these spots in one day, but they are quite far apart, each drive taking at least half an hour to an hour. The steam train and the little penguins on Phillip Island were unexpectedly delightful. The steam train experience lasts 1 hour, offering views along the way, and you can wave friendly to people on the roadside, making you feel how friendly the world is. That night on Phillip Island, we saw nearly 200 little penguins, walking quickly with their tiny steps, extremely cute. Everyone, regardless of age, becomes a softie and shouts 'So cute!' Also, on Phillip Island, there is a good chance to see the Milky Way. For the first time, I experienced looking down at cute groups of penguins 🐧 and looking up at the entire Milky Way 🌌.
With wonderful travel memories, return home!
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