As an International student in a new country, it can be daunting getting to know your unfamiliar surrounds. However, Melbourne is one of the best cities in the world to explore.
It’s easy to get around with a regular tram service that follows the simple grid layout of the city, and if you’d like to spread your wings then the trains will get you further afield.
A great place to start is via a few websites that have a range of activities and tours from Arts & Culture to Food & Fashion.
Our favourite website include:
👉 visitacity.com For an endless list of tours, activities, events and shops.
👉 stayatbase.com For young adventure seekers looking for action and cool hang outs.
👉 whatson.melbourne.vic.gov.au For a more current list of what’s happening in town and great for tips on freebies!
👉 broadsheet.com.au A great coverage of all things cool and cultural
The hard part will be deciding where to start. We suggest keeping it close to home base and focus on exploring the city on foot. You could familiarise yourself with the State Library and the Museum, two great resources for study and inspiration.
When you're hungry then head to the little laneways that criss-cross the CBD, like Degraves Lane. If fashion is your thing then the Emporium is full of local and international labels. The Yarra River is lined with cool bars and live entertainment, or you could cross the bridge and head over to the National Art Gallery.
Here are our five favourites…
👏🏼 Start your morning with great coffee at Brother Baba Budan, 359 Little Bourke St, Melbourne. ☕️
Serving up the well known Seven Seeds coffee.
👏🏼 Visit Fed Square and explore the gallery with its many exhibitions, or the Roof Top Terrace with the amazing Future Food System project by Joost Baker.
👏🏼 Wander back through the city via the many laneways. There’s Hosier lane, opposite ACMi for amazing street art, head down Flinders lane with a peek at the incredible florist ‘Pollon Flowers’, and take a right at Degraves Lane to find your next food stop. This is a great place to familiarise yourself with, because you’ll need more than one visit.
👏🏼The Emporium on Little Bourke St is a favourite for great fashion. Plenty of options and staples for everyone with a great food hall on the top level when you need a break.
👏🏼As the sun dips in the sky it’s time to climb the seven flights of stairs to ‘Rooftop Bar’,on Swanston Street, definitely Melbourne’s coolest rooftop drinking destination. Best to visit in the early evening before the crowds rush in, then you can enjoy a cocktail as the sun sets over the city.
👏🏼Explore the lights, sounds and smells of Chinatown and discover your favourite food destination. We love the ’Shanghai Dumpling House’, where they have been cooking up northern Chinese classics for generations.