Melbourne in 5 Days: Laneways, Art and Bayside Walks

Start at the square opposite Flinders Street Station, then walk into the lanes north of it. Return across the river later for the National Gallery of Victoria and the Southbank arts precinct.

Walk through for the changing murals and painted walls. It is a short stop near Federation Square; continue towards Degraves Street rather than treating each central lane as a separate outing.

Spend the afternoon with the international collection at NGV on St Kilda Road. Choose the galleries that interest you most, then walk towards the Arts Centre and river for the evening.

The spire marks the performing arts precinct beside NGV. Finish the central day with a riverside walk, or book a performance for the evening if the programme interests you.

Start at Federation Square for a two-hour walk through the coffee lanes, arcades and street art, with a coffee included. Take this instead of the separate Hosier Lane and Degraves Street wander on Day 1, then cross the river to the National Gallery of Victoria.

Begin with the memorial and its exhibitions on Australians in wartime. The terrace looks back towards the city. Walk into the neighbouring Royal Botanic Gardens afterwards, making this the start of the gardens day.

Have lunch among the market’s produce stalls and food counters after the gardens. Put this day on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday, when the market is open; the tram connects it with the city centre.

Start with a walk around the gardens and the Royal Exhibition Building before the museum. Lygon Street is nearby for lunch, so the morning can stay in Carlton without returning to the centre.

Look at the domed exhibition building from Carlton Gardens while visiting the museum next door. A guided interior visit is a separate booking; the exterior fits easily into this morning’s walk.

These gardens are in East Melbourne, rather than the Fitzroy neighbourhood. Visit after Carlton for an afternoon among the lawns and paths, then walk towards the city via the Treasury Gardens.

Take the tram to St Kilda and start with the waterfront walk. Have lunch around the nearby streets, then spend the afternoon between the pier, Luna Park and botanical gardens.

Walk out for views across the bay and back towards the city. Pair the pier with the beach promenade; it is a relaxed part of the bayside day rather than another cross-city journey.

The historic entrance is worth seeing on the St Kilda walk. Buy a ride ticket if you want the amusement park to be the main afternoon activity, or continue south to the botanical gardens.

Finish the bayside day in the gardens a few streets inland from the beach. The lawns and planting offer a quieter end to the walk before taking the tram back into central Melbourne.

Step inside for the reading rooms and exhibitions, especially the domed La Trobe Reading Room. The library makes a shorter indoor stop between the market and the city arcades.

Walk through the covered arcade for its mosaic floor, shopfronts and nineteenth-century architecture. Continue south across the river towards the Skydeck, with lunch in the central streets along the way.

Swap part of the St Kilda day for Brighton if you want a longer coastal outing. The colourful beach huts are farther down the bay, so treat them as a separate train-and-walk trip rather than a nearby stop.

Choose a stadium tour or a match if sport is a priority. Pair it with the East Melbourne afternoon on Day 3, shortening the gardens walk rather than adding a full stadium visit to an already busy museum day.