Melbourne is a thriving metropolis that has so much to offer. But with high prices for flights, hotels and other tourist attractions, it can be difficult to enjoy the best of Melbourne on a budget. Fortunately, there are many free or low-cost activities in Melbourne that will help you take advantage of everything this city has to offer without breaking the bank!
Queen Victoria Market
Stroll through the Queen Victoria Market. The market is home to more than 500 stalls and offers a wide variety of fresh produce, cheese, meat, Asian cuisine and other specialty items. And it’s all free!
Free tourist shuttle
The Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle is just that. This free jump-on, jump-off bus makes a trip around the city of Melbourne and includes sites such as The Shrine of Remembrance, Southbank, Docklands, The Melbourne Museum and Chinatown.
This tourist shuttle even provides commentary from drivers for those who need some local knowledge to appreciate all this great region has to offer! Buses run every half hour so there’s no waiting in line aside from when you first get aboard but don’t worry – you’ll be quickly back out again exploring new sights down an exciting road less traveled (literally)!
Swan around Albert Park Lake
Hundreds of elegant black swans and a plethora of exotic water birds including pelicans, cormorants and herons will greet you as you stroll around the 5km perimeter of this beautiful lake. Lakeside Drive was used as an international motor-racing circuit in 1950s, but since 1996 it has been the venue for Australian Formula One Grand Prix each March. The stunning views from down town Melbourne are worth it just to take some pictures!
Sport
Melbourne is obsessed with Australia Rules Football, a game that can only be found in the country. A standard ticket to see this high-energy and intense sport costs over $20 but at Melbourne’s biggest sporting ground, the MCG, all gates will open up 3 quarters into a match just for fans of both teams – so you get one free quarter! This means travelers on budget are more than welcome to catch an entire exciting final starting from when they first enter through the gate.
The art scene
Melbourne is one of the most vibrant art scenes in Australia. With a few free galleries to check out, you can explore Melbourne’s culture with its National Gallery of Victoria and Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI). ACMI has changing displays based on digital culture that are always worth seeing when visiting this beautiful city. Or if contemporary indigenous arts are what interest you more than anything else then head over to see some works at The Alcaston – they work directly with communities making their gallery so unique among others in town!
Chinatown for slug dim sum
A wander through Melbourne’s Chinatown is like a trip to another world, where the smells of spices and herbs fill your nostrils as you pass food carts selling noodles on street corners. This was once an alleyway riddled with crime and opium dens but now it stands out among other areas in downtown Melbourne for its bright red archways crossing both ends of Little Bourke St – welcoming visitors who are looking for something new or different from their usual dining experience.
There are loads of ways to experience Melbourne on a budget and if you need help to roam around contact Melbourne Coach Company. They provide quality and competitively priced coach hire for Melbourne, it’s surrounding suburbs and regional Victoria.
