Walking Tours Melbourne

Can Melbourne's true essence only be discovered on foot?

Melbourne is a vibrant and exciting city with a rich culture and history. One of the best ways to explore the essence of Melbourne city is by taking a walking tour. Here's what you can expect from a walking tour of Melbourne with Walk Melbourne Tours.

Laneways, where the cool stuff happens.

The laneways and arcades (or alleyways) of Melbourne are filled with cafes, street art murals and cute little stores. They really are where all the cool stuff happens! These streets are pedestrian-only - too small for cars and coaches to visit. To find and really appreciate them, you need to explore on foot - and it’s definitely easier with a local guide. Find a walking tour that takes you through famous places such as Degraves St and The Block Arcade and also lesser-known local hangouts such as Scott Alley and Equitable Place.

Melbourne's Culinary Delights

Melbourne is well known for its multicultural and diverse food scene. This doesn’t just apply to fine dining but also to street food style snacks and the best venues are often found in the laneways. We like to highlight key parts of modern Australian eating to share with you such as Chinese dumplings, specialty coffee, sweet treats in unexpected places … and lots more.

Melbourne's History & Culture

Our walking tours in Melbourne are designed to reflect the city's rich past and its transformation into the present-day cosmopolitan hub. You will leave with an appreciation of the history of the city from the 1850’s and an explanation of how we got the modern and very liveable city we are today. Best of all, we’ll open your eyes to the way the city developed by talking about the laneways and buildings as we walk through them.

Expert Guides Provide an Insider's Perspective

All our guides are local and are passionate about sharing their favourite parts of the city with you. Having a local in-person guide with you allows you to have your personal questions answered and share a laugh along the way! We’ve dug into Melbourne’s history to share unique stories and lesser-known facts with our guests. All our walking tours are small groups so that you can interact with the guide and also with the other participants. Your experience of exploring the city will be so much richer for joining our hosted groups.

More Than Just Sightseeing – A Sensory Adventure

All our walking tours of Melbourne include tastings along the way, so your experience is not just sightseeing, but a multicultural sensory adventure. Depending on which tour you join you might be relishing in Asian style street food, savouring sweet treats like chocolate and gelati, getting the real taste of Melbourne's coffee culture or enjoying Melbourne's famous rooftop bars at twilight. 

But don’t believe us! Tara visited in May 2023 and gave us 5 stars. She said “What a wonderful way to spend a day in Melbourne! Our guide was great at sharing stories and the inside scoop on where to find fabulous food. We finished with new knowledge, good memories and satisfied bellies.”  

 Visit our tours page to pick the tour that is best up your alley! 

Melbourne Tours Uncovered - An Insider's Guide

Discovering Melbourne: Food, History, and Hidden Gems

When choosing a Melbourne Tour, a walking tour is a perfect way to explore the famous alleyways, laneways and arcades of the city. These laneways are pedestrian-only zones and are often filled with cafes, delicious local food vendors and small stores that exude charm. Melbourne is an incredibly multicultural city and this is reflected in what’s on offer for you in the laneways of Melbourne.

What Makes Walk Melbourne Tours Unique?

At Walk Melbourne Tours we love to share Melbourne’s stories through food. Since 2012, our small group walking tours have been delighting guests from all around the world. Food is central to our tours, so tastings are included in the price of every tour.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a first-time visitor to Melbourne looking for a comprehensive overview or a local with a specific interest. We have a tour for you:

• Coffee Tours: Dive deep into Melbourne's renowned coffee scene.

• Dumpling Tours: Taste the city's most delicious dumplings.

• Foodie Tours: Indulge in Melbourne's most delicious morsels.

• Laneway & Rooftop Bars Tours:Explore unique spots and spectacular views

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Foodie Discovery Walk

The Foodie Discovery Walk is the best Melbourne tour if you want a great overview of Melbourne and a range of different tastings. It’s perfect if you only have a short stay and want to taste a bunch of delicious things!

Coffee Lovers Walk

Our Coffee Lovers Walk is for those wanting to deep dive into Melbourne’s coffee obsession. It doesn’t matter if you simply enjoy a cappuccino or if you are a home roasting expert. We can cater to everyone’s tastes - as long as it’s coffee! You’ll visit multiple cafes, try different styles of coffee and leave with lots of food for thought about your next cup.

Dumpling Discovery Walk

Our Dumpling Discovery Walk is for those who love a fun evening experience with a little bit of history thrown in. We visit several dumpling houses - typically always Chinese - and try something different at each one. You’ll make your own dipping sauce and have a great night out with other dumpling lovers!

Rooftop Bars Tour

Our Rooftop Bars tour is a Melbourne Tour for those of you wanting to find some great spots for a drink with friends. This is only for private groups, so grab a few friends and we’ll show you some nice views, share a bit of history and buy you some drinks!

““This tour that was so much more than I was expecting! It was a history lesson, as well as an introduction to Melbourne architecture, iconic events, and the influential people who helped grow this beautiful city. As for the food and drinks…there is plenty, it’s all delicious, and you are taken on a journey with each stop providing its own fascinating story. I can’t recommend this tour highly enough, a wonderful introduction to what Melbourne has to offer””

— Vicki, June 2023

FAQs

What Can You Expect in a Walk Melbourne Tour?

Your local guide will meet you with a smile and confirm your dietary requirements and preferences.

The groups are always small and may include local Melbournians discovering their own backyard or international guests from any corner of the world. We encourage everyone to get to know each other!

Our tour guides are locals and want you to get the best out of your time in Melbourne. All our tours include the laneways of Melbourne, history and commentary about the food that we’re eating. Our guides are all passionate about the city and are happy to provide some recommendations for the rest of your stay.

Are Tastings Included in the Price?

Your tastings are included in the price. We visit small businesses that the locals love and on every tour we hear people say ‘we would never have found this place without you!’.

How Do I Book a Melbourne Tour with Walk Melbourne?

All our availability is viewable in real time on our website. Just click the Book Now button to book your Melbourne tour.

Are Walk Melbourne Tours Suitable for Children?

Our tours aren’t really suitable for kids under 10 years old, unless they’re adventurous eaters. If you think they will have all the tastings, they are charged at full price. If you’d like to bring them along, but you don’t think they’ll eat, they are welcome to attend free of charge. But please let us know in advance so we can accommodate seating for them (our venues are small). You are welcome to buy them extra tastings along the way. All kids over 10 years old are charged at full price. If you have any questions, please get in contact.

What Should I Bring on a Walk Melbourne Tour?

Please bring your own water bottle, rain jacket, umbrella, hat and sunscreen. Some people also like to bring some hand sanitiser, as we are eating at outdoor venues. Apart from that please bring your sense of curiosity and enthusiasm!

Why Choose Walk Melbourne for Your Melbourne Tour Experience?

We have been operating foodie walking tours of Melbourne since 2012 with great reviews from our customers! Our groups are small, our tour guides are locals and tastings are included in the price. We visit small businesses that the locals love and on every tour we hear people say ‘we would never have found this place without you!’. All our tours include the laneways of Melbourne, history and commentary about the food that we’re eating. We want you to get the best out of your time in Melbourne and we’re always happy to provide some recommendations for the rest of your stay.

Things to do in Melbourne this August

August is sometimes seen as a time to head out of town and soak up some warmth before the arrival of Spring, but if you do that you’d be missing a bunch of great events happening in Melbourne this month.

Melb International Coffee Expo (MICE) (Aug 17-19, MCEC)

Where have Melbourne’s coffee nerds been going to geek out on the latest trends for the last 10 years? The Melbourne International Coffee Expo. Just as relevant for the casual cappuccino lover as the most hardened coffee professional, this 3 day show at the convention centre allows you to get involved in a the latest coffee trends and try some of the best coffee in town. Of course, you pair this over 2 days with our Coffee Lovers Walk as well.

Melb International Film Festival (MIFF) (Aug 03 – 20, 7 cinemas across the CBD)

One of the longest running film festivals in the world, the Melbourne International Film festival celebrates it’s 71st year of screening quality cinema in Melbourne. The program covers a multitude of genres including Australian cinema, music docos, animation and more. One of the best reasons to attend MIFF is to see cinema in some amazing spaces including art-deco The Capitol Theatre designed by Walter Burley-Griffin and Marion Mahoney-Griffin in 1924.

A great afternoon would be to attend out Foodie Discovery Walk, followed by an early session at MIFF.

Now or Never Festival (17 – 20 AUG, various locations around CBD)

This is first year for the Now or Never winter festival. The 2.1 km Art Trail in Docklands is the centrepiece (and it’s free!) but there are events across the city. This festival highlights art those uses technology to bring the best out in creativity. There is music, performance, light installations and public lectures.

A great afternoon would be to attend out Foodie Discovery Walk, followed by the Art Trail Docklands which is a quick, easy and free tram ride from the end of the tour.  

 

QVM Night Market (Wednesdays nights from 5pm until Aug 30)

The long running and incredibly popular Queen Victoria Night Market continues through until the end of August with food trucks, entertainment and craft stalls. With more than 40 food and drink vendors you’ll definitely have to prepare yourself for a bit of FOMO in choosing what to have for dinner!

Winter treats in Melbourne for foodies (July 2023)

Melbourne’s winter is relatively mild, rarely dipping below 10 deg C (50 deg F) during the day. However, across the rest of sunny Australia, Melbourne has a reputation for being cold, wet and dark during July. While it can be tempting to snuggle up at home on the couch, winter is a great time to layer up in your favourite winter clothes and take advantage of all those warming and comforting delights you’re in the mood for. With multicultural culinary influences from Europe and Asia, here are some of the best winter things to eat and places to eat them in July 2023!  

Coffee & pastry

Melbourne is obsessed with two things in winter: Aussie Rules football (it’s not rugby or soccer) and coffee! The downtown grid - which is half a square mile (1.3 sq km) – has hundreds of coffee shops, with some of them very serious about their coffees. Most locals drink a caffe latte or a flat white (both are espresso topped with steamed milk) but if you really want a Melbourne coffee order a ‘magic’. It’s technically a ‘double ristretto ¾ latte’ but tastes just like a caffe latte with a more intense coffee flavour and less milk. One of the best is at Industry Beans in Little Collins Street. If you prefer your coffee black, they also offer filter coffee (high quality drip) or single origin black espresso. You might also like to try Maker on Hardware Lane, especially if you’re travelling with a non-coffee drinker. They make one of the best chai lattes.

What goes better with coffee than a pastry? Whether you like a classic croissant or something more elaborate like a cherry and pistachio danish or a lemon curd cronut, pastry is definitely having a moment in Melbourne. You can join the daily queue at world renowned Lune Croissanterie in Russell St or play hide and seek and find the petit shop for Agathe patisserie in the historic Royal Arcade.

Hot pot (Thai or Chinese)

There’s nothing quite as warming as sharing hot pot with friends. There’s something very comforting about communal cooking at the table over some nice conversation. This is not a dish to dine solo! Whether you like the spicy and numbing flavours of Sichuan province in China or the aromatic flavours of Thailand, Melbourne has many opportunities for hot pot.

The original in Melbourne and still very popular is Dainty Sichuan (no website) at 149 Lonsdale St. For Thai flavours and a menu that goes beyond hot pot as well, head to Nana Thai on Bourke near Russell. If the queue is too long, the eastern end of Bourke St (between Russell St and Spring St) has recently seen a burst of Thai restaurants, so try your luck at one of those!

Warming spaces for after dark drinks

After dinner it’s nice to slip into a moody bar for a sneaky cocktail. Winter is the best time to explore Melbourne’s indoor spaces designed to be warm and intimate.

When Gimlet became too popular, local hospitality hero Andrew McConnell decided to open a dedicated cocktail bar next door. The Apollo Inn is Melbourne’s newest hot spot, named for the original watering hole that was on this spot in the very early days of British settlement. It’s small, quiet and very sophisticated, specialising in martinis.

Boilermaker House has lots of timber, whisky and beer, but no windows. It could be anytime of day or night in here at anytime of day or night. Their menu of beer and whisky matchings are what their known for and what the bar is named for.   

Black Kite Commune is also a new kid in town serving more than 90% Australian made drinks with indigenous flavours highlighted on the snacks menu. Head upstairs into the mezzanine booths and simply press the button at your table for cocktail service. A perfect way to avoid the chill outside! 

Conclusion

Of course if you want to pack a whole lots of treats into 3 hours, you could join one of our Melbourne walking tours, where food and drinks are included on every tour. Melbourne is definitely a place that thrives during winter, so grab your puffer jacket and scarf and head out into see the city and warm up with some comforting winter treats. 

Uncovering Melbourne's Best-Kept Secrets: How to explore the ‘laneways’.

Melbourne Laneway Tours - The City's Culture Unveiled

Melbourne is Australia’s most vibrant and multicultural city. It’s known for its stunning architecture, fantastic dining scene, and thriving arts culture. However, there's more to this city than meets the eye. Hidden within the maze of alleyways and laneways lies a treasure trove of unique experiences waiting to be discovered. From colourful street art to charming cafes and boutique shops, Melbourne's laneways are full of surprises. One of the most authentic ways to explore these hidden gems is through Laneway Tours Melbourne. So, put on your walking shoes and get ready to explore the laneways of Melbourne.

What is a ‘Laneway?’

Melbourne's laneways date back to the city's earliest days. In the mid 1800’s, when the city was first established, narrow alleyways were used as service roads for shops and warehouses.

Melbourne's laneways are more than just a relic of the past; they are a vital part of the city's cultural fabric. They provide a space for creative expression, with street artists and performers showcasing their talents in public spaces. They are also home to some of the city's most innovative businesses, including cafes, bars, and boutique shops.

Symbol of the City’s Creative Spirit

The laneways of Melbourne have become a symbol of the city's creative spirit, attracting artists, musicians, and entrepreneurs from around the world. Today, they are simply where all the cool stuff happens! Many locals prefer to navigate the city through the laneways as it’s more pleasant than simply walking along the main streets. You’ll never know when you’ll find something new! Visitors to Melbourne can really get a sense of local life here by exploring the laneways – and a great way to do that is on a guided laneways tour.

Taking a laneways tour of Melbourne is a great way to explore like a local.

Hidden Cafes and Bars in Melbourne's Laneways

Melbourne's laneways are also home to some of the city's best cafes and bars, with hidden gems tucked away in every corner. From cozy coffee shops to trendy cocktail bars, there is no shortage of places to grab a drink or a bite to eat.

Degraves Street, located in the heart of the city, is one of Melbourne's most famous laneways for cafes and restaurants. It is famous for the collection of cafes under the black umbrellas – but don’t forget some of the other vendors who offer excellent gelato. Hardware Lane, another popular laneway, is home to an everchanging variety of bars, cafes and restaurants.

There are other laneways worth exploring and the best way to see them and discover the best cafes in town is to join a foodie walking tour of Melbourne’s laneways.

How to Explore Melbourne's Laneways Like a Local

To best way to exploring Melbourne's laneways like a local is on foot, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for the weather. If you’d like to get to know the locals, you can join a local walking tour. Often the guides are Melbourne locals and are a treasure trove of information about their favourite places to try.

Take a Melbourne Laneway Tour

Melbourne's laneways are a true reflection of the city's creative spirit and entrepreneurial drive. They are home to a variety of businesses and attractions, from street art to cafes and boutiques. Exploring Melbourne's laneways is a great way to experience the city's unique culture and to discover the hidden gems that make Melbourne truly special. So, put on your walking shoes and get ready to explore Melbourne's laneways like never before. You never know what surprises you might discover.

Where to eat on Hardware Lane (updated May 2023)

In a list of Melbourne laneways, Hardware Lane is always there. Two of our Melbourne food tours visit this area. While there are some excellent laneway stalwarts here, here we will focus on recent additions so you can avoid the tourist traps.

Gracie

This tiny space with minimalist aesthetic has been embraced by locals seeking a very nice glass of wine at the end of the week in a laneway bar. Gracie also pride themselves on serving good sake and some Japanese inspired snacks. The only problem is trying to snatch one of the few tables from the local suits.

Hardware Club

Hardware Club is a Melbourne restaurant serving Italian food. The owners are childhood friends from Verona and are recreating dishes as they remember them. Some of the dishes are comforting, courtesy of the woodfire oven, some of the a little more challenging. The space hosted a local social club in the 1920s and they’ve tried to keep a sense of that heritage in the experience.

Maker Coffee

In a city obsessed with coffee it’s always exciting when a new speciality coffee shops opens in a laneway. Maker is making some of the finest coffee in the city, with their filter coffee brewed to order as a V60 pourover one of the highlights. Everything on the shelf is a single origin, even for their milk offering. Sitting on the bench seating outside, taking in the Melbourne laneway on a sunny day has got to be a sure fire way to fall in love with the city!

Lulu’s Char Koay Teow

If you haven’t tried it before, Char Koay Teow is a smoky and flavourful blend of stir fried noodles, meats, pipis and vegetable that it’s hard not to love. Lulu’s does such a good version that the lunch time queue along the laneway is almost exclusively for them. Oh and the Curry Mee (similar in style to a Curry Laksa) is also excellent. Bonus points if you order the optional blood jelly with it. Arrive early.

Rice Paper Scissors

If there’s one thing you can find in Melbourne’s laneways, it’s Australian style Asian fusion. Rice Paper Scissors is one of the best in the genre. The also have excellent vegan options and regularly run Vegustation (vegan degustations).

Note: From May-September 2023, there’s a fair bit of construction in front of RPS while the Council beautifies the laneway. You can also find the RPS food around the corner on Bourke St at a rooftop bar called The Stolen Gem.   

Piccolina

If you feel like a change of scene for dessert, perhaps wander down the laneway and past Piccolina after dinner for excellent hand made gelato. The owner has studied at ‘Gelato University’ in northern Italy and it’s reflected in the quality of the goods. They have all the classic favours, but also regular specials which can be a real treat. And don’t forget to have warm house-made Nutella drizzled over the top from the tap.

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Walk Melbourne Tours will help you get the best out of your time in Melbourne’s laneways. Our Melbourne Foodie Discovery Walking Tour will take you to visit our favorite places to eat around Melbourne’s laneways… all while our local guides tell you stories about Melbourne. Click Here for more info.