Melbourne on a shoestring - 8 attractions for free

Travelling in Melbourne or Australia in general is not cheap. Food and restaurants are slightly more expensive than in Central Europe, but visiting night clubs or alcohol is really expensive. To save some money (for maybe a trip to Sydney) I show you 8 nice and exciting attractions and places in Melbourne where you do not need any cent.

Royal Botanical Gardens

You find the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne along the south bank of the Yarra river. Of course the most colorful time is spring when everything is in flower. But also in summer or fall the park offers a lot of interesting places. If you stay for a longer time in Melbourne, it is worth to visit the Royal Botanical Gardens several times, to enjoy the different appearance depending on the season.

If you like cooking, please visit the herb garden. It is surprising, how many herbs exist and how they are smelling.

The return of the penguines

In St Kilda you can watch the penguines in the evening when they are returning to their places. They are playing on the stones, making nasty things and it seems, that they are enjoying to be an attraction.

I read, that it's good to be there before sunset, but actually they appeared about 30 minutes after sunset. So be patient, it is worth to wait for them. Additionally you can use the time for taking some nice pictures of the ocean and the harbour during sunset

Shrine of Remembrance

The Shrine of Remembrance was built for remember all the men and women who served in World War I. Now it is a memorial for all Australians who have served in wars.

The entrance is for free and from the observation platform you have a nice outlook to the Royal Botanical Garden and to the Central Business District.

Queen Victoria Market

On this market in the center of Melbourne you get almost everything you were ever looking for - fresh vegetables, fruits, fish and meat, socks, pullovers and tools for cooking as well. Furthermore they offer a lot of (interesting) meals and musicians are playing cool songs. All in all, the Queen Victoria Market is one of the most vibrant places in Melbourne.

City Circle Line

The City Circle Line starts in the Doclands Drive, goes along the La Trobe Street, turns into Spring Street and leads via the Flinders Street and the Harbour Esplanada back to the Docklands Drive. During a tour you pass a lot of attractions like the harbour, the parlament or St. Pauls Cathedral. Furthermore you pass Flinders Street Station, where many buses and trains departure to other cities.

And the best thing of the City Circle Line is, that it is for free and you can repeat a tour as many times as you want.

Hosier Lane

Hosier Lane is one of the most popular streets in Melbourne. Dozens of graffiti are making this street very colorful. You find it in the opposite of the entrance to the Atrium on the Federation Square.

If you are interested in street art, it is worth to visit this lane several time, because the images are changed regularly. And don't forget your camera!

China Town

China Town was founded in the 1850s when many people moved to Australia due to the gold rush. Today, China Town in Melbourne is the biggest chinese quarter of the western world and one of the oldest one in the southern hemisphere.

Most of the interesting shops and restaurants are located in Little Bourke Street, Bourke Street and Lonsdale Street. If you like chinese cuisine, I recommend Hot Pots. You get a pot of hot soup (you can choose the severity level) and cook meat and vegetables for a short time by yourself.

Living Legends

Living Legends is a farm where champion racehorses retire. For a small admission fee you can visit these horses and can work with them.

In my opinion, much more interesting is the Woodlands Historic Park around the farm. Just half an hour away from Melbourne you find kangaroos and cockatoos in the wild!

For this tour you need a car because a walk from the airport to the park is too dangerous. To enter the Woodlands Historic Park you don't need to pay any admission fee.

Do you know more attractions in and around Melbourne? It would be great, if you tell us about them!