Youth experiences - Victoria
Melbourne is a fun, young, exciting city with a thriving bar, restaurant and live music scene.
City slickers will love exploring Melbourne’s hidden laneway cafes and bars, which can be discovered in the most unlikely of locations – upstairs, downstairs, in shipping containers and in retail stores.
Those looking for a more country experience will love getting out to country Victoria, with landscapes including wine and fruit regions, farm land, mountain ranges and coastal areas – there are a wide range of options for working holidays.
Frequently voted as one of the world’s most liveable cities, Melbourne is well known for its culture, shopping, music and nightlife, and revered for its unique laneways and creative communities.
Each year, Melbourne is abuzz offering a packed agenda of food, wine sports, entertainment and arts which add to the city’s atmosphere, appeal and awesomeness. Whatever the season, Melbourne's busy events calendar is sure to excite. The city is buzzing with theatre, exhibitions, concerts, festivals and sporting events.
Experience Melbourne's mix of cultures in its myriad restaurants, cafes, and bars. Melbourne's eclectic food and wine scene offers an array of the world's great cuisines, from popular favourites to the truly groundbreaking.
Explore historic arcades and laneways lined with on-trend restaurants, hipster cafes, hidden bars and fashion boutiques, and take inspiration from Melbourne’s world-famous street art.
Just 90 minutes away, indulge in a seaside holiday on Phillip Island to experience iconic Australian wildlife (check out the penguins!), stunning white beaches and surf culture. Explore pristine wilderness in Gippsland, with its unspoilt beaches, lakes and mountains. Inhale the air up there in the Grampians and be dazzled by its diverse natural attractions – the walking tracks, wildlife, lookouts and waterfalls.
Great value quality accommodation can be found in the city and regions with options ranging from dorms to private and family rooms with ensuites. Whatever the budget, there will be something for all.
Immerse in the suburbs of Melbourne and take in the sights, sounds and flavours like a local.
Fitzroy
The suburb of Fitzroy reflects the ‘Bohemian’ side of Melbourne. Brunswick Street is the focus, with a vast smorgasbord of tastes and experiences. Second hand furniture shops are everywhere, as are welcoming bookshops, antique clothing and retro shops, turning yesterday's fashions into today's fad.
St Kilda
Melbourne's famed beachside neighbourhood, St. Kilda's outdoor pubs and cafes invite visitors to sip a glass in the sun and watch windsurfers brave the waves. Despite the proximity to the bustling city centre, the area paints a relaxed picture with its antique theatres, historic amusement park, and classic beachside kiosks. Come dusk, St. Kilda comes alive with music and night-time revellers.
Central Business District
The CBD means business, but also knows how to relax – an abundance of hidden cafes, restaurants, and bars pack its narrow laneways. Every weekday, business people, trams, and tourists rush through frenetic streets. The much-welcomed weekend signals the change from business attire and briefcases to casual clothes and cocktails. With its nonstop activity, the CBD offers endless amusement for locals and tourists alike.
Brunswick
In Brunswick, grandmas compare tomatoes in Mediterranean grocery stores while young songwriters busk outside. Most mornings, the smell of Middle Eastern spices wafts from bakeries down cobblestone alleyways and past restored workers' cottages. On the weekends, students queue for vegan brunch while the aroma of roasting coffee pervades the streets.
Carlton
Carlton’s residents don’t cut their pasta; in this neighborhood’s outdoor restaurants, spaghetti is twirled expertly with a fork and savoured to the last bite. Centrally located Lygon street boasts espresso and pastries just like a nonna made them. Seeking hideouts to quietly canoodle, couples picnic in Princes Park, and longtime residents sidestep college kids for the relatively calm oasis of Rathdowne Street.
Experience Melbourne's eclectic spirit with a night out exploring the wonderful nightspots peppering the city's streets and laneways. Up a flight of stairs, down a laneway, on a rooftop or behind a bookcase, Melbourne sure knows how to hide a bar.
Cocktail Bars
Laneway Bars
Rooftop Bars
Destination Highlights
Accommodation
Local Immersion
Nightlife