Melbourne’s got a LOT to offer, but sometimes it can be hard figuring out what to pack into those precious days off. Food? Drinks? Sight-seeing? Whether you’re planning a staycation, have visitors in town for a night, or are just looking for cool things to do in Melbourne, here are six of Melbourne’s best day tours to make sure you discover the best of what our beautiful city has to offer.
Meet The Makers Food & Wine Tours, Wine Compass
Mornington Peninsula
The local food and drink culture is, in our humble opinion, one of Melbourne’s best assets—delicious cheeses, cured meats, wines, ciders, beers…the list is endless! If you’re looking to hit up some of the Mornington region’s best producers, all in one day, Wine Compass’s Meet The Makers tour series is definitely not to be missed. City, Bayside and Peninsula pick-ups, exclusive tastings and a gourmet two-course lunch are all included, and you’ll get hands-on with some of the industry’s top experts (who, as it turns out, are real characters who have some totally hilarious stories to tell). One of Melbourne’s best day tours if you’re looking to scratch beneath the surface and get some insider access to Mornington’s tasty food and drink scene.
Friday 15th & Saturday 16th, Saturday 23rd, Friday 29th & Saturday 30th May, and Friday 5th June
$250 pp | Book via the Wine Compass website
Chocoholic Tours
Melbourne CBD
Melbourne’s Chocoholic Tours do exactly what their name suggests—a whole day of visiting the city’s best chocolatiers and confectioners in the city! They take their chocolate pretty seriously too. Rather than simply run generic tours, the group hosts events catering to those who love bitter cocoa, raw chocolate, hot chocolate, and even a tour that delves into the history of chocolate in Melbourne. Our one piece of advice? Skip breakfast before this one! Hands down one of the most lip-smackingly delicious things to do in Melbourne.
Various dates
$49 pp | Book here
Drink This City
Melbourne CBD
If your idea of heaven is quaffing down the cream of the city’s cocktail crop, then Drink This City is, hands down (or bottoms up…) the best day tour in Melbourne for you. Okay, so they’re not exactly day tours—the sessions run Tuesday and Wednesday nights from 6:30pm, and Sunday afternoons from 4pm—but they do involve checking out some of Melbourne’s best bars and sipping on everything from absinthe to whisky. Cheers!
Various dates
$89 pp, for more information, get in touch
Autumn Trail | South Melbourne Market
South Melbourne
We just know there’s a heap of you who are mad for market life! You’ll love the South Melbourne Market’s Autumn Trail, which features the market’s best florists, tea brewers, food producers, beauty buffs and even a nail bar! With no fixed numbers or ticketing—you simply download the trail map and go—it’s also our thrifty pick of the bunch.
Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout May
Download the map here
Melbourne Street Art Tours
Melbourne CBD
You can’t talk about Melbourne without the city’s wealth of world-class street art coming up in conversation! If you’re looking to expand your knowledge of what’s sprayed, drawn and pasted onto the walls of our beautiful city, or even fancy yourself as the next Banksy, get yourself along to one of the Melbourne Street Art Tours sessions, which run on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Sorted.
Various dates
$69 pp, includes refreshments | Book here
Sports Lovers Tours
Various locations
Whether you’re a sports fan yourself, or have a few in town for the weekend, the Sports Lovers tour of Melbourne is a cracking day out that lets you get behind the scenes of some of the city’s greatest stadiums and sporting grounds. Our pick of the bunch is the ultimate day tour package, which includes access to the MCG, the National Sports Museum, Rod Laver and lunch at Etihad—seriously, which venue doesn’t it include?!
Various dates
$145 pp | Book here
So, got a day off coming up, or entertaining your nearest and dearest? Make sure you get to at least one on this list of Melbourne’s best day tours this season!
Image credit: Jena Gambaccini