10 Fun Things To Do in Melbourne Solo (+ 20 Extras!)
Looking for the best things to do in Melbourne as a solo traveller? Melbourne is known as one of the world’s friendliest cities, making it perfect for solo travellers.
So you’re visiting Melbourne solo? Yay! Melbourne is often voted one of the friendliest cities in the world, and there are a whole ton of things for solo travellers to do.
If you’re looking to meet like-minded travellers, there are some great backpacker hostels, events and FB groups for you to use and join with others to gain some travel buddies.
If you’ve read any of my posts before, you’ll know how much of a HUGE fan I am of Melbourne. Not only did I live in Melbourne for a year, but it’s somewhere I tell everyone to visit when they’re in Australia.
There are so many amazing things to do in Melbourne, and I’ve highlighted the ultimate bucket list of activities that must be done if you’re visiting the country for the first time!
Backpacking for the first time? Or want to know where to find the best travel deals? Check out my travel resources for the inside scoop!
🇦🇺 Visiting Australia for the first time? Check out my other posts here!
- Travelling East Coast Australia: A Beginners Guide
- Living in Melbourne as an Expat or Backpacker Guide (2022)
- Best Places to Live in Melbourne as a Young Adult or Expat
- 11 Things To Do In Byron Bay (First-Timer Guide!)
- Dingo’s Fraser Island Tour Review: Is It Worth It?
Already living in Melbourne as an expat or backpacker? Check out my guide: Living in Melbourne as an Expat or Backpacker Guide (2022).
The Top 10 Things to do in Melbourne Solo
1. Spot penguins at St Kilda pier
Yep, you read that right.
PENGUINS!
If you head to the end of St Kilda pier at dusk (on any day of the year) you can be in with a chance of seeing the penguins waddle in for bedtime between the rocks.
I can’t remember the number of times we headed down to the pier to watch the penguins come ashore for the evening! It’s a truly magical experience and one you won’t ever forget.
🐧 TOP TIP: Feeding and petting the penguins isn’t allowed (we don’t want to be scaring any penguins, do we?!). Flash photography also frightens them, so make sure to turn your camera/phone light off before you take any photos!
Still need to book your flights? I recommend this comparison site to find the best flight deals!
2. Stay in a backpacker hostel like Base
If you’re visiting Melbourne solo and want to meet like-minded travellers, I’d recommend staying at Base in St Kilda.
Base is a well-known party hostel in Oceania, and they’re all over New Zealand and Australia. They’re known for being clean, and modern and having fun nightlife for backpackers to join in and make friends.
The Base in Melbourne is located five minutes from the beach, and right next to a street full of bars, clubs and pubs.
Base will put on backpacker-friendly events each night, from bar crawls, boozy bingo and pizza nights, so it’s a perfect way to meet other people and make some travel buddies.
🛏️ You can book your stay at Base Backpackers here.
3. Visit Federation Square
Federation Square is one of the most culturally important attractions in Melbourne.
Known as being the hub of art, creativity and innovation, you can visit Federation Square for a causal wander or for one of its world-class events.
If you visit on a non-event day, the square has a number of bars, cafes and restaurants, and is surrounded by art galleries, parks and theatres.
It’s definitely worth a visit, and is a perfect thing to do in Melbourne on your own!
🎭 TOP TIP: The closest station to Federation Square is Flinders Street.
4. Drink coffee and visit the vintage markets in Brunswick
Brunswick is known for its quirky fashion scene and ridiculously good coffee.
As you may know, Melbourne is known for serving up some of the best coffee in the world. And if you’re heading north of the river, Brunswick is home to some of the most aesthetically pleasing coffee spots.
Brunswick is also home to some of the best vintage clothes shops in the city. Grab your coffee and head down Sydney Street and Brunswick Street for some second-hand clothes lovin’.
☕ My favourite coffee spot in Brunswick was Padre Coffee.
👗 Fancy visiting a Brunswick vintage market? We loved the Melbourne Vintage too!
Need accommodation in Brunswick? I recommend this hostel for first-time backpackers and expats.
🗺️ My Australia must-have: I use my Insta Mini 11 to take photos on all of my trips. As they print instantly, they’re perfect for making a scrapbook and writing in all your favourite and funniest memories. I’ve even got my boyfriend joining in on it now too!
5. Check out Melbourne’s street art
Melbourne is the ‘proud capital’ of street art paintings in Australia, and they can be found in designated areas all across the city.
Hosier Lane is Melbourne’s most famous laneway for street art, which is near Flinders Street station in the CBD. However, there are a few other laneways and alleys in the inner city that have street art on show for all to see!
The street art in Melbourne is incredible, and if you’re lucky, you can catch an artist at work and watch them paint. That’s an experience in itself!
🏴 Banksy has painted over five original pieces in Melbourne, but they’ve sadly been destroyed by construction workers.
🗺️ My Australia must-have: If you’re solo travelling, don’t forget to take earphones for busy public transport. Listening to a podcast or tuning out from the noise is a lifesaver on a busy city trip!
6. Admire the colourful beach huts at Brighton Beach
Brighton Beach is one of the sandiest and nicest beaches in Melbourne.
With the picturesque colourful beach huts, it’s a perfect day trip in Melbourne to do solo.
There are buses and trains that run to Brighton Beach, but most do the St Kilda to Brighton coastal walk which takes just over an hour (and there are lots of other pretty beaches en route too).
🥗 TOP TIP: We found food and drink at Brighton beach to be expensive (and hard to find!) so I’d recommend taking a picnic or your own food.
🗺️ My Australia must-have: Solo travelling on your Australia trip? Stay safe by carrying your cash or card in a money belt. I know it sounds silly, but Melbourne can be chaotic and pickpockets are known to work in busy areas. it’s better to be safe than sorry!
7. Spend time in the CBD
Melbourne CBD is known for its cultural diversity, amazing dining options, cool street art and of course, incredible coffee. Spending time in the CBD is a great way to explore Melbourne solo.
The CBD (Central Business District) is the centre hub of pretty much everything major in Melbourne. From theatres to museums, rooftop bars and main central stations taking you to the suburbs surrounding Melbourne.
It’s also home to big shopping malls, pharmacies, cinemas and nightclubs.
Even if you’re not looking to spend any money, the atmosphere of the CBD is fun, and it’s one of the easiest things to do in Melbourne as a solo backpacker.
🗺️ My Australia must-have: A wheelie backpack! Check out my favourite, the Osprey 65L wheeled backpack. It’s dreamy for long-term trips and when you need more than a carry-on! I’ve even written a review all about how it’s my favourite backpack ever.
8. Eat cake on Acland Street
Mmmmm. Cake.
If you’re as much of a cake fan as me, hit up Acland Street.
Acland Street is the main hub of St Kilda, and as well as being full of bars, cafes and clubs, it’s the perfect place to sit, eat a slice of cake and watch the world go by.
Home to one of the oldest cake shops in Melbourne, Monarch Cakes, the ever-expanding cake world has been taking Acland Street by storm in the last few years.
Now home to at least five successful cake shops, you can stroll along the high street and decide which one takes your fancy.
🎂 My recommendation: The Acland Cake shop. (I’d give a cake recommendation, but I tried most of them. You can’t go wrong!)
9. Party on Chapel Street
If you’re heading to Melbourne as a backpacker, whether you’re solo, with friends or on a group tour, chances are, you’ll hit up Chapel Street.
Located around 10 minutes from St Kilda via public transport, Chapel Street is the HOME of nightlife in Melbourne.
We realised this pretty early on, and spent most of our nights out here, rather than some of the other areas in the city.
Of course, there are some other great places to party in Melbourne, but Chapel Street is something special.
Either hit up Chapel Street alone and make pals in your new favourite bar, or get chatting to some other backpackers in your hostel and suggest a night on the town in what will soon be their new favourite place (and they’ll love you for suggesting it!).
Hit up Melbourne’s latest opening club, Revolver Upstairs, for a Thursday-Sunday drinking sesh (it doesn’t close it’s doors for the entire 4 days).
✨ My recommendations: Lucky Coq, Revolver Upstairs, College Lawn Hotel, Poof Doof, Three Monkeys, Jungle Bar and Somewhere Bar.
🛏️ I recommend this hostel if you want to stay near Chapel Street.
10. Eat street food from around the world at the Victoria Night Market
Victoria Night Market is one of the best things in Melbourne to do solo. Not only can you taste food from all over the world, but you can stroll around the boutique stalls, listen to live music all amongst the backdrop of the city lights.
The Victoria Market is located in the CBD, and takes place every Wednesday night throughout Melbourne’s summer months.
Not visiting in summer? No worries! The Queen Victoria market has different events and stalls set up throughout the year.
20 BONUS activities to do in Melbourne solo
They may be the top 10 activities to do in Melbourne solo (well, in my opinion), but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other INCREDIBLE things to do in this magical city!
Take a look at these 20 extra things to do in Melbourne solo:
- Try windsurfing
- Visit Luna Park theme park at night
- Have a cocktail in one of St Kilda’s beach bars
- Cycle the coast line
- Learn about Australia’s history at the Shrine of Remembrance
- Dance the day away at the Arbory floating bar
- Stroll around the Botanical Gardens
- Party at Melbourne’s 24 hour nightclub, Revolver
- Go shopping in the CBD
- Take a road trip to the Yarra Valley
- Visit the Great Ocean Road
- Watch a live gig
- Laugh at a comedy show
- Do a ‘boozy’ brunch
- Take some time out at Melbourne library
- Watch an Australian footy match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
- Attend the races (check dates, usually November)
- Visit an outdoor cinema
- Have a picnic in Albert Park
- Take a trip to Melbourne Zoo
🛏️ For cheap and backpacker-friendly hostels, check out Hostel World
🏨 For hotels and a bit of luxury living, check out Booking.com
✈️ Still need to book your flights? I recommend this comparison site to find the best flight deals!
🚣For tours around the world, check out Get Your Guide
🧳 For a 65L backpack fit for any type of traveller, check out my favourite here.
🩱For ALL backpacking essentials on your list, check out my definitive backpacking checklist here.
Best things to do in Melbourne solo: In a Nutshell
So, there you have it!
If you’re visiting Melbourne solo, some of these activities will make your stay just that bit better.
Melbourne is such a vibrant and fun city, that even if you planned very little, you could still have a great time.
If you have any questions about Melbourne, feel free to DM me on Instagram, or let me know in the comments below!
Happy travelling 🙂
Jennie x
Travelling more of Australia? I’m so excited for you! Check out my other posts:
- Dingo’s Fraser Island Tour Review: Is It Worth It?
- Travelling East Coast Australia: A Beginners Guide
- Best Places to Live in Melbourne as a Young Adult or Expat
- Living in Melbourne as an Expat or Backpacker Guide (2022)
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Hey you! 🙋♀️ I quit my job in 2021 to become a full-time travel blogger + visit as much of the globe as possible. Come and join me on my chaotic and hilarious travel journeys!
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Amazing Blog !!
I was so interesting to read and I am so excited to experience all these things in Melbourne. Thank you so much for sharing.
Ah I’m so glad! Thank you and have the best time in Melbourne! DM me if you have any questions 😀 xx