Things to do in Melbourne Winters (2023)

Are you looking for things to do during Melbourne winters? You may think that the city is quiet during the winter season, but there are plenty of things that the city offers to its visitors.

I have lived in Melbourne for few months, especially during the winter season. Like everyone else, I thought that places in Melbourne are usually closed during winters. But I was so wrong. Melbourne is a vibrant city that has so much to offer during all the seasons, including winters. In this post, you will find the list of all the things that you can do during Melbourne winters.

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Disclaimers:

• The prices mentioned in the post are valid only at the time of publication. Ensure to check the booking websites for up to date information and prices.
• Opinions and views expressed solely mine and are unbiased. If the post is a collaboration, then they are specifically mentioned.
• Ensure to check the relevant websites for up to date information on COVID protocols.
• For any adventurous activities, please note that there is a risk that can be dangerous. Ensure to read the terms and conditions with individual agencies recommended and do them at your own risk.
• For visas, it is best to see the embassy website for any changing rules.

About Melbourne

Known for its fashion style and food, Melbourne is one of the largest and beautiful cities in Australia. With great European influence, the city is the capital city of the state Victoria. The city is always buzzing with events and festivals. Known as the sports capital of Australia, this city surely knows how to keep the locals and visitors entertained. There are plenty of things that the city offers to its visitors, even during the winter season.

How to get to Melbourne?

Flights

Melbourne has both domestic (Tullamarine and Avalon airports) and international (Tullamarine) airports.

• International flights – Melbourne has great connectivity from anywhere around the world to Melbourne. Most airlines operate out of Melbourne and some of the budgeted airlines are AirAsia and Scoot airlines from South East Asia.
• Domestic flights – Similarly, Melbourne is well connected to most cities and towns around Australia. Jetstar is the budgeted airline to fly between the cities domestically.

Driving

The highways and freeways leading to Melbourne are awesome. Some of them are along the coast. But it is quite a distance to drive from the capital cities such as Sydney and Adelaide to Melbourne.

The distance between Sydney and Melbourne is around 880 kilometres and by road, the journey takes up to 8 hours 30 minutes. You can either opt to drive through Canberra or along the coast. Both these routes have toll roads and have spectacular stopovers where you can take a break and enjoy.

Read Sydney to Lakes Entrance for more details on the road trip.

The distance between Adelaide and Melbourne is around 730 kilometres and the journey by road is about 8 hours. This route has toll roads too. Note that the cities (Adelaide and Melbourne) are on different time zones as well.

Public transportation

• Buses – There are frequent buses, operated by Greyhound and Firefly express that travel between Sydney and Melbourne. The cost of the fare range between 60 to 250 AUD. Even though this is the most affordable way to travel, this is my least favourite option as the bus journey is very long which is around 12 hours.
• Trains – There are frequent interstate trains, operated by TrainLink, which travel between Sydney (Central) and Melbourne (Southern Cross). The train journey is almost close to the bus journey which is around 11 hours and the cost is around AUD 75 to AUD 250.
• Up to date information and prices can be found on the respective websites.

Things to do in Melbourne winters

Melbourne in general is very cold when compared to other states and territories on mainland Australia. It is a city known for its four seasons in one day. However, the official winter season in Melbourne is between the months June and August. The temperature in Melbourne during winters is within the range of 5 to 15 degree centigrade.

Layer up with clothes when you are traveling in Melbourne as the weather changes very quickly.

• The main train station is the Flinders Street and Southern Cross train stations.
• Up-to-date information about public transportation within Melbourne can be found on the Public Transport Victoria (PTV) website.
• MyKi transportation card is used to pay for the fare on public transports. You can top this card at any train station or at news agencies.
• Melbourne has trams. And tram numbers 35 and 70 are free trams that travel between city zones. This is one of the free things to do in Melbourne.

Visit ACMI at Fed Square

Australia Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), located in the Federation Square, is a museum of screen culture. It has exhibitions and showcases celebrating television, films and gaming. The General entry into the museum is Free but they do have paid events. Currently, there is an event happening cherishing the Disney journey and the movies. The Disney showcase celebrates the 100 years of Disney characters and movies and the entry fee is AUD 26 per adult.

Sip hot chocolate or coffee

Hot chocolate or coffee are the solution for everything. Does not matter what the questions are! Melbourne CBD is known for its amazing cafes and restaurants. So definitely spend a few hours sitting in one of these impressive cafes and sipping a hot chocolate or your favourite coffee.

Winter night markets

The winter night markets at Queen Victoria Market is a great escape from the busy city life and to enjoy the street food and the pubs and bars. The markets go on for five weeks in the month of July. Visiting the winter night market is one of the popular things done by the locals and is a free entry.

Milky way

The winter season is the best season to go see the Milky Way. The stars, dust and the night skies are absolutely stunning on a good clear night. Just a few kilometres from Melbourne CBD such as Great Ocean Road, you can find breath taking views of the Milky Way. This is a free activity to do.

Do you want to see Milky Way in New South Wales (NSW)? Then read my post 10 places to see Milky Way in NSW.

The winter village

Docklands host the winter village every year during the winter season. There are Igloos and ice skating where one can enjoy the artificial snow and ice. You can have a stupendous dinner in one of the igloos.

Do you fancy seeing snow and making a snowman? If yes, then visit Mount Buller in Victoria and spend a weekend there.

Whale watching

Every year during the months of May and October, humpback whales migrate from south to north and then back. So it is a great opportunity to see the whales migrating during the winter season. Places near the coast, such as Port Fairy or Great Ocean Road have places where you can sit and watch the whales.

Palais theatre

Palais theatre is a heritage listed theatre in St Kilda suburb of Melbourne. With a capacity to seat nearly 3000 people, Palais theatre is Australia’s largest seated theatre. You can either watch a show or see an orchestra at the theatre. Depending on what is going on at the theatre, you can visit to watch a show. And the ticket price depends on which show you are booking.

I visited the Palais theatre when Shah Rukh Khan, the famous Bollywood actor, was the guest of honour at the International Indian Film Festival. I traveled to Melbourne this time around only to see him.

Visit ArtVo 3D museum

I had been to a 3D art museum before. That was when I had traveled to Auckland a few years ago. It was a very new concept for me and I had really enjoyed visiting it back then.

I was not aware that there was one in Melbourne too. During my last travel to Melbourne, I came across ArtVo.
ArtVo is an immersive gallery where the art gives a 3D effect. The museum in Melbourne is much bigger. The gallery has plenty of murals, from animals to iron man they have a lot to see and most of them are pretty awesome.

As I am an animal lover, I spent most of my time clicking pictures of gorillas, elephants, koalas, whales and dolphins. I highly recommend visiting the 3D art museum when in Melbourne. The entrance fee is AUD 28 per person and you need more than an hour to see everything.

Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)

Every cricket lover wishes to visit MCG. Even if you are not into cricket, MCG is a great place to learn about the relation between sports and Melbourne city. You can take guided walks at MGC where you will be taken around the various levels of the stadium and given a history and stories about the MCG.

Safety for solo female travelers

Melbourne is very safe for solo female travelers. It is awesome how tourist friendly the city is and does not have too much of non-sensical things happening. However, the city does experience some of the unwanted and uncalled situations especially if you are from a different race. Be cautious and know your surroundings at all times, especially when it is isolated and at nights.

Closing Notes

Melbourne is a city that caters for all kinds of travelers. Be it a backpacker or a luxury traveler, this city has everything and is truly one of the best cities in the World. I love Melbourne and that is the reason I always go back to the city every now and then.

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