Melbourne’s beauty changes every season. Sometimes you get the vibrant flowers of spring. Sometimes, it’s the orange leaves of autumn.
With these changes, the best places to go in Melbourne also change. Should you ride the Puffing Billy in summer? Should you visit Yarra Valley in winter? It might get confusing.
But don’t worry, ‘cause this guide tells you the best time to visit all these Melbourne top attractions!
Summer (December to February) ☀️
Did you know that you can experience a warm Christmas in Australia? Well, that’s because summer starts in December! That’s definitely a must-try new experience! 👀
Since it’s the summer vacation and the holiday season, there are a lot of things to do in Melbourne during summer. It might get crowded, but don’t worry! Just make sure to book your tickets 1 to 2 weeks in advance. 😉
Splash around the water 🌊
URBNSURF is perfect for beginners, families, and kids.
Obviously, summer isn’t summer without a trip to the beach! Go swim in Melbourne’s most famous beach, St. Kilda; or go snorkeling - and fishing! - in Half Moon Bay. You can also spend the day at Brighton Beach, where you’ll find Melbourne’s colorful bathing boxes.
Want to get into surfing? You can get a beginner’s lesson at URBNSURF, Melbourne’s surf park. With experts to teach you, you’ll learn the basics in no time!
As for the full-fledged surfers, consider taking a day tour to Phillip Island, Australia’s National Surfing Reserve. Experienced surfers will have fun riding the waves at Cape Woolamai and Cat Bay. Beginners can also enjoy surfing at Smiths Beach.
Discover nature 🌳
Get up-close with Melbourne’s wildlife.
Apart from being the country’s National Surfing Reserve, Phillip Island is also known for its wildlife. You can catch the famous Penguin Parade, or join in on a Seal Watching Cruise.
Can’t get enough of the underwater? Let out your inner child at SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium! 🐟
You’ll meet everything from Nurse sharks to Gentoo penguins, and even Pinjarra, one of the world’s largest saltwater crocodiles. You’ll even find Nemo at Coral Attol!
If you want to get out of the sea, you can visit the Healesville Sanctuary. There, you’ll find animals in their natural forest habitat. You’ll definitely enjoy seeing native Australian animals such as kangaroos, koalas, wombats, and Tasmanian devils.
Catch breathtaking sunset views at 12 Apostles.
But if you want a full nature experience, go book this Great Ocean Road Sunset Tour!
The tour will take you to see koalas and rock formations up-close. And you’ll end the day in time for a memorable sunset at the famous 12 Apostles. Here’s to beautiful Instagram pics!
Get sporty 🎾
Show up in your best tennis outfit!
Summer is the season for the Australian Open Tennis Championship, held at Melbourne Park. But you can be more than just an audience in this Tennis Sporting Experience at Melbourne Park itself! Time to feel like a pro with this true bucket-list experience.
Klook Tip: Bookings made for January will be exchanged for tickets to the Australian Open. If that’s more your thing, then definitely book a January schedule!
Cricket fans will surely love this tour of the MCG Stadium.
If you’re more into cricket, you’ll enjoy this MCG Stadium Tour. Learn about cricket’s history as you walk along the arena, and marvel at the iconic cricket ground.
This is also perfect for those who haven’t gotten into the cricket craze. Maybe now’s the time!
Discover Australia’s sports culture at the Australian Sports Museum.
Want to know more about Australia’s sport scene?
Go on this tour of the Australian Sports Museum, the world’s largest and most comprehensive multi-sport museum! There’s tons of sporting memorabilia and lots of interactive displays that will make your trip enjoyable.
Autumn (March to May) 🍁
Autumn is a great time to spend outdoors. As the weather takes a cooler turn, the city takes on a calm, cozy charm that feels different from summer’s buzz.
Klook Tip: Understanding the Melbourne seasons can help you plan your trip, but they can be surprisingly unpredictable, especially during autumn and winter. We suggest packing for erratic weather to always be prepared.
Explore the city 🏙️
Know more about Melbourne while you cruise through the Yarra River.
As we did say, autumn is the best time to learn more about the city of Melbourne. 🤩
You can explore Melbourne’s top attractions through this cruise on the Yarra River. You’ll cruise along some of the popular places to go in Melbourne, such as Federation Square and Royal Botanic Gardens.
It’s a leisurely ride that people of all ages will enjoy!
See Melbourne in a closer perspective when you go on a walking tour.
But if you want to immerse yourself in local culture, we suggest going on this ultimate Melbourne Walking Tour. Here, you’ll actually see Federation Square up-close, and even walk through Melbourne’s famous graffiti lanes, like Duckboard Place, Hosier Lane, and AC/DC Lane.
Discover the best eats 🍽️
Foodies will definitely enjoy all of Melbourne’s food tours.
Part of exploring the city is also going on a gastronomic journey. And if you’re visiting Melbourne in the latter half of March, then you’re in luck!
During late March, Melbourne celebrates their Food and Wine Festival, which showcases Australia’s rich food and wine culture. The festival has events ranging from cooking classes to large banquet-style lunches. There’s even a program called “Crawl and Bite”, which are small-scale food crawls to promote small eateries.
Make sure to check out their website for the festival’s schedule and list of activities.
Still, don’t worry if your trip takes place after March. You can go on a food walking tour instead to discover the taste of Melbourne! From coffee to beer, and pastries to dumplings, you’ll taste everything that’s a Melbourne favorite. 😉
If you’re craving for more, you can visit Queen Victoria Market, the heart and soul of Melbourne. ❤️
Take this Ultimate Foodie Tour, and enjoy delicacies from the market’s best traders. From fresh oysters to the famous hot jam donut, you’ll taste a wide variety of food you won’t forget.
Autumn is also grape harvest season, which means it’s the perfect time to go on this Yarra Valley Tour. You’ll drink everything from wine to gin, and even taste everything from cheese to fruits! The best part is, you get to enjoy your food amidst a beautiful fall scenery.
If going on a wine tour isn’t your thing, you can do this Yarra Valley Orchard Tour instead. As we did say, it’s harvest season - and you will be harvesting fruits at this activity! You’ll even taste a lot of things, from the fruits you harvest to macadamia nuts and jams.
Stroll through gardens 🍂
Admire the autumn scenery in Melbourne’s gardens.
Perhaps the best part about the season is the autumn leaves. Stroll through Melbourne’s many gardens, and marvel at all the shades of orange, red, and yellow in the trees.
If you want to stay within the city center, go for a walk at the Carlton Gardens, the Fitzroy Gardens, the Queen Victoria Gardens, and the Royal Botanic Gardens. These gardens are near each other, so it would make for the perfect day trip!
Go on this tranquil walk, and become one with nature.
Another perfect option is this Yarra River Heritage Walk at the Yarra Bend Park.
Yarra Bend Park is a beautiful space of natural bushland and river nestled in the heart of the city. While enjoying the scenic view, you’ll have lunch at a charming boathouse. You might even get to see a flying fox colony!
Winter (June to August) ❄️
If autumn is best for outdoor activities, then winter is best for indoor ones. It’s the time when locals settle in cafes with a warm cup of hot chocolate, or go out to a pub for a warm glass of beer.
Winter in Melbourne is the city’s off-peak season. But there’s still a lot to see and do in this beautiful city!
Feel the winter chill 🥶
Explore the scenic snow trails of Victoria.
Winter isn’t winter unless you feel the cold - and do actual winter activities!
Like any winter season, it’s a must to go skiing. There’s nowhere to ski in Melbourne, but you can go skiing at Lake Mountain. Beginners can get ski lessons, while experts can have all their winter fun on the slopes. You’ll even visit the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery on the way home. How’s that for a day trip? 😉
The Peninsula Hot Springs is the perfect place to relax and unwind.
If the chill’s getting to you, why not go warm yourself with a dip at Peninsula Hot Springs in the Mornington Peninsula?
The hot springs aren’t just there to keep you warm. They’re also there to improve your overall wellness! Time to get in your swimming gear, and just relax. 💆
Hunt for ghosts 👻
Discover Melbourne’s scariest places.
End your day with one of Melbourne’s top winter activities, a spooky ghost tour!
In this Iconic Guided Ghost Tour, you’ll spend two hours in the ghost tour of your choice: a homestead, an asylum, a prison, or Old Williamstown. Whatever choice you make, just remember this one thing: have courage!
Walk through true crime spots with just lamplights to guide you.
If you’re more into true crime, then you’ll definitely love this Melbourne’s True Crime Tour. Enjoy true crime tales from bank robberies to exorcisms, and even stories about an actual Jack the Ripper suspect.
Maybe this advice isn’t so applicable for this tour, but still … have courage! 😬
Spring (September to November) 🌷
Ah, the season of flowers.
Just like autumn, spring is a good time to spend outdoors, and see the flowers in full bloom. But it’s also a great time to spend indoors, especially during rain showers, because there are less crowds and tourists.
Really, you can do anything and everything during spring!
Go museum hopping 🏛️
Visit Melbourne’s famous museums in one day!
One of the best indoor activities during spring is visiting museums. There are less tourists, so you can explore the exhibits at a leisurely pace.
One of the most famous places to go in Melbourne is the Melbourne Museum. It’s home to several galleries, including the Science and Life Gallery, the Pauline Gandel Children’s Gallery, Our Wondrous Planet, and the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre.
While visiting, make sure to take the Milarri Garden Trail, which leads to the Milarri Garden and the Forest Gallery. Not only will you witness a living forest, but you’ll also learn about the traditional uses of native plants for medicine and food.
You can also know more about the city’s history when you visit the Immigration Museum. There, you’ll learn about cultural diversity from the immigrants that shaped Melbourne to what it is now.
If you want to visit novel museums, take a trip to ScienceWorks! It’s a fun-filled family-friendly museum that’s all things science. People of all ages will enjoy this place, as there’s something for everyone to explore.
Klook Tip: Want to visit all three? Get the Museums Victoria Membership to have skip-the-line access to Melbourne Museum, Immigration Museum, and ScienceWorks.
Visit Melbourne’s novel museums for an interesting experience.
If you want something interactive like ScienceWorks, then definitely go to the ArtVo Museum! It’s full of 3D artworks that will make you part of the scene. You’ll be the art itself!
Want something more niche? Car enthusiasts will love the Fox Classic Car Collection that houses some of the world’s most iconic cars. The museum’s currently exhibiting a never-before-seen Porsche collection! 😲
Explore the great outdoors 🏞️
Get your hiking gear on when you visit Grampians!
Hikers know that spring is a great time for hiking. That’s why it’s also a great time to go on a day tour to Grampians National Park!
You’ll visit Mackenzie Falls, Silverband Falls, Boroka Lookout, Halls Gap, Reeds Lookout, and Australia’s very own Grand Canyon. Now, that’s how you immerse yourself in nature!
Discover Australia’s wildlife in their natural habitat.
Exploring the great outdoors also means exploring wildlife in their natural habitat. So, if that’s more your thing, we recommend visiting the Ballarat Wildlife Park.
At Ballarat, there’s more than a hundred free-roaming kangaroos, among koalas, wombats, and emus. You can get closer with tigers, too, and meet Kai, the endangered Sumatran-Siberian Tiger.
See Australia from a new perspective.
Tired of walking?
You can go on a hot air balloon ride to witness the beauty of the Yarra Valley, or go on the Arthurs Seat Eagle Gondola to see the Mornington Peninsula from afar! Both options will leave you breathless in awe.
Enjoy the wonderful sights of the Dandenong Ranges aboard the Puffing Billy.
Of course, you shouldn’t miss out on the Puffing Billy Railway. It makes for a wonderful opportunity to relax, while admiring the beauty of the Dandenong Ranges.
Since it’s spring, also be on the lookout for their Thursday Twilight trains! The Puffing Billy is definitely a different experience at night.
Klook Tip: Be prepared when you ride the Puffing Billy! To avoid the train’s soot, make sure to wear sunglasses and a hat.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best places to go in Melbourne during summer, autumn, winter, and spring?
During summer, it’s best to go to Phillip Island. You can swim in its many beaches, and watch wildlife in their natural habitat. There’s really a lot of things to do on that small island.
We recommend going to Yarra Valley during autumn, just in time for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Another autumn favorite is Yarra Bend Park, which is perfect for getting away from the city noise.
For winter, you should definitely go to the Mornington Peninsula for the hot springs. You can end your trip with a spooky ghost tour!
When it comes to spring, the Grampians National Park and the Puffing Billy are great choices.
Which neighborhoods in Melbourne should you visit for each season?
For summer, you should definitely visit the coastal neighborhoods, like St. Kilda and Brighton. You should visit the garden neighborhoods - like Fitzroy and Carlton - during autumn and spring.
For winter, you can go on a trip to the Mornington Peninsula, or you can stick at the CBD. After all, the CBD has one of the best places to go in Melbourne: Degraves Street. ☕
Are there seasonal events in Melbourne that only run in certain months?
Melbourne never runs out of festivals and events!
In December, there’s the Queen Victoria Summer Night Market and the Boxing Day Test. The Australian Open begins in January, while the St. Kilda Festival happens in February.
March has a lot of sports events: the Melbourne Grand Prix, the AFL, and the NRL. There’s also the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.
In June, you have the Winter Night Market at the Queen Victoria Market. In July, there’s Open House Melbourne, an architecture and design festival where you can enter Melbourne’s significant buildings. August is a month for the cinephiles - it’s the Melbourne International Film Festival! It’s a great time to visit the ACMI, Melbourne’s national museum for screen culture.
September has a variety of events. For one, there’s the Tesselaar Tulip Festival. There’s also the Queen Victoria Market Moon Festival, the Royal Melbourne Show, and the Melbourne Fringe Festival. In October, you can catch the worldwide celebration of Oktoberfest.
Visit multiple attractions using a single pass with Klook Pass Melbourne ✨
Make ticketing easier with Klook Pass Melbourne! With one pass, you can get entry to 2 to 7 activities of your choice, including the Yarra Cruise and Healesville Sanctuary. You can even add a premium tour of the Great Ocean Road to your itinerary.
The pass is valid for 90 days, so you can visit all the attractions you want within that period. You can even save more compared to buying individual tickets with discounts reaching up to 45%! Now, that’s a great deal. 😉
What is Klook?
Klook is a leading pan-regional experiences platform in Asia Pacific, purpose built to digitalize experiences and make them accessible to every traveler.
Our mission is to build the digital infrastructure for the global experience economy — empowering merchants to share their passions and travelers to discover the heartbeat of each destination. We operate a mobile-first, curated platform featuring diverse experiences across global destinations.
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