Things to do in Victoria, Australia: The Best Sights & Landmarks

This 190-mile scenic road winds its way through mountainous country, from Bairnsdale to Wangaratta.

Step back in time and walk the road to the gallows in a 19th century prison, be arrested in a modern-day Police Station or put yourself on trial in court.Home to Melbourne's oldest prison, historic Magistrates' Court and former Police City Watch House, Russell Street has been at the heart of crime, law and order in Melbourne since the 1840s. Most of Australia’s infamous characters, including iconic bushranger, Ned Kelly and notorious gangster Squizzy Taylor have spent time within the walls of this amazing precinct. A ticket to the Old Melbourne Gaol grants you visiting rights to the past, present and future of crime and justice in Australia.

Experience the awesome natural beauty of the world-famous Twelve Apostles. Rising abruptly from the tempestuous Southern Ocean, these seven limestone stacks are the highlight of the Great Ocean Road. They are best viewed at sunset when the yellow rock turns red, orange and every shade in between.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is Australia's largest, oldest and most popular sporting venue. The MCG has hosted plenty of international cricket, including the first-ever Test and the 1992 World Cup final, countless VFL/AFL Grand Finals, the 1956 Olympic Games and 2006 Commonwealth Games. It also hosted the final of ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. Other sporting spectacles include FIFA World Cup soccer qualifiers, rugby league home and away matches and State of Origin and international rugby union clashes. Apart from its sporting events, the MCG has also witnessed many blockbuster music concerts, and even Pope John Paul II held a mass there when he visited Melbourne in 1986. The MCG has a total capacity of 100,024 people, comprising 95,024 seats and 5000 standing room spaces. The stadium also houses the National Sports Museum, which includes some of the most priceless pieces of memorabilia in Australian sporting history.

At Sovereign Hill, the story of an important time and place in Australian History, and the people who lived it, lives on. An internationally acclaimed tourist attraction, Sovereign Hill prides itself on its close attention to detail found in every aspect of this living, outdoor museum. Sovereign Hill is a glimpse of the vigour and excitement of life on Australia’s 1850s goldfields. Visitors can find real gold in the creek – gold pans are provided and it’s ‘finders keepers’, see $150,000 worth of molten gold poured into a gleaming bar, and take in the rich program of activities, shows and demonstrations. On Main Street there are working shops, hotels and a theatre – all based on original Ballarat businesses. Visitors are able to watch goldfields tradespeople in action and take a ride around the township in a horse-drawn coach. For the brave hearted, journey underground on a gold mine tour.

Fitzroy Gardens is one of Melbourne’s most historic and beautiful Gardens. Originally set aside as a reserve in 1848, the layout follows a classic Victorian–era design, featuring pathways lined with magnificent Elm trees, and a variety of flowers, ornamental shrubs and trees which together with extensive lawns create a diverse and layered landscape. Points of interest include the magnificent floral displays in the Spanish mission style Conservatory. Cooks Cottage, a scarred tree, the Fairies’ Tree and model tudor village, sculptures, fountains and a stormwater cleaning and re-use system. The Fitzroy Gardens visitor centre provides tourism information and entry tickets to Cooks Cottage. A free guided walking tour departs from the visitor centre every Saturday at 10am. Refreshments are available from KereKere cafe at the visitor centre.

Visit the Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne's most iconic landmark, where Victorians have been coming since 1934 to honour the service and sacrifice of Australian men and women in war and peacekeeping. Enter the Shrine and experience the quiet solitude of the Sanctuary where hundreds of thousands pay their respects each year. All visitors are invited to participate in a Remembrance Ceremony featuring the Ray of Light re-enactment. Surrounded by the Shrine Reserve, the Shrine is elevated, overlooking the city of Melbourne within 13 hectares of beautiful parkland. Enjoy stunning views of the Reserve and many of Melbourne's landmarks from the balcony of the Shrine. Explore the monuments and memorials throughout the Reserve, including the Gallipoli Memorial, as well as the many remembrance trees dedicated to Victorian service units from the Boer War onwards. The Eternal Flame on the Second World War Forecourt symbolises eternal life for those who have served. The Ray of Light ceremony is central to the experience of the Shrine of Remembrance. A ray of natural sunlight passes through an aperture in the ceiling of the Sanctuary and falls onto the Stone of Remembrance over the word "love" at precisely 11.00 am on 11 November each year. This is the moment when the armistice was signed in 1918 marking the end of hostilities in the First World War. The ceremony is now reproduced every half hour using electric light to allow all visitors to the Shrine to experience it. The Shrine also has an extensive permanent and temporary exhibition space. The Galleries of Remembrance is a $45 million Victorian Government redevelopment that utilises 1,600 square metres of undercroft space beneath the Shrine. Over 850 objects illustrate the experiences of Australians at war and in peacekeeping operations, from Pre-Federation to the present day, with a particular focus on individual and unit stories of Victorian service and sacrifice. A highlight of the exhibition is the SS Devanha lifeboat, a Gallipoli landing boat on loan from the collection of the Australian War Memorial. The Devanha carried soldiers of the 12th Battalion and the 3rd Field Ambulance into Anzac Cove on the morning of 25 April 1915.

Voted #8 of 323 things to do and see in Melbourne by Tripadvisor and winning the 2015 Travellers' Choice Award, join us on a personalised guided walk through one of Melbourne's most grand and historic landmarks,The Block Arcade. Built in 1892 and modelled on the Galleria Vittoria Emanuele in Milan, The Block Arcade is a heritage listed shopping arcade situated on Melbourne's Golden Mile and home to the largest mosaic floor in the southern hemisphere, its magnificent glass dome and the iconic Hopetoun Tearooms. Suitable for all ages, a guided walk through the Arcade will take you on a historical journey back to the early days of the Colony and a glimpse into Melbourne's rich and colourful history. Venture upstairs, which is not accessible to the general public, as you view the Arcade from its many windows and causeway. Tours run twice a week on Tuesdays or Thursdays. 11am - 12pm at $15 p/p 2 - 3.30pm at $22 p/p and includes a Devonshire afternoon tea. For groups of more than 8, prior arrangements can be made for alternative times/days.

At Central Deborah Gold Mine you will discover more about Bendigo's golden past at a real gold mine that operated during the gold rush boom of the 1900s. Experience what conditions were really like for miners as you are guided through hidden underground tunnels by friendly and knowledgeable guides. Descending to the depths of Bendigo, gold fever strikes visitors on the famous Mine Experience Tour (61m underground), the exciting Underground Adventure Tour (85m underground) and Australia's deepest underground mine tour, Nine Levels of Darkness (228m underground).