Top 10 Things to do in Melbourne, Victoria

The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) is the oldest and most visited gallery in Australia. Situated over two magnificent buildings – NGV International and NGV Australia – the Gallery presents over 40 exhibitions a year including major international blockbusters and a wide range of exhibitions, programs and events, from contemporary art to fashion and design, and major historical exhibitions that are internationally exclusive to Melbourne.

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.

Queen Victoria Market is an authentic, bustling, inner-city market that has been the heart and soul of Melbourne for over 140 years. Home to over 600 small businesses, it’s a great place to discover fresh and specialty produce, hand-made and unique products, great coffee and food, souvenirs and clothing. Shopping at the Market has always been one of life’s great pleasures. It’s not just the abundance of fresh food, it’s the friendly banter with the traders, the vibrant and multicultural atmosphere, the special events and festivals, and the sense of belonging that comes with it. Queen Victoria Market is also home to the Night Market on Wednesday nights, showcasing global street food, live music and entertainment, festival bars, specialty shopping and a great Melbourne night out. Be sure to take the Ultimate Foodie Tour, a two-hour, guided walking tour where you’ll indulge in some of the best food the Market has to offer. Bookings essential.

Visit Melbourne's inner-city oasis. Over 10,000 plant species from around the world are presented in a kaleidoscope of colour and texture. Sweeping lawns, tranquil lakes and majestic trees are home to an amazing range of wildlife.

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.

Dandenong Ranges National Park is a rainforest getaway on Melbourne's doorstep. This is a place of tranquil forest walks, quaint hilltop towns and charismatic animals. Conquer the famous 1000 Steps, discover Olinda Falls and enjoy stunning views over Melbourne and the Yarra Valley. Here you'll find steep volcanic hills covered in stands of the world's tallest flowering tree, the Mountain Ash. Living among the greenery are wallabies, lyrebirds, wombats and the Powerful Owl. Please ensure you leave your dogs at home to avoid disturbing the local wildlife. Take an energetic walk up the 1000 Steps from Ferntree Gully Picnic Area and learn about its poignant association with Australia's Second World War veterans and the Kokoda Track Campaign.

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.

The City Circle Tram is a free and convenient way to see the sights of central Melbourne and the Docklands while experiencing a ride on one of the city's much loved heritage trams.An audio commentary provides details of city landmarks and major attractions such as the City Museum, Parliament House, Docklands, Federation Square, Melbourne Aquarium and the Princess Theatre.The City Circle Tram also links with other tram, train and bus routes around Melbourne.To catch the City Circle Tram, simply wait at any tram stop along the City Circle Tram route. These tram stops are specially marked with a City Circle sign.Trams operate in both directions every 12 minutes between 10am and 6pm from Sunday to Wednesday and between 10am and 9pm every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.City Circle Trams do not run on Christmas Day and Good Friday.

Nothing you have ever experienced will prepare you for the awe inspiring view of Melbourne from the observation deck of the highest public vantage point in the Southern Hemisphere. Located at Level 88, Eureka Skydeck is Melbourne's new 'must-see' attraction. Skydeck 88 is the only observation deck in the world that can thrill you with the Edge - a glass cube which projects 3 metres out from the building, with you in it!

Welcome to Australia's first immersive, 3D 'trick-art' gallery. Priceless photos. Unbelievable scenarios. Explore the interactive gallery with over 11 themed zones. Touch the art and have fun!