CBD (City Centre)

Where it sits

The circle is CBD and roughly a 10-minute walk around it.

How far is everything?

From the middle of this area to the city's headline sights — pick your own on the city page and these become your list.

• The Yarra River & Southbank9 min walk789 m
• NGV International13 min walk1.1 km
• Lygon Street, Carlton20 min walk1.7 km
• The MCG & sport23 min walk1.9 km
• Fitzroy & Brunswick Street25 min walk2.1 km
• Melbourne's food scene28 min walk2.3 km
• Royal Botanic Gardens7 min taxi2.4 km
• St Kilda (beach)19 min taxi6.2 km
• St Kilda & the bay19 min taxi6.2 km

On your doorstep

What you’re living next to if you stay here.

• 1.The laneways & street art — Melbourne's soul lives in its hidden laneways — a maze of narrow alleys like Hosier Lane and AC/DC Lane covered in ever-changing street art and murals, and lined with tiny hole-in-the-wall cafés, bars and boutiques. Wandering them, coffee in hand, discovering a new mural or a secret bar around each corner, is the quintessential Melbourne experience. Go with a camera and no fixed plan; the best way to feel the city's creative, café-loving heart. Utterly unmissable.
• 2.Melbourne coffee culture — Melbourne is one of the great coffee cities of the world, and drinking it is a way of life — from tiny laneway espresso bars to serious specialty roasters, the flat white and the long black are taken seriously here. Pull up at a café, order a coffee and watch the city go by; the quality is astonishing and the café scene (with superb brunches to match) is central to Melbourne's identity. A delicious, everyday ritual and a real highlight. Don't leave without a proper flat white.
• 3.Queen Victoria Market — A beloved Melbourne institution for over 140 years — a huge, atmospheric open-air market with sheds of fresh produce, deli goods, cheese and seafood, plus clothing, crafts and souvenirs, and a lively summer night market with food stalls and music. A wonderful place to graze, shop and soak up the bustle; come for a bratwurst or a famous hot jam doughnut, browse the stalls, and feel the multicultural heart of the city. A tasty, characterful must, especially on a market morning.
• 4.Federation Square & the NGV — The modern civic heart of the city — Federation Square, a bold contemporary plaza of galleries, cafés and events beside the Yarra, home to the Ian Potter Centre (NGV Australia) with its superb collection of Australian and Indigenous art. A great orientation point and a hub of city life, hosting festivals, screenings and gatherings year-round; take in the striking architecture, the art and the riverside setting. A lively, cultured centrepiece of Melbourne. Free to wander and explore.