Melbourne is a walking city built on a grid, with most of what makes it interesting hidden in laneways rather than on the main streets. Its weather is genuinely volatile — a warm morning and a cold afternoon is a normal day — and an itinerary that assumes a single kind of day will be wrong about half the time.
Three days covers the centre, the inner suburbs and one thing outside the city. A fourth is best spent on the Great Ocean Road or the peninsula, both of which are long days rather than half-days.
The city itself rewards wandering more than ticking off sights, which makes it a good destination for a plan that leaves gaps.
A compact central grid with distinct inner suburbs radiating out, connected by one of the largest tram networks in the world.
Melbourne's reputation for unpredictable weather is earned. Rather than a best season, think in terms of which months are least likely to interfere.
Autumn, the most settled weather of the year
Warm, stable days and cool evenings — the most reliable stretch Melbourne gets. It also coincides with a dense festival calendar.
Late spring, warm and green
Warming up without the summer extremes, long evenings, and the gardens at their best. Still capable of a cold day out of nowhere.
Winter: cold, grey, and the city leans indoors
Genuinely cold and often wet by Australian standards. It is also when the city's indoor culture — galleries, bars, food — is at its best, and prices are lower.
Hot spells and a busy events calendar
Capable of extended heatwaves that make walking the grid unpleasant, interspersed with mild days. Major sporting and arts events fill the city and push accommodation prices up sharply.
Three days in Melbourne is inside the free version. Adding the Great Ocean Road or the peninsula, with the transport, is Premium.
