15 Walking Tours in Melbourne That Survive a Second Look

1.Ultimate Melbourne Walking Tour: History, Laneways & Culture

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,451 reviews · from $92Our pick

Walk Melbourne with a local English-speaking guide in a group of no more than 12. See Federation Square, Hosier Lane or nearby street art, arcades, Chinatown, the Yarra, Old Melbourne Gaol, and more. You also receive a Melbourne coffee, a final drink, a map, and practical tips for the rest of your stay.

“It was an amazing tour and the tour guide was great at teaching and very funny. It wasn’t any ordinary tour because of how many fun things we got to do along the way and how it wasn’t all about the history while still getting to learn so many awesome things. I would totally recommend this tour to anyone looking for a great time in Melbourne, Australia!”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Melbourne Foodie Discovery Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 530 reviews · from $92

Spend about three hours walking Melbourne’s laneways and arcades with a local guide such as Andrew, Dave, Chev, or Rob. Expect coffee or tea, two savoury tastings, three sweet treats, city stories, and a final drink at Whitehart Bar. The group is capped at 10 people.

“Well organised and very informative tour. All the food venues were amazing and the food and drinks just right”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Original Melbourne Lanes and Arcades Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 389 reviews · from $99

Join Hidden Secrets Tours for a three-hour walk from Federation Square through Melbourne’s arcades, lanes, cafés, and street-art corridors. You’ll see the Block Arcade, Royal Arcade, Degraves Street, and possibly Hosier Lane, with coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and chocolate tasting included. Guides such as Fiona, Melinda, Jes, and Dee bring local stories to life.

“Fiona was very knowledgeable about our city’s history, sharing the ebbs and flows of our past. She showed us laneways I’d visited many times but hadn’t seen some of the hidden gems, whether be it buildings or hidden restaurants and bars.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Ultimate Melbourne Walking Tour: History, Laneways & Culture

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 338 reviews · 3 hours · from $91

Walk Melbourne’s central streets with a local English-speaking guide such as Hugo, Emily, Beau or Ian. See Gold Rush architecture, Hosier Lane, arcades, Chinatown, Flinders Street Station and the Yarra, with a coffee stop and a pub drink included. Groups are capped at 12.

“This tour was a great way to get a taste of Melbourne, its history, architecture and hidden gems. Emily shared stories of the city she grew up in and showed us places we would never have discovered on our own. We enjoyed ourselves so much we barely noticed the rain! The authentic Melbourne coffee and pub visit were a nice touch. Highly recommended.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Aboriginal Heritage Walk – Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne Gardens

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 314 reviews · from $30

Join an Aboriginal guide such as Uncle Den, Jacobi, or Ben for a 90-minute walk through Melbourne Gardens. You’ll learn how native plants served food, medicine, and cultural purposes on Kulin Country, with time to smell leaves, touch bark, hear stories, and enjoy lemon myrtle tea. The tour begins at 11:00 am.

“Great tour. Informative and casual. The guide was great. It was in a gorgeous environment. The group was great.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.3-Hour Foodie Discovery Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 313 reviews · 3 hours · from $91

Walk Melbourne’s CBD with a guide such as Chev, Rita, Andrew, or Dave, stopping for coffee, banh mi, dumplings, sweets, and a drink. You’ll explore arcades, street-art lanes, specialty shops, and an underground art gallery. The seven tastings are enough to replace lunch, and the group is limited to 10 people.

“It was amazing tour, would highly reccomend it to the fellow travellers.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Ghosts, Murder, & Mystery Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 261 reviews · 1h 30m · from $27

Join an English-speaking ghost host at 8:30pm outside Young & Jackson Hotel for a 2-kilometre walk through Melbourne’s old lanes. Hear about Chinatown’s opium dens, bodies sold to medical schools, Jack the Ripper rumours, and opera singer Frederick Federici. Guides including Linda, Chloe, Charlotte, and Timea bring history, humour, and ghost-hunting touches to the night.

“we thought the tour was the right combination of historical and spooky. Our guide Linda was excellent, she was interactive with the group and knowledgeable. I would recommend this tour to appreciate Melbourne's history, althoughbeit, the darker aspects of it!”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Creepy Tales, Bars & Laneways Of Melbourne Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 169 reviews · from $46

Follow an expert guide through Melbourne’s darker stories, from Queen Victoria Market and Old Melbourne Gaol to Chinatown, Hosier Lane, and Federation Square. You’ll stop at three local bars, buy your own drinks, and hear tales of murders, morgues, ghosts, executions, and wartime crime. Groups are capped at 10 and the minimum age is 18.

“Fantastic tour, our guide was knowledgeable and we had lots of fun learning and finding these hidden bars”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Street Art Walking Tour with a Street Artist

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 147 reviews · 3 hours · from $55

Start at ACMI with an English-speaking street artist, then walk Melbourne’s laneways, learning how graffiti, tags, murals, and street art differ. A short tram ride leads to Blender Studios, where you meet artists at work and enjoy market-fresh snacks, beer, wine, and soft drinks. Guides include Ben, David, Matt, Tom, and Barek.

“The tour was fantastic. So many spots you would otherwise never see. Incredible art. Ben was really knowledgeable and the studio was super welcoming. Would highly recommend”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Melbourne Chocolate Wonderland Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 116 reviews · 3 hours · from $91

Spend three hours walking Melbourne’s lanes and arcades with a chocolate-focused local guide such as Tanya, Ivan, or Peggy. You’ll taste couverture chocolate, Australian-grown cocoa, desserts, cheese pairings, wine, and hot chocolate across five stops, with at least seven tastings. The group is capped at 12 people.

“The chocolate and pairings were lovely and unique. Tonya was a great tour guide! In addition to being knowledgeable about chocolate, she showed us parts of the city we never would have noticed on our own.”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Guided Night-Time Food Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 76 reviews · from $131

Join a guide such as Simon or Hugo for a three-hour evening walk from Gordon Reserve. Expect at least four food stops, a full meal’s worth of tastings, one drink opportunity, Melbourne stories, and local venues you might otherwise miss. The route changes with the group and the night.

“We recently had the pleasure of going on a nighttime food tour in Melbourne with Mark as our guide and it was fantastic! He took us to some of the best-hidden food spots in the city that I would have never known about otherwise. The tour was well-organized, and Mark ensured everyone was comfortable and having a great time. At the end of the tour Mark gave us a list of other hidden treasures we didn't have time to get to. PS. Mark, you were spot on about "Fall from Grace", a hidden treasure and well worth the search.Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.History and Donuts Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 72 reviews · 2h 30m · from $77

Walk from Federation Square through Hosier Lane, Degraves Street, Collins Street, Hardware Lane, Queen Victoria Market, and the Old Melbourne Gaol. An English-speaking guide combines Melbourne history, street art, coffee, and two donuts in a small group of up to 10. Guides may include Rhiannon, Rhonda, Tony, Miles, Matt, or Ant.

“Great historical narrative showing the laneways as well as the main thoroughfares and the street art as well as the conventional - introduces the essence of Melbourne including its coffee and donuts”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.True Crime Walking Tour of Fitzroy

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 62 reviews · 2 hours · from $35

Walk southern Fitzroy with guides such as Michael and Andrew, tracing old sly grog shops, brothels, gangland murder sites, and the haunts of Squizzy Taylor. Police files, crime maps, historic photographs, and a free booklet make this a vivid two-hour English-language tour for curious history and true crime fans.

“Thoroughly enjoyed this tour. Andrew is extremely well informed and is passionate about his true crime history! He is a fabulous narrator and really brought the characters to life. We found the whole tour fascinating, a true insight it what it was like being a gangster in Fitzroy suburbs. The stories were brought to life by standing outside the homes and ‘businesses’ of these real life characters. I shall follow Andrew on his Facebook page and look forward to reading his first book publication.”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Ghosts of Williamstown Guided Ghost Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 47 reviews · 1h 30m · from $27

Walk historic Williamstown with an English-speaking guide, hearing tales of convicts, sailors, scandal, and the dead. You’ll explore eerie lanes, visit Victoria’s oldest morgue, see an opium den used in the Miss Fisher series, and enter the Timeball Tower. Guides may include Linda or Timea. Allow up to two hours.

“Loved it! Timea was AMAZING! Everyone seemed to enjoy it, especially my sister and I.”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Original Lanes & Arcades Walk (max 8 guests only)

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 27 reviews · 3 hours · from $98

Spend three hours exploring Melbourne’s lanes and arcades with a local English-speaking guide. You’ll see street art, shops, architecture, coffee culture, and lesser-known corners, then enjoy chocolate, a seated drink, and a tram ride to a tucked-away spot. Guides including Melinda, Paul, Sarah, and Charlie have led this walk.

“Charlie was a very informative guide. He made the tour enjoyable and educational and was very helpful with telling us how to get around after our tour. Btw, St Kilda was great. Thanks Charlie”

Check availability →Read our full review