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Melbourne CBD

Melbourne

The grid of streets between Flinders Street Station and Queen Victoria Market, threaded with laneway cafés, rooftop bars, street art and Chinatown.

Best for First visit · Nightlife · Business

Transport
5/5
Sights
4/5
Value
3/5
Quiet
2/5
Food
5/5

Typical mid-range hotel ~$170/night · 5 min to Flinders Street

See hotels in Melbourne CBD

Melbourne CBD on the map

Why stay here

  • Free trams and everything walkable
  • Laneway cafés, bars and street art
  • Hotels for every budget

Who should stay here

  • First-time visitors
  • Food and coffee lovers
  • Business travellers

Not ideal if…

  • You want quiet streets
  • You want a beach
  • You want a suburban neighbourhood feel

What it's like

Melbourne's centre is a neat grid, but the life is in its laneways: Degraves Street and Centre Place for coffee, Hosier Lane for street art, and hidden bars up staircases and down alleys. Federation Square and Flinders Street Station face the river, Chinatown runs along Little Bourke Street, and Queen Victoria Market fills the northern edge.

It's the most convenient base, with trams free inside the CBD and most sights walkable. It's busy on weekdays and some streets are noisy at night; rooms in the older buildings can be small.

Best streets and sub-areas

  • Degraves Street & Centre Place

    Laneways of cafés by Flinders Street Station.

  • Flinders Lane

    Some of the city's best restaurants and bars.

  • Little Bourke Street

    Chinatown's restaurants and dumpling houses.

Getting around

Nearest stations
Flinders Street, Southern Cross, Melbourne Central and Parliament stations, and free trams throughout the CBD.
To Flinders Street
About 5 minutes
From Melbourne Airport
About 35 minutes: SkyBus to Southern Cross station, then a free tram inside the CBD.

Nearby attractions

  • Hosier Lane

    Street art covering every wall, opposite Federation Square.

  • Queen Victoria Market

    Historic market with a night market on summer Wednesdays.

  • State Library Victoria

    The domed La Trobe Reading Room, free to visit.

  • Federation Square

    Public square with the Australian Centre for the Moving Image.

Where to eat and drink

  • Laneway cafés

    Melbourne's famous coffee culture in narrow alleys.

  • Rooftop bars

    Bars on top of the old buildings, busy on summer evenings.

  • Chinatown

    Dumplings and noodles until late.

Where to stay in Melbourne CBD

A few hotels we'd book in this area, at different budgets.

Luxury pick

The Hotel Windsor

Why we like it: Grand 1883 hotel opposite Parliament House.

Typical luxury rate in Melbourne CBD: ~$365/night

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Boutique pick

QT Melbourne

Why we like it: Design hotel with a rooftop bar off Collins Street.

Typical mid-range rate in Melbourne CBD: ~$170/night

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Boutique pick

Ovolo Laneways

Why we like it: Playful hotel in the laneways, with free snacks and drinks.

Typical mid-range rate in Melbourne CBD: ~$170/night

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Hotels in Melbourne CBDMid-range from ~$170/night

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