Five Diverse Walking Tours That Explore a Different Side of Melbourne

In a city as diverse and culturally rich as Melbourne, walking tours shouldn’t be reserved for tourists – even locals can learn something new. A good walking tour can deepen your appreciation for and enrich your understanding of a city.

Below are five tours that go deeper than simply pointing out the Royal Exhibition Building: they tell different stories about the city, and are known for hiring informed guides with an authentic connection to their work. We’ve also steered away from food-and-drink focused experiences. (If you’re looking for advice in that department, try Broadsheet’s Best Restaurants in Melbourne guide.)

Art Deco Architecture Tour
The Melbourne metropolitan area is filled with world-class, historically significant art deco and moderne buildings. The 1934 Melbourne Centenary celebrations set off a building boom that, over the next six years, transformed the architectural character of the city.

This central CBD tour stops at masterworks such as the Gothic-inspired art deco Manchester Unity Building opposite the Melbourne Town Hall, and the late 1920s neo-Romanesque Majorca Building on Flinders Lane. Expect in-depth explorations of the distinctive patterning and design details that characterise the period.

Price: $54
Duration: 2 hours

I’m Free Walking Tours
The energetic, fluro-green-clad guides leading the I’m Free Walking Tours give quality crash courses in Melbourne’s history and hidden treasures. With tours kicking off at the State Library three times daily and no bookings required, these tours are perfect for frugal and spontaneous explorers.

The Melbourne Sights tour will take you to the Yarra River, Eureka Tower, Chinatown and Carlton Gardens, and give you some history on the city while you’re at it. The Culture Capital Free Tour will take you to live music venues and hidden laneways, and includes a lesson in Indigenous culture.

Price: Free (or pay what you wish)
Duration: 2.5–3 hours

Koorie Heritage Trust Guided Walking Tours
The Kulin Nations are the traditional and ongoing owners of the land on which Melbourne was built No one should leave the city without learning about the Kulin Nations’ rich and complex history as part of the world’s oldest continuous living culture.

While other tours make an effort to acknowledge Indigenous Melbourne, this tour is led by local Aboriginal guides. The Scar Tree Walk will take you to the Birrarung Wilam art installations and a Kulin Nations meeting place that’s thousands of years old. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of Melbourne’s importance as a significant gathering place for Indigenous Australians.

Price: $30 for adults, $15 for concession-card holders. Free for children under six.
Duration: 1–2 hours

Melbourne Street Tours
Melbourne’s diverse street art is an integral part of the city’s vibrant urban identity. On this tour, Melbourne street artists will walk you through the city, telling the stories behind significant locations and the pieces currently gracing their walls.

Guests can expect a crash course on the technical, social and political aspects of the artworks while meandering through the city’s hidden laneways and arcades. There are tours in the CBD and Fitzroy.

The walk concludes at the renowned Blender Studios in West Melbourne, where you’ll have the opportunity to meet practising artists over a beer or glass of wine.

Price: $69
Duration: 3 hours

Flinders Quarter Augmented Art Walk
Once home to Melbourne’s rag trade, Flinders Quarter is now filled with galleries, eateries and design stores. If you’re looking to experience the area a little differently, this self-guided tour uses virtual reality to provide a novel guide to art in the precinct.

The free tour has been timed to coincide with the construction of the Metro Tunnel Project, which will transform the district. To give it ago, pick up a copy of the Augmented Artwalk Map from participating Flinders Quarter businesses, then download the free EyeJack app from the App Store or Google Play. Then hold up your phone to the artworks to see them come to life with sounds and animations.

Price: Free
Duration: 1 hour

This article first appeared on Broadsheet on July 26, 2019. Some details and prices may have changed since publication.