The 15 Historical Tours in Melbourne to Know About

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

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

Spend about three hours walking Melbourne’s central streets with a local English-speaking guide and no more than 11 other people. See gold-rush architecture, laneways, arcades, Federation Square and the Old Melbourne Gaol, with a café coffee and a drink at historic Captain Melville included. Guides have included Emily, Ian, Bo, Hugo and Mike, though your guide may differ.

“Excellent in every way! All the nice little things made the experience richer! Emily was great and the instructions on meeting, etc were spot on!”

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2.Puffing Billy Railway: Heritage Steam Train Journey

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,195 reviews · 2 - 4 hours · from $29

Ride a heritage steam train on Puffing Billy Railway’s original mountain track through the Dandenong Ranges, about an hour east of Melbourne. Choose a journey beginning at Belgrave or Lakeside, meet the railway’s volunteer staff, and, on the Belgrave to Lakeside section, try the traditional legs-out window seat. The journey lasts 2 to 4 hours.

“Beautiful train and beautiful scenery. Staff is highly skilled and very knowledgeable about the train and will tell you all about it if you want to know. Definitely worth it, highly recommend!”

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

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

Walk Melbourne’s arcades, laneways and landmark streets with a local English-speaking guide, in a group of up to 12. Hear Gold Rush stories, see ever-changing street art, stop for a complimentary coffee and finish with a drink at a traditional pub. Guides named by past participants include Emily, Hugo, Beau and Ian.

“Hugo was a great guide, told great stories, engaged everyone in our group in conversation, took us to fun and interesting places, and overall made it a fun afternoon!”

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4.Melbourne Historical Walking Tour: Crime, Gangsters & Lolly Shops

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 137 reviews · from $35

Spend two hours walking Melbourne’s CBD with guide Michael Shelford, exploring the Little Lon district and its past as a haunt of gangsters, brothels and sly-grog sellers. Hear stories of Squizzy Taylor and lolly shops used as fronts for drug operations, see historic buildings and receive a booklet with photographs of the people in the tales.

“Great Tour! Michael was elaborate and had great detail & knowledge for all involved. Couldn’t ask for a better guide/tour. Exceptional enthralling story telling, kind and more than willing to answering any questions guests had throughout.”

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5.Melbourne’s History with a Drink Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 81 reviews · from $35

Start at the Old Treasury Building at 3 pm, then walk about 1.5 km with a guide who matches three bar stops to the group, the weather, and what is open. Hear stories of gold, politics, and Melbourne’s old red-light district, with guides such as Tristan, Anna, and Nicole leading some departures. Drinks are purchased separately.

“Seriously the perfect tour after a long week of traveling to Melbourne for work. A great way to have some amazing cocktails and hear about the history of Melbourne.”

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6.History and Donuts Walking Tour

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

Walk central Melbourne for 2.5 hours with a local guide, from Federation Square and Hosier Lane to Queen Victoria Market and the Old Melbourne Gaol. You’ll hear stories of the city’s past, pause for coffee and enjoy two donuts. Guides have included Rhiannon, Rhonda, Miles and Tony.

“Great walking tour and orientation of Melbourne CBD! Ant was a great guide and full of knowledge about the history of the city. It was great that he added value by recommending other places that were worth a visit for their history, views, food and drink. This tour is a great pace and the coffee and donut stops are welcomed. Highly recommend if you are on a whistle stop trip to melbourne or to orientate you to decide where to explore more”

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7.History and Donuts Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 34 reviews · from $69

Set out from Federation Square at 10:30 am for a 2.5-hour walk through Melbourne’s laneways, street art, Chinatown and Queen Victoria Market. A guide such as Rhonda, Bianca or Tony shares the city’s past, with coffee and donuts along the way. Groups are capped at 10, and the tour ends by State Library Victoria.

“This was a fantastic tour and our tour guide, Rhonda, was wonderful. Highly recommend!!! Great for families!!!”

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8.City`s History and Unique Bar Scene Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 19 reviews · 3 hours · from $148

Spend three hours with an English-speaking local guide, walking about 1.5 km from the Parliamentary precinct through laneways, bars and Chinatown. You’ll hear about Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung culture, gold-rush Melbourne and the old red-light district, with time to order drinks at distinctive stops. Guides have included Tristan. Drinks and food cost extra.

“A wonderful way to spend an afternoon, and Tristan took us to 3 fabulous places that we would never have found on our own. The history was an added bonus!”

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9.1 Hour Sight seeing Melbourne River Cruise on historic vessel

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 18 reviews · from $25Best value

Take a roughly 70-minute Melbourne river cruise aboard the historic Grower, built in 1924. A captain gives live commentary as you pass the MCG, Botanical Gardens, Southbank and Docklands. Bring your own food and drinks, including wine, and enjoy a small-group trip capped at 20 people. The exact boat may vary.

“Lovely short one hour cruise on the Yarra River in a small covered vessel. Captain was very professional and informative”

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10.Melbourne Tour: Walk the Yarra & Heritage Convent Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $129

Start at 8:00 am near central Melbourne, then take a guided walk beside the Yarra River through Yarra Bend Park. Look for flying foxes, hear about Dights Falls and Wurundjeri heritage, and finish at Abbotsford Convent with a cake and drink. The group is capped at 11, and guides have included Chloe.

“We had such a great time on our Yarra Bend Tour — this experience was such a refreshing way to see a different side of Melbourne.”

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11.Aboriginal Heritage Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.1 · 7 reviews · 1 hour · from $28

Meet at the Koorie Heritage Trust in Federation Square for a one-hour guided walk to the Birrarung Wilam art installations. A Cultural Experiences Guide introduces the Kulin Nation and the story of Birrarung Marr, then leads a hands-on session with Aboriginal tools, shields, and possum-skin cloaks. Tours run daily at 1:00 PM for groups of up to 10.

“It wasn't really a walking tour but rather a cultural hands-on activity, hearing how indigenous people hunted and foraged, looking at weapons and so on. It was really interesting and the guide was super enthusiastic and knowledgeable, answering questions and engaging with the group. Valuable insight to the history and culture of our environment.”

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12.Private Melbourne: Fitzroy, Collingwood, Culture, Coffee, History

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $62

Spend about three hours walking Fitzroy and Collingwood with a private, English-speaking guide. Visit STREAT’s cafe for in-house roasted coffee, explore Smith Street and Collingwood Yards, see the Keith Haring mural, and finish near a local pub. Guides named Tristan and Tristen have led this route, though your guide may vary.

“Tristen our tour guide was amazing. His knowledge of the people and history of Fitzroy, Collingwood & Carlton was mind boggling. He bought the suburbs to life with his detailed observations and anecdotes. Loved the street art stories too. We didn’t want to leave at the end of the day! Thank You Tristen.”

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13.Melbourne Landmark City Tour. Your day Your way Your private tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $178

Spend about seven hours exploring Melbourne with a private guide and transport for your group of two to six. See central streets, markets, gardens, Brighton Beach, St Kilda and more, with room to request a stop or extend the day. Guide Karin has tailored the route to guests’ wishes.

“Our guide Karin has completely adapted the desired sights to our wishes. The communication in advance went smoothly. Despite the moderate weather we really enjoyed the nice tour. Thank you Karin.Auto-translated”

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14.Private Melbourne’s History with a Drink Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $76

Meet your private guide at the Sir William John Clarke Memorial at 3 pm, then explore central Melbourne through its bars, back lanes and past. The route can include Caretaker’s Cottage, Little Lon Distilling Co. or Chinatown, depending on your interests, the weather and what is open. Drinks cost extra, and guides such as Tristan, Flo and Sonja have led past tours.

“A great afternoon in the city! Tristan was a wonderful host for our adventure, enlightening us with his many historical facts. We found so many hidden gems, great bars and amazing historical sites. Thank you for the experience!”

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15.Private Melbourne: Fitzroy Collingwood Culture & History

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 2 hours · from $120

Walk Fitzroy and Collingwood with a private local guide, from Smith Street’s old factories to Collingwood Yards and the Keith Haring mural. Stop at STREAT for coffee from its in-house roastery, then finish with a drink at a local pub, bar or café. Guides have included Tristan and Tristin.

“Very informative walking tour, it was great to explore a neighborhood outside the downtown. Definitely a different perspective. Tristin was very informative and knowledgeable!”

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