Melbourne · MELBOURNE WALKING TOURS

The 15 Best Melbourne Walking Tours, Lanes Included

73 tours  ·  from $18 a head

The CBD grid hides its best corners down lanes and arcades you would walk straight past. These 15 walks cover the history, the coffee and the street art, priced by length and group size.

Ultimate Melbourne Walking Tour: History, Laneways & Culture - From Gordon Reserve to the gold-rush treasury
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Ultimate Melbourne Walking Tour: History, Laneways & Culture

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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Melbourne's Living Laneway Scene: Local Bars and Their Stories - What the guide adds between stops
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Melbourne’s Living Laneway Scene: Local Bars and Their Stories

2.Melbourne’s Living Laneway Scene: Local Bars and Their Stories

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 542 reviews · from $63

Join a local guide for a three-and-a-half-hour walk through Melbourne’s laneway bar scene. You’ll visit four venues chosen for the day and group, from basement pubs and speakeasy-style cocktail bars to rooftops and wine bars. Guides such as Ian, Hugo, Simon, and Laura have led tours, sharing local history and tips for places to try afterward.

“This tour was fun and we enjoyed discovering hidden bars with new friends. Marc was an enthusiastic host with lots of information on exciting bars to explore in the future. We enjoyed a variety of cocktails. Definitely purchase the premium package and have your drinks delivered to your seat. A very special tour.”

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Melbourne Foodie Discovery Walking Tour - Degraves Street: a pause for food and people-watching
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Melbourne Foodie Discovery Walking Tour

3.Melbourne Foodie Discovery Walking Tour

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

Spend about three hours walking central Melbourne with a local guide and no more than nine other people. Visit arcades and laneways, hear stories about the city, and sample savory bites, sweets, coffee or another hot drink, plus a final drink at a local bar. Guides have included Andrew, Dave, Chev, Rita and Rob.

“Was a fantastic insight in to history laneways and famous little eateries. Was a great tour that lasted 3 hours”

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Original Melbourne Lanes and Arcades Walking Tour - Royal Arcade offers a second architectural contrast
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Original Melbourne Lanes and Arcades Walking Tour

4.Original Melbourne Lanes and Arcades Walking Tour

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

Walk Melbourne’s lanes and arcades with a local guide, visiting the Block Arcade and Royal Arcade, with Federation Square, Degraves Street, and possibly Hosier Lane along the way. The three-hour tour includes coffee, tea, or hot chocolate and a chocolate tasting. Guides have included Fiona, Melinda, Jes, and Dee, but aren’t guaranteed.

“Great tour showcasing passages and stores one would easily overlook not knowing where they lead. Paul was a great tour guide full of balanced information about history, facts and anatidotes about Melbourne. Highly recommend.”

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Ultimate Melbourne Walking Tour: History, Laneways & Culture - From Gordon Reserve to the gold-rush treasury
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Ultimate Melbourne Walking Tour: History, Laneways & Culture

5.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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Melbourne Laneways Tour - Finding the city behind the main streets
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Melbourne Laneways Tour

6.Melbourne Laneways Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 331 reviews · 3 hours · from $91

Spend three hours walking Melbourne’s laneways with an English-speaking local guide and a group capped at 10. Look for street art, arcades, small galleries and shops, hear how gold-rush Melbourne grew, and pause for a coffee. Guides including Kathy, John and San have led tours that blend city history with practical tips for cafés, bars and places to visit afterward.

“John was a great guide, set a good pace, put up with us lingering with good humour, clear voice and information, chose a good coffee place. One highlight was finding a street artist up a ladder at work, which I’d hoped to see and there she was!! Excellent.”

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Melbourne: 3-Hour Foodie Discovery Walking Tour - Starting at H&M on Bourke Street Mall
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Melbourne: 3-Hour Foodie Discovery Walking Tour

7.3-Hour Foodie Discovery Walking Tour

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

Walk Melbourne’s CBD with a guide such as Chev, Andrew, Rita or Dave, stopping for coffee, dumplings, other savoury bites, sweets and a drink. Along the way, explore arcades, street-art lanes and tucked-away eateries while hearing about the city’s past and present. The three-hour tour starts at H&M on Bourke Street Mall and ends at Whitehart Bar.

“Dave was an awesome guide. Had a lot of historical knowledge which was great. The food was amazing and things I would not have thought to try. Loved the tour and would highly recommend!!!”

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Melbourne Lanes & Arcades Chocolate and Dessert Walking Tour - Five stops, with more than one kind of sweet
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Melbourne Lanes & Arcades Chocolate and Dessert Walking Tour

8.Melbourne Lanes & Arcades Chocolate and Dessert Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 311 reviews · from $92

Walk Melbourne’s arcades and laneways with a local guide, stopping for at least seven chocolate and dessert tastings. The three-hour route starts and ends at 100 Elizabeth Street and may include surprises such as a koala-shaped dessert. Guides including Ivan, Peggy, Tonya, and Jake also point out city history along the way.

“If you want to know what makes a good tour guide, Peggy seems to give you the answer = she has a history degree and is in the process of completing her masters. In other words, she is a historian. You might not think that you need that for a chocolate tour. After all, you're there to eat chocolate, not to hear all of that boring history stuff, but she knew everything you could ever want to know about chocolate, interspersed with various Melbourne history as well, including showing us dancing clocks that we would never have noticed, and archways that were bulldozed for the sake of Melbourne's 1956 Olympics…”

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Melbourne: Local Laneway Bars and Their Stories - The laneway story behind Melbourne’s bar reputation
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Melbourne: Local Laneway Bars and Their Stories

9.Local Laneway Bars and Their Stories

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 305 reviews · 3 hours · from $63

Meet your guide at Gordon Reserve for a three-hour walk through Melbourne’s bar culture. You’ll visit four venues chosen from a changing group of heritage bars and laneway pioneers, hear how the city’s nightlife evolved, and get your first drink at the opening bar. Guides have included Hugo, Ian, Julia, Alex, Beau, and Simon.

“Had a great time, loved all the bars! Ian was a wonderful host.”

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Melbourne Food Tour with 8+ Food Tastings in Hidden Laneways - Degraves Street and the café lanes
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Melbourne Food Tour with 8+ Food Tastings in Hidden Laneways

10.Melbourne Food Tour with 8+ Food Tastings in Hidden Laneways

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 304 reviews · from $116

Spend about 3.5 hours walking Melbourne’s central laneways with a guide and a group of up to 12. Expect eight or more tastings, from Australian bush croquettes and Vegemite bites to coffee, wine, cheese, chocolate, and an Indigenous Australian dish. Guides such as Troy, Louise, Jeanie, and David have led tours, though your guide and menu may vary.

“This was an excellent introduction to both a variety of foods but also to Melbourne itself. Louise was brilliant , informative and the whole experience was really well thought out and presented . A must for new visitors to the city and foodies .”

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Foodies Bucket List - Walking Tour - The history makes the stops mean more
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Foodies Bucket List – Walking Tour

11.Foodies Bucket List – Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 280 reviews · from $142

Spend up to four hours walking Melbourne’s central lanes and arcades, tasting chocolate, restaurant dishes and gelato while a local guide shares city history and food tips. Groups are capped at eight, with guides including Martina, Sandra, Russell and Colleen. Food is included; drinks are extra. The walk covers up to 1.7 kilometres at a relaxed pace.

“Amazing amazing amazing. That’s the only way to describe our food tour with Martina. This was our very first time doing a food tour, and Martina set the bar impossibly high. She gave us the perfect introduction to Melbourne’s vibrant food scRead more”

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Laneways of Melbourne - Melbourne’s story in buildings and laneways
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Laneways of Melbourne

12.Laneways of Melbourne

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 266 reviews · from $92

Spend three hours walking Melbourne’s central laneways with a local guide. Look for street art, small galleries, arcades and tucked-away shops while hearing about the city’s history and architecture. The small group is capped at 10, and the tour includes a coffee and macaron tasting. Guides have included Kathy, San, John and Rob.

“Interesting facts about Melbourne and the different laneways Architecture of city information was given”

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Melbourne: Ghosts, Murder, & Mystery Guided Walking Tour - Chinatown’s spices and the hidden opium trade
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Melbourne: Ghosts, Murder, & Mystery Guided Walking Tour

13.Ghosts, Murder, & Mystery Guided Walking Tour

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

Join an English-speaking ghost host for a 90-minute, 2-kilometre walk through Melbourne’s central laneways. Hear about Chinatown’s opium dens, Jack the Ripper rumours and Frederick Federici’s death at the Princess Theatre. Guides have included Linda, Chloe and Charlotte, though the host varies. The walk is flat, runs in all weather and starts outside Young & Jackson Hotel at 8:30 pm.

“Chloe was AMAZING!! I would go on all her tours!! She was so theatrical and fun, it made everything way better! We're still feeling a little haunted a few days later!”

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Hidden Bars & Laneway Legends Tour Of Melbourne - ACDC Lane and Duckboard Place bring the street art
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Hidden Bars & Laneway Legends Tour Of Melbourne

14.Hidden Bars & Laneway Legends Tour Of Melbourne

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 177 reviews · from $46

Walk from Fed Square through Melbourne laneways and Chinatown, hearing stories about barmaids, men’s clubs and the city’s drinking past. Your guide takes you to three laneway bars, with the exact venues varying by tour. Drinks cost extra, and the group is limited to 12. Guides named by past participants include Tess, Tom, Bridget and Lenny.

“Awesome way to spend an afternoon in Melbourne. Bars and Laneways were great and so was our guide Bridgette, who was very knowledgeable and fun.”

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Creepy Tales, Bars & Laneways Of Melbourne Walking Tour - From Queen Victoria Market to the Old Gaol
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Creepy Tales, Bars & Laneways Of Melbourne Walking Tour

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

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

Walk from Queen Victoria Market to Fed Square with a guide such as Tess, Bridgette, Lenny, or Daniel, hearing tales of cemeteries, executions, wartime crime, and ghosts. The three-hour route visits ten central Melbourne locations and pauses at three bars, where drinks are at your own expense. Groups are capped at ten, and the tour is for ages 18 and up.

“Very interesting creepy tales with the added bonus of visiting hidden bars and sipping on cocktails. Bridget knows soooo much history of Melbourne. The car park beside the Queen Victoria Markets story of the graveyard was an amazing story that gave me goosebumps!”

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