Southbank & Arts Centre Melbourne

If you are someone deeply interested in botany then you must not skip the Royal botanical gardens in Sydney. The place was opened in 1816 which makes it one of the oldest scientific institution not only in Australia but in the whole world.   Location: The Royal botanical garden is located in the Mrs. Macquarie's road in Sydney and the place is quite accessible from most of the major locations in the city. Highlights: It is one of the major botanical gardens located in the heart of Sydney where you will find plants of a wide variety of species. Price: The entry is free to all which makes more people come here and explore the place. Best time to visit: The botanical garden is open from 9 in the morning to 5:30 in the evening so you need to visit the place during these times to be able to see plants that are on the display.

Puffing Billy travels through the Dandenong Ranges east of Melbourne (sometimes referred to as 'The Dandenongs') All aboard Puffing Billy – Australia's most popular steam train ride! Running daily from the foothills at Belgrave to the mountain town of Gembrook, Puffing Billy is the most fun way to tour the Dandenong Ranges. Puffing Billy's rattling red carriages run across three historic timber bridges, uphill and down dale, through valleys and plains filled with tree ferns, and under the shadow of towering mountain ash. The route runs through the eucalyptus of Sherbrooke Forest, past the steam museum at Menzies Creek and the picnic grounds at Emerald Lake, in the pretty town of Gembrook. The one-way journey is 24 km (15 miles), taking just under two hours. Puffing Billy is Australia's favorite steam train and is one of the finest preserved steam railways in the world. This century-old steam train is still running on its original 25-kilometer mountain track from Belgrave to Gembrook, through the beautiful forests and fern gullies of the Dandenong Ranges.

Melbourne Zoo is Australia's oldest zoo and was modeled on London Zoo. The zoo was opened on 6 October 1862 at the Royal Park site in 55-acre (22 ha) on land donated by the City of Melbourne. Before this, animals were housed at the botanical gardens in Melbourne. Visitors can see historical cages, including the heritage listed Elephant House, which has been renovated and adapted for use for customers paying to sleep overnight in tents at the zoo in popular Roar and Snore evenings. These evenings allow the public to see some of the nocturnal animals at the zoo in evening guided tours by keepers. One of the most famous exhibits was Quinine the elephant. The zoo is set among flower gardens and picnic areas. Many of the animals are now organized in bioclimatic zones: African rainforest featuring gorillas, mandrills, pigmy hippos and parrots; Asian Rainforest with tigers and otters; and the Australian bush with koalas, kangaroos, emus, echidnas and endangered hairy-nosed wombats. 

What is a trip without any adventurous activity? Get some adrenalin into your bodies when you come to Melbourne by taking part in the Europa Skydeck. Highlights – Located at a height of 292m, the Eureka Tower promises to provide ultimate thrill and entertainment to the adventure enthusiasts. Get a panoramic view of Melbourne City from around 300m above sea level from all 360 degrees. There are close to 30 viewfinders on the Skydeck, through which you can spot some of the major landmarks of Melbourne from the towering heights of the Eureka. This is the only place in the world where you will find “The Edge” – a glass cube located at 88th floor of the tower, providing incredible views to tourists who are suspended from here. Location – Southbank precinct of Melbourne.Timings – 10AM to 10PM.Price – 20AUD per adult and 11.50AUD for kids aged between 4 and 16years. 

Providing beautiful views of the commercial landscapes of Melbourne, Williamstown Beach is one of the most-loved beaches in this city by locals and tourists. Highlights – This beach is situated very close to the main city is often one of the most sought-after weekend getaways for locals. It is fondly addressed as Willy Beach by the locals. Every month local traders put up waterside craft stalls at the Nelson’s Place Point. If you are lucky enough, you can watch the lively ambience in this waterside stall and buy some excellent local handicrafts at reasonable rates. Location - It is very easily accessible through public transport as it is just about 5 minutes away from Gem Pier Station. Activities – deep water swimming, paddle swimming, sunbaking, sailing, walking, relaxing strolls, watching fireworks at night during important festival days etc.

One of the scenic and beautiful beaches of Melbourne, Sorrento, is an absolute treat to watch during the sunset hours. Highlights – Encompassed by a canopy of Port Philip Bay waters on one side and Bass Straight waters on the other side, Sorrento proves to be an awesome tourist spot for people of all age groups. The foreshore that surrounds the beach is replete with absolute natural extravaganza, making it one of the Melbourne’s most beautiful beaches. Added to this, the beach has lots of jetties clear-water rock pools and an incredible coastline that you just cannot get enough of! Visit here during the evenings to time your trip with the sunset, to experience the beauty of the beach in its full form. Location – Around 90minutes from the Central Business District of Melbourne. Activities – Awesome walking trails which find lots of early morning walkers and joggers making full use of it daily.

Take a fascinating journey from the coast to the ocean depths through 12 themed zones, including one of the world’s largest Saltwater Crocodiles residing in the state-of-the-art the Croc Lair exhibit. Don’t miss the Australia’s most interactive rainforest; get up close to the 10,000 creatures, including Australia’s largest collection of Sub-Antarctic penguins, the world’s largest collection of Sea Horses and the only Elephant Sharks in the captivity. Find out how it feels to touch a starfish and the other creatures living in our interactive rock pool. Fun talks and an animal feeds, special events and our Dive Adventure Trail means that there’s always a load for everyone to enjoy at the SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium. The all new SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium, with 12 amazing habitat zones to discover, is on top of the list of things to do in the Melbourne. No trip to Melbourne is complete without visiting the Melbourne Aquarium. Situated on the riverside, just opposite to the Crown Casino, the Melbourne Aquarium is a home to the thousands of animals, including sharks, turtles, stingrays, sawfish, tropical fish and much, much more.

With mosaic-tile flooring, a glass canopy and carved stone, the Block Arcade is one of the finest examples of a 19th-century shopping arcade on the planet. Connecting Collins Street to Little Collins and Elizabeth streets, the heritage, shopping arcade was built between 1891 and 1893, its design modeled on Milan's grand Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. The boutiques and cafes taking up residence in the Block have retained the arcade’s richly decorated uniform design, ensuring a seamless shopping experience from the color-coordinated plant holders and paintwork to the heritage lighting and translucent glass ceiling. The arcade's most popular residents include the Hopetoun Tea Rooms, whose windows filled with delicious cakes are as beloved by photographers as by gourmands, and Haigh's Chocolates, one of Australia's premier chocolatiers. The Block is a regular fixture on food tours and leads to the flurry of tightly squeezed cafes lining Block Place. Go behind the scenes on the Block on one of the twice-weekly guided tours, held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1pm and meeting in front of the Hopetoun Tea Rooms.