Ten Things That Will Make You Want to Move to Melbourne

Top Oz Tours offers a great range of Melbourne tours and experiences. You can browse the options here.

It’s always the sign of a good holiday when you think to yourself, ‘I could live here’.

And don’t be surprised if that mental newsflash hits you during a stay in Melbourne. The winters may be long and the weather generally unpredictable, but there’s an indefinable quality about the Victorian capital that’s appealing on many different levels.

Here are ten things that will make you move to Melbourne.

Watch our video of ten top things to do in Melbourne:

Top 10 Things to Do in MELBOURNE, Australia, 2026 | Ultimate Melbourne Travel Guide for First Timers

👉👉👉 Support our channel and save on travel by joining our new Top Traveller Club: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIWPeSl1aL72F1NCuS4ePTQ/join 👈👈👈 Member benefits include early access to videos, a branded travel water bottle, and 10% off day and multi-day tour bookings worldwide! Browse day tours: https://topoztours.partner.viator.com Browse multi-day tours: https://topoztours.trips.tourradar.com Join today!

1. The trams

While most other Australian cities tore up their tram tracks many moons ago (and some are now busily putting them back in!), Melbourne stuck with this late 19th century form of transport — and boy, is everyone glad it did! Today, trams are an essential cog in the city’s public transport machine — providing frequent and efficient carriage across the urbs. There are 24 routes, 200 kilometres of track, and close to 1,800 stops, making this the largest tram network in the world. And what’s even better is that it’s free to ride in the CBD.

2. The laneways and arcades

Getting lost is not everyone’s idea of a good time, but it’s part of the fun when exploring Melbourne. The CBD is crisscrossed by a network of street art emblazoned and cafe-lined laneways, alleys, and arcades, and even lifelong residents can often be heard to utter, ‘Oh, so that’s where that comes out…’. Dive in and see where the city chooses to take you. Along the way you can pop into fashion incubators and independent galleries, take a sticky inside heritage building foyers, nibble on tasty street eats, or indulge in a mid-afternoon glass of bubbles at a rooftop bar. There’ll be something to inspire, delight, and amaze you around every corner.

3. The coffee

Much has been written about the coffee in Melbourne — and if you’re a devotee of the creamy crema, welcome to your happy place. While exploring those aforementioned laneways, take the weight off in a well-placed cafe, order a good strong latte, and let the magic happen. Just don’t ask the waiter about that ‘deconstructed coffee’ thing — that was so 2016. Side note: One of the best things about taking a coffee break in the CBD is the chance to do some people watching. You’ll gain a fascinating insight into the microcosm of cultures that call this city home — and a realisation that black is, well, the new black. Again.

4. The Queen Victoria Market

Loved by locals and tourists alike, the Queen Victoria Market is consistently rated one of Melbourne’s top attractions. That may sound a little strange for what is predominantly a fresh food market. But even though as a visitor you may not be looking for a kilo of snags or a bunch of celery, the market is imbued with more than a century of local history and packed with period touches, fascinating quirks, and memorable characters. Just go for a wander and soak it all in — and do not leave without getting messy with a warm jam-filled doughnut from The American Doughnut Kitchen. They’re da bomb.

5. The street art and fine art

We mentioned street art earlier and it’s everywhere in Melbourne, as you’ll soon discover. The epicentre however is the endlessly Instagrammed Hosier Lane. If you can’t beat them, join them. Go snap a selfie there, then head down the lane towards Federation Square. It’s home to the architecturally stunning Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, which houses the Australian collection of the National Gallery of Victoria. This part of the NGV is generally somewhat quieter than its HQ on St Kilda Road and you may have many of the twenty different exhibition spaces all to yourself.

6. Eating for a tenner

To ‘eat cheap’ takes on new meaning in Melbourne. Yes, you can splash cash on world-class haute cuisine. But equally you can dine on delectable dumplings (next stop, Chinatown), bulging bahn mi, spicy boat noodles, top toasties (try the vegan options doled out to adoring fans at Union Kiosk in Howey Place), juicy grass-fed burgers, or savoury bagels (Schmucks Bagels; nuff said) — all for under 10 bucks. Go crazy.

7. The footy

To many of us from interstate it may look like a bunch of blokes chasing a ball higgledy piggledy around a field and throwing each other to the ground whenever possible. To a Melburnian, it’s poetry in motion. Australian Rules Football is a religion to these people — and if you’re a believer, you’ll fit right in!

8. The nightlife

Melbourne is a very social city and boasts a swag of awesome themed bars. Check out the come-in-out-of-the-Cold-War Berlin Bar, the elegant speak-easy-style Gin Palace, and stitch-in-time Seamstress (which was a textile factory back in the 1930s). If you’re a little on the shy side, mid-afternoon is a good time to go and scope out the most popular options. You can get settled in a relaxed fashion and watch the after-work crowd drift in.

9. The shopping

Those who love to shop will adore Melbourne; no ‘ifs’, ‘buts’, or ‘maybes’ about it. The options for a sesh of retail therapy here are literally endless. Trending fashion and high-end labels can obviously be found in adundance, but so can vintage and pre-loved treasures. Located in the CBD, Retro Star carries stock from a wide variety of eras — and you’ll turn up everything from 1950s twin sets to 70s band tees.

10. The seaside

OK, it’s not quite Bondi Beach or ‘Glamarama’ (Tamarama) in Sydney, but Melbourne’s seaside offering is pretty appealing nonetheless. Hop on the number 96 tram from the CBD (it departs from the Bourke Street Mall) and cruise out to St Kilda Beach. What the weather will do is anybody’s guess — but if you’re blessed with rays, take a breezy stroll along the foreshore and out on the currently-being-upgraded St Kilda Pier for fabulous views back towards the city.

Moving to Melbourne?

Moving interstate is a mammoth task and one that requires plenty of preparation. Start by putting together a timeline of key dates for the move and important tasks that must be completed along the way. Next, research all the essentials you’ll need for settling into your new home — everything from carpet cleaning in Melbourne, to getting the utilities connected. The more you can organise in advance, the smoother the moving process will be!

This post was published thanks to Electrodry Carpet Cleaning.

Browse our range of Melbourne tours and experiences here. We offer a Best Price Guarantee.

Do you have any suggestions to add to our list of things that will make you want to move to Melbourne? Join the conversation on our Facebook page.

Additional images: Bigstock

Travel essentials

You can book many aspects of your holiday on the Top Oz Tours & Travel Ideas website, including flights, hotels, car hire, travel insurance, and more. When you purchase a product or service using the following links from our partners, we receive a small commission. It does not affect the price you pay, and it enables us to continue to provide readers with amazing travel inspiration.

Flights

Compare airlines, flights, and fares in one place with Booking.com. They don’t charge any credit card fees and you can always see exactly what you’re paying for in the price breakdown. Search for flights with Booking.com

Hotels

If you’re looking for a great deal on your next hotel or homestay, look no further than Booking.com. Their mission is to make travel affordable and accessible to more people, and to deliver seamless accommodation experiences that complement your holiday. Search for hotels and homestays with Booking.com

Car hire

Discover Cars is an award-winning (World Travel Awards) car rental comparison website, which helps customers find, compare, and hire cars at the most competitive prices globally. Search for hire cars with Discover Cars

Campervans & motorhomes

Make Jucy your first choice for campervan and motorhome hire. Since 2001, this progressive company has had a vision to be world-famous for enabling experience seekers to discover happiness on the road. Search for campervans and motorhomes with Jucy

Day tours & experiences

Search and book day tours, guided experiences, and attraction tickets and passes worldwide with Top Oz Tours and Viator. There are no booking or credit card fees when you book through us, and you’ll have access to the widest choice of activities and most competitive prices. Browse day tours and experiences

Multi-day tours & trips

Top Oz Tours has joined forced with Tour Radar to bring you a fabulous range of multi-day tours and trips from the world’s leading operators. Travel with like minded people and get the best possible price on the holiday of your dreams. Browse multi-day tours and trips

Travel insurance

World Nomads aims to be a part of every traveller’s journey by providing a reassuring range of travel insurance services. Benefits include coverage for emergency medical and evacuation or repatriation, lost baggage, trip cancellation, and more than 150 adventure activities. Get an insurance costing