Melbourne Walking Tours: 10 Guides Who Know the Back Streets

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

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

Start near Gordon Reserve at 11 am and walk through Melbourne’s grand arcades, street-art lanes, Federation Square, Chinatown, and more. A local English-speaking guide such as Emily, Ian, Bo, or Hugo shares history and city tips. Coffee and a drink at Captain Melville are included.

“Great overview of the city and history! It said it was three hours, but it went so fast.. loved all the stops. Our guide Emily was great.”

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2.Great Ocean Road Tour Plus Koalas, Forest Walk and Morning Tea

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,068 reviews

Spend about 13 hours on a small-group Great Ocean Road tour from Melbourne. You’ll visit Torquay, Apollo Bay, Kennett River, Mait’s Rest, Gibsons Steps, the 12 Apostles, and Loch Ard Gorge. Guides such as Warren and Theo add local insight and humor, while lunch and dinner are at your own cost.

“Warren was wonderful and very knowledgeable. And he made it so fun. And a great job of driving. Beautiful sites.”

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3.Great Ocean Road 12 Apostles & Rainforest Walk with Morning Tea

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 549 reviews · from $93

Spend 13 hours following Victoria’s famous coast with a local driver-guide, stopping for morning tea, wildlife, Apollo Bay, a rainforest walk, Loch Ard Gorge, and the Twelve Apostles. Guides such as Lauren, Joe, Joel, and Cory are praised for lively storytelling. Expect a long bus day, but no rental car or coastal driving worries.

“The trip was nice and fun we stopped at a lot of places and we could experience many kinds of atmosphere and views but each places we only took 30-45 mins which we thought it would be enough but actually no. Maybe next time a fewer places to stop and longer time in each place would be very nice. But still, overall was fantastic”

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

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

Walk Melbourne’s arcades, laneways and major landmarks with a local English-speaking guide such as Emily, Hugo, Beau or Ian. You’ll hear Gold Rush stories, see changing street art, stop for a flat white or hot chocolate, and finish with a pub drink. The group is capped at 12 people, making it easy to ask questions.

“This was a fantastic tour covering a great portion of Melbourne's CBD, including the history and laneways. Our guide, Beau, made learning about the history of the city interesting and engaging, and he was also really funny! We loved getting to try a coffee from one of the local spots as well as a beer/wine at the end of the tour from a local pub.”

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5.3-Hour Foodie Discovery Walking Tour

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

Walk Melbourne’s CBD with a guide such as Chev, Andrew, Dave, or Rita, stopping for coffee, two savoury dishes, sweets, and a drink. The three-hour route uses arcades, street-art lanes, cafés, specialty shops, and an underground art gallery. It works well as lunch and an early introduction to Melbourne’s food scene.

“Andrew was both entertaining and informative! We really enjoyed all the stories and history, and all the food was very tasty with either a unique edge or something very reflective of Melbourne. We really enjoyed the tour and would recommend it to anyone trying to get a sense of history and humor with some treats!”

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6.Ghosts, Murder, & Mystery Guided Walking Tour

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

Meet your English-speaking ghost host outside Young & Jackson Hotel at 8:20pm for a 2-kilometre walk through central Melbourne. Hear about Chinatown’s opium dens, bodies sold to medical schools, Jack the Ripper rumors, and opera singer Frederick Federici. Guides such as Linda, Chloe, Charlotte, and Timea bring the stories to life with humor and theatrical flair.

“Fantastic tour, would highly recommend. Linda the guide was amazing. Really interesting & great way to see a different side of Melbourne.”

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7.Street Art Walking Tour with a Street Artist

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 147 reviews · 3 hours · from $55

Join a Melbourne street artist such as Ben, David, or Matt for a three-hour walk through laneways, murals, graffiti, tags, and lesser-known artworks. The tour starts at ACMI, includes a tram ride, and ends at Blender Studios with artist introductions, market-fresh snacks, beer, wine, and soft drinks.

“Great great great!! It was a super experience and interesting tour. I definitly can recommed it for everyone. Next time I see streetart on a building, I have another "eye" for this great art. Thanks a lot to Blender Studios fot this unique tour.”

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8.Melbourne Chocolate Wonderland Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 116 reviews · 3 hours · from $91

Spend three hours walking Melbourne's CBD with a chocoholic guide such as Tonya, Ivan, or Peggy. Taste couverture chocolate, Australian-grown cacao, dessert, cheese pairings, wine, and hot chocolate at five stops, while learning about the city's arcades, lanes, and local history. Groups are limited to 12, and the tour runs rain or shine.

“Emily was an amazing tour guide, so personable and genuine We loved the variety and excitement around each stop, even a surprise from an unassuming location”

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9.Guided Night-Time Food Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 76 reviews · from $131

Spend three evening hours walking through central Melbourne with a local guide and a group of no more than eight. Expect at least four food stops, from dumplings and fusion dishes to unusual Australian tastes and dessert. Guides such as Hugo and Simon tailor the route to the group, explain the city’s food culture, and point out places to revisit later.

“Hugo was an excellent guide! He showed us some great locations that we would have never found on our own and introduced us to some true Melbourne eats. He was friendly and knowledgeable. We left our tour knowing a bit more about Melbourne and happily full. We would recommend this tour to anyone!”

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10.History and Donuts Walking Tour

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

Walk from Federation Square to the State Library with a guide such as Rhiannon, Rhonda, Miles, Tony, or Ant. See Hosier Lane, St Paul’s Cathedral, Collins Street, Queen Victoria Market, and the Old Melbourne Gaol while enjoying coffee and two donuts. The pace is relaxed, the group is capped at 10, and the route is mostly flat.

“Superb tour. it was only me on the tour but the guide Mules did an excellent tour. loved all the stores and facto about Melbourne. Can strongly recommend both the tour and the guide Miles. 5/5”

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