Top Melbourne Outdoor Activities

Travelers short on time in the Melbourne area don't need to miss out on one of Australia's greatest coastal road trips. This Great Ocean Road day tour includes many of the route's highlights, including the Twelve Apostles, Apollo Bay, and London Bridge. And, because this itinerary is the reverse of what many travelers take, you'll be skipping the worst of the crowds.

Experience Melbourne at sunset from the water on a 2.5-hour kayak tour on the Yarra River. Your guide takes you around Victoria Harbour and along Southbank where you pause to see the fire-ball display at Crown Casino. Enjoy an on-the-water dinner of fish and chips, then see downtown Melbourne before your tour ends next to Princess Bridge. Includes guide, use of equipment, light dinner, and kayak tour.

At 38 hectares, it can take a long time to see all of Melbourne’s beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens by foot. This minibus tour offers a perfect solution for visitors wishing to take in the gardens’ natural beauty in just 30 minutes.

Discover Australia's Great Ocean Road—where coastal views and lush rainforests meet—on this full-day adventure from Melbourne. Heading out from the urban landscape of the city, keep your eyes peeled for koalas, walk through rainforests, and visit local landmarks like the Memorial Arch. A local guide is on-hand to fill you in on the area's history—something many travelers miss out on. Once you've refueled with lunch (own expense) in the beautiful town of Apollo Bay, marvel at the Twelve Apostles (a set of giant limestone stacks), and explore other panoramic views, including the dramatic Loch Ard Gorge.

Enjoy a more relaxed experience of Melbourne than you’d get in a traditional tour vehicle on a walking tour that provides the ultimate introduction if you're visiting for the first time. You’ll stop to hear tales and trivia that you’re unlikely to find in the guidebook about top Melbourne attractions such as Federation Square, Hosier Lane, Old Melbourne Gaol, and much more.

Discover the natural delights of Phillip Island with an eco-tour from Melbourne. See the iconic Brighton Beach bathing boxes, visit the beach and take some time to admire these historic landmarks. Head to the Moonlit Sanctuary Conservation Park for an up-close encounter with kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, and other native Australian wildlife. Finish the day at a local beach where you can watch hundreds of some of the world's tiniest penguins waddle out of the ocean and across the sand to their burrows.

Skip the trial and error of exploring Melbourne’s food scene and visit eateries you wouldn’t find on your own on this shared evening food tour. Follow your guide to hole-in-the-wall eateries around Melbourne, including in Chinatown and by the Yarra River. As you walk, explore the city’s laneways, including Hosier Lane with its popular street art.

See the best of Phillip Island on this group tour from Melbourne, with all the details taken care of, so you can relax and take in the sights. Keep your eyes peeled for kangaroos, koalas, and the island's adorable tiny penguins. Make sure your cameras are charged for photos at beautiful viewpoints, like Cowes and more.

Experience the rugged beauty of the Grampians National Park in a relaxed small group, with an expert local guide bringing the region to life through stories, local knowledge and insights along the way. Travel from Melbourne in comfort and discover waterfalls, dramatic rock formations, sweeping mountain lookouts and native wildlife, from Silverband Falls and the Grand Canyon to The Balconies, Reeds Lookout and Boroka Lookout.

Experience the Great Ocean Road’s top attractions on this guided excursion that follows the iconic road in reverse. Embark on your journey and beat the crowds while learning about the region’s scenic landscapes and pretty coastal towns from an informative guide. Visit sites including the 12 Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, Apollo Bay, and Gibson Steps.

Experience Phillip Island in small-group comfort with no more than 11 guests—not 24 or 27 people on a coach. Travel in a modern Mercedes-Benz Vito or Sprinter with comfortable seating and climate control. Our exceptional guides combine wildlife knowledge, warm service and Penguin Parade advice to keep the day relaxed and organised. Provide any Melbourne CBD hotel, apartment or nominated address. We will collect you there and return you to the same place after the Penguin Parade. Guests outside the CBD receive a convenient meeting point. Visit Moonlit Sanctuary, with admission included, to see koalas, kangaroos and other Australian wildlife. Continue to The Nobbies for dramatic coastal views while looking for wild wallabies and native birdlife, then watch little penguins return ashore after sunset. Choose General Viewing or Penguins Plus when booking. Penguins Plus requires confirmation and is subject to availability. Other viewing tickets may be requested for an additional charge.

Spend a day immersed in the animal kingdom at the Melbourne Zoo. Encounter native species including koalas, wombats, and kangaroos, and local Victorian species such as indigenous penguins and seals splash. Also admire mighty Asian pachyderms at the Trail of Elephants, elegant African zebras and giraffes in open-air habitats, the energetic primates at Lemur Island, an elevated orangutan exhibit, and more.

Experience the delights of Victoria’s wine country on this Yarra Valley wine tour from Melbourne. With an informative wine guide, you’ll visit four popular wineries, which may include Balgownie Estate, Soumah Yarra Valley, Greenstone Vineyards, and Yering Farm. Enjoy plenty of tastings as well as a winery lunch while you learn about winemaking in Australia and admire the picturesque landscapes.

Take in a bounty of Melbourne’s highlights along the scenic Yarra River on this narrated sightseeing cruise. Spend a delightful hour aboard a riverboat as you glide under the Princes Bridge and past beautiful river gardens, Herring Island, the Melbourne Cricket Ground and other top cultural attractions.

Experience the beautiful coastal scenery of Victoria’s Great Ocean Road and skip the crowds on this private tour from Melbourne. Visit the famous Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge, and capture photos from nearby clifftop viewpoints. Explore the rainforest at Mait’s Rest and look for wildlife on the Kennett River Koala Walk.

Getting out of Melbourne and down to Philip Island takes a couple of hours at the wheel, and doesn’t leave much opportunity to take in the sights en route. Leave the driving to a guide and check off two wildlife encounters in just one day as you travel there by coach. Watch the “penguin parade”—fairy penguins making their way to their burrows—from an exclusive viewing platform, and visit the Phillip Island Koala Reserve to see the Australian marsupial up close.

The City Highlights Express Cruise offers a swift and scenic way to experience Melbourne's iconic landmarks from the Yarra River. Whether you're a first-time visitor aiming to get your bearings or a local seeking a fresh perspective of the city, the City Highlights Express Cruise provides a quick, informative, and enjoyable experience on the Yarra River.

There are plenty of great Yarra Valley wine tours to choose from, but some of them feel a lot more rushed than others. With this tour, you move at a chilled-out pace, checking out three specially selected wineries with the option to indulge in a cheese platter or charcuterie at one of the stops to fuel up. Note that lunch is not included on this tour.

Leap into the sky and take flight on this tandem skydiving adventure. You’ll surf the air currents at 15,000 feet (4,600 meters), high above the other surfing mecca of Bells Beach.You’ll reach speeds of up to 220 kph (124 mph) before your instructor pulls the chute. As you glide back down to Earth, you’ll have the chance to steer the parachute.

Streamline your wildlife viewing and check off two of Phillip Island’s native species in just one day on this comprehensive, full-day tour from Melbourne. Instead of juggling separate bookings and reservations, head out by coach to view fairy penguins at Phillip Island Nature Park—home to the largest colony in the world—and see one of Australia’s most beloved marsupials, koalas, at Phillip Island Koala Conservation Reserve.

Whether it’s your child or your inner child that loves steam trains and penguins, getting the timing right to watch little penguins parade on Phillip Island is a challenge. Skip the stress of the long drive when you join this convenient tour, which includes the Puffing Billy Railway steam train and general admission to the Penguin Parade.

Embark on a captivating 1-hour sightseeing expedition along the Yarra River, discovering Melbourne's most iconic landmarks with expertly guided commentary. Sail past renowned sites like Flinders Street Station, Federation Square, and the Arts Centre, while enjoying complimentary tea and coffee. Marvel at the panoramic views of Melbourne's skyline, capturing the beauty of the Eureka Tower, Royal Botanic Gardens, and the cultural precinct of Southbank. Book now for an unforgettable experience of Melbourne's waterfront wonders.

Join us on our Classic Melbourne City Bike Tour with the added boost of E bikes, it is a 4 hour relaxing bicycle ride around Melbourne. This is a great ride for everyone being 95% off roads on safe bike paths and parks. You get a great orientation of Melbourne and surrounding suburbs and discover key landmarks that make this one of the worlds most liveable cities year after year. Whether you’re new to this great city or have lived here your entire life, you will be guaranteed to learn all facets of Melbourne in this one all-encompassing tour: Melbourne’s “founding”, the Aboriginals, the Eureka Stockade, our war history, the significance of sport and much more. We also include a stop in Fitzroy at one of our favorite cafes for lunch! (Please bring some extra cash for lunch.)