Melbourne Like a Local, Private & Personalized Experience (3 hrs)

Recommended by 95% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Melbourne, Australia

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

3 hours (approx.)
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

If you’re looking to kickstart your Melbourne trip, this is the way to do it! Save hours researching the city’s top highlights, and instead have a local guide to give you advice and take you on an action-packed tour. You’ll discover hidden places that locals love, and get top tips on great places to eat and drink. The tour will also help you see many of Melbourne’s top landmarks in a day—a perfect way to get your bearings of the city.

A perfect tour for first-time visitors to Melbourne
Get a local’s advice on Melbourne’s hidden gems
A private tour means you can customize your itinerary

What's Included

Private and personalized 3-hour walking experience with a knowledgeable local
Insider tips, local stories, and tailored recommendations throughout the tour
Pre-tour questionnaire to customize the itinerary to your interests and pace
Direct communication with your host for itinerary planning and local suggestions

Food, drinks and tickets to any attractions
Transportation (primarily a walking experience, public transport may be used at an additional cost)
Gratuities (optional)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Starbucks 117 Swanston Street
117 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Meet your host in front of Starbucks on Swanston Street. After booking, you can adjust the meeting point to suit your preferences with the help of our Experience Planners.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Melbourne (Pass By)

Queen Victoria Market (Pass By)

Chinatown (Pass By)

Carlton Gardens (Pass By)

Fitzroy (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation

Most travelers can participate
After booking, you'll receive a short questionnaire to share your interests, preferences, and must-sees. Your guide will personally reach out to craft a fully customized itinerary that suits your style—whether you love history, food, hidden gems, or cultural experiences.
This private tour is a walking experience. A private vehicle is not included.
Public transportation or local taxis may be used to transfer between sites. Exact transportation costs can be discussed with your host after your reservation is finalized.
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.8

based on 37 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Great city tour with Alison!

Dorothy_H, Mar 2026

What a fantastic day!!Alison was very knowledgeable and personable. We learned a lot about the history of Melbourne and the food scene! We saw a lot in 3 hours and she helped us get a reservation at Gimlet during the busiest weekend with the GP in town. I highly recommend Alison and would love to visit Melbourne again! Thanks for a great tour.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

We’re thrilled to hear that you had a fantastic day with Alison and enjoyed learning about Melbourne’s history and food scene. It’s great to hear she could help secure a reservation at Gimlet during such a busy weekend — what a thoughtful touch! Your kind words will surely make Alison’s day. We’d love to welcome you back to Melbourne for another memorable experience soon!

We loved Maeve! She...

Natalie_K, Jan 2026

We loved Maeve! She showed us a variety of places and was very well-educated on the sites we visited. She obviously has a love of Melbourne. She has also been very helpful in recommending places to eat, get dessert, etc.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re thrilled to hear that Maeve made your experience of Melbourne so enjoyable and informative. She’ll be delighted to know that you appreciated her recommendations and enthusiasm for the city. We hope to welcome you on another adventure soon!

Perfect introduction to Melbourne

David_L, Dec 2025

This was a great way to unwind after our long flight and get some fresh air as we explored Melbourne. Mike was a great guide- friendly, knowledgeable, and tuned in to our level of energy and interests. Highly recommend.

Response from Host, Dec 2025

Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We’re happy that you enjoyed unwinding and exploring Melbourne with Mike. We really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and for recommending us, your kind words mean a lot!

Excellent Walking Tour!

Simon_M, Apr 2025

Really great walking tour with a good introduction to Brisbane history and culture. Our guide Nicole was very knowledgeable as well as friendly and really pulled the small group together so it was like walking with a group of friends. Right pace and lovely ending in the river. Thoroughly recommend this to others!

Response from Host, Apr 2025

We're so glad you enjoyed the tour and felt the warm, friendly vibe we aim for. Nicole will be thrilled to hear your kind words—she truly loves what she does. We appreciate the recommendation and hope to see you again!

Rhonda was an excellent...

Michelle_L, Feb 2025

Rhonda was an excellent and knowledgeable guide. I had a very pleasant time with her. She even showed me how to get on the train to get back to my hotel and waited with me to board. I appreciate all the care she took to assure that I had a good experience.

Response from Host, Feb 2025

We’re so glad to hear that Rhonda went above and beyond to ensure your time was enjoyable and stress-free. We truly appreciate your kind words and are thrilled that you had such a positive experience with her.

Great guide! Great experience in Melbourne…

Christine_O, Jan 2025

Our guide, Ondrej, was a local who was seriously steeped in Melbourne history and culture. We covered major sights and little known ones. We walked all over the city, exploring areas of interest to us. Great experience!

Response from Host, Jan 2025

Thank you for sharing your experience! We're so glad to hear that Ondrej was able to bring Melbourne's rich history and culture to life for you. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you on another adventure soon!

Gaurav was great -...

Ilya_T, Jan 2023

Gaurav was great - knowledgeable, friendly and on time. We learned a great deal about the city as well as the life of the people there.

Fantastic tour!

Frank_H, Nov 2022

Chris was very knowledgeable and informative! He gave us the history and lineage of the area! We had a wonderful time!

BUYER BEWARE! NO SHOW! DO NOT BUY THIS

CarrieAnn_G, Jun 2019

So much for having a private tour guide. This company is based in the UK!!! I thought VIATOR deals with the LOCAL companies of the city not yet another broker or third party which this one sounds like. So we were left high and dry in melbourne, trying to call company but of course, they are closed due to TIME DIFFERENCE. Not totally the tour guide's fault. She texted and apologized and t told us that she can't make the tour due to other commitments and has informed the company days before our tour date. WE COULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED SOONER. yes money refunded, but there is no price in WASTING A VACATION DAY not mentioning the stress and anxiety this experienced brought. ATTENTION VIATOR : I have used your company for many years and MANY COUNTRIES - it is wrong to give customers a company that is not local - so when we needed help - there was no one to call!!!!!!

Response from Host, Jun 2019

Dear 1234CCG, I am very sorry that we let you down - I know this will have had a negative impact on your trip. I have spoken to the team to get a fuller picture of the situation. Prior to your experience, the team connected you with Sarah - she works with young people and is great at showing the cultural highlights of Melbourne to guests, so we thought she would be a great fit for you and your sons. Although Sarah had confirmed her availability at first, due to unforeseen circumstances there was a change in her schedule and she suddenly became unable to host you at your desired meeting time. Unfortunately, she did not inform our head office of this change ahead of the experience date. Had we known in advance, we could have easily found a replacement, as we had a few days to review the itinerary and plan. We are a small company and for now we clearly state on our website that support is from 9AM-6PM London time. We will be adding resources and introducing 24/7 customer support by the end of 2019. In the meantime, please note that Viator currently offer 24/7 support and are there to help should any problem arise outside of our office hours. We would love to make this up to you and I hope you take us up on our offer for a complimentary experience next time you travel to one of our 40+ destinations. Kind Regards, Anna COO and Co-founder

This absolutely made my trip...

A K, Aug 2018

This absolutely made my trip. I am travelling around Australia and New Zealand for 2 months and Melbourne was my first stop. I booked a private bespoke tour with Cityunscripted and it was awesome. I spoke with the cityunscripted team and they told me that this experience would help we get my bearings in the city and help me prepare for the rest of my time in the city. This was exactly what I wanted. I booked quite last minute, yet they still managed to booked me in with Olivia, an amazing Aussie girl who was wonderful. From the moment we met in the hotel, we clicked and made me feel like I was wondering around with a friend. It was my first day in the city so Liv set me up with a Myki card. She also let me know that travelling by tram within the CBD was free, something I would not have know had I not met her. We started our day with breakfast at the Lune Croissanterie, an amazing bakery which I couldn't help but return to the next day so good!. After this we wandered through the area surrounding my hotel and she recommended me some of her favourite independent galleries, shops and restaurants for me to visit during my stay. She also sent these to me after our tour so that I would not forget them! I cannot express how helpful and lovely she was. My only regret was not booking Liv for longer, but I had already booked another tour for the afternoon. At the end of our time, I told Liv to join me for lunch if she was free and we went to one of her favourite food markets in the city, Queen Victoria market also highly recommended! Thanks to Cityunscripted and Liv for making my time in Melbourne so great. This is my first solo trip and I was a quite nervous, but this first day in Aus put me at ease. I have taken many tours in my time, but this was the best by far.

Jederzeit wieder

WolfgangProf_D, Oct 2024

Wir hatten eine perfekte Reiseleiterin, welche voll auf unsere Wünsche einging. Allein die Bibliothek in Hotelnähe war schon sehenswert .

Response from Host, Oct 2024

Vielen Dank für Ihr tolles Feedback! Es freut uns sehr, dass Sie mit unserer Reiseleiterin zufrieden waren und die Bibliothek in Hotelnähe Ihnen gefallen hat. Wir hoffen, Sie bald wieder bei uns begrüßen zu dürfen!

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