Cheap things to do in Melbourne
Free museums, cheap eats, good pubs: Melbourne on a tight budget.
This is a Melbourne trip built around the things the city does best for free: big public art galleries, historic parks, and a pub culture that never asks much of your wallet. The eating is street-level and genuinely good, running from Vietnamese bánh mì to Malaysian rice plates to late-night sushi. If you want to spend three days feeling like a local without watching your bank balance, this is that trip.
Day 1: Federation Square to the Yarra
A day that earns its ground: free world-class art at the NGV, a long riverside walk, and a cheap Chinese dinner bookended by cold beers at one of Melbourne's oldest pubs.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:15 AM
Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia
Free entry to Australia's national collection of art, right on Federation Square, zero cost.
Map - 12:30 PM
Heartbaker Bun Mee
Cheap, punchy Vietnamese bánh mì rolls a short walk from the gallery, great value lunch.
Map - 2:00 PM
Birrarung Marr
Free riverside park along the Yarra, a relaxed afternoon stroll with city skyline views.
Map - 7:30 PM
ShanDong MaMa Mini
Cheap fish dumplings from a Shandong family recipe, in a tiny spot off Centre Place.
Map - 9:00 PM
Young & Jacksons
Classic Melbourne pub steps from Federation Square, cold beer, old-school vibe, no cover.
Map
Day 2: Flagstaff, laneways and cheap kebabs
The quieter western edge of the CBD gives you a park stroll, the State Library's free domed reading room and some of the best-value food on the plan, finishing at the Mitre Tavern.
Day 3: East End, the Gaol and garden time
Start with Thai coffee and a grim stroll around Melbourne's most notorious landmark, eat well in the East End, then wind down through the Fitzroy Gardens before a no-fuss final night at the Exford.
- 9:30 AM
Roslyn Thai Cafe
A Thai iced tea or coffee and a cheap breakfast plate before the walk to the Gaol.
Map - 10:15 AM
Old Melbourne Gaol
Free exterior explore of Melbourne's most infamous landmark, gritty history right in the CBD.
Map - 12:30 PM
Soi 38 Melbourne
Thai boat noodles served in a multi-storey car park, rich, cheap and very Melbourne.
Map - 2:00 PM
Fitzroy Gardens
Free afternoon wander through one of Melbourne's prettiest formal gardens, easy post-lunch stroll.
Map - 7:30 PM
Sushi Hub Melbourne Central (takeaway only)
Grab-and-go hand rolls by the piece; cheap fuel to carry over to the Exford.
Map - 9:00 PM
Exford Hotel
Old-school Melbourne pub a block away, cheap pints, no fuss, easy walk home before midnight.
Map
Where to stay
Zagame's House
The only $ option on the list and close enough to everything on the plan, making it the obvious base for a thrifty three days.
Make Melbourne your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Melbourne Cricket Ground: weeks ahead
- St Kilda Pier: weeks ahead
- Great Ocean Road: weeks ahead
- Phillip Island Nature Parks - Penguin Parade: weeks ahead
- Royal Melbourne Golf Club: months ahead
- Kingston Heath Golf Club: months ahead
Skip these
- Rushed one day Great Ocean Road coaches listing 10 stops and general admission Penguin Parade viewing.
- Lygon Street restaurant spruikers, Eureka Skydeck as a must do, and Crown Casino as a night out in itself.
- Souvenir end of Queen Victoria Market and Docklands factory outlet shopping sold as local culture.
The full Melbourne travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around