Best Things to Do Outdoors in Melbourne, From Rooftop Bars to Bathing Boxes

Wander rolling parklands or winding laneways, hit a sun-drenched rooftop bar or go hot-air ballooning at dawn: it's a mighty long must-do list of the best things to do outdoors in Melbourne, especially in summer.

This is your guide to some of the best outdoor activities in Melbourne for making hay while the sun shines (and even when it doesn’t).

Kayaking on the Yarra River is one of the city’s best-kept little secrets. Take a guided kayaking tour at any time of the day – from early morning with a short yoga warm-up first, to a sunset tour, to see the sun sink down over the west of the city and its dramatic bridges on a warm summer's eve. You can even book a moonlit kayaking tour, with dinner of fish and chips while floating on the water. Tours range from 90 minutes to three hours.

In other cities, you’d avoid hidden laneways; in Melbourne, that’s where you'll find the best tiny bars, sizzling secretive shops and of course, for its world-famous street art. Take a street-art walking tour with an artist to find the latest supersized murals or tiny works by world-renowned street artists, learn the story behind the paint, and you might even see an artist at work. Everyone goes to Hosier Lane, opposite Federation Square; it’s a good place to start your walk, before wandering into nearby AC/DC Lane, on to Union Lane, Central Way, and Blender Lane, home to the street-artist hot spot, Blender Studios.

Whatever your vibe, Melbourne’s probably got a walking tour to explore it further. From ghost tours to history of Marvellous Melbourne walks, modern architecture or strolls that explore the indigenous stories of Narrm/Melbourne. In a city that worships the coffee bean, take a guided café-hopping tour with an expert, or explore the city centre’s top restaurants on a moving degustation dinner, walking from table to table. Tours run rain, hail, or glorious sunshine.

You know you’ve hit peak Melbourne when you find yourself “doing The Tan”. That’s Melbourne-speak for the 3.8km loop around the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, which sees everyone from pram-pushers to clock-watchers take a turn through past rotundas, the riverside, and glorious gardens.

Its chief rival for best running routes in Melbourne is the Bay Trail, beloved by Melbourne’s beautiful people. The full distance from St Kilda Pier to Brighton is a solid six-kilometre stretch, past smiling Luna Park and ending at the always Instagram-ready Brighton bathing boxes. For a bite-sized version, stroll down the pier or through the palm-filled Catani Gardens on St Kilda’s beachfront.

Even if you’re not a morning person, the quiet shush of your balloon as it passes the city’s skyscrapers is worth the pre-dawn alarm call. Add to that a truly memorable sunrise and landing in one of the city’s parks, and maybe even a little champagne, and a hot-air balloon ride over the city may just be one of the best things to do outdoors in Melbourne.

Melbourne loves a good market, and the Queen Victoria Markets are always the headline act, with their open-air produce sheds. Let your nose run wild in the fragrant Delicatessen, and stock up on cheeses, cured meats and fresh bread for the perfect picnic in nearby Flagstaff Gardens. Found yourself in a Bollywood dance-off or Peruvian pipe music circle? The market often has themed multicultural events on the weekends.

For the best art market in town, head to Rose Street Artists Market in Fitzroy; grab a coffee and peruse the clever, cheeky designs on display; across the road, an empty carpark transforms into the most rummage-tastic vintage clothing and accessories market, Fitzroy Mills, every Saturday.

For more vintage and second-hand clothes, antiques and records, the vast Camberwell Sunday Market is an absolute trove; come early. And hang a cane basket on your arm to fill with fresh produce at the hipster Collingwood Children’s Farm Market, open daily on the Yarra River.

So good, they’re World Heritage listed, the hero of the Carlton Gardens is the Royal Exhibition Building, built in 1880. Just north of the city grid, you’ll find the Melbourne Museum, fabulous fountains, children’s playgrounds, tennis courts and even the IMAX Melbourne theatre while exploring its tree-lined paths. It hosts the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show each March.

Planted in 1859, the Fitzroy Gardens are classically Victorian, with a conservatory and a band pavilion, a rotunda and Cook’s Cottage – the family house of Captain James Cook, moved brick by brick from Yorkshire, England, to the gardens in 1934. Look for the teeny-weeny model Tudor village and the fairy trees.

The Royal Botanic Gardens need little introduction; its star drawcards are many, and include the Tan running track, the Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden, rose gardens and the Aboriginal Heritage Walk. The Explorer, an open-air minibus, provides commentary as it meanders through the gardens.

While the city has more than its fair share of cosy underground bars, when the sun’s out, it’s time to hit the rooftops. The city centre is riddled with places to drink on high, from the sports-mad Imperial Hotel for the big game to edgy little Union Electric in Chinatown or Fable, serving good food and great views in the Greek Quarter. Bring all your friends to group-friendly Morris House or go way fancy at Siglo, which looks out over the floodlit State Parliament building when the sun goes down.

You don’t have to be at the centre of the city for great rooftop vibes. In the inner-west, if you can’t find the craft beer of your dreams at Moon Dog Wild West in Footscray, you’re just not trying. Perhaps get on the bucking bull before you get on the beers.

Fitzroy is fertile hunting ground for rooftop bars; hop from the Marquis of Lorne to The Rooftop Bar, and everyone ends up at Naked for Satan for tapas and sangria jugs at some point.

In Richmond, you could easily design a rooftop crawl from Fargo & Co to the iconic band pub Corner Hotel and on to Harlow for bottomless brunches, while if you’re looking for rooftop bars with sea views, mingle with the beautiful people at Captain Baxter on the water’s edge at St Kilda, or Ellora, overlooking Luna Park and Port Phillip Bay.

Along the Yarra River and Melbourne's beaches, you'll find some of the city's best dining destinations.

The edge of the Yarra River is riddled with choices, from spicy Thai at Bangpop, in front of the South Wharf DFO shopping outlet, and the renovated boatshed, nearby. Now transformed into The Boatbuilders Yard, it serves up all the breakfast faves, moving on to more hefty dishes after midday. To get even more on the water, Yarra Botanica is a floating love letter to Victoria – sourcing all their menu's produce from the state, while moored to Southbank Promenade.

For beachfront vibes, flip a coin between two Melbourne dining icons, Donovans and Stokehouse, both on the sand at the St Kilda foreshore, or keep it casual at Republica, at the St Kilda Sea Baths. From St Kilda, take a seaside stroll beneath the palms, rent an e-bike or thumb a ride on the Number 12 tram that runs parallel to the beach until you reach The Sandbar at Middle Park, for coffee and café fare, or Mod Aus and an exciting wine list at Pipi's Kiosk at Albert Park, a five-minute walk away.

The heart of the city turns up some unexpected little gems for waterfront antics; that set of stairs seemingly leading to nowhere, on the Evan Walker Bridge, is the gateway to Ponyfish Island, almost sunk into the Yarra River, where pizzas and spritzers go down the minute the sun comes out.

And you know when summer’s started in this town when the Afloat pontoon kicks off its summer party, floating on the river. Up above the pontoon, on the edge of Flinders Street Station, Arbory Bar & Eatery woos a friendly after-work crowd for alfresco bites and beers beneath its leafy trees and gas heaters, showing it’s prepared, no matter the weather.

Glass-encased Berth serves up fine seafood while overhanging the river, and at good-time girl Cargo next door, kicking back in its riverside beer garden is one of Melbourne's favourite outdoor pastimes, especially on summery Sunday afternoons.

In the 1880s, ‘Marvellous’ Melbourne was the world’s richest city, thanks to the wild-west gold rush north of the city. Happily, that meant a building boom of mansions and Victorian architecture, much of it open to visitors today. Put aside a morning for genteel perambulations through the gardens of Como House in South Yarra, built in 1847, and finish up with brunch on the terrace at Como Lane Café.

Can't get enough of Victoriana? Keep the theme going at the dramatic Rippon Lea Estate historic estate, in nearby Elsternwick – or pack a basket and find your perfect picnic spot in some of Melbourne's great gardens.

Deep in the Royal Botanic Gardens, The Terrace was made for long, lazy lakeside lunches. Run by some of the city’s top café operators, the menu is seasonal and shareable, with an all-day dining menu that starts with breakfast hotcakes and eggs benedict from 7am, working its way through the day with chilled soups, grilled fish and hero salads.

Also in the gardens, you’ll find The Observatory for long breakfasts and longer lunches, and keep an eye out for pop-up gelato carts or grab a takeaway coffee from The Observatory Kiosk to enjoy in your own private picnic spot.

Melbourne’s weather gets a bad rap – fun fact: it actually rains more in Sydney than in Melbourne. That’s not to say a brolly in the bag isn’t a bad idea in this town. But look on the bright side; with four seasons in one day, you can mix and match your looks for socials with all the layers and fashion accessories, from scarves to sunglasses.

Trams in the city centre are free for everyone; just make sure you touch on your Myki travel card if you travel outside the free-tram zone. Listen for the announcements while on the tram.

Do slow down: while you might want to cram it all in on your visit, take the time to slow down - over coffee in one of its iconic cafes, on a slow walk through historic parks, or at the end of a pier, to watch the sun rise or set.