Why visit
Melbourne is coffee culture, graffiti laneways, live music, Queen Victoria Market, the Great Ocean Road 90 minutes away, and Phillip Island's penguin parade.
Melbourne at a glance
City population
180k
Metro: 5.1 million
Elevation
31 m
102 ft
Time zone
UTC+10 (UTC+11 DST)
Australia/Melbourne
Airport
MEL
Tullamarine
Founded
1835
Getting around
Trams (largest network in the world), Metro trains, buses; CBD trams are free
Signature dish
Flat white (coffee), parmigiana, dim sims, lamington, Vegemite on toast
Neighborhoods for travelers
CBD (Laneways)FitzroyCollingwoodSt KildaBrunswickRichmond
Australia at a glance
Country center
-27.0°, 133.0°
Coast
Has coastline
Country area
7,692,024 km²
2,969,906 mi²
Country population
26.6 million
3/km²
Subregion
Australia and New Zealand
Currency
Australian dollar ($)
AUD
Dial
+61
Language
English
Demonym
Australian
Internet
.au
UN
Member state
ISO code
AU / AUS
Where in the world
-27.0° · 133.0°
Australia
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Click the map to open in Google Maps. Outline via svg-maps/world · CC BY 4.0
Did you know
- Melbourne has the largest tram network in the world: 250 km of tracks, partly free within the CBD.
- The city was voted "world's most livable" seven years in a row by The Economist EIU.
- Flinders Street Station's main clocks have been manually adjusted since 1910: they show next departures, not the time.
- Australia is the only country that occupies an entire continent.
- The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth: visible from space.
Traveler notes
- Laneway café crawl (Degraves, Centre Place)
- Great Ocean Road 2-day self-drive
- Phillip Island Penguin Parade at dusk
Plan checks
- Build a three-day plan before extending. Most travel cities are easy to undersell to yourself.
- Check seasonal timing: high season can triple costs on some coastal destinations.
- Reserve top restaurants 2–4 weeks out and plan two standout meals per city.
Explore more
Frequently asked about Melbourne
What currency is used in Melbourne?
Melbourne uses the Australian dollar ($), ISO code AUD.
What languages are spoken in Australia?
The primary language is English.
What is the international calling code for Australia?
The calling code is +61.
What airport serves Melbourne?
Tullamarine (IATA: MEL).
Other Oceania destinations
Rotorua
Rotorua is Maori culture + geothermal landscapes. Te Puia geysers, hāngī feasts, redwood forest MTB trails, and Whakarewarewa living Maori village.
Auckland
Auckland spans two harbors and 48 volcanoes. Waiheke Island wineries, Piha's black sand, Rangitoto's lava fields, and a Polynesian-influenced food scene.
Nadi (Fiji)
Nadi is Fiji's international gateway and the hub for Mamanuca and Yasawa island-hopping. Small itself, worth a day before heading to the islands.
Australia
Australia is continental travel. Sydney Harbour, Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, Great Ocean Road, Tasmania's wilderness, and wine country at Margaret River. Distances are American-scale.
Fiji
Fiji is 330 Pacific islands. Yasawas and Mamanucas for beach-bungalow travel, Taveuni for rainforest, and some of the friendliest welcomes on the planet.
Kiribati
Kiribati is a destination in Oceania with coastlines and warm-water travel at its core. Plan around season, swim conditions, and regional island or coastal routes.