Melbourne Activities: Markets, Art and Sport

November 5, 2026

This page groups Melbourne’s most useful activities by what they cost and when they are open, so you can fit them around the weather.

Free ways to get around

The Free Tram Zone covers the CBD and Docklands. Ride any tram inside it at no charge and skip the card reader.
Touch on only when a trip begins or ends outside the zone.
Public transport across Victoria is half price from 1 June 2026 to 1 January 2027, so a day of outer-suburb travel is cheap.
Visitors paying full fares can use a contactless bank card or phone on trains, trams and buses. Concession and youth passengers need a myki.

Markets

Queen Victoria Market opens Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 6am to 3pm, Saturday from 6am to 4pm and Sunday from 9am to 4pm. Nothing trades there on Monday or Wednesday daytime. Specialty shopping starts at 9am on market days. Hours are published on the market’s visit page .

Street art and arcades

Hosier Lane and AC/DC Lane for murals that are repainted regularly.
Degraves Street and Centre Place for coffee in narrow lanes.
Royal Arcade (1870) and Block Arcade (1892), the latter home to The Tea Rooms 1892.

Art for nothing

Melbourne’s state gallery runs as two sites, NGV International on St Kilda Road and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square. The permanent collections cost nothing, and the doors are open from 10am to 5pm every day of the week. Big temporary shows can carry a ticket. The 2026 NGV Triennial is free and opens on 13 December 2026. More is on the NGV visit page .

Sport

The Melbourne Cricket Ground runs tours and hosts the AFL season. The Australian Open takes over Melbourne Park from 11 to 31 January 2027, with the main draw from 17 January. The Melbourne Cup is run on the first Tuesday of November, and the 2027 date is Tuesday 2 November.

Viewpoints

Melbourne Skydeck, Level 88 of Eureka Tower: open from noon, adult tickets roughly AUD 33 to 43 when booked online, with the Edge cube as an add-on.
Melbourne Star, Docklands: back in service since 15 October 2026, with a 30-minute rotation per ride.
Royal Botanic Gardens: free, with punt cruises on the lake each day between 11am and 5pm.

Local habits

Cards and phones are accepted nearly everywhere, there is no tipping custom, and GST of 10 per cent is already in the price you see.

Booking

Combined passes and guided options are listed on Viator .