Melbourne Photo Spots: 9 Free Budget Picks
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Where to take photos in Melbourne for free
Nine spots cover most of what makes Melbourne photograph well: street art, Victorian arcades, water, and a skyline view that doesn’t need an admission fee. None of these require an entrance charge beyond what you’d pay for the sight anyway.
- Hosier Lane. Melbourne’s legendary street-art laneway, constantly repainted, so no two visits look the same. Free, any time of day, though morning avoids the evening crowds.
- AC/DC Lane. A smaller, quieter laneway a few minutes from Hosier Lane, worth the short walk for a different mural style.
- Federation Square and Flinders Street Station. The clocks under Flinders Street Station’s awning are the classic “meet you at” shot, and the square opposite gives a wide, symmetrical view back across to the station.
- The Block Arcade and Royal Arcade. The Block Arcade’s 1892 mosaic floor and the Royal Arcade’s 1870 Gog and Magog clock figures both reward looking straight up as well as down.
- NGV International’s Waterwall. The water-curtain entrance on St Kilda Road is one of the most photographed single features in the city, and it’s free to shoot from the footpath or the free permanent-collection galleries just inside.
- The Yarra River at Southbank. The reflection shot of the CBD skyline across the water works especially well at dusk, with the Eureka Tower catching the last light.
- Eureka Skydeck. The one paid pick on this list, about $30-40 for the 88th-floor view, with “The Edge” glass cube as a pricier extra for anyone who wants the vertigo shot.
- St Kilda Pier at dusk. The pier itself is free to walk, and it’s also where the little penguins come ashore on the breakwater, a genuinely unique shot if you’ve booked the required timed reservation ahead.
- Royal Botanic Gardens and the Shrine of Remembrance. Both free, both a short walk from the CBD, and both give a quieter, greener frame than anything in the laneways.
A caution on one former photo spot
Skip the Melbourne Star observation wheel - it’s been closed for restoration for some time with no confirmed reopening date, so don’t plan a shot around it, whatever an older list might say.
Quick reference
| Spot | Best time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Hosier Lane | Morning | Free |
| AC/DC Lane | Any time | Free |
| Federation Square / Flinders St Station | Any time | Free |
| Block Arcade / Royal Arcade | Daytime, arcade hours | Free |
| NGV International Waterwall | Any time | Free |
| Yarra River at Southbank | Dusk | Free |
| Eureka Skydeck | Sunset | ~$30-40 |
| St Kilda Pier / penguins | Dusk | Free, reservation required |
| Royal Botanic Gardens / Shrine | Golden hour | Free |
For the sights behind these shots, see things to do in Melbourne , and for a full day-by-day route through them, start with the 2-day itinerary .
If you’d like a local photographer or guide to show you these spots at the right light, search Melbourne photography tours on GetYourGuide .
One concrete tip: shoot Hosier Lane and AC/DC Lane in the same morning walk, since they’re close enough together to catch both before the laneway cafes get their lunch rush.