If you ask someone what their perfect day out in Melbourne would be, you’ll get a wide range of answers. Ours would go a little something like this. It involves a fair bit of driving around, so grabbing a Melbourne city car hire would be our first step!
Morning
Start the day off right with breakfast at Cumulus Inc. Located on 45 Flinders Avenue in Melbourne’s “famous art and fashion precinct”, this sophisticated eatery offers meals to suit all tastes. Whether you opt for the home-made crumpets (which come with whipped ricotta and rooftop honey) or the full-English breakfast, you won’t leave disappointed.
Then, drive in your rental car to the Melbourne Museum for a little culture. Here you’ll find a fantastic array of exhibitions that you won’t see anywhere else in the world. We highly recommend the Dinosaur Walk, which will get you up close and personal with these amazing animals of the past. In addition to housing a wide range of dinosaur skeletons, the Melbourne Museum also has easy-to-understand information about how these fascinating creatures moved, ate and lived.
If you visit the Melbourne Museum before July 28, you will also have to opportunity to see the Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures exhibition. This contains 230 stunning artefacts from every age of Afghanistan’s rich and compelling history.
You could easily spend an entire day in the Melbourne Museum and, if you’re sticking around for a while, feel free to do so. However, if you want to see as much in one day as you possibly can, it’s time to hit the road again and see what else is out there!
Afternoon
You’re probably peckish after your morning in the museum, so stop by the Little Creatures Dining Hall and refuel! This cavernous restaurant and bar is located on 222 Brunswick Street and is a must-visit for beer lovers. They have a delicious range of pizzas in a variety of interesting flavours. We’re particularly intrigued by the roquette, pear, onion, and gorgonzola pizza. Little Creatures is also a brewery, and you are welcome to taste their range of beers.
Since you’ve spent the whole morning indoors, why not get a little fresh air at the Royal Botanic Gardens? The gardens cover over 38 hectares and are home to an astounding 50,000 plant varieties. There are plenty of guided and unguided walks to choose from here. Take the Winter Discovery Walk (which is absolutely free) and learn all about the history, cultural and majesty of the gardens from an experience guide. Or simply stroll the grounds on your own and breathe in the beautiful scents of all those flowers.
The Royal Botanic Gardens close at 17:00 – we encourage you to stay and view the glorious grounds at dusk. Then it will be time to finish off your evening with a delightful dinner.
Evening
If you’re looking for somewhere to wind down and enjoy a good meal after a long day of sightseeing, MoVida Bar de Tapas is the place to go. Broadsheet has deemed it one of the top five restaurants in Melbourne, so if you’re into modern Spanish tapas, check out this classy joint. It can be pricey if you don’t keep track of how many plates you’re buying, so be warned. And don’t forget to leave room for dessert. We hear the slow-braised lamb goes down a treat with a glass of Spanish red wine!
This restaurant is so popular, in fact, that you have to book well in advance. So while you’re organising your Melbourne city car hire, don’t forget to make reservations here too!