Hop on the city circle tram, it's time to start exploring the fantastic cheap or free things Melbourne has to offer.
Visit a Melbourne Museum or Go Gallery Hopping
Art enthusiasts will feel completely in their element while bouncing from one gallery to the next. View an extensive collection of artists from across the globe without opening your wallet.
Make your first stop the unmatched
National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) —free entry makes this one of the best free things to do in Melbourne. For indigenous and non-indigenous Australian art from the colonial period until now, walk a few blocks to the Ian Potter Centre, also with free entry. Bookworms can take a trip to the State Library of Victoria, full of historical artefacts and more books than you could read in a lifetime. Fancy another free museum? Hop over to the
Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI). With a focus on film, TV, video games and digital culture, modern art enthusiasts will feel completely in their element. If you're looking for cheap family things to do in Melbourne, ACMI will delight and inspire any youngster who loves games and digital content.
Hunt for Melbourne Street Art
There's more art in Melbourne than you'll find in a Melbourne museum or gallery. Every nook, cranny and alley is a canvas when it comes to the lanes of the Melbourne CBD. The entire city becomes an art scavenger hunt—one of the most fun, cheap things to do in Melbourne.
Although Hosier Lane is a bucket list item in the street art scene, your graffiti journey shouldn’t stop there. For meter high murals to intricate stencil work, hit up Union Lane, Finlay Avenue and Cocker Alley. Look hard enough and you might catch a glimpse of Melbourne’s best. Look out for the innocent young girl from renowned artist Be Free or Ha-Ha, most predominately recognised for exploring pop culture on the walls of the city.
If you've spent your days in galleries and museums and want to keep indulging in art after closing time, street art is a great way to scratch that itch, and one of the best cheap things to do in Melbourne at night.
Pedal it out on a Bicycle
For just $3 per day, you can visit all the CBD hotspots including the Yarra River, Flinders Station and Southbank while cruising on two wheels. With unlimited 30 minute rides between stations plus free helmets,
Melbourne Bike Share is a great way to explore the unique suburbs of the city. Opt for this healthy, convenient and inexpensive way to tour marvelous Melbourne. If you're in the hunt for cheap romantic things to do in Melbourne, what could be better than a romantic bike ride through the city?
Browse the stalls of the Queen Victoria Market
Shopping may not seem like a cheap or free Melbourne activity but browsing what's on offer at the
Queen Victoria Market is a great way to take in the culture of the city, and maybe even grab a memento or two at a reasonable price. One of the major attractions of the city centre, the markets are absolutely free to visit, and even host live music and free events throughout the year. Visit the Queen Street Plaza for great street food (and maybe some free samples) and live entertainment every Sunday.