Federation Square:  the highlights are Visitor Information Centre, Striking architecture, Restaurants and bars, as well as dynamic arts attractions.

Federation Square standing in the heart of central Melbourne and linking the city centre with the Yarra River, combines art, architecture, hospitality and promenading into a distinct and striking public space.

NewQuay - Melbourne Docklands:  Fabulous food and wine, Harbourside location, City views, and Marina are the highlights.

NewQuay, opened in late 2002 is Melbourne's newest dining district that offers an astonishing waterfront location and a bustling harbour side eating, drinking and shopping experience.

Gardens & Parks in Melbourne:  Melbourne is gifted with leafy parks and gardens, include Royal Botanic Gardens, Fitzroy Gardens, Carlton Gardens, Queen Victoria Gardens, King's Domain, Alexandra Gardens, Flagstaff Gardens, Birrarung Marr, as well as Treasury Gardens.

Melbourne Zoo:  Melbourne Zoo is the oldest in Australia, opened in 1862 with more than 350 animal species from around the world living in the zoo's attractive enclosures and botanical settings.

National Gallery of Victoria:  The National Gallery of Victoria has two magnificent galleries, located just a short walk apart which both offering free entry to the permanent collection.

From the top of St Kilda Road across the Yarra River to Federation Square, this cultural heartland encompasses the transformed NGV International (the whole world of international art) on St Kilda Road, The Ian Potter Centre (home to Australian art with superb collections of Australian Indigenous and non-Indigenous art from the Colonial period to the present day), NGV Australia at Federation Square, and The Arts Centre - all just a short promenade from each other.

St Kilda:  The highlights are Beachside cool and Cafe culture.  Melburnians come here to walk, cycle and skate along the palm-lined foreshore or to sit in an outdoor cafe with a coffee or something stronger - and take in the panoramic views of Port Phillip Bay on weekends.

You will find much of St Kilda's activity engaged in Fitzroy and Acland streets. Fitzroy Street is well-known for its cool cafes, restaurants and bars, and is one of Melbourne's most attractive eating and drinking streets while Acland Street, nearby, is a fussing, vibrant street with an eclectic mix of restaurants, wine bars and continental cake shops, plus the second-hand stores, independent music and book stores, as well as second-hand furniture shops.

Melbourne Observation:  The tallest office building is the 253-metre-high Rialto Towers Building in the southern hemisphere and one of the most recognized icons in Melbourne.  Take the lift to the top level of the building will guarantee a spectacular 360-degree-view of Melbourne and its surrounding area.

Melbourne Museum:  The modernist Melbourne Museum is the largest museum complex in the southern hemisphere.  Melbourne Museum's highlights include the Science and Life Gallery, Bunjilaka, and the Australia Gallery.  Other interests are the Evolution Gallery, the children's Museum and ICE.  One of the museum's most striking exhibits is the Forest Gallery which is home to more than 20 different vertebrate species, including snakes, birds, fish, frogs, and hundreds of different insects.

Boating and Sailing in Melbourne:  Melbourne is located on the largest embayment in Australia, which means there are small tidal variations with consistent fair sailing conditions.  Yachting is one of Melbourne's most popular sports.  Charter yachts to sail yourself, to be sailed by someone else for you, or learn to sail.  The Yarra River also gives boating opportunities from taking out a barbecue boat and lunching on the water to a gondola trip.

Shopping in Melbourne:  The saying, "Melbourne and shopping go together" may prove Melbourne to be the best city for shoppers.  Melbourne is home to leading fashion houses and has produced some of the country's top designers, including Bettina Liano, Scanlan, and Theodore and Vixen (Georgio Chapman).  Melbourne, a bargain paradise, offers factory outlets with the best brands on discount!  For travelers on a smaller budgets, Melbourne's multitude of markets offer an extensive new and pre-loved shoes clothes and accessories - try the Chapel Street Bazaar, the Camberwell and Queen Victoria markets.

This article is authored and copyrighted
by Royal Exclusive Travel