The 15 Best City Tours in Melbourne

1.2-Hour City Highlights River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 1,804 reviews · 2 hours · from $49Our pick

Cruise upstream and downstream on Melbourne’s Yarra River, passing Docklands, Southbank, sporting grounds, Herring Island, and the Royal Botanic Gardens. You’ll have GPS-triggered English commentary, tea and coffee, indoor seating, and an open back deck for photos. The cruise may change boats midway.

“it was easy to access and the commentary was very interesting. the skipper was also very polite and knowledgeable.”

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2.Famous Melbourne City Bike Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 779 reviews · from $100Top rated

Ride through Melbourne with a local guide on a four-and-a-half-hour small-group tour capped at eight people. Expect the Yarra River, Shrine of Remembrance, gardens, MCG, Rod Laver Arena, street art, laneways, and lesser-seen neighborhoods. Standard bikes and safety gear are included, with an eBike upgrade available for A$40.

“Great way to see the most of Melbourne. Matilda was awesome getting us through the city and showing us hidden gems we would never find. Loved riding through the botanical gardens and seeing a couple of neighborhoods outside the city center.”

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3.Hot Air Balloon Flights over Melbourne City (optional breakfast)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 403 reviews · from $369

Meet before dawn for a roughly one-hour Liberty Balloon Flight above Melbourne. You may see the MCG, Museum, CBD, and sunrise from the basket, then help pack up the balloon. The small group has up to 12 people, with optional hotel pickup, breakfast, and photos at extra cost.

“Everything is good for me second but I’m exciting after I got happy good experience 👌thanks baloon team 😊”

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4.Melbourne City and Williamstown Ferry Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 356 reviews · from $23Best value

Take a roughly one-hour ferry between Melbourne and Williamstown, passing bridges, Docklands, shipping channels, and Hobson’s Bay. Choose one-way or round-trip travel, listen to onboard commentary, and use your free time in Williamstown for cafés, galleries, gardens, and seafaring history. Tea and coffee are included.

“Farmers market, cafes, ferry views The river was a bit high so we were a bit late leaving as we had to wait to fit under the bridges.”

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5.City and Williamstown Ferry Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 343 reviews · from $23

Take a one-way or round-trip ferry from Southbank to Williamstown, cruising under low bridges and across Port Phillip Bay. Hear live English commentary, enjoy tea or coffee, and choose between time ashore in Williamstown or a relaxing return to Melbourne.

“Excellent Enjoyed by both myself and granddaughter. Will do it again”

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6.Full-day Melbourne City Sightseeing with Penguin Parade

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 259 reviews · from $157

Spend the morning seeing Melbourne’s major sights, from Hosier Lane and the MCG to Fitzroy Gardens. After lunch, ride to Phillip Island for the Nobbies and the evening Penguin Parade. Guides such as Tim, Chris, Red, Israel, and Hilda are praised for clear stories and good humor.

“Chris is very friendly and knowledgeable. He told stories about the places along the way. He even offered to take photos for us! Thank you Chris for a memorable trip!”

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7.Melbourne City Cruise with Tea, Coffee, and Commentary

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 189 reviews · 1 hour · from $29

Choose a one-hour upstream cruise past the Royal Botanic Gardens, MCG, and Olympic Park, or head downstream to Docklands and Melbourne’s port. Live English commentary, indoor panoramic windows, an outdoor sun deck, and complimentary tea or coffee are included.

“I was very interested in the history information. (My 8 year old granddaughter was not )”

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8.Melbourne City Sights Kayak Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 160 reviews · from $58

Paddle through central Melbourne with guides such as Austin, Gus, Matt, or Brandon, passing historic bridges, Flinders Street Station, Crown Casino, and Docklands. The 1-hour-45-minute tour uses double kayaks, suits beginners aged 10 and up, and includes equipment, instruction, and a marina break.

“I lived seeing Melbourne in a different perspective. Going under all the bridges was fantastic. After living here for over 20 years I leaned history about the Yarra River I never knew before.”

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9.City Highlights Group Tour by Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 159 reviews · 210 minutes - 1 day · from $63

See Melbourne’s best-known sights in about three and a half hours, from Hosier Lane and the Shrine of Remembrance to Fitzroy Gardens and Old Melbourne Gaol. Your English-speaking guide drives, explains the city, and leaves you time for short walks and photos. Audio commentary is available in 16 languages.

“TIm is a wonderful guide. Everything was excellent, Love it. Great way to have a god view of the city and history of the city. Beautiful places, it is difficult to choose a favorite place, if you can make the morning time, in the Shrine of Remembrance you can see the sun rising inside at 11am.”

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10.Melbourne City Highlights Small Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 131 reviews · from $63

See Melbourne’s main sights from an air-conditioned small-group vehicle, with stops at Hosier Lane, the Shrine of Remembrance, Fitzroy Gardens, St Patrick’s Cathedral, and Little Lon. Guides such as Lucy, Ben, Chloe, and Jackie bring local stories to the drive, while old images show how the city changed.

“Chloe was our guide/driver,she was very knowledgeable and humorous at the same time ,she gives us lots of information without bombarding with long winded facts”

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11.Boroughs of Melbourne – Signature Private City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 114 reviews · from $573

Take a private vehicle through Melbourne with a local guide such as Daniel, Elliot, or Cyril. You can focus on coffee, food, shopping, art, sport, St. Kilda, markets, or the city center. The half-day option ends around 2 pm, while the full-day tour runs until roughly 4 or 5 pm.

“Our tour guide was very knowledgeable, patient, and excellent person in general. He was on time and a Great access to this company.”

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12.Melbourne City Twilight Kayak Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 86 reviews · from $78

Start at Richmond Rowing Club for a 2.5-hour guided paddle on the Yarra. Guides such as Rowan and Connor provide instruction and city history while you pass old wharfs, ships, the Crown Casino and, on some routes, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Herring Island. Snacks, drinks, kayaks, thermals and photos are included.

“They took us on a guided tour on the river thru downtown pointing out landmarks and unique buildings etc. they gave instructions on how to kayak and were excellent at communicating as we traversed the river. Great 2 1/2 hour trip.”

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13.Iconic City Sights Kayak Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 76 reviews · 1h 45m · from $58

Paddle a stable sea kayak from Boathouse Drive through central Melbourne to Docklands and back in 105 minutes. You’ll get a safety briefing, equipment, waterproof storage, and local stories from an English-speaking guide. No kayaking experience is needed, but bring a hat and water.

“Tour guide was extremely nice, he was Dutch (stupid me, can’t remember his name 😔) Took us through safety briefing and demonstrations before we started going in the kayak. Once on the river he spoke about the history of the river/buildings/Melbourne and was very informative. He checked regularly that everything was ok. He was very friendly, very easy to engage in conversation with him. I would highly recommend this activity 😊”

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14.Melbourne City Views Express Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 63 reviews · 45 min · from $24

Take a 45 to 50-minute English-language cruise from Federation Wharf, traveling both downstream and upstream on the Yarra River. GPS-triggered commentary covers Melbourne landmarks, while an onboard bar offers drinks and snacks. Tea or coffee is described as complimentary, but confirm this detail when booking.

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15.Melbourne City Surrounding Sightseeing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 52 reviews · 3 hours

Take a private Melbourne tour with an English or Hindi-speaking guide, visiting Queen Victoria Market, Carlton Gardens, St Patrick’s Cathedral, the MCG, Royal Botanic Gardens, St Kilda, and Crown Casino. Pickup is available in Melbourne CBD, with a premium air-conditioned vehicle and flexible stop times.

“Excellent tour! Would recommend if interested in sights in and around Melbourne”

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