Looking for an itinerary for your next Melbourne trip? We spent three days on a quick getaway for my sister’s birthday. You could spend weeks in the city and still not see everything, but if you want some quick recommendations for food and entertainment , you’re in the right place!

If you’re new here, you may not have heard about my project for this year, where I set the goal to get out more and try anything that came my way. I’ve hopped on the bandwagon for several different sports, and been to a ton of concerts and other events!

It’s been heaps of fun, but I didn’t want to limit myself solely to Brisbane. We already went to Melbourne earlier this year for my birthday for the Australian Open, but this time, we went back for my sister’s birthday. She’s a jewellery fiend, and when we saw the Cartier exhibition was here, we knew we had to go!

Day 1 – Melbourne and MCG

Flights from Brisbane to Melbourne only take about 2 hours, so we jumped on an early plane and landed around 9:30am. From there, it’s about a half hour from the airport to the city on the SkyBus service. Finally in the heart of it all, we left our bags at an EzyKandy storage spot to explore (these bag store options are everywhere in Melbourne, you just need to book!).

Free at last, we headed out to find some food.

Breakfast/Lunch:

Our first meal in Melbourne was from Schmucks Bagels, and what a treat. I adore bagels, and they had so many amazing flavours and combinations on offer.

Mum got the Schmuck Monsieur Bagel while I chose a honey mustard chicken one. The cafe was so cute, and sat right next to the prep line where they made all the bagels. They must have been catering an event because they spent the entire time preparing hundreds of mini bagels that all looked delicious.

The service was quick and friendly, and my coffee was perfect, as you’d expect in such a coffee-mad city. We needed the fuel for a big day, because the afternoon was full of walking around Melbourne’s colosseum: the MCG.

Day:

The MCG is one of the most iconic sporting venues in the world, and certainly in Australia. My Brisbane Lions played the Collingwood Magpies there only the Friday before, and handed out a proper belting, so I went in a little more confident than usual. You can read about the full tour here, but it was fantastic. I would recommend going, even if you aren’t a major fan of sports, because it is such an interesting venue with so much history in general.

After the tour, it was time to collect our AirBnB keys and rest up a little before dinner. Travel days are long, especially when you’re up so early, and we wanted a little break. Fortunately, my sister and her friend picked up the keys first, so Mum and I headed straight back to the place using the trams.

We didn’t drive at all in Melbourne, and to be honest I wouldn’t recommend it. Public transport is so easy to use and quick too. We were able to walk, catch buses or trams to all of the locations we needed, though these are not always accessible to all mobility types. Some trams have very steep steps, and the hilly nature of Melbourne city does make it a bit tricky to move about easily. As for signage however, I think the signs were pretty clear, and the trams mostly announce the next stops too. On the whole it is relatively easy to move around Melbourne with public transport (thank God, because I never want to deal with a hook-turn in my life!).

As for the apartment, what a place! We’ve been very lucky with our AirBnB’s in Melbourne so far, and this one was no exception. The location was great, and the apartment itself was neat and just big enough for all our needs. Checking the place out, I was quite impressed by the size and the view, especially in my room.

We caught up together, sharing our snacks and stories for the day before we all retreated for a little nap. Mum and I collected our bags after that, showered and cleaned up before we headed off for dinner.

Dinner:

Now, during my trip to Italy in September 2025, I was fortunate enough to travel with a small group on Intrepid’s 14-Day Best of Italy trip (highly recommend, by the way!). During this trip, I met Lea, a lovely woman from Melbourne whom I connected with immediately. We had a great time together and now a year on, I reached out to her again to ask if she would like to meet up for lunch while we were in town.

She said yes immediately, and also offered a list of recommendations for restaurants we could try. The first night, I chose CHA CHING, a gorgeous Asian restaurant not far from where we were staying.

You can read the full review here, but it was a fantastic start to our trip. We ate to our heart’s content, and thoroughly enjoyed this meal.

Day 2 – Op Shops!

Breakfast:

Our second day in Melbourne started with a big sleep in! We didn’t get going until about 9am, which the weather didn’t help. The rain stopped while we went out for breakfast, and didn’t return until about 1pm.

I usually become the dedicated decision maker on these sorts of trips, and this time was no different. I picked a couple of places for us to try and narrowed it down to the one when I realised how hungry everyone was!

We walked to Higher Ground, which was only 5 minutes away, enjoying the cool morning sights and sounds.

The cafe itself was beautiful with a rustic design consisting of brick walls, exposed beams and moody lighting fit the gloomy day perfectly. We were taken to a table upstairs, overlooking the gorgeous restaurant, where we could people-watch from up high.

Desperately for a coffee, we ordered that immediately before taking on the challenge of choosing just one dish each. With an array of different tastes, finding a spot that covers all of them can be tricky. Fortunately, this was a great find, with so much delicious food!

Day:

Today was all about shopping! Our itinerary was pretty loose, as we wanted to wander around and take our time, but I am too type-A to go without a plan. The goal was to look at the vintage, niche and bespoke places for pieces you can’t find anywhere else. I had some incredible finds, which will certainly be well loved in my closet!

Dinner:

Dinner on Day 2 came from another recommendation from Lea, this time for Mexican. After plenty of sweet snacks and a big day shopping, we wanted something comforting and filling, so tacos and margaritas were tonight’s choice.

We chose Hotel Nacional, a gorgeous little spot tucked away off the main street.

It wasn’t far from our accommodation, though battling through the chilly evening winds made the journey feel a lot longer. We booked early, after a big breakfast and almost nothing for lunch, and arrived for a booking at 5:30 (I know, my family’s preferred dining time is a struggle for me too).

There was only one other group in the restaurant, so we could order pretty much immediately, and we had to start with the 2 for 1 margarita deal. Realising that happy hour was over soon though, we ordered a second round straight away to try the frozen passionfruit margs as well.

The food was delicious, and very filling. I’m glad we tried a few different things, but after such an epic start the night before, I knew this would be unlikely to top it. We always enjoy Mexican, and I know Mum and my sister’s friend were in heaven, especially with the birria beef tacos (they had to order a second round each!). You can read the full review here.

Then it was back to the apartment for one last night’s sleep in Australia’s biggest city.

Day 3 – Cartier

Breakfast:

Our last day here was hectic, as we had to tidy up and return the AirBnB keys early. Once that was done and our bags were stowed safely, we headed off for breakfast.

This time, I chose a spot closer to our destination, and we landed at Sapporito Cafe near the NGV. When we arrived it was pretty quiet, but that soon changed as more people arrived for breakfast or to pick up their morning coffee. Service was still quick, and in no time I had my Eggs Benedict ($25.50) placed in front of me.

Now, I’ve had eggs benny in a lot of different places, but I think this one was the best I’ve tried. Topped with salmon on a thick slice of brioche bread, I was in heaven with this one. The coffee was equally delicious, and it was a shame we had to eat so quickly and get moving again to make our time slot at the NGV. If you’re ever nearby, definitely give this one a try, as their menu looks amazing. I was so torn between getting the Belgian waffles (with biscoff!) or the French Toast with caramelised bananas and marscarpone too!

Day:

Then we finally made it to the Cartier Exhibition, and what a show it was!

You can read more about it and see some pictures of the pieces here, but I cannot recommend this exhibition enough. It really was incredible, and something that people of all ages and genders enjoyed. Seriously, there were so many men there, I admit I was surprised to see how interested they were too!

Cartier jewels

Lunch:

For lunch, we caught up with Lea, who had been giving us such incredible recommendations for dinner. She was pleased to know we enjoyed it all so much, and joined us for lunch at Soho.

Our order was pretty simple, but filling enough to get us through the afternoon flight and journey home.

• Pappardelle slow cooked lamb ragu ($36.00)
• Soho Pizza ($30)
• Cappricciosa Pizza ($30)
• Scotch Fillet ($62)

Like everything we ate, the food was delicious, and paired with Rosé for all, it was a fantastic way to end the trip. The sun came out and kept us warm while we ate too, so it was truly a lovely afternoon.

After saying our farewells, we began the trek back into the city and then onto the airport where we could wait for the plane. Thankfully, all went smoothly and we arrived a little ahead of schedule to be picked up and returned home to rest up after our trip

Summary

There is always something to do in Melbourne, so it’s always a good trip down south for us. This time we went to celebrate my younger sister’s birthday, and it did not disappoint.

Melbourne is so different to Brisbane, that it really does feel like heading to a different part of the world. The old-style brick buildings, graffitied laneways, trams, and bustling CBD are all so unique and combined with the frigid winds, it’s got such a great vibe of its own.

Travelling with my mum, sister, and her friend, we all had different things we wanted to see and do in our time there. Even so, there was no shortage of fun, and I could see us spending another week there easily!

All in all, it was a great trip and though I wish we stayed longer, it was a nice getaway. Back to work on Thursday, but a shorter work-week is always welcome!