- Duration
- ~2 km on foot, one evening (≈ 4 h 10 min: moving and stop time only)
- Who it suits
- Adults
- Transport
- walk
- Start
- Degraves Street
- Finish
- Rooftop Bar, Curtin House
- Pace
- relaxed pace
- Best time
- Thursday–Saturday is liveliest; hit the rooftop for sunset
Getting there
Train to Flinders Street, then walk the lanes. You are inside the free tram zone.
Stops in order
The text version of the route: stops, time at each and the legs between them. Times are estimates, without queues, traffic or swims.
1. Degraves Street~30 min at the stop
The signature espresso laneway opposite the station. Packed tables, hissing machines, Melbourne's coffee religion in a hundred metres.
Worth knowing: The lane is named for Charles Degraves, whose flour mill stood here in the 1850s. The cafes grew up in the mill's service lane.
Tip: Start with an affogato or flat white: evenings are calmer than the lunch rush.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 2 min · 0.15 km
2. Centre Place~15 min at the stop
A narrow slot of signage, posters and hole-in-the-wall bars: laneway Melbourne with zero polish.
Tip: Coffee in the lane before the lunch queue. Tables are few. People often drink standing.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 9 min · 0.7 km
3. AC/DC Lane~15 min at the stop
Officially renamed for the band in 2004: rock-and-roll street art and small bar doors set into the walls.
Tip: The lane is for the photo. The bars sit on the corners. Morning shows the graffiti more clearly.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 9 min · 0.7 km
4. Chinatown dumpling dinner~1 h at the stop
The Western world's oldest continuously operating Chinatown, since the 1850s: red gates and steam over bamboo dumpling baskets.
Worth knowing: Little Bourke Street has been a Chinatown since the 1850s gold rush, one of the oldest Chinese quarters in the Western world.
Tip: Explore the side alleys off Little Bourke: the best rooms often hide upstairs.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 3 min · 0.25 km
5. Section 8 container bar~45 min at the stop
A bar built into a shipping container on a Tattersalls Lane lot: pallet seats, graffiti walls. Open daily from noon.
Tip: An outdoor bar built from containers. Heavy rain or a private booking can shut it. Keep a bar on the next street in mind.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 2 min · 0.15 km
6. Rooftop Bar, Curtin House~1 h at the stop
The top of seven-storey Curtin House on Swanston Street: cocktails, burgers and a skyline of city lights to end the night.
Tip: The bar is open daily noon to 1am, kitchen until 9pm (10pm Friday and Saturday). Take the lift to level 7 and the stairs to the roof.
Open on the map ↗
Before you go
- Route times are estimates: walking, driving and a sensible pause at each stop. Add queues, traffic and swims yourself.
- Prices, timetables and trail status change. Check the venue's official site and the state transport app before you go.
- On beaches, swim only between the red and yellow flags. Use sun protection even when it is cloudy.