- Duration
- 2.5 km on foot (≈ 3 h 39 min: moving and stop time only)
- Who it suits
- Everyone
- Transport
- walk
- Start
- Flinders Street Station
- Finish
- Royal Botanic Gardens
- Pace
- relaxed pace
- Best time
- Year-round; laneways are quieter in the morning, NGV opens at 10am
- Budget per adult
- Free: NGV and the gardens cost nothingPrices as of: July 2026; transport and zoo prices October 2026
Getting there
Train to Flinders Street. The centre sits in the free tram zone. A full-fare bank card works.
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. Flinders Street Station~15 min at the stop
The domed yellow facade of 1910 is Melbourne's postcard and the point the city measures itself from.
Tip: Meeting 'under the clocks' at the main entrance is a century-old Melbourne ritual.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 4 min · 0.3 km
2. Hosier Lane~20 min at the stop
Australia's most famous street-art laneway: the walls are repainted almost weekly.
Tip: Come in the morning for soft light and no wedding shoots.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 3 min · 0.2 km
3. Fed Square & NGV~1 h at the stop
The city's main square beside Australia's oldest public gallery. NGV general entry is free.
Tip: Both NGV sites, at Fed Square and on St Kilda Road, open daily 10am to 5pm with free entry; only some exhibitions are paid. Touch the water wall at the NGV International entrance: a local ritual.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 27 min · 2 km
4. Royal Botanic Gardens~1 h 30 min at the stop
38 hectares of gardens on the south bank of the Yarra with more than 8,500 plant species from around the world, free to enter. Lawns and a lake with islands and birds: the best place to breathe out after the city.
Worth knowing: The gardens were reserved in 1846 on a bend of the Yarra.
Tip: The gardens open daily 7:30am to 7:30pm. A free guided walk leaves the Visitor Centre Tuesday to Sunday at 10:30am (plus 1:30pm on weekends), about 1.5 hours, booking essential. From September 2026 to May 2027 there are punt rides on the Ornamental Lake.
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.