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Weather in Melbourne
Coffee, culture, and the world's most liveable city
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About Melbourne
Melbourne argues with Sydney constantly about which is better and the argument is genuinely close. Melbourne wins on culture, coffee, food, and sports. The laneway cafe scene invented the flat white. The Great Ocean Road within two hours is one of the most dramatic coastal drives anywhere.
Best months to visit
January, February, March, December
Things to do in Melbourne
Federation Square
Hosier Lane street art
Queen Victoria Market
Great Ocean Road
Yarra Valley wineries
Laneway coffee culture
Weather by month
Click any month for detailed weather information and travel tips.
Recommended
January
27C
Warm and pleasant, with occasional showers.
Recommended
February
26C
Warm and pleasant, with occasional showers.
Recommended
March
24C
Mild and comfortable, with occasional showers.
April
20C
Mild and comfortable, with occasional showers.
May
16C
Cool, with some rainy days.
June
14C
Cool, with some rainy days.
July
13C
Cool, with some rainy days.
August
14C
Cool, with some rainy days.
September
17C
Cool, with some rainy days.
October
20C
Mild and comfortable, with some rainy days.
November
22C
Mild and comfortable, with some rainy days.
Recommended
December
24C
Mild and comfortable, with occasional showers.
Melbourne is Australia's cultural capital and it knows this with a satisfying lack of bombast — it has the world's most successful tram network, laneways that are genuine destinations of street art, coffee culture, and bar culture, and a food scene that genuinely rivals any city on earth. AFL football is a civic religion, the art galleries are world-class, and the Yarra River at night has a quiet elegance that Sydney never quite manages. It rains sometimes but Melburnians have four seasons of fashion to accommodate this.
Best areas to stay in Melbourne
CBD Laneways & Southbank
The city's iconic laneway culture — Hosier Lane street art, Degraves Street café strips, Federation Square, and the Southbank arts precinct along the Yarra River.
Fitzroy & Collingwood
Melbourne's most creative inner-north neighbourhoods — independent art galleries, excellent Vietnamese and Ethiopian restaurants, vintage shops, and the city's best bar scene.
St Kilda
Melbourne's beachside suburb — the historic Esplanade Hotel, the famous Sunday market, Luna Park, and a relaxed coastal atmosphere 15 minutes from the CBD by tram.
Yarra Valley
The most accessible wine region from Melbourne — Pinot Noir and Chardonnay specialists, excellent cellar doors, and a beautiful landscape of vineyards and mountain ash forest.
Getting to Melbourne
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Flights
Melbourne Tullamarine Airport (MEL) is served from London Heathrow by Qantas (via Singapore or direct), and via hubs including Dubai (Emirates), Singapore (Singapore Airlines), and Doha (Qatar Airways).
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From London
~21–22 hours total journey time from London
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Getting around
The Skybus runs between the airport and Southern Cross Station. The tram network is excellent and free in the central zone. Trains cover suburban areas; cycling is excellent in the inner suburbs.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Melbourne?
March to May (autumn) and September to November (spring) offer the most pleasant weather for exploring the city — mild temperatures and fewer extremes. Summer (December–February) can be very hot (40°C+ heat waves occur) but also brings the Australian Open tennis and major festivals.
How do I get around Melbourne?
Melbourne has one of the world's best tram networks — free in the City Circle zone covering all major central attractions. The Myki card covers trams, trains, and buses across greater Melbourne. Cycling is excellent in the inner suburbs.
What are Melbourne's famous laneways?
Hosier Lane (street art), Degraves Street (café culture), AC/DC Lane, and the many laneways of the CBD house Melbourne's best cafés, bars, and boutique shops. The laneway culture is a defining feature of the city.
Is Melbourne good for day trips?
Excellent — the Great Ocean Road (spectacular coastal cliffs and the Twelve Apostles) starts 90 minutes from the city; the Dandenong Ranges offer rainforest walks; the Yarra Valley wine region is under an hour away.
What is Melbourne's food scene like?
Exceptional — driven by waves of Greek, Italian, Vietnamese, Japanese, and other immigrant communities, Melbourne's food reflects one of the world's most genuinely multicultural cities. Brunches are almost competitive in quality, and the café coffee culture is genuine.
Traveler reviews
★★★★★
Melbourne is the most liveable city I've ever visited — the food, the culture, the café coffee (genuinely the world's best), and the tram system that makes getting around effortless. The Great Ocean Road day trip was one of the most dramatic drives of my life.
Daniel K. · April 2024
★★★★★
The laneways are absolutely special — we spent an entire afternoon exploring and found bars we'd never have planned to visit, street art that stopped us in our tracks, and the best breakfast we had in three weeks in Australia.
Louise B. · October 2023
★★★★☆
Brilliant city that genuinely competes with any food capital in the world. The Yarra Valley for a wine day trip was outstanding and the NGV International gallery (free entry, world-class collection) was a revelation. Melbourne deserves more than a stopover.
Mike P. · November 2024
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