On the hunt for the most instagrammable places in Melbourne? I was too! I lived in Melbourne for five months – plenty of time for me to find the best photo spots in Melbourne, right?
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Please see my below list for some of Melbourne’s most Instagram-worthy places and aesthetic spots.
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Most instagrammable places in Melbourne:
DOCKLANDS
This is one of my favourite inner city spots on the free tramline from CBD, with a lovely city view!
You can also head to ‘Library at the Docks’ to find this unique view.
BOTANIC GARDENS
To be honest, this is a great place to hang out on a nice day anyway, so you may as well take your camera along and get some shots while you’re there.
There’s a lily pond, roses gardens, some cute cacti and these tall palm trees. For me, there’s no one particular shot in the gardens, which is fabulous for insta, but if you keep your eye out, you’re sure to find one.
SHRINE OF REMEMBRANCE
The Shrine of Remembrance is Victoria’s beautiful national memorial and is dedicated to all those who have served in armed conflicts in which Australia has participated.
I wouldn’t always recommend taking photos in places that serve as reminders of a difficult past, but in this case, the memorial has been built to be enjoyed and create awareness. I checked their website/Instagram, and they encourage visitors to share photos using their own hashtag, ‘shrineofremembrance’. Just be respectful as always.
These photos were taken around 7:10 am before I then walked into work at 9am. That coffee was necessary, haha.
Even more vantage points of the Shrine of Remembrance… The photo on the right was taken during a busy weekend, but I decided not to photoshop out the crowds. Mostly because I don’t know how to use Photoshop, but still.
BLOCK ARCADE AND HOPETOUN TEA ROOMS
Easy to find on Google Maps and right at the heart of CBD, these historical spots are sure to add a little magic to your feed!
Hopetoun Tea Rooms (left) can be found inside the Block Arcade itself (right).
STREET ART
You can try ACDC Lane, Duckboard Graffiti Walls, Hosier Lane Street Art or Flinders Court Street Art – all within the CBD and a few minutes’ walk from each other. Or keep your eyes peeled as there’s great street art all around Melbourne.
I actually just searched ‘street art’ on my google maps when I first got here to find them.
The below 2 photos are from opposite angles of ACDC Lane.
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You should also visit Hosier Lane Street Art for more quirky and colourful laneways.
LUNA PARK
Since I found the Luna Park clown absolutely menacing, I went full-on creepy mode with my shot there. Though, most people do prefer to go for something carefree!
Either way, enjoy the amusement park and some candyfloss if you’re not afraid to walk inside this GIANT FACE.
ST KILDA PIER
St Kilda Pier is just a stone’s throw away from Luna Park, so you can easily visit these two fun destinations simultaneously. You can either photograph this area first thing in the morning, capturing the beautiful glowy light over the ocean and avoiding the crowds, or create a mysterious shot like below in the evening.
The surrounding St Kilda area is also full of photo spots! Of course, Luna Park is above, but many photogenic palm trees also line the park. The beach is also a popular spot to watch the sunset.
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With Melbourne city pass you get access to more than 25 attractions as well as free offers and discounts at restaurants and shops and a city guidebook.
Get a pass hereBRIGHTON BEACH BOXES
I mean, this is probably the most obvious insta spot of Melbourne after the street art. Pretty colourful boxes on a beach! It’s easy to get to, especially if you’re already at St Kilda or Luna Park. By the way, the outfit match is 100% accidental here. Totally rolled with it.
FLINDERS STREET STATION
Notoriously hard for Instagrammers to get their dream shot here due to the crowds, so I thought… hey, surely they add to the scene, right? I love this wistful shot taken by my friend @haileehazlenut.
Other photographers choose to go early to avoid the traffic and commuters or visit in the evening for long-exposure shots.
ROYAL EXHIBITION BUILDING
I really enjoyed this part of the north CBD. Standing inside the stunning Carlton Gardens, this gorgeous building was completed in 1880 and is a World Heritage Site-listed building. It is truly gorgeous inside and out… in fact, to be honest, I really want to go back!
STATE LIBRARY OF VICTORIA
I’ve seen so many photos of this gorgeous building but felt too self-conscious to take a tripod into a library! I’m secretly not so confident about being in front of the camera. Can’t tell from this blog post it? Humans are complicated. 🙂
Ps. It’s also Australia’s oldest public library and one of the first free libraries in the world!
FITZROY GARDENS
Okay, so I took one of these when I first arrived in Melbourne by resting my camera on a bench. So not my best shots. But you can do better!
Also, look out for Cook’s Cottage. Built-in 1755, some say it’s the oldest building in Australia. It was originally built in Yorkshire, England and brought to Australia in 1934. Apparently, each brick was individually numbered and packed into barrels before being shipped to Melbourne!
MELBOURNE ROOFTOP SUNSETS
There are many famous rooftops of Melbourne, including the Eureka Bar with its fantastic city views or more laidback vibes such as Naked for Satan.
The sunsets in Melbourne were some of the best and most dramatic I’ve personally ever seen, with the sky sometimes turning bright red. Very apocalyptic. It also means the Melbourne city skyline is incredibly photogenic.
Watch the sunset from the Eureka skydeck
MELBOURNE BRUNCH SPOTS
The Melbourne brunch scene is one of the best in the world, with some backpackers telling me they moved to Melbourne purely for the coffee culture. This probably isn’t the best place to let you in on the secret that I’m secretly team Sydney (oops), but there’s no denying that the foodie scene here is top-notch.
The cafes are often beautiful laid out too, making for awesome photos. This one is taken at Au79. Bonus points for the avo toast being legit delicious.
My friend also had brunch at the beautifully photogenic The Glass Den (below), although she did add she didn’t love the food here!
THE YARRA RIVER
As the Yarra River winds through Melbourne, it makes a statement for being a picturesque complement to the towering buildings surrounding the busy centre. Perhaps not the most obviously instagrammable feature of this famous city, it is still beautifully photogenic from above or on the water itself.
Explore Melbourne with this 2-hour river cruise
SOUTHBANK
Cross the Yarra River while exploring Melbourne CBD to get this angle of the aesthetic Melbourne skyline.
seasonal – FLINDERS SQUARE
The square outside Flinders Street Station is filled with grand decorations each Christmas.
More posts on Australia:
What it’s like to move abroad on your own – an honest account of my five months in Melbourne
Australia Working Holiday Visa Checklist (all the links you need to get set up)
Things to do in Lorne – a beautiful trip from Melbourne, Australia
8 Best Day Trips from Melbourne, Victoria
How to get your Australia tourist visa quickly
BLUE MOUNTAINS, AUSTRALIA! — Things to do, transport and day trip information
Hey Cassie!
Looking forward to finding all these spots on our upcoming trip to Melbourne in Apil! Thanks for sharing!
ooh awesome, I’ll have potentially even added to it by then 🙂 if I’m still around in Feb we could go for coffee or something if you have time! x
I’ll have to bookmark these for my trip to Melbourne in February!