A walking tour of Marvellous Melbourne: Birrarung Marr, Block Arcade and beyond

(158 reviews)

Melbourne audio tour: A walking tour of Marvellous Melbourne: Birrarung Marr, Block Arcade and beyond

This is a 1.8mi walking tour

It takes an average of 60 mins to complete.

Melbourne

Australia

$8.99

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About the Tour

Find out what makes Melbourne tick on this walking tour through its vibrant CBD.

I'm Mitch, a Melbourne local, and I'll be your host for this lovely little jaunt from Birrarung Marr riverside park to Hamer Hall. After enduring the world’s longest lockdown, the city is back and better than ever and I can’t wait to share it with you as we take in some of its lesser-known corners including Federation Square and the Block Arcade.

Along the way, I'll introduce you to a few people who’ll share some interesting facts about the city and how it came to be. You’ll hear from Steve, a Gunai Kurnai man whose ancestors are the traditional owners of Naarm. (That’s Melbourne’s traditional Aboriginal name.) Jessica Paige, a street busker, will also share one of her beautiful songs with you.

Other highlights in this tour include:

Learning about the flat white from its inventor, Salvatore Malatesta, who started St. Ali coffee
Riding the tram through the city while listening to the story of a 15 year old rascal who once stole a tram
Hearing from one of the first street artists to ever spray paint down the famous Hosier Lane
Deciphering the city’s official coat of arms
Discovering a few of the theories surrounding the disappearance of Harold Holt, the city’s prime minister from 1966-1967

By the end of this tour, you’ll be able to explore the city on your own just like any other Melbournite!

Tour Producer

Mitch

1 tour

Hi, I’m Mitch. A product manager by trade, a curious wanderer by habit, and someone who firmly believes cities are best discovered on foot.

I spend my working life designing digital experiences for museums and cultural spaces, which basically means I’m obsessed with good stories, hidden details, and the little things most people walk straight past. Melbourne is full of them. Grand history, odd corners, tiny rebellions, beautiful accidents — it’s all here if you know where to look.

This tour isn’t about rattling off dates or pretending to be your high school history teacher. It’s about noticing. Looking up. Slowing down. Connecting dots between past and present. And maybe seeing a street you thought you knew in a completely different way.

Whether you’re visiting for the first time or you’ve lived here for years, I hope this walk surprises you — and makes you fall for Melbourne just a little bit more.

Let’s get into it.

Preview Location

Location 1

Start at shields

This walking tour is being held on the traditional country of the Wurundjeri people and I wish to acknowledge them as Traditional Owners.

I would also like to pay my respects to their Elders, past and present, and the Elders from other communities who may be listening today... Read More

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How VoiceMap Works

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Follow a route with turn-by-turn-directions

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Major Landmarks

Birrarung Marr
Federation Square
Bourke Street Mall
Princes Bridge
Hamer Hall
Myer Melbourne

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Flinders Walk, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Total distance

3km
Final location
100 St Kilda Rd, Southbank VIC 3004, Australia
Distance back to start location

417.22m

Directions to Starting Point

Start: Birrarung Marr, Russell St Ext, Melbourne VIC 3000

Open the tour on the VoiceMap app, press start and then click "Get Directions". This will open Apple or Google Maps with directions to get to the exact starting point.

The five shields that the tour starts from are located just across from the Artplay building on the banks of the Birrarung Mar.

Make your way to Fed Square first and then walk down the river, down the closest bank, for about 200 m. You'll see the red brick Artplay building on your left. The starting point is on the other side of the path to the Artplay building up opposite to the furthest edge.

You can get to Fed Square by tram (stop at the corner of Federation/Swanston) or train (Flinders St. Station) and then use the walking instructions above to get to the starting point. You're directed everywhere to go once you find the starting point.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

The Koorie Heritage Trust building, Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), Hosier Lane, Centre Place, Degraves, Bourke St. Mall, Myer, Chinatown, Hamer Hall welcome desk

Best time of day

Anytime between 9am and 5pm as the Centreway Arcade closes at 6pm most days.

During the day on a weekday would be best so there are less people around!

Precautions

There are a couple of small set of stairs that need to be climbed.

Always look for the green light before crossing the road!

It's better to be too slow than too fast.

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App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”