• Home
  • Blog
  • ABOUT
    • About Us
    • Work With Us
    • Press
  • CONTACT
  • Blog
  • Destinations
  • Bucket Lists
  • Travel Resources
  • Freebies
  • Shop
  • About
  • Contact

Bucket List Seekers

Extraordinary Travel for Ordinary Couples

  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Morocco
    • Asia
      • Bali
      • Japan
      • Maldives
      • Singapore
    • Oceania
      • Australia
        • Queensland
        • New South Wales
        • Victoria
        • Tasmania
        • South Australia
        • Western Australia
        • Northern Territory
        • ACT
    • Europe
      • Denmark
      • France
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Italy
      • Spain
    • Middle East
      • Jordan
      • United Arab Emirates
    • North America
      • Hawaii
  • Bucket Lists
    • Ultimate Travel Bucket List
    • Destination Bucket Lists
    • Travel Inspiration
  • Itineraries
  • Travel Tips
  • Travel Resources
  • Free Downloads
  • Shop

Australia, Destinations, Oceania, Victoria · October 30, 2013

Where to Find the Best Laneways in Melbourne

Where to Find the Best Laneways in Melbourne
Where to Find the Best Laneways in Melbourne

Melbourne’s laneways are synonymous with the city’s reputation for arts and culture. From random characteristic street art to mysterious drinking holes, there is so much to discover at every turn.

After capturing the attention of Aussies and tourists alike with the 2006 Visit Melbourne advertising campaign which featured the slogan “Lose Yourself in Melbourne”. What soon revealed to the world was a surprising facelift that had revived Melbourne city’s laneways from their former glory to a modern-day art gallery. The revival created a blank canvas for talented young graffiti artists to practice their craft without undue intervention from the authorities.

Melbourne’s laneways are constantly changing as more and more artists flock to these parts to showcase their talents to passers-by – no two days are the same! Be sure to bring your camera, because it might be the last time you get to see this exhibition.

With a myriad of laneways dotted all over the city centre, it’s hard to pick which ones to visit. As frequent visitors, we’ve come up with a list of the best laneways in Melbourne to check out on your next visit.

Here is our pick of the 7 best Laneways to visit in Melbourne

No time to read this now? Pin it for later!
Where to Find the Best Laneways in Melbourne
Where to Find the Best Laneways in Melbourne

Did You Know? We use ads to help pay the bills so we can continue to publish free travel advice. We also have affiliate partnerships, so when you click through and make a purchase or book your stay from one of our blog posts, we may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting Bucket List Seekers! Read our Disclosure Policy for more details.


In This Post:

  • 1. Hosier Lane
  • 2. Degraves Street
  • 3. Centre Place
  • 4. Union Lane
  • 5. Block Arcade
  • 6. Hardware Lane
  • 7. Niagara Lane
    • More Information for Your Visit to Melbourne
      • Where to Stay in Melbourne
      • How to Get Around Melbourne
      • Best Tours in Melbourne

1. Hosier Lane

Hosier Lane in Melbourne. People walking down the laneway watching graffiti street artists at work.

Possibly the best of the best laneways in Melbourne, if you’ve seen any photos of Melbourne graffiti street art, chances are the photo was taken at Hosier Lane. Featuring the works of some of the most famous street artists in the world, Hosier Lane is a much-celebrated landmark of sophisticated and often features controversial urban street art.

From Federation Square, head northeast along Flinders Street and turn left at Hosier Lane. On the corner, you’ll find MoVida Tapas Bar, which is something of an institution in the Melbourne dining scene.

On weekends graffiti artists can often be found in Hosier Lane creating their masterpieces.

2. Degraves Street

Flinders Street Station in Melbourne. A grand old building with a modern tram passing in front and horse and carriage.

Walk back down Flinders Street past Flinders Street Station and off to the right you’ll find Degraves Street, the centre of Melbourne’s cafe culture. Stop here for a coffee or some breakfast and watch people eating, drinking, shopping, socialising and generally going about their daily business. Degraves Street also has a collection of cute little boutique shops and handicraft stores.

Related Post: 50+ Famous Landmarks in Australia to Add to Your Bucket List

3. Centre Place

Melbourne shopping laneways. Lady in jeans walking down a cobblestone laneway with fashion boutiques.

Keep on walking past Flinders Lane and you’ll hit Centre Place. It also features a gathering of quaint little cafes, most smaller than a shipping container. People pack out the street sipping coffee while seated on a milk crate. Be sure to try the soup place!

Read Next: The Ultimate World Travel Bucket List – 150+ Places to See Before You Die

4. Union Lane

Melbourne Central shopping centre. An old red brick building house inside a glass and steel dome structure.

Just off Bourke Street Mall, Union Lane is a little unusual and features some of the city’s best street art. Nearly every brick is covered in giant murals of graffiti art. Union Lane is an ever-changing canvas, graffiti artists are constantly re-using this canvas, updating the artwork with something new. This one is totally Instagrammable!

5. Block Arcade

Block Arcade Melbourne. A light filled shopping arcade with high ceilings and checkered tile floors.

From Centre Place, cross over Collins Street and turn left before entering the exquisite 19th century Block Arcade and you’ll find one of the best laneways for shopping in Melbourne. With mosaic floors and fascinating shops to explore; admire the beauty in the architecture or pick a table at Block Place and grab a bite to eat.

Related Post: Great Ocean Road: Ultimate Road Trip Guide & Itinerary

6. Hardware Lane

Small coffee bar in Melbourne. Two people having a conversation over coffee.

Hardware Lane is another one of the best laneways in Melbourne for the cafe and bar scene. Foodies should come for the breakfast and nighttime revellers will enjoy the quaint cocktail and wine bars.

7. Niagara Lane

Lined with a group of beautiful red brick 1880s warehouses, this laneway was named in the 1860s after the Niagara Hotel in Lonsdale Street. There are no cafes or graffiti down this laneway, the beauty is in its history.

Melbourne is constantly evolving with new things to discover every day. New shops, designer boutiques, restaurants, galleries, places to stay and things to see and do. If you visit again in a year’s time, there will be a whole lot more to discover!


More Information for Your Visit to Melbourne

Where to Stay in Melbourne

We recommend using Booking.com to find the best rates and many hotels offer free cancellation in case your plans change. Here are some of our favourite hotels in Melbourne:

  • InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto
  • NOTEL
  • Art Series – The Olsen
  • QT Melbourne
  • Hotel Lindrum Melbourne – MGallery by Sofitel
get the best price on all hotels in Melbourne

How to Get Around Melbourne

  • Trams: this is the easiest way to get around Melbourne. There are plenty of trams available around the city centre. Melbourne trams are cashless, so be sure to pick up a Met Card from a local corner store before boarding a tram. Check out the free loop tram, which circuits the city centre and departs every 12 minutes.
  • Trains & Buses: To get to the suburbs outside of Melbourne city and country areas, the trains and buses are also very convenient and well interlinked. They use the same Met Card as trams.
  • Taxi or Rideshare: Yellow taxis are available all over the city. Rideshare services such as Uber, Ola and Didi are also readily available.
  • Bike: Melbourne has a bike-share program, with stations dotted all over the city. Please note that bike helmets are required by law in Victoria when riding. Bike helmets can be purchased from most convenience stores closest to each bike dock and cost $5.

Best Tours in Melbourne

Here are some of the most popular day tours and things to do in Melbourne:

Feeling Inspired? Here are 10 Bucket List Places to Visit around the world this year!


Planning to explore more of Australia? Read on for inspiration:
  • The Ultimate Australia Bucket List
  • 50+ Famous Landmarks in Australia
  • 15 Incredible Queensland Island Holidays & Resorts
  • 15 Weekend Getaways from Sydney
  • 13 Romantic Weekend Getaways in Victoria
  • 8 Perfect Weekend Getaways from Perth for Couples
  • 15 Best Weekend Trips from Brisbane
  • 9 Places for a Romantic Weekend Getaway in Tasmania
  • Ultimate 6 Day Tasmania East Coast Road Trip Itinerary

What other good laneways can you recommend in Melbourne? We’d love to hear your recommendations in the comment section below.


Planning a trip soon? Here’s a list of the websites we use for booking our trips:
  • Skyscanner for the best flight deals
  • Booking.com for the best rates on hotels
  • HomeAway for the best price on apartment and home rentals
  • Rentalcars.com for quick and easy car rentals
  • Luxury Escapes | Expedia for luxury package holiday deals and tours
  • Get Your Guide | Klook | Viator for booking day tours and attraction tickets
  • Tourradar for a wide selection of multi-day tours
  • Safety Wing for the most comprehensive worldwide travel insurance

Did You Know? We use ads and affiliate links on this website. When you click through and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you), that helps us pay the bills to keep running this blog as a free resource. We only recommend products we use ourselves. If you’re planning to book a trip soon, please consider clicking through the links in this article, so that we can continue to provide free travel guides, just like this one! Please see our Disclosure Policy for more details.


About the Author:

Amanda Twine is the founder and creator of Bucket List Seekers – a luxury travel blog sharing informative travel guides, food guides, hotel reviews, itineraries, and tips about how to make luxury travel more affordable.

Connect with us on Facebook | Instagram | X | Pinterest. If you found this article helpful, please share it with your friends!



Share This Post:

In: Australia, Destinations, Oceania, Victoria · Tagged: Australia, Melbourne, Restaurants, Things To See, Victoria

Get Access to our FREE Travel Resources Library!

Subscribe and get exclusive access to loads of printable planning checklists, maps, itineraries, destination bucket lists, and more!

Privacy Policy

You’ll Also Love

How many days in Tokyo featureHow Many Days in Tokyo is Enough for You?
Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto - one of the best places to visit in Japan for First Timers5 Best Places to Visit in Japan for First Timers
Osaka Castle and hundreds more Japan Bucket List ideas!The Ultimate Japan Bucket List

Comments

  1. Graeme says

    October 29, 2013 at 10:01 pm

    Great Photos!

    Log in to Reply
  2. The Travel Junkie says

    April 21, 2014 at 3:12 pm

    fantastic photos and love this post!

    Log in to Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The Best Australian Travel Blogs We Follow – Part 1 | Carry On Luggage says:
    May 19, 2014 at 4:05 pm

    […] Our pick: Laneways: the Lifeblood of Melbourne […]

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Amanda Twine
Bucket List Seekers is a couple travel & bucket list blog where you'll find tons of travel bucket list ideas, detailed travel guides, and inspiration for destinations all over the world.

CONNECT WITH US

Get Access to our Behind Closed Doors Area!

Enter your email below to access our Travel Resource Library, packed with loads of useful planning checklists, destination bucket lists, maps, itineraries, and more!

Privacy Policy

SEARCH OUR SITE

Categories

  • Destinations
  • Travel Guides
  • Itineraries
  • Accommodation
  • Bucket Lists
  • Packing
  • Planning
  • Destinations
  • Travel Guides
  • Travel Tips
  • Free Resources
  • Bucket List
  • Travel Resources

Join Our Newsletter

And get exclusive access to our FREE Travel Planning Resources!

Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Work With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 Bucket List Seekers

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish
Accept Reject Read More
Privacy Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
__cf_bm1 hourThis cookie, set by Cloudflare, is used to support Cloudflare Bot Management.
ak_bmsc2 hoursThis cookie is used by Akamai to optimize site security by distinguishing between humans and bots
CookieLawInfoConsent1 yearCookieYes sets this cookie to record the default button state of the corresponding category and the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie.
viewed_cookie_policy1 yearThe GDPR Cookie Consent plugin sets the cookie to store whether or not the user has consented to use cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
CookieDurationDescription
__cflb1 hourThis cookie is used by Cloudflare for load balancing.
_awl1 year 1 monthNo description available.
_cfuvidsessionDescription is currently not available.
_go_client_id1 yearNo description available.
_implmdnblpastDescription is currently not available.
_omio_exp_v2sessionDescription is currently not available.
_user_attributes2 yearsNo description available.
adbanners2 monthsDescription is currently not available.
akamweb15 minutesDescription is currently not available.
bev2 yearsNo description available.
bkng1 year 1 month 4 daysThe cookie is set by Booking.com. The exact purpose of the cookie is not known yet.
bkng_sso_auth2 yearsDescription is currently not available.
current_countrysessionNo description available.
device_typesessionThis cookie is set by the provider Drupal. This cookie is used for identifying the type of device used by the user for viewing the website.
everest_cookie3 yearsDescription is currently not available.
nuid1 yearDescription is currently not available.
partner_idneverNo description available.
pcm_consent1 yearDescription is currently not available.
rcps_basket2 monthsDescription is currently not available.
rcps_beauty_offers2 monthsDescription is currently not available.
rcps_product2 monthsDescription is currently not available.
rcps_profile_account_group2 monthsDescription is currently not available.
rcps_profile_bi_group2 monthsDescription is currently not available.
rcps_profile_info_group2 monthsDescription is currently not available.
rcps_profile_orderhistory_group2 monthsDescription is currently not available.
rcps_profile_shipping_group2 monthsDescription is currently not available.
rcps_profile_userprofile_group2 monthsDescription is currently not available.
X-IngresssessionNo description available.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
CookieDurationDescription
irld6 monthsImpact Radius sets this cookie to collect user behaviour and interaction data to optimize the website and make advertisements.
NID6 monthsGoogle sets the cookie for advertising purposes; to limit the number of times the user sees an ad, to unwanted mute ads, and to measure the effectiveness of ads.
test_cookie15 minutesdoubleclick.net sets this cookie to determine if the user's browser supports cookies.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE6 monthsYouTube sets this cookie to measure bandwidth, determining whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
VISITOR_PRIVACY_METADATA6 monthsYouTube sets this cookie to store the user's cookie consent state for the current domain.
YSCsessionYoutube sets this cookie to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
yt-remote-connected-devicesneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the user's video preferences using embedded YouTube videos.
yt-remote-device-idneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the user's video preferences using embedded YouTube videos.
yt.innertube::nextIdneverYouTube sets this cookie to register a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.
yt.innertube::requestsneverYouTube sets this cookie to register a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
_ga1 year 1 month 4 daysGoogle Analytics sets this cookie to calculate visitor, session and campaign data and track site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognise unique visitors.
_ga_*1 year 1 month 4 daysGoogle Analytics sets this cookie to store and count page views.
_gat_gtag_UA_*1 minuteGoogle Analytics sets this cookie to store a unique user ID.
_gid1 dayGoogle Analytics sets this cookie to store information on how visitors use a website while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the collected data includes the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
_sp_id.*1 year 1 month 4 daysSnowplow sets this cookie to store user information that is created when a user first visits a site and is updated on subsequent visits.
_sp_ses.*1 hourSnowplow sets this cookie to store user information that is created when a user first visits a site and is updated on subsequent visits.
brwsr1 year 1 month 4 daysThis cookie is set by the provider Impact Radius. This cookie is used for affiliate marketing.
visitor_id1 year 1 month 4 daysSet by Pardot, this cookie is used for visitors. The cookie contains a unique ID and identifier for the account which is derived from the Pardot tracking code placed on the site.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
CookieDurationDescription
px_init54 years 4 months 3 days 6 hoursBooking.com sets this cookie, which is used by the website's booking system as an indicator to determine whether the widget is open or not.
session_idsessionThis cookie is used to get or set the session id for the current session.
Save & Accept