Melbourne · onenicetrip

The reason we’re here

25 April 2027

Anzac Day Dawn Service

Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne

Melbourne’s Dawn Service at the Shrine of Remembrance marks the Gallipoli landing of 1915. In recent years it has started at 5.30am and been followed by a veterans’ march and a wreath-laying. Entry is free.

Every year on 25 April. Source ↗

The plan

Five days: the city, a dawn at the Shrine and the bay.

Where we stay

4 nights

Base in the city centre

Melbourne city centre

Day 1 · Fri 23 Apr
Arrive in the centre
A first walk through the middle of the city: the main square by the station and the laneway known for its street art.
- Federation Square1.5 h
  The city’s main public square, opened in 2002, across the road from Flinders Street Station, whose clocks are Melbourne’s favourite meeting place.
  What to see
  - Flinders Street Station and its clocks
  - The paved square and its angular buildings
  - The Yarra riverbank behind
  Time
  An hour and a half.
  Tip
  Cross at the lights to see the station from the square’s edge, where the whole facade fits in one frame.
  To eat
  A flat white, Melbourne’s favourite coffee.
- Hosier Lane45 min
  A short cobbled laneway off Flinders Lane, covered in street art that is repainted all the time.
  What to see
  - The painted walls
  - The cobbled lane itself
  - The smaller lanes nearby
  Time
  Forty-five minutes.
  Tip
  The art changes often, so don’t expect it to match old photos. Go early on a weekday for fewer people.
  To eat
  Coffee in one of the lanes nearby, a Melbourne habit.
Day 2 · Sat 24 Apr
Market and gallery
Saturday is a market day, and the big state gallery is open all day. A busy day, but all of it close together.
- Queen Victoria Market2 h
  Opened in 1878 and built over the Old Melbourne Cemetery, it is now a large market of fresh produce, cheese and meat. It is on the Australian National Heritage List.
  What to see
  - The old market sheds
  - The delicatessen hall
  - The fruit and vegetable stalls
  Time
  About two hours.
  Tip
  The market is closed on Mondays and Wednesdays, which is why Saturday is the day to come. Arrive early for fewer people.
  To eat
  A hot jam doughnut, a market tradition, or a cheese and ham toastie from a deli.
- National Gallery of Victoria2.5 h
  Victoria’s main art gallery, with free general admission. The building has a water wall at the front and a stained-glass ceiling in the Great Hall.
  What to see
  - The water wall at the entrance
  - The Great Hall’s stained-glass ceiling
  - The permanent collection
  Time
  Two to three hours.
  Tip
  It is open daily from 10am. Special exhibitions charge, but general entry is free. On Anzac Day it opens at 1pm.
  To eat
  Coffee in the gallery’s café, then a walk back up St Kilda Road.
Day 3 · Sun 25 Apr
Anzac Day at the Shrine
We go before light to the Dawn Service at the Shrine of Remembrance, then stay for the veterans’ march at 9am. The rest of the day is quiet, in the gardens next door.
- Shrine of RemembranceEarly morning
  Melbourne’s war memorial, dedicated in 1934 and modelled on the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. On 25 April it holds the city’s Dawn Service.
  What to see
  - The Dawn Service in the dark
  - The veterans’ march at 9am
  - The Eternal Flame and the Stone of Remembrance
  Time
  The morning, until the march.
  Tip
  Dress warm for the pre-dawn cold and expect road closures around the Shrine. Plan to arrive by tram or train rather than by car.
  To eat
  Anzac biscuits, made with oats and golden syrup and traditional on the day.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria2 h
  A large garden beside the Shrine, with lawns, a lake and tree-lined paths. It makes a quiet afternoon after the morning’s ceremonies.
  What to see
  - The ornamental lake
  - The tree-lined paths
  - The lawns in autumn colour
  Time
  Two relaxed hours.
  Tip
  Most Melbourne shops open only after 1pm on Anzac Day, so plan lunch before you set off.
  To eat
  A picnic of local cheese, bread and fruit from yesterday’s market.
Day 4 · Mon 26 Apr
A world heritage building
A slower day in Carlton: an exhibition hall from the nineteenth century and the museum beside it.
- Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens1.5 h
  Built for the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880-81, this hall and the gardens around it became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2004.
  What to see
  - The dome and the facade
  - The gardens around the building
  - The Dome Promenade tour
  Time
  An hour and a half.
  Tip
  Daily tours of the Dome Promenade are bookable on the Museums Victoria site. Do it ahead.
  To eat
  A pastry and coffee on Lygon Street, the nearby Italian quarter.
- Melbourne Museum2.5 h
  The state’s natural and cultural history museum, in the Carlton Gardens next to the Royal Exhibition Building.
  What to see
  - Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre
  - The Forest Gallery
  - The exhibition building next door
  Time
  Two to three hours.
  Tip
  The Royal Exhibition Building is in the same gardens, so book its dome tour for the morning and come here after lunch.
  To eat
  Lunch in Carlton: a plate of Italian pasta on Lygon Street.
Day 5 · Tue 27 Apr
The bay, then home
The last day by the water, along the coast of Port Phillip Bay, before the flight home.
- St Kilda Pier2 h
  A long pier into Port Phillip Bay, in a seaside suburb about 6 km from the centre. A colony of little penguins lives in the rocks of the breakwater at its end.
  What to see
  - The pier and the bay views
  - The breakwater at the end
  - The beach promenade
  Time
  Two hours.
  Tip
  The penguins come ashore around dusk, so you won’t see them in the morning. If you see them, don’t use a flash.
  To eat
  A cake from one of the bakeries on Acland Street, a St Kilda tradition.
- Brighton Bathing Boxes1.5 h
  A row of small painted wooden huts lined up along the sand at Dendy Street Beach in Brighton, one of Melbourne’s best-known photos.
  What to see
  - The painted bathing boxes
  - The beach and the bay
  - The skyline across the water
  Time
  An hour and a half.
  Tip
  The boxes are private, so look and take photos from the sand, and don’t go inside. Brighton Beach station is a short walk from the beach.
  To eat
  Fish and chips on the sand before the flight.