Duration:
3h
A cultural visit to Melbourne’s iconic laneways, hidden shops and historical landmarks. Your tour takes you through secret passageways, past historic places, down into funky shops or into eclectic galleries!
Operated By:
Do you want to make the most of your visit to Melbourne and immerse yourself in the local culture? Heard about the cool laneways in Melbourne and want to discover some of the best with a friendly local? Learn about the city’s fascinating history, and discover a selection of secret galleries, hidden shops and cafes over a three-hour tour.
Take the best cultural walking tour for a feel of Melbourne as it was and as it is now. At the end of your small group tour you will be satisfied you know much more about the hidden side of Melbourne that only locals see – often found in back alleys and laneways.
Right from the start we take you into the city’s underbelly or be presented with some world-leading street art. Next, you may see some great architecture, hear about city founders and criminals, enjoy a good cafe and anything else that your guide may show you.
The tour is never exactly the same on any day. Later in the tour, you will be able to enjoy a coffee or tea in one of Melbourne’s iconic cafes and experience a customised mix of attractions as above and also selected hidden shops, galleries, amazing historical and recent facts, interesting stories and more.
This walking tour is available almost every day of the year. Take a Laneway tour with us at the start of your visit and you will get more out of your visit to Melbourne!
Take the best cultural walking tour for a feel of Melbourne as it was and as it is now. At the end of your small group tour you will be satisfied you know much more about the hidden side of Melbourne that only locals see – often found in back alleys and laneways.
Right from the start we take you into the city’s underbelly or be presented with some world-leading street art. Next, you may see some great architecture, hear about city founders and criminals, enjoy a good cafe and anything else that your guide may show you.
The tour is never exactly the same on any day. Later in the tour, you will be able to enjoy a coffee or tea in one of Melbourne’s iconic cafes and experience a customised mix of attractions as above and also selected hidden shops, galleries, amazing historical and recent facts, interesting stories and more.
This walking tour is available almost every day of the year. Take a Laneway tour with us at the start of your visit and you will get more out of your visit to Melbourne!
Thank you for your booking.
The Laneways of Melbourne tour will start at 10am (based on minimum numbers – we need 2 to run) outside St Paul’s Cathedral, corner of Swanston Street and Flinders Street, Melbourne – in front of the steps leading to the cathedral’s side door on the Swanston Street side. (See the area immediately below the west spire of the church behind the corner power pole in the picture attached: StPaulsside.jpg).
Your tour guide will be carrying a blue MELTours shoulder bag with a yellow strap.
Please note that in case of no-shows and cancellations within 24 hours of the tour, in order to keep your booking, a re-booking fee is needed to reschedule. To get the most out of your tour we recommend that you obtain a drink or visit the rest room and be at the start point 5 minutes prior.
The tour will run each and every time except if lightning or hail is seen, either at the start or during the tour. Note that all tours have a 13yo+ limit which is enforced as all tours contain adult concepts.
This is the tour booking confirmation – no other tickets will be issued. We will see you on the day.
Your mobile number will be used to advise of any last minute issues via text or in the event of the tour is cancelled, we will provide 24-hours notice or longer via text and email where possible.
Note that this is not a tour that enters laneway after laneway – there are approximately 135 laneways in the city! Our tours use example laneways to highlight the unique culture and also hidden spaces or obscure buildings.
The Laneways of Melbourne tour will start at 10am (based on minimum numbers – we need 2 to run) outside St Paul’s Cathedral, corner of Swanston Street and Flinders Street, Melbourne – in front of the steps leading to the cathedral’s side door on the Swanston Street side. (See the area immediately below the west spire of the church behind the corner power pole in the picture attached: StPaulsside.jpg).
Your tour guide will be carrying a blue MELTours shoulder bag with a yellow strap.
Please note that in case of no-shows and cancellations within 24 hours of the tour, in order to keep your booking, a re-booking fee is needed to reschedule. To get the most out of your tour we recommend that you obtain a drink or visit the rest room and be at the start point 5 minutes prior.
The tour will run each and every time except if lightning or hail is seen, either at the start or during the tour. Note that all tours have a 13yo+ limit which is enforced as all tours contain adult concepts.
This is the tour booking confirmation – no other tickets will be issued. We will see you on the day.
Your mobile number will be used to advise of any last minute issues via text or in the event of the tour is cancelled, we will provide 24-hours notice or longer via text and email where possible.
Note that this is not a tour that enters laneway after laneway – there are approximately 135 laneways in the city! Our tours use example laneways to highlight the unique culture and also hidden spaces or obscure buildings.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
This tour has a two-person minimum for the tour to run. Our booking team will contact you via email and text at least 24 hours before the tour is to start if the tour hasn’t reached minimum numbers.
Categories:
Share:
read moreread less
markrE5536VA
13 Sep 2026
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-09-09
Hi Julia,
Thank you for this great review. We are very happy you enjoyed your tour with Kathy. As you said, she is certainly very knowledgeable about the show and Melbourne!
Cheers from the MELTours team!
read moreread less
Julia
09 Sep 2026
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-09-06
Dear Ayrton,
We are very happy that you enjoyed your tour with Kathy. Thank you for sending in this wonderful review!
Cheers from the MELTours team
read moreread less
Ayrton
03 Sep 2026
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-07-24
Hi LW,
Thanks for this great review. We are very glad you enjoyed your tour with Kathy!
Cheers from the MELTours team
read moreread less
L
23 Jul 2026
read moreread less
Katie
17 Jul 2026
read moreread less
TheMELToursTeam, The MELTours Team at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-06-22
Hi Andrew,
We are so pleased that you enjoyed your tour with San - he is a passionate guide who loves sharing his vast knowledge of Melbourne.
Thank you for taking the time to submit this great review - we really appreciate it.
Best wishes,
The Team at METours
read moreread less
AndrewRoss1977
14 Jun 2026
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-05-13
Hi Zuzana,
Thank you for this great review. We are very glad you enjoyed your tour with Kathy. All the best with your future tours.
Best wishes from the MELTours team
read moreread less
Zuzana
12 May 2026
read moreread less
TheMELToursTeam, The MELTours Team at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-05-13
Hi Fiona,
We are so pleased that you enjoyed your Art Deco tour with San - he will be delighted to receive your feedback.
Many thanks for taking the time to submit this great review - we really appreciate it.
Best wishes,
The Team at MELTours
read moreread less
Fiona
09 May 2026
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-05-13
Dear Excursion07625825877,
Thanks for your great review and recommendation. We are so glad you and your mum enjoyed your Taste of Melbourne Food Tour with Kathy.
Cheers from the MELTours team!
read moreread less
Excursion07625825877
08 May 2026
read moreread less
TheMELToursTeam, The MELTours Team at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-05-13
Hi AR,
Thank you so much for this fantastic review. and recommendation.
We are thrilled that you enjoyed the tour learning about Melbourne's great Art Deco buildings with our knowledgeable guide San.
Best wishes,
The Team at MELTours
read moreread less
A
06 May 2026
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-04-29
Dear Cynct,
Thank your for your great review. We are very glad you enjoyed your tour exploring the laneways of Melbourne with our knowledgeable guide, Kathy. We will certainly pass your feedback on to her.
All the best from the MELTours team
read moreread less
cynct_city
28 Apr 2026
read moreread less
TheMELToursTeam, The MELTours Team at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-04-21
Hi Paul,
Thank you so much for taking the time to submit this great review. San will be thrilled that you enjoyed the tour.
Best wishes,
The Team at MELTours
read moreread less
Paul
16 Apr 2026
San led an architect tour, highly recommend going on a weekday so you can go inside the banks. Great day! Thank you San. I bought the book all about Cole's Book Arcade from dymocks today.
read moreread less
Jeni
15 Mar 2026
I did the architecture tour with San. A great tour learnt and saw lots, and althought you're walking for 2 hours it's not extensive, only really a few blocks. Highly recommend if your interested in buildings and history. I'm not an architect and found it fascinating
read moreread less
Jeni
15 Mar 2026
read moreread less
TheMELToursTeam, The MELTours Team at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-03-17
Hi Jeni,
Thank you so much for your fantastic review and recommendation.
San will be really thrilled to hear you enjoyed the tour and appreciated hearing about Melbourne's history.
Best wishes,
The Team at MELTours
read moreread less
889jenim
12 Mar 2026
Free to visit and well worth a look.
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-03-15
Hi Nicholas,
Thank you for your review and recommendation.
Best wishes from the MELTours team
read moreread less
NICHOLAS
08 Mar 2026
read moreread less
TheMELToursTeam, The MELTours Team at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-03-15
Hi Hoppy5,
Thank you so much for your great review!
San will be thrilled that you really enjoyed the tour.
Best wishes,
The team at MELTours
read moreread less
hoppy58538
03 Mar 2026
read moreread less
TheMELToursTeam, The MELTours Team at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-03-15
Hi hoppy5,
Thank you for taking the time to write this review.
We are so pleased that you enjoyed the tour.
Best wishes,
The team at MELTours
read moreread less
hoppy58538
03 Mar 2026
I would highly recommend this tour. You will not be disappointed.
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-03-08
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for this great review and recommendation. We are glad that you enjoyed your Taste of Melbourne Food Tour with Kathy, and we will pass certainly on your comments to her.
Cheers from the team at MELTours!
read moreread less
Lisa
02 Mar 2026
San took us on the Laneways tour. It was excellent. Weaving the founding history of Melbourne with it's modern art and history. Highly recommend.
read moreread less
Freddie
28 Feb 2026
read moreread less
TheMELToursTeam, The MELTours Team at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-03-08
Hi Barbara,
Thank you so much for your great review and recommendation.
We are so pleased you enjoyed your tour with San.
Best wishes,
The Team at MELTours
read moreread less
Barbara
26 Feb 2026
read moreread less
572kato
15 Feb 2026
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-02-13
Hi Tracey,
Thanks for this great review. We're very happy that you enjoyed your tour with Kathy and will pass your feedback on to her.
Cheers from the MELTours team!
read moreread less
Tracey
11 Feb 2026
read moreread less
TheMELToursTeam, The MELTours Team at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-02-13
Hi Ot1000,
Thank you so much for your great review.
San will be thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the tour especially learning about Melbourne's history that he is passionate about.
Best wishes,
The Team at MELTours
read moreread less
Michael
03 Feb 2026
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-02-06
Hi Jenny,
Thanks for this great review. We are glad you enjoyed your tour with Kathy on a very hot day in Melbourne!
Best wishes from the MELTours team
read moreread less
Jenny
28 Jan 2026
Thank you
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-01-23
Dear Meander60927573423,
Thank you for this great review! We are very happy to hear that you enjoyed your tour with Kathy.
Best wishes from the MELTours team
read moreread less
Meander60927573423
22 Jan 2026
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-01-30
Dear William,
Thank you for your great feedback. We are very pleased to hear that you enjoyed your architecture tour with John.
Best wishes from the MELTours team
read moreread less
William
21 Jan 2026
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-01-12
Hi Ryan,
Thanks for this great review. Kathy certainly has a great knowledge of Melbourne's food culture and loves to share it with her guests. We are glad you enjoyed your tour with her.
Cheers from the MELTours team!
read moreread less
Ryan
09 Jan 2026
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-01-12
Hi Eugenie C,
Thank you for this terrific review. We are so glad you enjoyed your tour with Kathy, and will pass on your feedback to her.
Best wishes from the MELTours team
read moreread less
Eugenie
08 Jan 2026
Was very helpful with questions.
Recommend highly. He also recommended restaurants and took photographs.
read moreread less
TheMELToursTeam, The MELTours Team at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-01-05
Hi Nancy,
Thank you for taking the time to write this review and for your recommendation.
We are really pleased you enjoyed your tour with San discovering Melbourne's wonderful Art Deco buildings as well as the fantastic places to eat in this city.
Best wishes,
The Team at MELTours
read moreread less
Nancy
03 Jan 2026
read moreread less
TheMELToursTeam, The MELTours Team at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-01-05
Hi Gareth,
Many thanks for your great review!
We are thrilled that you enjoyed your tour with John.
Best wishes,
The Team at MELTours
read moreread less
Gareth
29 Dec 2025
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 2026-01-05
Hi Debra,
Thank you for this great review. We are very happy that you enjoyed your Taste of Melbourne food Tour with Kathy. She has a great knowledge of Melbourne's food scene and loves to share it.
Cheers from the MELTours team!
read moreread less
Debra
27 Dec 2025
Kathy helped us admire Melbourne’s architectural marvels. It had diverse range of styles that reflect its rich history and cultural influences. From the elegant Victorian-era buildings and Gothic churches to the sleek modern Eureka building. Melbourne's architecture tour by Kathy tells a fascinating story.
She showed us city's well-preserved gold-rush era buildings coexisting harmoniously with contemporary designs, creating an eclectic urban landscape. I would highly recommend this tour to make your Melbourne experience marvelous!
She showed us city's well-preserved gold-rush era buildings coexisting harmoniously with contemporary designs, creating an eclectic urban landscape. I would highly recommend this tour to make your Melbourne experience marvelous!
read moreread less
Hemali
13 Dec 2025
read moreread less
TheMELToursTeam, The MELTours Team at MELTours, responded to this review - 2025-12-08
Hi Julie,
Many thanks for taking the time to submit this great review and for your recommendation - we really appreciate it.
We are so pleased you enjoyed your tour with John discovering Melbourne's many hidden gems.
Best wishes,
The Team at MELTours
read moreread less
jcbowden0015
06 Dec 2025
We did the Architectural Tour today. The knowledge possessed by San, our tour guide, was amazing. Having lived in Melbourne for the best part of sixty years, I was amazed at the buildings and associated history that San showed us. Highly recommended!
read moreread less
Simmo
04 Oct 2025
read moreread less
TheMELToursTeam, The MELTours Team at MELTours, responded to this review - 2025-09-30
Hi Elizabeth,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this great review.
San is a very knowledgeable guide who loves sharing information of all things Melbourne. We are so please you enjoyed the tour.
Best wishes,
The Team at MELTours
read moreread less
Elizabeth
25 Sep 2025
read moreread less
TheMELToursTeam, The MELTours Team at MELTours, responded to this review - 2025-09-30
Hi Sander,
Many thanks for this great review and recommendation!
Melbourne has some wonderful examples of Art Deco architecture and San loves showcasing these special buildings. He will be thrilled that you really enjoyed the tour.
Best wishes,
The Team at MELTours
read moreread less
sanderadio
24 Sep 2025
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 2025-09-13
Dear Jonathan,
Thank you for this fantastic review! We are very happy that you enjoyed your Architecture tour with Kathy, we will pass on your feedback to her.
Cheers from the MELTours team!
read moreread less
Jonathan
12 Sep 2025
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 2025-09-04
Hi H9881DTianc,
Thank you for this great review. We are glad you enjoyed your Laneways of Melbourne tour with John.
Cheers from the MELTours team
read moreread less
H9881DTianc
02 Sep 2025
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 2025-09-01
Hi Patricia,
Thank you for this great review! We are glad you enjoyed your Laneways of Melbourne tour with Kathy. She certainly has a wealth of knowledge and is passionate about her hometown.
Cheers from the MELTours team!
read moreread less
V9605EYpatricial
29 Aug 2025
The culinary tastings along the walk were exceptional, showcasing a delicious variety of local flavors. We also appreciated learning about the rich history behind Melbourne’s vibrant food scene.
We would highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a unique and memorable experience in the city.
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 2025-08-25
Dear Discover536499,
Thank you for this great review. It was fantastic that you enjoyed your Taste of Melbourne tour with Kathy. It was a great way to sample Melbourne's varied culinary scene! We will pass on your feedback to Kathy.
Best wishes from the MELTours team
read moreread less
Discover536499
20 Aug 2025
read moreread less
TheMELToursTeam, The MELTours Team at MELTours, responded to this review - 2025-08-18
Hi Vanessa,
Thank you so much for this great review.
We are thrilled that you enjoyed hearing about the rich history of Melbourne from San who is a passionate, knowledgeable guide.
Best wishes,
The Team at MELTours
read moreread less
Vanessa
11 Aug 2025
Right from the outset, John showed us buildings and laneways in Melbourne that we’d walked past countless times before but never really noticed or understood the significance behind them. His insights into the history of these places were fascinating.
One of the highlights of the tour was discovering Brunetti's (Italian bakery), a hidden gem I didn’t even know existed. The place is amazing and definitely worth a visit!
I can’t recommend this tour enough. If you’re a local or a tourist, you’ll definitely learn something new and uncover some of Melbourne’s best-kept secrets. I’ll certainly be coming back for another tour in the future.
Well done, Meltours and especially John!
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 2025-08-18
Thanks for this fantastic review. We are really glad that you enjoyed your tour with John. He is certainly an expert on all things Melbourne! We will pass your feedback on to John. All the best with your future discoveries.
Cheers from the MELTours team
read moreread less
Sightsee06156176570
10 Aug 2025
read moreread less
TheMELToursTeam, The MELTours Team at MELTours, responded to this review - 2025-08-18
Hi Geoff,
We are so pleased that you enjoyed your Architecture of Melbourne Tour with San.
Thank you for taking the time to submit this great review.
Best wishes,
The Team at MELTours
read moreread less
geoff
08 Aug 2025
Thanks to our guide Kathy , fantastic guide to visit the Laneways of Melbourne , fantastic visit , it is 5/5 , it is 5 stars visit , i recommend this tour , many many different things to see , many many Kathy secret places to discover , i enjoy it so much , Kathy is so friendly and so interesting, Thanks Kathy ❤️
Bernard and Olivier , French guys 👍
Bernard and Olivier , French guys 👍
read moreread less
Olivier
26 Feb 2025
read moreread less
Philip
14 Jan 2025
read moreread less
Jac
12 Jan 2025
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 1970-01-01
Dear Ama,
Thank you for this review! We're very happy you enjoyed your tour with Kathy. She certainly has a wealth of knowledge about her hometown and loves sharing it!
Best wishes from the MELTours team
read moreread less
Ama
30 Dec 2024
read moreread less
TheMELToursTeam, The MELTours Team at MELTours, responded to this review - 1970-01-01
Hi James,
Thank you for taking the time to write this review and for your recommendation.
Best wishes,
The Team at MELTours
read moreread less
jamesmickn
29 Dec 2024
I took the Miss Fisher’s tour with Carol, and had a great time looking at locations used in the show and learning about the buildings in Melbourne CBD. Would happily take another tour with this group.
read moreread less
Rachael
22 Dec 2024
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 1970-01-01
Dear Lynda,
Thanks you for submitting this great review. We are very happy that you enjoyed your discovery of Melbourne's food scene with Kathy.
Cheers from the MELTours team!
read moreread less
Lynda
17 Dec 2024
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 1970-01-01
Dear Helen,
We are glad you enjoyed your Miss Fisher tour with Kathy. Kathy is very passionate about the TV series and about Melbourne, and loves sharing that passion with her guests. We will pass your feedback on to Kathy.
Cheers from the team at MELTours!
read moreread less
Op5249605
05 Dec 2024
read moreread less
Susan
09 Jul 2024
read moreread less
shannonmay10
05 Jul 2024
read moreread less
DSMC22
05 Jul 2024
read moreread less
sanmeltours, Manager at MELTours, responded to this review - 2024-07-04
Dear Scott,
Thank you for submitting this great review on your Miss Fisher tour. Kathy loves to share her extensive knowledge of Melbourne with her guests and we are very happy you enjoyed your time with her. We will pass your wonderful comments on to Kathy. We wish you happy travels and hope to see you in Melbourne again!
Best wishes from the team at MELTours
read moreread less
Scott
27 Jun 2024
read moreread less
TheMELToursTeam, The MELTours Team at MELTours, responded to this review - 2024-07-04
Hi Gabrielle A,
We are really pleased you enjoyed your Laneways of Melbourne tour with San. It's great to discover a city with a knowledgeable guide.
Thank you for your review and recommendation - it is much appreciated.
Best wishes,
The Team at MELTours
read moreread less
Gabrielle
23 Jun 2024
read moreread less
TheMELToursTeam, The MELTours Team at MELTours, responded to this review - 2024-07-04
Hi Kathryn 082,
Thank you so much for your great review and recommendation!
We are so pleased you enjoyed discovering Melbourne's very unique bar scene with San who loves sharing his vast knowledge of all things Melbourne.
Best wishes,
The Team at MELTours
read moreread less
Kathryn082
21 Jun 2024
Fabulous tour, there was so much interesting information, even for a long term Mekbourne resident! Cathy was really keen to pass on her extensive knowledge but not in the over the top way some guides do. Highly recommended.
read moreread less
Chris
10 May 2024
I've been on this tour last year - I loved it and came back again this year. Would highly recommend. Guide(s) very knowledgeable.
read moreread less
Adrienne
04 Mar 2024


















































