Highlights & Hidden Gems With Locals: Best of Melbourne Private Tour
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September 2026
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Adults
Age 13 and over
Children
Age 12 and under
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Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Same price on Viator, Outty earns a commission.
Traveler rating
4.4/5
Based on 15 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Highlights & Hidden Gems With Locals: Best of Melbourne Private Tour worth booking?
Highlights & Hidden Gems With Locals: Best of Melbourne Private Tour is a 3-hour experience in Melbourne, Australia, from $40 per person. It scores 63 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Solid Choice”, based on a 4.4/5 rating across 15 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 63 / 100
- Rating
- 4.4/5 (15)
- Duration
- 3 hours
- From
- $40 per person
This is not just another city tour; this is the best of Melbourne from a unique perspective! Get to know Melbourne on a city tour that gives you the perfect overview, with city highlights, hidden gems, storytelling, and
What you get
About this experience
This is not just another city tour; this is the best of Melbourne from a unique perspective! Get to know Melbourne on a city tour that gives you the perfect overview, with city highlights, hidden gems, storytelling, and a local treat - this tour has it all! Forget about big touristy groups and the crowds; it's time to see Melbourne at its best but from the eyes of a local. Check out main landmarks like Chinatown, Block Arcade, National Gallery of Victoria and uncover hidden gems and city secrets with the help of a knowledgeable local guide. And the cherry on top, a local treat is included. Withlocals Highlights & Hidden Gems Private City Tour™ is one of Withlocals' signature tours available in major cities worldwide. We work with passionate local guides who earn a fair fee. We support local economies by only offering local produce and prevent over-tourism with only small non-intrusive groups. Our tours are carbon-neutral and away from the standard tourist routes.
What's included
Included
- Private Tour
- Local Guide
- 1 local drink/tasting
Not included
- Hotel pick up and drop off
What you'll see and do
Yarra River
Walk alongside Melbourne’s Yarra River on the Crown Riverwalk, admire the skyline; see the tallest buildings, art installations along the way.
15 minutes here
Southbank
See first of two bridges crossing the Yarra to the other side to Flinders Street Station and more in this private tour.
15 minutes here
Melbourne Skydeck
Pass nearby Eureka Tower, tallest building in Melbourne at present.
15 minutes here
The second bridge is the Southbank Footbridge with the curved beam that towers over the bridge.
10 minutes here
Princes Bridge
Princes Bridge was designed by Jenkins, D'Ebro and Grainger and constructed in 1886-88 by David Munro.
15 minutes here
Arts Centre Melbourne
Arts Centre, Melbourne, a complex of distinct venues, Hamer Hall, Playhouse Theatre, State Theatre, Fairfax Studio and Galleries and the Australian Music Vault are next on your list.
15 minutes here
Australian Music Vault
Surround yourself with Australian music memorabilia in this private tour.
15 minutes here
National Gallery of Victoria
Next door, you will enter the National Gallery of Victoria for a brief visit to see the world’s largest stained glass ceiling by Simon Fieldhouse.
15 minutes here
Fed Square
Cross over St Kilda Road, to the right is Kings Domain and beyond is the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, named after the founder of the Myer Emporium Department Store founder.
15 minutes here
Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station, opened 1910, French Renaissance architecture, it covers two city blocks, the first railway station in an Australian city and the world’s busiest passenger station in the late 1920s.
15 minutes here
Young and Jacksons
Heritage listed, hence only site saved from demolition for metro works and some other interesting history lays behind this magnificent building.
15 minutes here
St Paul's Cathedral
St. Paul’s Cathedral, a Gothic cathedral built 1880-91. An Anglican cathedral, church of the Diocese of Melbourne and the seat of the Archbishop of Melbourne.
15 minutes here
Hosier Lane
Next it's Hosier Lane, a bluestone laneway notable for its quality, sophisticated Urban Street Art, often political and controversial, it changes frequently.
15 minutes here
ACDC Lane
Named as a tribute to Australian rock band AC/DC lane has lots of great story and art behind.
15 minutes here
The Block Arcade
Cross Collins Street and through the Block Arcade, opened in 1892 and considered one of the late Victorian era’s finest shopping arcades.
15 minutes here
Bourke Street Mall
This is a pedestrian and no smoking mall, the heart of Melbourne with our two major department stores David Jones and Myer.
15 minutes here
Chinatown
Chinatown is next, a distinctive and well known area of Melbourne which dates back to the gold rush days of the 1850s.
15 minutes here
Meyers Place Bar
You will walk along a few blocks over Russell and Exhibition Streets and turn right at Crossley Lane and back to Bourke Street to Pellegrini’s Bar, another Melbourne institution, co-owned and started by the late and great Sisto Malsapina.
15 minutes here
Parliament House of Victoria
Continuing left along Bourke Street a couple minutes to the end and you will come to Spring Street with the imposing Parliament House, one of Melbourne’s best known landmarks, the meeting place for the Parliament of Victoria at the end of the Hoddle Grid
15 minutes here
Princess Theatre
Hear all the stories including the one that states that the theatre is haunted by a friendly ghost, Federici. Many of the world’s most successful productions have been staged here, including Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Cats, Mamma Mia!
15 minutes here
Where it starts and ends
Meeting point
Melbourne
In front of Merrywell Bar and Dining Crown Riverwalk, Crown Melbourne, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC 3006
Hotel pickup
No pickup: everyone meets at the start point.
Ends at
In front of Merrywell Bar and Dining Crown Riverwalk, Crown Melbourne, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC 3006
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- en
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Every day
- Group size
- Up to 8 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Withlocals
Know before you go
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Private tour: only you & your local guide
- CO2 Neutral: all tours carbon emissions are offset
- Post Covid-19 regulations are applied to this product with regards to the number of participants, delivery methods of the tour and content of the tour.
Photos
What travelers are saying
Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 15 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.
Knowledge and storytelling
9 mentionsReviewers describe the commentary as informative rather than scripted.
The guide
7 mentionsTravelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
Photo opportunities
2 mentionsThe views and photo stops come up again and again.
Traveler reviews
15 verified traveler reviews for Highlights & Hidden Gems With Locals: Best of Melbourne Private Tour. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Great Intro to Melbourne
We enjoined our tour with Julie. She guided us to a great cross section of places covering arts, entertainment, shopping, eating establishments and outdoor places for relaxation and enjoyment. Loved our final stop at the amazing State Library. She is very knowledgeable about the city’s history - past and present - what to do, where to go and how to get there.
via Tripadvisor
Fun and informative
We spent about three hours with Ben walking through some of the more historical and prominent sites in Melbourne’s central business district. Ben is extremely knowledgable about the city’s history, has a great sense of humor, was very friendly, and guided us through a fun, informative and interesting tour. in addition to the information that he wanted to convey, he easily answered many additional questions that we asked. I highly recommend you take a tour with Ben!
via Tripadvisor
Walking Melbourne
Great walking tour of Melbourne Ben was knowledgeable and friendly Be ready to see all the beauty of this amazing city. Tjanks
via Viator
Great tour in Melbourne
Ben is extremely knowledgeable about the history and culture of Melbourne and Victoria. We also really appreciated hearing how he came to Australia from Iran and sharing views with him on world politics. He's a great guide and a great guy. My one recommendation is to book your tour with him as early as possible in your visit to Melbourne. We left it a couple of days which meant we didn't have time to go back for a more detailed look at all the places Ben showed us.
via Tripadvisor
The Highlights were a HIT!
Ben is a GREAT guide...tailors the tour to the group, very informative about the city, its history and its people.
via Viator
Good to know
- Duration
- 3 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Every day
- Price range
- $40 to $234
- Hotel pickup
- No pickup, meet at start point
- Booked in 30 days
- 5
- Verdict
- Solid Choice
Why this scores 63
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Highlights & Hidden Gems With Locals: Best of Melbourne Private Tour: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Melbourne.
How much does Highlights & Hidden Gems With Locals: Best of Melbourne Private Tour cost?
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Prices start at $40 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Melbourne usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does Highlights & Hidden Gems With Locals: Best of Melbourne Private Tour take?
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Plan for about 3 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Melbourne is not rushed.
Is Highlights & Hidden Gems With Locals: Best of Melbourne Private Tour worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 63 out of 100, which we label "Solid Choice". That score blends traveler sentiment (4.4/5 across 15 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Melbourne, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule Highlights & Hidden Gems With Locals: Best of Melbourne Private Tour?
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Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is Highlights & Hidden Gems With Locals: Best of Melbourne Private Tour suitable for kids and families?
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Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 3-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book Highlights & Hidden Gems With Locals: Best of Melbourne Private Tour?
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Around 5 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Melbourne can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
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Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Melbourne and add a light layer if any part of the 3-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Highlights & Hidden Gems With Locals: Best of Melbourne Private Tour start and how do I get there?
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The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Melbourne within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Melbourne?
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On Outty we rank every Melbourne experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include Melbourne: Yarra Valley Wine, Gin, Whisky and Chocolate Tour, Yarra Valley Wine Tour w Exclusive Gin, Cider & Chocolate Tasting, Yarra Valley Wine Tour from Melbourne - Choc, Gin & Good Times. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Melbourne?
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Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Melbourne?
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Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
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Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
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