City laneways and arcades

The city's network of arcades is Australia's most extensive, and the Block Arcade between Collins and Elizabeth streets, built in 1891, is its crowning glory. Royal Arcade (between Bourke Street Mall and Little Collins Street), is Melbourne's oldest, built in 1869, and features Gaunt's clock and the two folklore giants of the ancient Britons, Gog and Magog, who strike the hour.

Collins two3four, Australia on Collins, The Walk Arcade, the Galleria Shopping Plaza and Centrepoint Mall all sit within a block of each other off Little Collins Street and offer a mix of large flagship stores, unique owner-operated shops and quality cafes and food courts.

Off the beaten track
Detour from the main trails and discover Melbourne's unique array of lanes, alleys and little side streets. Car-free, cafe-lined Degraves Street in the Flinders Quarter offers alfresco dining, along with cool retailers and boutiques. Nearby the intimate Block Place in the Collins Street precinct has a variety of eateries to choose from, while The Causeway, just across Little Collins Street, has everything from sushi to a French patisserie. The lanes either side of the Chinatown strip are a rich source of authentic Asian eateries, while Hardware Lane, one of the first laneways to be revitalised in the 1980s, now has a collection of outdoor cafes and bars.

Unique meeting places
Melbourne's laneway renaissance has seen a boom in bars. Single, unassuming doorways open into sumptuous and often spacious interiors. Some are designer cool, while others are miscellaneous mixes of carefully chosen shabby chic.

How to get there
By tram: Any tram along Swanston or Elizabeth streets.

Free Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle: Hop on and off at any of the 13 stops along the route. The complete trip takes approximately an hour and a half. The bus runs every 30 minutes between 9.30am and 4.30pm daily (excluding Good Friday and Christmas Day) and includes an on-board commentary.