Sydney has its tourist-oriented Red Explorer Bus (and the Blue Explorer Bus, too) and Melbourne has the City Tourist Shuttle (and the City Circle Tram, too).
All these are hop on, hop off services, which means you can get on at any of the designated stops, get off at another stop and then get on the next bus (or tram) for as many times as you wish as you go sightseeing.
Visitor-friendly service
The difference is: you need to buy a ticket to take the Sydney Explorer bus. The Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle and the City Circle Tram are free in the visitor-friendly Victorian capital.
There are 15 stops on the Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle and you can get on and off the shuttle at any of them — and take your time to enjoy the city attractions.
City stops
These are the Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle stops:
- Melbourne Museum and Carlton Gardens
The World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building is adjacent to Melbourne Museum in Carlton Gardens. - Lygon St at Elgin St
Lygon St is the heartland of the Melbourne Italian community and noted for its great number of Italian restaurants. - Royal Parade
An avenue of English elms close to Royal Park and Princes Park. - Melbourne University
- Queen Victoria Market
The southern hemisphere's largest open-air market. - Flagstaff
Melbourne's first burial ground in the 1830s, established as a public garden in 1862. - Law Courts
Along William St. - Immigration Museum
- Southbank
Close to Melbourne Exhibition Centre and Crown Entertainment Complex. - Arts Precinct
Site of NGV International and other Arts Centre venues distinguished by the easily-recognisable Arts Centre spire. - Shrine of Remembrance
Victoria’s memorial to the service and sacrifice of its men and women in times of conflict, close to Royal Botanic Gardens, the parklands of King's Domain, the performance venue of the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, and Government House and La Trobe's Cottage. - Sports and Entertainment Precinct
Melbourne Park, home of the Australian Open; Olympic Park, home to the 1956 Olympic Games; Melbourne Cricket Ground, home to Australian Football League and cricket; Yarra Park; and the riverside park Birrarung Marr. - Flinders Quarter
Melbourne's designer paradise, with organic food, film, poetry bookshops, cigar bars, basement jazz and commercial art galleries. Close to the heart of Melbourne's popular shopping district. - Chinatown and Theatres
Little Bourke St is the restaurant district of Melbourne's Chinatown. Princess Theatre is at the corner of Little Bourke and Spring Sts, with Her Majesty's Theatre just across Little Bourke St. Comedy Theatre is on Lonsdale and Exhibition Sts and Regent Theatre's not too far away on Collins St. - Exhibition St at La Trobe St
Close to the Old Melbourne Gaol on Russell St where Ned Kelly was hanged.
The Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle runs daily, every 15–20 minutes from 10am to 4pm.
