About Melbourne

Melbourne is a beautiful and diverse city, voted one of the most student-friendly cities in the world (QS Best Student Cities). It has also been ranked the world's most liveable city on seven occasions (Economist Intelligence Unit's annual ranking).

When you study at VU, you'll be in good company. There are more than 100,000 international students living in Melbourne, taking advantage of our world-class universities and convenient lifestyle.

There's plenty to enjoy: free music, beautiful parks, excellent dining, international sporting events - so take the time to explore our fantastic city.

If you're preparing to move here, keep in mind that Melbourne experiences distinct seasons, so come ready for cold and very hot temperatures.

Explore Melbourne

Melbourne’s vibrant cultural precincts show off the city's rich history and diversity.

Catch a tram, bus or train and visit one of Melbourne’s many food destinations to make the most of its various culinary traditions.

Melbourne city

VU has campuses in the heart of the central business district (CBD).

The city of Melbourne has it all: galleries, parks, shopping and nightlife. The National Gallery is here, as are the gorgeous Botanic Gardens and the stately State Library .

The city is also a food-lover's dream, dishing up hundreds of top-quality restaurants, bars and cafes to suit every budget and appetite.

Explore Melbourne's famous laneways by foot to discover some of the city's best cafes, street art and boutique fashion stores.

Vibrant Chinatown, in the east of the city along Little Bourke Street, bustles with Chinese shops and restaurants. Its history dates back to the 1850s goldrush.

Melbourne city's Greek precinct, on Lonsdale and Russell Streets in the north of the city, celebrates Melbourne's Greek community with fine dining and traditional bakeries.

Victoria Market is another must-see, where you can pick up fresh fruit and vegetables, hot coffee and a deli speciality.

Footscray, Sunshine, St Albans & Werribee

To the west of the CBD, you'll find the remainder of VU's campuses.

Footscray, 5km west of the CBD, is home to two of Victoria University's biggest campuses. The suburb is changing rapidly, with student-friendly bars and cafes opening up alongside the delectable Vietnamese, Turkish, Chinese, African and French restaurants. Try Footscray Market for fresh fruit, vegetables and seafood.

Highpoint Shopping Centre, just north of Footscray on the 82 tram, has 500 shops, including high fashion boutiques, department stores, food courts, homewares, cinema complex with IMAX theatre, bowling and arcade games.

Sunshine and St Albans are a busy multicultural suburbs in the city of Brimbank, with their own facilities including libraries and swimming pools, and restaurants from around the world.

Werribee is another suburban hub further west. It has the wonderful open-range zoo, and Werribee mansion.

Carlton, Brunswick, Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford

To the north of Melbourne's central business district (CBD) are the suburbs of Carlton, Fitzroy, Collingwood and Abbotsford (from west to east). All are easily accessible by tram, train or bus.

Carlton is home to Lygon Street, Melbourne's Little Italy, offering up character-filled Italian restaurants and cafes by the dozen.

Fitzroy and neighbouring Collingwood will keep VU's students entertained with their café culture, funky clothes shops, bookstores, galleries and vibrant night life. Brunswick Street is the centre of it all, with entertainment served up day and night.

To the east of Collingwood, you'll find Abbotsford, with cheap-and-delicious Vietnamese restaurants on Victoria street and, further east, the peaceful Abbotsford Convent and Collingwood Children’s Farm set on the Yarra River.

North of Carlton, Sydney Road in Brunswick is another excellent destination for the exploring international student. As well as live-music venues and boutique cafes, Brunswick is home to some of Melbourne's finest Middle Eastern restaurants and halal stores.

Prahran, Windsor & St Kilda

South of the city is the suburb of Prahran, bisected by Chapel Street, a fashion strip scattered with cafes and clubs. Further down Chapel Street, Windsor offers vintage markets and secondhand stores.

Seaside St Kilda, a thriving entertainment hub and one of Melbourne's most popular traveller destinations, is also south of the city.

In East St Kilda you'll find Carlisle Street, where you can taste another aspect of the city's heritage in Eastern European and kosher restaurants and food stores.

Outside Melbourne

There are stunning tourist attractions just a few hours’ drive out of Melbourne.

See the fairy penguin parade at Phillip Island, marvel at the stunning scenery of the Great Ocean Road or enjoy an outdoor adventure in one of our many national parks.

There are also heritage-listed towns in the Goldfields, beautiful beaches and ski fields to suit everyone. Visit Victoria is a great place to start for travel advice.

Festivals & events

Arts & culture

Melbourne's festival program attracts people from all over to Australia. Choose and art or cultural event that sparks your interest, or visit them all:

If you're on a budget, there are plenty of free events around the city.

Sport

Victoria University is a world leader in sport and exercise research, and we support local and international sport. We are lucky enough to be located in a city which hosts major international sporting events, including:

Melbourne is also home to the AFL – the Australian football league, including a women's league. Make sure you see a game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to soak up the atmosphere and find out why we love this sport so much.

Transport around Melbourne

Melbourne has a public transport network of trains, trams and buses. You can travel to all parts of the city and outer suburbs, including our campuses. You can also use VLine trains to travel to the country. Our public transport network is reliable, safe and easy to use.

Get to and from our campuses using the journey planner and Google directions on each campus page.

Use the Public Transport Victoria (PTV) journey planner to get around Melbourne.

Travel cards

If you plan to use public transport you will need to buy a myki travel card from a train station or convenience store.

Myki is a reusable travel card for trains, trams and buses in Melbourne and regional Victorian centres. You 'tap' your myki card at points on buses, trams and train stations to deduct your fare for the trip.

Find the best myki travel card for you.

International students can register for the iUSEpass - a special discount public transport pass only for eligible international students.