Melbourne outdoor activities: Bikes, kayaks, walks & SUPs

Great outdoor activities in Melbourne include moonlight kayaking, bayside bike rides, laneway walks and paddleboarding lessons.

Melbourne doesn’t quite have the same outdoorsy reputation of other Australian cities. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do in the great outdoors. Quite the opposite, in fact. There are several Melbourne outdoor activities worth considering if you’re in town.

Melbourne walking and bike tours

First up – why not get to know the city better on a small group walking tour of the laneways. Over the course of two-and-a-half hours, you’re bound to come back with a few ideas on where to head out later in the evening. MELTours offers the laneways tour for $99. There’s also a street art-focused tour for $75.

Bike tours are another good way to explore the city. You can either pick a trip that sticks close to the city centre or take a more relaxed pedal around Port Phillip Bay.

👇 7 great day trips while you’re in Melbourne 👇

Great Ocean Road tour – with koalas 🐨.
Brighton Beach, Moonlit Sanctuary and Phillip Island tour – with penguins 🐧.
Yarra Valley wine tour – with gin, cider and cheese 🍷.
Grampians National Park tour – with bushwalks and LOADS of kangaroos 🦘.
Mornington Peninsula tour – with hot springs bathing 🛀.
Wilsons Promontory tour – with all manner of native wildlife 🦘🐨.
Dandenong Ranges steam train ride – plus wildlife at Healesville Sanctuary and chocolate-tasting in the Yarra Valley.

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Melbourne outdoor activities: Kayaks and waterbikes

If you’d prefer a bit more of a workout, how about kayaking along the Yarra River? The perfect time to do it is at sunset, and Kayak Melbourne runs a $120 moonlight paddling tour with dinner thrown in. There’s also a day kayaking trip focusing on the city’s iconic sights. It’s the sort of thing that makes for a good Father’s Day present.

Moonlight kayaking tour of Melbourne — A moonlight kayaking tour is one of the best things to do in Melbourne. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions.

For something considerably more silly on the Yarra River, there’s the chance to mess around on waterbikes. These gloriously daft contraptions are like pedal-powered catamarans.

Melbourne outdoor activities: Guided walks and paddleboarding

The Royal Botanic Gardens is a fantastic place to be on a sunny day, and it also offers a great opportunity to learn about Aboriginal culture. The guided Indigenous walks through the gardens focus on the traditional uses for the plants that grow there – whether as bush tucker or for making fire.

Other Melbourne outdoor activity options include stand-up paddleboarding lessons in St Kilda, and treasure hunting with metal detectors around Brighton Beach.

14 fantastic experiences that make the most of your free time in Melbourne

Get the very best views – on a hot air balloon flight over the city.
See the changing colours of the river – on a sunset kayaking tour – with dinner. (Highly recommended ✅)
Feast and see the sights at the same time – on a four course dinner cruise along the Yarra River.
A genuinely excellent street art tour, led by prominent street artists. (Highly recommended ✅)
The also superb Aboriginal heritage, plants and bush food tour in the Botanic Gardens. (💲 Great value 💲)
Best of Melbourne bike tour – you can see more on two wheels than walking.
Hidden laneways bar crawl OR foodie discovery tour OR chocolate and dessert tour.
Combo ticket for Australian Sports Museum and MCG tour.
Hassle-dodging advance tickets for the Melbourne Skydeck, Melbourne Zoo, the Ice Bar (with cocktails) and Sea Life Aquarium.