Secret gardens and majestic parks

The Royal Exhibition Building and surrounding Carlton Gardens are World Heritage-listed.

Stroll tree-lined avenues and don't miss the winding Moreton Bay Fig Trees along Nicholson Street, a historically important meeting place for Aboriginal communities.

Melburnians love the calming avenues of elm trees in the Fitzroy Gardens and the seasonal blooms inside the Conservatory.

Visit the delightful Fairies’ Tree, mini model Tudor village, Cooks’ Cottage, the Visitor Centre and KereKere Green cafe.

Stop to sit under the cathedral avenue of Moreton Bay Figs. A favourite of city workers, at night the gardens are a playground for native brushtail possums.

Opened in 2002, Birrarung Marr is a site for festivals, carnivals and recreation.

It is also home to the Birrarung Wilam Aboriginal art installation which celebrates Victoria’s indigenous culture.

To the south you'll find the lawns of Government House, the Grotto rockery and fern gully, and the Elizabethan-style Pioneer Women's Garden.

To the north, past the statue of King George V, you'll find the Kings Domain Resting Place, a memorial marking the remains of 38 Aboriginal people repatriated from the Museum of Victoria in 1985.

Over Linlithgow Avenue is the Janet Lady Clarke Rotunda in the Queen Victoria Gardens.

You can’t miss the famous floral clock with over 7000 blooms, but look closer to find a secluded grotto and serene stone waterfall.

A perfect picnic spot, Alexandra Gardens feature swaying palm trees and historic boathouses facing the Yarra River.

With boats and rowers gliding by, it’s hard to believe you’re on the doorstep of the city.