Spot your stop

A walking bar tour in Melbourne, and the night beyond

Melbourne Independent Laneway Bar Tour with Drink Included

★ 4.9 · 558 written reviews

$48 and upFind open dates

Summary

A walking bar tour in Melbourne leads you to laneway bars you would walk past, and on Friday and Saturday nights trains and some trams run all night.

Night essentials

  • Hidden bars behind unmarked doors3
  • More live music venues per capita than any other city1
  • All-night trains on Fridays and Saturdays2

Open 54 stops

The laneways, arcades and stories on one map

Tap a route first, then a pin or stop, for its note and Google Maps.

Map of laneway bars and music venues in Melbourne: Gordon Reserve, Mitre Tavern, Tattersalls Lane, Bligh Place, Driver Lane, Warburton Lane, Forum
  1. The small park opposite the Hotel Windsor where some of the afternoon bar walks begin.

    Google Maps
  2. Listed as the oldest building in Melbourne, in a lane off Collins Street.

    Google Maps
  3. A hotel built in 1861, before the station across the road.

    Google Maps
  4. Above the lane, a feathered portrait by Adnate and Shida from 2012; the container bar Section 8 below.

    Google Maps
  5. Robot Bar, full of vintage Japanese robot figures.

    Google Maps
  6. Fashion, cake and a basement bar under the lane.

    Google Maps
  7. Arlechin takes no bookings: walk in from 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday.

    Google Maps
  8. Street art below, a piano bar upstairs.

    Google Maps
  9. Live music and a late licence on AC/DC Lane.

    Google Maps
  10. A 1929 theatre and one of the best places in the country for a live band.

    Google Maps

© OpenStreetMap contributors, map data

A walking bar tour in Melbourne gets you through doors you would walk past. Here is how the bar walks compare, which lanes come alive at night, and how to get home.

Editorial team, melbournelanewaystour.com · Updated November 8, 2026 · 7 min of reading

Quick look

  • Bar walk4 independent bars in 3.5 hours, first drink included, from $48.
  • StartGordon Reserve, opposite the Hotel Windsor, mid to late afternoon.
  • Live musicThe city counts more live music venues per person than any other city.1
  • Bring IDOne bar walk asks for photo ID to prove legal drinking age.
  • Getting homeTrains and some trams run all night on Fridays and Saturdays.2

How Melbourne hides its bars

Melbourne's best bars do not want to be found by accident. The City of Melbourne puts it simply: the bar scene rewards the curious, behind unmarked doors, at the top of stairwells and at the end of dark alleys.3 A shopfront can be a disguise. At Mill Place Merchants, what looks like a sewing shop hides a vintage speakeasy behind a mirrored wardrobe door.4

Some bars sit below the street. Beneath Driver Lane is a bar under a laneway, with over 400 bottles of spirits.5 Others hide in plain sight: Robot Bar, deep in Bligh Place, is decorated with vintage Japanese robot figurines, and Section 8 is a converted shipping container bar in a car park.6,7 Each one is easy to miss in daylight and obvious once you know where to look, which is the whole charm of drinking in the grid.

This is why a guided bar walk works so well here. The hard part of a night out is not choosing a drink but finding the door. A guide who walks you through the right alley at the right time turns a confusing grid into an evening that flows, and leaves you able to find your way back on your own. Take a bar walk on your first evening and the rest of the trip is for returning to the bars you liked best.

Bar walks side by side

Evening walks in Melbourne compared

WalkFromTimeDrinksMeets
Laneway bar tour$483.5 hrsFirst drinkGordon Reserve
Bars and stories$623 hrsA drinkGordon Reserve
Hidden bar and cocktail$623 hrsNot statedIn the city
Bars and creepy tales$463 hrsNot statedQueen Victoria Market
Weekly bar crawl$185 hrs4 drinksInside the venue
Ghost walk$271.5 hrsNoneYoung and Jackson

From prices and terms as each listing states them; the bar route of the laneway tour changes daily.

The walking bar tours compared

The walking bar tour in Melbourne with the most reviews is the Independent Laneway Bar Tour, with 558 reviews. Its route through 4 independent bars is chosen fresh each day, the first drink is poured at the opening bar, and the evening lasts 3.5 hours with up to 12 guests. It starts from $48, meets at Gordon Reserve opposite the Hotel Windsor and runs mid to late afternoon.

The Local Laneway Bars and Stories walk, sold on GetYourGuide, likewise includes a drink, meets at Gordon Reserve and runs 3 hours, from $62. The Hidden Bar and Cocktail Tour keeps a small group of up to 10 for 3 hours; its listing warns that many venues are reached only by stairs and asks you to bring photo identification.

For a looser night, a weekly bar crawl packs 4 venues, 4 drinks and club entry into 5 hours, from $18. The Hidden Bars and Creepy Tales walk starts at Queen Victoria Market and offers a free map of bars on request. A beer-focused walk in Parliament Gardens is for adults only: travellers under 18 years cannot join.

How long the night lasts

Length of each evening walk, in hours

  • Bar crawl5
  • Laneway bar tour3.5
  • Bars and stories3
  • Ghost walk1.5

Durations as each listing states them.

Popular bars in Melbourne, from old pubs to rooftops

The popular bars in Melbourne fall into a few tribes, and the oldest are pubs. The Mitre Tavern holds the listing as Melbourne's oldest building, and it has served alcohol for about 150 years.12,13 Young and Jackson has been serving since 1863, and the painting Chloe has hung on its walls since 1909.14 Captain Melville sits inside Mac's Hotel, a bluestone pub from 1853 that the city calls Melbourne's oldest.15

Then come the rooftops. Good Heavens is called the biggest rooftop bar in the CBD.16 Another rooftop is a Melburnian rite of passage, reached by seven flights of stairs or a grungy but working lift, and it is walk-in only.17 QT's rooftop bar sits on the 11th floor on Russell Street.18 Rooftops fill fast on warm evenings, so go early for the sunset or book where booking is possible.

The laneway bars are the third tribe, and the one that defines the city at night. Bar Ampere serves late-night snacks until 3am, seven nights a week.10 Arlechin in Mornane Place takes no bookings: walk in from 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday.8 On Warburton Lane, good nights end around the piano at Murmur Piano Bar.19 Small rooms like these fill quickly, so arrive early or be ready to move on to the next lane.

Choose your night

Which evening walk suits you

Pick the line closest to the night you have in mind.

  • If I want great small bars I would never find

    The laneway bar tour

    A fresh route each day through 4 independent bars.

  • If I want a party on a budget

    The weekly bar crawl

    Club entry plus 4 drinks at 4 venues, all in 5 hours.

  • If I want cocktails in a small group

    The hidden bar and cocktail tour

    Up to 10 people for 3 hours; bring photo ID.

  • If I do not drink

    The ghost walk

    1.5 hours of stories from the Young and Jackson Hotel.

  • If I want live music

    AC/DC Lane and the music walk

    The free self-guided music walk is approximately 3.5km.11

Three kinds of night

Independent bars, a crawl or ghost stories

First drink included

The laneway bar tour

Most reviewed

  • Length3.5 hours
  • Bars4 independent
  • GroupUp to 12
See this night out

Club entry included

The weekly bar crawl

Budget night out

  • Length5 hours
  • Drinks4
  • Venues4
See this night out

Stories after dark

The ghost walk

No drinking needed

  • Length1.5 hours
  • MeetsYoung and Jackson
  • WeatherRuns in all weather
See this night out

Melbourne live music venues and the lanes they live in

Music is the other half of the night. The City of Melbourne says the city counts more live music venues per person than anywhere else in the world.1 Its free music walk runs for about 3.5km, roughly 90 minutes on foot, taking in concert halls and back lanes.11 Walk it in the late afternoon and you will finish just as the first sets start, with a list of rooms to come back to after dinner.

The heart of it is AC/DC Lane, which became the first Australian street named for a rock band; naming rules do not allow a slash, so the city added the giant lightning bolt.30 Cherry Bar there has live music and a late-night licence and is a favourite of touring musicians.92 Among the bigger Melbourne live music venues, the Forum was built in 1929, and Curtin House on Swanston Street, an Art Nouveau building from 1923, hosts The Toff in Town.93,95

Music here has a political edge too. In 2010 the SLAM rally put an impromptu concert on the steps of Parliament House to protest rules that were forcing city music venues to close.96 And the street is a stage: the Pierce Brothers and Tash Sultana once busked in Bourke Street Mall, where Tones and I also got her start.97,98

Price the night

Evening walk totals for your group

Choose how many are going out and compare the starting totals.

Compare 4 alternatives

Evening walk totals for your group

Choose how many are going out and compare the starting totals.

2 people
  1. Laneway bar tour3.5 hours · starts at, per person $48

    ≈

    View
  2. Bars and stories3 hours · starts at, per person $62

    ≈

    View
  3. Weekly bar crawl5 hours · starts at, per person $18

    ≈

    View
  4. Ghost walk1.5 hours · starts at, per person $27

    ≈

    View

From-prices on GetYourGuide, shown at the ECB reference rate. Your exact price is confirmed during booking.

A night in the laneways

From the first drink to the last tram

  1. Mid afternoon

    Meet the bar walk

    Gordon Reserve, opposite the Hotel Windsor.

  2. From 5pm

    A walk-in bar

    Arlechin opens its doors from 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday.8

  3. After 10pm

    A late burger

    Gimlet's cheeseburger is only served after 10pm.9

  4. Until 3am

    Late-night snacks

    Bar Ampere serves snacks until 3am, seven nights a week.10

  5. Fri and Sat

    Home by night train

    Trains and some trams run through the night.2

Which lanes to walk at night

Chinatown is the easiest place to begin an evening. Little Bourke Street is only the start: a maze of laneways and alleys leads to tiny bars and iconic restaurants.99 A short walk east, the Princess Theatre faces Parliament and is said to be haunted by an opera-singing ghost called Federici.100 A show at the theatre and a drink in a nearby lane make an easy evening at this end of town.

Some bars tell the city's history as they pour. Yarra Falls takes its name from a waterfall that was an important Indigenous meeting place and was still blasted away in 1883, and a water feature behind the bar recalls it.101 Stories like that are what a guide adds to a drink, and they are what you remember the next day.

If you prefer stories to cocktails, the Ghosts, Murder and Mystery walk gathers at the Young and Jackson Hotel for 1.5 hours, rain or shine, from $27. Pair it with an early dinner in the laneways, and you will have seen the city in both its moods. It is also the gentlest option for a mixed group where not everyone wants a late night.

Video

The secret bars of Melbourne at night

WAY AWAY on YouTube · The video stays unloaded until you press play.

Down a dark alley, up a stairwell or behind an unmarked door - Melbourne's bar scene rewards the intrepid.
City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne)3

Night-out checklist

Before you head out

Bring3

  • Photo ID to prove legal drinking age
  • A card or cash for drinks after the first
  • A layer: Melbourne evenings turn cool

Plan3

  • Many hidden bars are up or down stairs
  • Trams run to about midnight Monday to Thursday94
  • Night trains run on Fridays and Saturdays2

ID, door rules and staying comfortable

Carry photo ID on any night out. The Hidden Bar and Cocktail Tour asks guests to bring photo identification to prove legal drinking age, and a beer walk turns away travellers under 18 years. Keep the document on you all evening rather than in the hotel safe, since a new venue can ask again at the door.

Door staff decide who goes in. The weekly bar crawl tells guests to dress for bars, since entry is at the discretion of the door staff. Neat and casual clothes suit most laneway bars. Dress up a little for a cocktail bar or a rooftop, and keep a jacket handy for the walk between venues, since the evening air in the lanes can turn cool quickly.

Think about access before you book. Many hidden bars are reached only by stairs, which the cocktail tour states plainly. The Local Laneway Bars and Stories walk is marked wheelchair accessible. In an emergency anywhere in Australia, the number to call is 000.102 Save it before you go out, along with your hotel address, and agree a meeting point with friends in case the group splits up between bars.

Getting home after a night in the laneways

Getting home is simple if you check the clock. Trams normally run from 5am until midnight on Monday to Thursday, and later on Friday and Saturday nights.94 On Fridays and Saturdays, trains and some trams and buses run through the night.2 On a weeknight, though, the last tram matters: check your route home before the third bar, not after the fifth, and keep a little battery for the journey planner.

No ticket is needed for trams inside the free zone, which spans the central grid and Docklands between Spring, Flinders and La Trobe streets.103 Outside it you need a myki, and failing to show a valid one to an inspector can lead to a fine.104 Touch on at the start of each trip.105 Choosing a hotel inside the zone means the walk home is short and the tram ride, when you need one, is free.

If your flight leaves early, Skybus leaves every 15 minutes from 4am to 1am, and the trip takes about 35 minutes.106 A taxi between the city and the airport costs about AUD 60.107 Plan the last bar around the last tram, and the night ends as well as it began. Taxis and rideshare are the fallback if you miss it, and the walk from most central hotels is short anyway.

FAQ

Fast answers to common questions.

Is there a walking bar tour in Melbourne?
Yes, several.

Yes: the laneway bar tour covers 4 independent bars across 3.5 hours, with the first drink included.

Where do Melbourne bar tours start?
Often at Gordon Reserve.

The small park opposite the Hotel Windsor; look for a guide with a blue umbrella.

What time do bar tours run?
Mid to late afternoon.

The laneway bar tour runs from mid to late afternoon.

Do I need ID for a bar tour?
Yes, bring photo ID.

One bar tour asks for photo identification to prove legal drinking age.

Where are the best bars in Melbourne?
In the laneways of the CBD.

Look in Chinatown's side lanes and up on the rooftops; many sit behind unmarked doors.99,16,3

Where can I hear live music in Melbourne?
All over the city.

Try AC/DC Lane, the Forum or Curtin House; the city has a free 3.5km music walk.30,93,11

How late do trams run?
Until about midnight on weeknights.

Trams normally run 5am to midnight Monday to Thursday, later on Friday and Saturday.94

Is there night transport at weekends?
Yes.

Trains and some trams and buses run through the night on Fridays and Saturdays.2

Sources

  1. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Melbourne music walk ↩
  2. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Public transport ↩
  3. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · The ultimate guide to Melbourne's hidden bars ↩
  4. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · The ultimate guide to Melbourne's hidden bars ↩
  5. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Where to find Melbourne's best hidden laneway bars ↩
  6. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Where to find Melbourne's best hidden laneway bars ↩
  7. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Where to find Melbourne's best hidden laneway bars ↩
  8. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Where to find Melbourne's best hidden laneway bars ↩
  9. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Things you can only eat in the city ↩
  10. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Where to find Melbourne's best hidden laneway bars ↩
  11. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Melbourne music walk ↩
  12. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Melbourne's best old-school pubs and bars ↩
  13. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Melbourne's best old-school pubs and bars ↩
  14. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Melbourne's best old-school pubs and bars ↩
  15. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Melbourne's best old-school pubs and bars ↩
  16. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · The best rooftop bars in Melbourne ↩
  17. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · The best rooftop bars in Melbourne ↩
  18. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · The best rooftop bars in Melbourne ↩
  19. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · 9 laneways only real Melburnians know ↩
  20. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Iconic laneways and arcades walk
  21. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Ultimate guide to Degraves Street
  22. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Iconic laneways and arcades walk
  23. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Iconic laneways and arcades walk
  24. Heritage Victoria (Victorian Heritage Database) · Block Arcade
  25. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Iconic laneways and arcades walk
  26. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Laneways and arcades
  27. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Nicholas Building
  28. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Laneways and arcades
  29. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Guide to Melbourne's best street art
  30. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Melbourne music walk ↩
  31. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Guide to Melbourne's best street art
  32. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Meyers Place
  33. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Iconic laneways and arcades walk
  34. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Iconic laneways and arcades walk
  35. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Street art walk
  36. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Iconic laneways and arcades walk
  37. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Iconic laneways and arcades walk
  38. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Iconic laneways and arcades walk
  39. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Nicholas Building
  40. Heritage Victoria (Victorian Heritage Database) · Block Arcade
  41. Heritage Victoria (Victorian Heritage Database) · Block Arcade
  42. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Royal Arcade
  43. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Royal Arcade
  44. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Iconic laneways and arcades walk
  45. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Iconic laneways and arcades walk
  46. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Iconic laneways and arcades walk
  47. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Iconic laneways and arcades walk
  48. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Iconic laneways and arcades walk
  49. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · The Strand
  50. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Iconic laneways and arcades walk
  51. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Iconic laneways and arcades walk
  52. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Iconic laneways and arcades walk
  53. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Centreway Arcade
  54. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Centreway Arcade
  55. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Classic icons and architecture walk
  56. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · The Capitol
  57. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Manchester Unity Building
  58. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Manchester Unity Building
  59. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Melbourne's best hidden laneway cafes
  60. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Street art walk
  61. Tourism Australia (australia.com) · Melbourne's hidden gems
  62. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Street art walk
  63. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Guide to Melbourne's best street art
  64. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Street art walk
  65. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Street art walk
  66. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Street art walk
  67. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Street art walk
  68. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Guide to Melbourne's best street art
  69. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Street art walk
  70. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Guide to Melbourne's best street art
  71. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Flinders Street Railway Station
  72. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Flinders Street Railway Station
  73. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Classic icons and architecture walk
  74. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Heart of the city walk
  75. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Free tours of iconic Melbourne places
  76. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · State Library Victoria
  77. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · State Library Victoria
  78. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Old Melbourne Gaol
  79. Old Treasury Building · Melbourne: Foundations of a City
  80. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Koorie Heritage Trust
  81. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Koorie Heritage Trust
  82. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Melbourne's best accessible Aboriginal experiences
  83. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Melbourne's best accessible Aboriginal experiences
  84. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Melbourne's best accessible Aboriginal experiences
  85. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Aboriginal Melbourne walk
  86. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Heart of the city walk
  87. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Aboriginal Melbourne walk
  88. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Things you can only see in the city
  89. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Aboriginal Melbourne walk
  90. Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria · Aboriginal Heritage Walk
  91. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Bunjilaka
  92. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Melbourne music walk ↩
  93. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Melbourne music walk ↩
  94. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Travel essentials ↩
  95. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Melbourne music walk ↩
  96. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Melbourne music walk ↩
  97. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Melbourne music walk ↩
  98. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Free things to do in Melbourne every day ↩
  99. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · 9 laneways only real Melburnians know ↩
  100. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Heart of the city walk ↩
  101. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · The ultimate guide to Melbourne's hidden bars ↩
  102. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Travel essentials ↩
  103. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Public transport ↩
  104. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Public transport ↩
  105. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Public transport ↩
  106. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Travel essentials ↩
  107. City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne) · Travel essentials ↩

Before you go

Hold a place, pay later.

Reserve now and pay later, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. The booking box on this page shows which days are free and what they cost today.

See what's open