St Kilda Day Trip from Melbourne, Australia

If you’re travelling to Melbourne and want to get out of the big city, a day trip to St Kilda from Melbourne might just be your answer.

St Kilda is an area of Melbourne that’s right on the beachfront and not far away from the CBD (Melbourne Central). There is lots to do here and is a perfect location to stay but if you’re not in town for long, this is an itinerary for a St Kilda Day Trip from Melbourne.

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Where is St Kilda?

St Kilda is technically a city in Victoria but I would describe it as a suburb of Melbourne on the beach. It’s one of those places that after you visit for a day trip, you’ll be back for more and eventually you’ll move there, as I did.

How to get to St Kilda from Melbourne CBD

St Kilda is approximately 4/5 miles from Melbourne CBD so is around a half hour drive away depending on traffic, weather, etc.

Uber

Uber is your friend in Australia. If you download the Uber app and are a first-time user, you can get £3 off your first ride using my code shireena1093ui.

A usual ride from Melbourne CBD to St Kilda costs around $13 so really isn’t that expensive if there are a few of you sharing. Of course, there’s always shared Uber you can get too.

Tram

The tram system in Melbourne is organised, efficient and well-priced. To use any public transport in Melbourne, you need a Myki card to travel. You can buy a Myki card at 7/11 for $6 and top it up there or at many stops around the city. A one-way ride costs $4.40. The best trams to take would be the 96, 16 and 3a because they take you the whole way to St Kilda beach.

Bus

If you get the bus on route 246, it takes you right into the heart of St Kilda. There are several stops along the way and you can use your Myki card for this too.

Alternatively, you can cycle or even walk if you’re feeling fit (beware though it’s a long walk and I wouldn’t do it).

St Kilda Day Trip from Melbourne

So you’ve left the centre of the city and you’re wondering what is there to do in St Kilda. St Kilda is a wonderful neighbourhood, full of backpackers and families getting their holiday time in the closest beach resort to Melbourne. Below are some ideas for how to spend a day in St Kilda suburb.

1 Day in St Kilda: What to Do

For 1 day in St Kilda there is plenty to do and this is an itinerary for your St Kilda day trip:

Walk / skate / cycle the boardwalk
Browse the Botanical Gardens
Grab some lunch
Fun at Luna Park
Downtime at the beach
Go to one of the many European Cake Shops
Watch the Sunset over the harbour
See the resident Penguins
Party

Morning in St Kilda

Promenade and Park

To start your St Kilda day trip, I’d recommend just taking a stroll on the Esplanade to get a nice first impression of the neighbourhood. Walking the promenade, you’ll be able to see potential spots for some beach time later, look over the city of Melbourne, watch kitesurfing and breathe in the ocean scents.

From the Esplanade, you can walk about 5-10 minutes to reach the Botanical Gardens. Walk up Acland Street, turn right at the end, cross the road and you’ll see signs for the gardens. Lined with palm trees, there are footpaths between the grass and floral surroundings, perfect to reconnect with nature and take some chill time.

Where to eat Lunch in St Kilda

St Kilda isn’t short of eateries and has lots of choices to satisfy your palette. There are generic venues to eat like McDonalds and Subway, Asian restaurants, Vegan joints and budget-friendly places. Some places I would recommend for lunch would be:

Fat Jaks for all types of burger and hot dogs. Try the Aussie style with beetroot and egg in your bun!

Lentil As Anything for vegan meals and pay what you think the food is worth. This place is run by volunteers too so every little helps.

La Roche for budget-friendly pizzas and pastas. They have great deals at happy hour too!

St Kilda Day Trip: The Afternoon

Rides, Relish and Relax

One of the best things to do in St Kilda is visit Luna Park. With its huge facial entrance, you can’t miss it as you step off the tram and while walking around you’ll hear the screams coming from the rides within the theme park.

When is Luna Park Open?

Luna Park is open on Weekends and public / school holidays.

How Much Does Luna Park Cost?

Entry Only: $5
Single Ride Ticket for Over 13: $10.95
Single Ride Ticket for 4-12: $9.95
Single Ride Ticket for 3 and Under: $4.95
Unlimited Ride Ticket for Over 13: $49.95
Unlimited Ride Ticket for 4-12: $39.95
Unlimited Ride Ticket for 3 and Under: $17.50
Family Pass (4xUnlimited Rides): $149.95

After you’ve released your inner-child at the amusement park, head to Acland Street and go to one of the many European-style cake shops to relish in all sorts of baked goodness!

End the afternoon of your day trip at St Kilda Beach with a dip in the ocean and relax on the soft sand.

Sunset in St Kilda

All day trips to St Kilda from Melbourne should include a sunset. Watching the sun go down is the best thing to do on any day trip especially if you’re sat on the beach and the horizon darkens before your eyes over the ocean! St Kilda beach is just the place to do this with gorgeous colours woven amongst the clouds with Melbourne city in the distance!

Then comes the best part of the St Kilda day trip from Melbourne…

How to See Penguins in St Kilda

You need to wait for sunset for your best chance to see Penguins in Melbourne. Shortly after sunset, the penguin colony starts to emerge from the ocean and take rest on the rocks of the harbour. To see the penguins in St Kilda, you need to walk the length of the beach until you reach St Kilda Pier. From here, you will see the restaurant called Republica and St Kilda Sea Baths which you’ll need to walk past to get to the pier boardwalk. Walk the entire length of the pier (takes around 5 minutes) until you reach the end and you see lots of people and potentially hear the birds.

There are volunteers who monitor the area to protect the penguins and there are some rules such as: you cannot use your flash to take pictures of the penguins and you must remain a safe distance away from them. The first penguin I saw was on his own quite close to the boardwalk, looking curiously at the spectators. After the first penguin, I seen about 15 more all dotted around the rocks, some were poking their heads up, some were on the beach in groups and two were… well, you know what. It was a great experience to see these in the wild.

Note: It gets windy at the edge of the pier so the best time to go would be when it’s a warm summer night.

St Kilda at Night

Where to Party in St Kilda

St Kilda is home to many, many bars, pubs and clubs and every night of the week there is somewhere to enjoy a few bevs. Every Melbourne travel blog will tell you the main strips are Acland Street, Fitzroy Street and Carlisle Street. Some places I’ve tried are listed below.

Casual pubs: Fifth Province, Village Belle Hotel, Prince of Wales, Jimmy O’Neils.

Night clubs: 29th Apartment, Veludos.

Bars: Lonas, Iddy Biddy Bar, Vineyard, Pontoon.

Alternatively, Chapel Street is a long road full of the same vibes and not too far from St Kilda.

Want more than a day trip?

When I moved to Australia on a Working Holiday Visa, I came straight to Melbourne and did this day trip to St Kilda and came back for more at any given chance. I eventually realised that this was where I needed to live and it was the best decision I made because I love it here!

Read this guide for your own Working Holiday Visa for Oz!

Recommended Accommodation in St Kilda

I always use booking.com to book my accommodation around the world. Here are some of the best hostels to stay in St Kilda:

Base

The majority of people I know who have visited St Kilda have stayed at Base Backpackers because of its cheap bunks and packed-out schedule for party nights. If you want to see for yourself, you can book here.

Habitat HQ

For those who stay a bit longer in Melbourne for work/extended holiday prefer to stay at Habitat because of the friendly vibes and quick access to public transport and ideal location in St Kilda. Book your stay here.

Ritz for Backpackers

Nomads St Kilda

If you visit St Kilda, let me know what you think about the area 🙂

Australia Blog Posts:

Great Ocean Road Trip
What is Melbourne Culture?
How to Get a WHV for Oz
How to Move to Melbourne
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