I moved to Melbourne in 2013 and I have loved every single second I have spent in this city. I go to RMIT eleven hours a week and work one day a week at Loud & Clear, a company in the CBD. So I’ve got a lot of time on my hands, and as much as I would like to pretend I’m super busy and in demand, let’s be honest, I’m not really.  But enough about me, let’s talk about you!

So you’re en route to your holiday destination (lucky you), and you have a stop over in little old Melbourne town. 24 hours. What do you do?

1.Jump on a SkyBus

SkyBus is a company that runs 24 hours, 7 days a week and will get you right into the heart of the city within 20 minutes.

2. Eat

I bet you will be super full and satisfied after eating the culinary masterpiece that was your plane meal. But, if there is a slight chance you are peckish, make the most of the food offered in Melbourne. Being the multicultural city it is, you can have pretty much whatever you want. Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Moroccan, Ethiopian, Italian, Lebanese or Korean, so whichever nationality’s food tickles your fancy, Melbourne’s got it. And trust me, you should eat it, because its delicious and in abundance.

3. Drink

Once you’ve eaten, why not unwind in one of our many bars? Try Degraves Street in the city for something quintessentially Melbourne. Any bar on South Bank will have a view over the Yarra River, Chapel Street has numerous quirky bars (my favourite is the 3 Monkeys), or Sydney Road in the city’s northeastern suburbs is lined with indie pubs and bars. The drinking culture in Australia is wholly embraced in Melbourne in a quirky, beautiful and classic way. And if you only have 24 hours in Melbourne, do yourself a favour and enjoy it with a glass of wine (or four).

4. Shop

Melbourne’s fashion scene is unparalleled. Riddled with local designers and pop up stores, Melbourne may not be as famous for its fashion scene as New York or Milan, but it does not disappoint. If it’s designer brands you want, Melbourne has it. If it’s cheap bargains and market discoveries you’re after, Melbourne has it. If you want a one of a kind piece, something vintage or something collectible, Melbourne has that too. Hit up Chapel Street for something special (with a capital $) or the CBD’s many shopping centres like Emporium, DFO South Wharf or Melbourne Central.

5. See things

See all the beautiful things Melbourne has on show. Use our trams and trains to get around and see our beautiful city. The Royal Melbourne Botanic Gardens never disappoint. Or take a free tram along one of the tree lined streets like Collins and Bourke down to the Yarra River.

6. Do things

Whoever you are, there is always, always, always something for you to do in Melbourne and usually, there is something to do for free. Free music, free exhibitions, street performances, protests or rallies, workshops or shows. Check out the Eureka Skydeck or the National Gallery of Victoria. For something not so typically Melbourne, check out the new Escape Rooms in QV in the city or go ice skating at Icehouse in the Docklands.

Check out this website for all things to do and see in Melbourne.

7. Eat and drink some more

Enough said?

8. Recover on your next plane trip

So once you’ve shopped, seen, eaten and drunk yourself silly, you look at your watch and have just enough time to get on a SkyBus back to Tullamarine Airport and check in for your next flight. There is a reason that Melbourne has been dubbed ‘The Most Liveable City’. It’s because when you fully immerse yourself in Melbourne, you will feel alive. Melbourne will make you feel like you are making the most of every day and living your life in a city that loves you back. Take your next plane trip to relax and plan your next visit to Melbourne, because you will want to come back. Melbourne will do that to you.

Written by April Lipson.