Things to Do on a Rainy Day in Melbourne: LOTS of Ideas!

In the city of ‘four seasons in one day,’ the probability of encountering a rainy day in Melbourne is honestly quite high… no matter the season. Take it from me – I lived here for years and also spent time leading walking tours through the city, so I am extremely well-versed in all the things to do on a rainy day in Melbourne.

Waking up to all-day drizzle (or random huge storms) when you had a full day planned is definitely not ideal. But Melbourne is quite perfectly set up for this exact scenario. There are (literally) a thousand laneway cafes, some of the best museums in the southern hemisphere, hidden bars behind bookshelves and fridge doors, world-class restaurants tucked into places you’d never find on a sunny day, and some pretty epic views in this city – all in places you won’t have to get wet and can still make the most of your day.

Rainy mornings add a certain charm to Melbourne, especially once you learn that it’s non-negotiable to have an umbrella or rain shell on you here. On my tours, we’d spend longer inside places like the State Library, Royal arcade, or Fed Square on rainy days, and people would always come out saying those were the highlights of the whole trip. So, if you are visiting or living here and just need a new idea for a wet Sunday… here’s everything I’d do.

Museums, Galleries, and Indoor Spaces

Melbourne has some of the best museums in the country, a lot of them free, and almost all of them in or just south of the CBD. You could spend a whole rainy day just working through this list. Check out my List of 100 Things to Do in Melbourne for even more ideas once the sun comes back out.

• National Gallery of Victoria (NGV): This is the big one, and a really good one at that. The NGV rotates constantly between national and international exhibitions, and the traveling shows they bring through are seriously impressive (past ones have included Keith Haring, M.C. Escher, Terracotta Warriors, and more). Most of the permanent collection is free. They also do NGV Friday Nights in summer and winter, which involves music, food, drinks, and the exhibition without the crowds. If an NGV Fridya nights falls on your visit, I highly recommend it.
• State Library of Victoria: I used to bring tour groups here and watch jaws drop every single time. Beyond the gold rush history exhibits, the real reason to come is the La Trobe Reading Room – a five-story skylit dome lined with millions of books and old wooden reading tables below. It is one of the most beautiful spaces in Melbourne, free to enter, and there’s fast wifi if you want to set up and work for a few hours too (which I have done many times).
• Melbourne Museum: This is the most comprehensive museum on this list. There’s natural history, Melbourne’s social history, Indigenous culture, and a whole lot more. It could genuinely eat up a full day. It’s not free (generally around $25 for adults) but worth it. It’s in Carlton Gardens just north of the CBD.
• ACMI – Australian Centre for the Moving Image: This one is probably the most fun museum on the list if you love film, TV, or video games. It covers everything from early cinema to modern gaming with interactive exhibits and rotating shows, alongside a great permanent collection. It’s in Federation Square and free to enter.
• Ian Potter Centre: Also in Federation Square and also free. This one is an Australian art museum, so everything inside is made by Aussie and Indigenous artists, with a whole floor dedicated to First Nations art and cultural artifacts. It’s easy to combine with ACMI and the Koorie Heritage Trust since they’re all in the same square – knocking all three out in one go is a solid rainy day plan.
• Koorie Heritage Trust Cultural Centre: The best free place in the CBD to learn about Victorian Aboriginal history and culture. It’s in Federation Square, and really worth an hour if you want to understand Melbourne a bit more deeply.
• Old Melbourne Gaol: This is a real 1800s jail right in the middle of the city, now preserved as a museum on the RMIT campus (yes, students literally go to school in a jail). The Ned Kelly exhibit is fascinating, the building is genuinely creepy, and there are ghost tours running in the evenings too. Grab discounted tickets online before you go.
• Immigration Museum: Melbourne was built on gold rush immigration, and this museum traces who came, where from, and how it shaped the multicultural city we know today. It’s really well put together and almost always overlooked by visitors.

Indoor FUN Spaces:

These aren’t museums, but they are definitely indoors, perfect for rainy days, and funn of fun experiences.

• Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium: This one is right along the Yarra in the CBD and a great option if you have kids or just want to watch sharks for a couple of hours. Book in advance online for cheaper tickets.
• Crown Casino: This is worth including here, not just for gambling, but because the Crown complex is an experience on a rainy day, regardless. It’s the largest casino in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere, with gaming floors, food halls, bars, and restaurants all worth exploring even if you never touch a chip. There’s also a fire show on the hour every night outside on the Southbank promenade. And if you do feel like a flutter on the tables or the pokies… well, you’re in the right place.
• Strike Bowling QV or Melbourne Central: Both venues are right in the CBD and have bowling, escape rooms, arcades, and karaoke all under one roof for a truly epic and fun time. QV has three escape rooms (including a Casino Heist themed one, which feels almost too perfect for this article), and Melbourne Central’s is right above the train station, so it’s easy to get to no matter where you’re coming from in the rain.
• Holey Moley Melbourne CBD: This mini golf bar is on Little Bourke Street, with two full 18-hole mini golf courses upstairs and a Funhouse with more games downstairs. I adore this place and have been so many times! There’s another Holey Moley at Crown too, which includes escape rooms as well, so that’s a good option if you’re already over in Southbank.

Stay In, Rest Up, and Entertain Yourself

Sometimes a rainy Melbourne day is just an invitation to slow down, relax at home/in your hotel, and drink some tea to warm up, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

If you’re staying somewhere with a view – and Melbourne has a lot of options for that – now’s actually the time to enjoy your room properly instead of just sleeping in it. Laneways by Ovolo has great city-facing rooms with an artsy boutique hotel feel, and Crown Towers is the most luxurious option in Southbank if you want to go all out with epic views. Order room service or Uber Eats, get comfortable, and accept that today is a screen day.

Streaming Netflix or similar, scrolling social media, playing phone games, and getting stuck into a podcast are all completely valid things to do on a rainy day in Melbourne. If you want something a bit more interactive, play online casino games with online casinos australia with a live dealer from wherever you’re sitting – no rain gear required. Play some board games if you’re traveling in a group, sign up for group games online, or, honestly, just read a book. Melbourne is the kind of city where a few hours in bed with coffee and rain outside the window feels like a pretty good afternoon.

It’s also when the camera roll finally gets some attention. If you’ve been walking around Melbourne for a few days, you’ve probably got hundreds of unedited laneway photos and food shots sitting there. Open Lightroom, sort the folders, and send the family update you’ve been putting off for a week. Or just watch the rain like I love to do!

Find a View and Watch the Rain Come Down

Speaking of watching the rain, there’s something about being high up with a drink while it storms below that makes a rainy day feel like a deliberate choice. These views are spread around different parts of the city, so pick whichever one is closest to you.

• Eureka Skydeck: This is the 88th floor of the Eureka Tower in Southbank, making it the highest viewing platform in the southern hemisphere. Moody weather actually makes it pretty special – dramatic clouds, city lights coming on early, maybe some sunset colors if you’re lucky, and the whole skyline looking cinematic. Book discounted tickets in advance and try to time it for late afternoon.
• Naked for Satan (Fitzroy): This is the iconic rooftop above a Basque restaurant on Brunswick Street, with indoor and outdoor seating up top so light rain doesn’t close it down. It has the best view of northern Melbourne and the CBD skyline from the north side of the city. Open every day from noon, with daily happy hour. Oh, and the name comes from a Russian immigrant named Satanovich who ran an illegal vodka distillery here during the Great Depression and had to work naked because of the heat… very Melbourne.
• Loop Roof (CBD): This is a twin-tiered rooftop garden bar on Myers Place in the CBD. Level 3 has a retractable waterproof awning with heaters, so you can sit up there with cocktails while it rains outside and still feel like you’re experiencing the outdoors. There’s a lush vertical garden all around it, good city views, and walk-ins are welcome.
• Lui Bar (CBD): This one is on Level 55 of the Rialto Towers, fully enclosed, and the view over Port Phillip Bay and the whole city skyline is pretty hard to beat. It’s the fanciest option here with a minimum spend, but is worth it for a special occasion or if you just want to treat yourself. One important note: it’s only open certain days, so be sure to check.
• Mt View Hotel “A Bar Above” (Richmond): This is a classic sports pub on Bridge Road with a rooftop that has 360-degree views of the city, the MCG light towers, and the whole sporting precinct. The Bridge Road end has a retractable roof so it’s rain-friendly, and it’s a much more casual and affordable option than the others – craft beers, pub food, good vibes. It’s perfect if you’re already out in Richmond.

Spend the Morning in a Laneway Café

Melbourne has more cafes per capita than any other city in the world – over a thousand in the CBD alone which is insane if you think about it. On a rainy morning, a covered laneway with a flat white and something eggy is exactly where you want to be. Check out my Melbourne Brunch and Breakfast Guide for the full rundown, but for a wet day specifically, the covered and enclosed laneways are the move.

• Degraves Street: Sit at a table in the middle of the lane, order a coffee, and watch Melbourne go past. Café Andiamo is a solid pick here. This is the classic Melbourne rainy morning and I will never get tired of it.
• Block Place / Block Arcade: This is a covered laneway off the Block Arcade with a few cafes right next to each other. Vespa Rossa does an incredible French toast and a great Spanish breakfast. The Block and Royal Arcades themselves are gold rush-era covered shopping laneways with beautiful 1800s architecture, so they’re worth a wander while you’re there too.
• Higher Ground: This is a warehouse cafe with high ceilings, tons of plants, and a ricotta pancake you’ll think about for weeks. It’s a good one for a longer, more leisurely rainy morning.
• Krimper Café: This one is hidden down a laneway off another laneway in an old factory. It’s hard to find the first time, but it’s very worth finding and VERY Melbourne.
• Captains of Industry: This is on the second floor up a dark staircase off a laneway – cafe plus whiskey bar plus barber plus leather maker. There are old barber chairs, sewing machine tables, and a window looking out over Elizabeth Street. It’s my pick for the most Melbourne place in the CBD.
• Mr. Tulk: This one is right inside the State Library building, so it’s perfect if you’re combining a cafe stop with a museum and Library visit.

Sit the Rain Out in Some Hidden Bars

Melbourne’s hidden bar scene is something else, and a rainy afternoon is the perfect excuse to go hunting. I spent nearly a year leading walking tours to hidden bars in Melbourne and I can tell you this city has more weird and wonderful secret drinking spots than anywhere I’ve ever been. Here are the top ones I’d send someone to:

• Eau de Vie: Find the lantern at the end of Malthouse Lane, open the big wooden door, and walk into one of the most extraordinary cocktail bars you’ll ever see. Drinks come on fire, served inside shells, with nitrous gas poured tableside. It’s my top pick and the one I’d take anyone to first.
• Fall from Grace / State of Grace: Enter State of Grace, find the bookshelves on the left, pull the big red book labeled “Fall from Grace,” and a secret door slides open next to you. Descend the stairs, find a couch, and enjoy some seriously good cocktails in what feels like a Great Gatsby basement.
• Beneath Driver Lane: This one is down Driver Lane off Little Bourke Street, into a candle-lit basement that used to be a government money order office. The whole cocktail menu is written by the staff with their own twist on everything, and there’s live blues and jazz every weekend. A favorite of mine.
• Little Lon Distilling Co: This one is down Madame Brussels Lane in a tiny building that used to be a brothel in the 1800s, with a capacity of about 20 people. They distill four types of gin on site using fresh seasonal botanicals. Some of the best cocktails in Melbourne – go early or you won’t get in.
• Loch + Key: There’s no menu here. You tell the bartender a flavor, a spirit, a superhero, a mood, and they make you something. It’s upstairs in one of the oldest pubs in the CBD, with creaky floors, rumored ghosts, and some truly unhinged drink orders. I love it here.
• Berlin Bar: This one is modeled after Cold War Berlin, with an East side that’s broken down and bunker-style, and a West side that’s glitzy and nice. You choose which side of history to sit in. The cocktail menu has a literal flow chart to help you decide what to drink.
• Whitehart: This is down Whitehart Lane – two levels of shipping containers with street art on the walls, heaters in winter, and a rotating selection of craft beers from around the world. More casual than the others but always a fun crowd.
• Pizza Pizza Pizza: This is a tiny takeaway pizza shop selling $4 slices, and there’s a secret bar behind it. Ask to see the “secret menu.” It’s dark, slightly dingy, and they do daiquiris and alcoholic milkshakes. Completely absurd and very, very fun.

Markets and Indoor Shopping in Melbourne for a Rainy Day

• Queen Victoria Market: This is the southern hemisphere’s largest open-air market, open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with a lot of it covered so rain doesn’t shut things down. It’s great for souvenirs, fresh produce, and a cheap lunch. On Wednesday nights in summer, they do the QV Night Market with street food stalls and handmade crafts, which is by far one of the best things to do in Melbourne on a weekday evening, period – especially on a rainy day.
• South Melbourne Market: This one is open Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and it’s more of a locals’ market than QV – artisanal food, fresh produce, freshly shucked oysters, and a great lunch stop that’s a bit less chaotic.
• Block Arcade + Royal Arcade: These are the gold rush-era covered shopping arcades mentioned above, with beautiful 1800s architecture and interesting shops throughout. The Hopetoun Tea Rooms inside the Block Arcade does a proper high tea if that’s your vibe.
• Emporium Mall: This is the CBD’s main mall, stretching across several blocks from Myer on Bourke Street all the way to Melbourne Central station mall, ranging from designer shops to cheap food courts. It’s a good option for killing a couple of hours when it’s really coming down.

Get a Proper Melbourne Meal

A rainy day is a solid excuse for a long lunch or an early dinner somewhere you’ve been putting off.

• Hardware Lane: This is an Italian-style food lane in the CBD, with covered tables. On a rainy evening, it genuinely feels like you’ve ended up somewhere in Italy.
• Chinatown: This is one of the oldest Chinatowns in the world, with BYO dumpling houses in the laneways that are perfect for a rainy afternoon. Try Empress of China, China Red, or Shanghai Street – just pick whichever one has the shortest line.
• Chin Chin: This is Asian fusion on Flinders Lane. Book ahead. The “Feed Me” set menu is the move.
• Lygon Street, Carlton: This is the place for a long, slow Italian lunch with the rain outside. Most places are BYO. Try Tiamo or Brunetti.
• Southbank Promenade: This one is great for river views while it pours outside. Waterfront is good for upscale seafood, and Hopscotch is great for burgers and craft beers by the water. There are honestly tons of options.

Edit Photos, Journal, Plan the Next Thing

Rainy days are good for all the life admin that keeps getting pushed back. Editing photos, organising folders, backing things up, finally sending the family update you’ve been promising for two weeks… all oddly satisfying with rain outside. It’s also a good time to sort out the next part of your trip – trains, transport, restaurant bookings – before prices jump or places fill up, or simply plan your next adventure.

And if you’ve been going hard on Melbourne for a few days – which is very easy to do here – rest is a perfectly legitimate use of a rainy afternoon. Sleep in, watch movies, order food, or just do absolutely nothing. You’ll be glad you did when the sun comes back out.

Book a Massage or Spa

Getting a massage on a rainy day might be one of life’s simplest pleasures. There are a lot of different inds of spas around the city, ranging from super fancy spas to corner massage shops that feel like you transported to Bangkok or Bali.

If you want my recommendation – which is one of the unexpected and cheaper massage parlors with amazing massages that seems straight out of Asia – try Thai Thai Panisata Massage in St Kilda. For something more luxurious, the Crown Spa is one of the fancier options in the city. Or just look around whatever neighborhood you’re in. Melbourne has plenty of affordable Thai and Indonesian massage spots tucked between cafes, and you usually don’t need a booking on a weekday.

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Well, there you have it; a rainy Melbourne day doesn’t have to be a write-off. Which one of these rainy day activities in Melbourne are you starting with?