Cheap Flights to Melbourne in December
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Weather & Crowds in December
Early summer with long days and a festive atmosphere. Australian Open qualifying fills the last week, and New Year's Eve fireworks over the city are spectacular.
Melbourne in December
Summer arrives and the city fills with Australian holidaymakers from other states. Christmas in summer is genuinely disorienting and fun for Americans — outdoor carols, Christmas lights in 80°F heat, beaches packed. New Year's Eve fireworks over the city from the Southbank are spectacular. Flights from the US are at peak prices; the Australian Open qualifying the last week means tennis players and fans are already arriving.
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Quick Reference
Daily Budget in Melbourne
A$30 hostel dorm in St Kilda, A$15 café breakfast + A$10 banh mi lunch + A$20 pub meal for dinner, A$10 daily Myki tram/train pass, A$5 coffee
A$180 mid-range hotel in Fitzroy or Richmond, A$20 brunch at a proper café, A$15 lunch, A$60 dinner with wine at a restaurant like Tipo 00 or Anchovy, A$10 transport, A$15 museum entry or activity
A$400+ room at The Langham or Park Hyatt, A$40 hotel breakfast, A$40 lunch at Supernormal or Vue de Monde bar, A$150 dinner at Attica or Dinner by Heston, A$30 craft cocktails, A$20 rideshares
Buy a Myki card (Melbourne's transit smartcard, A$6 at 7-Eleven or any train station) immediately on arrival at Southern Cross Station — trams and trains in the inner city are free within the free tram zone covering the entire CBD, which means you can sightsee all day from the CBD to Docklands to Flinders Street without spending a cent on transport. Load A$50 on the card and it covers you for trams to St Kilda, trains to Richmond, and even day trips to the Dandenong Ranges — all cheaper than any rideshare.
Where to Stay
The grid of laneways between Flinders Lane and Bourke Street is ground zero for Melbourne's café and bar culture — Degraves Street, Centre Place, and Hardware Lane are essential walks. Most major hotels sit here. Good for first-timers but residential neighborhoods offer a more authentic vibe.
Melbourne's original bohemian neighborhood has gentrified without losing its edge. Brunswick Street and Smith Street are lined with excellent restaurants (Cutler & Co., Rosamond), vintage clothing, and bars. 20-minute tram ride from the CBD on route 86 — staying here beats staying downtown for atmosphere.
Fitzroy's grittier neighbor has become Melbourne's hottest restaurant and bar corridor along Smith Street continuing into Johnston Street. The Collingwood Arts Precinct anchors a creative community. Accommodation options are thinner but Airbnbs are plentiful and significantly cheaper than CBD hotels.
Chapel Street is Melbourne's luxury shopping strip — think Melbourne's answer to Rodeo Drive crossed with a great café scene. The Como Hotel and Lyall Hotel anchor the luxury accommodation here. Richmond (adjacent) has the city's best Vietnamese dining strip on Victoria Street.
Beachside suburb with an esplanade, historic Luna Park amusement park, and the best backpacker hostel scene in the city. Acland Street has legendary European-style cake shops. 30-minute tram from the CBD (route 96 from Bourke Street). More casual and outdoorsy than inner-city neighborhoods.
Vietnamese food on Victoria Street ('Little Saigon') is a Melbourne institution — pho at Thy Thy or Pho Hung is better and cheaper than 99% of what you'll find in the US. Walking distance to the MCG. Lots of Airbnb options and solid value apartment hotels.
Events & Festivals
The first Grand Slam of the tennis year takes over Melbourne Park for two weeks in mid-to-late January, drawing the biggest names in global tennis. Ground passes (A$50–80) get you access to outer courts with world-ranked players in early rounds — a genuinely great value experience without needing expensive center court tickets.
Australia's most prestigious food festival runs for 10+ days in March with events ranging from free market sessions to A$300 dinners at restaurants like Attica. The World's Longest Lunch (long tables along an iconic Melbourne street) is the signature event and books out months ahead.
The F1 season opener is held at Albert Park lake circuit, a short tram ride from the CBD, on the third weekend of March. Incredibly festive — even non-F1 fans go for the spectacle and the access to live music events running parallel. 4-day passes cost A$200–800 depending on grandstand.
One of the oldest film festivals in the world (running since 1952) takes over CBD cinemas for three weeks in late July/August. World premieres, documentaries, and cult cinema — individual tickets are A$25 and the atmosphere at midnight screenings is electric.
Australian Rules Football's championship game at the 100,000-seat MCG on the last Saturday of September is the singular sporting event of the Australian calendar. If you can't score a ticket (they're allocated by club membership ballot, not open sale), watch it at any pub in the city — the atmosphere is unforgettable and the week leading up to it is a street festival.
The first Tuesday in November is a public holiday in Melbourne specifically for a horse race — the Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse. The whole city dresses up in suits and fascinators and watches the race. A unique day that feels like nothing else in the world — even if you don't go to the track, you need to be in a pub at 3pm.
Other Good Times to Visit Melbourne
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