TWO DAY ACCESSIBLE MELBOURNE GUIDE
Morning, Day 1
Eat lemon curd French toast
Breakfast at Dame, nestled in the Collins Place atrium, is the perfect way to start the day. This sophisticated space has a range of seating including banquettes and chairs with arms and lots of space between tables. There are seats and tables in the atrium area too. Big windows draw the light in, and the three entrances are wide and step-free.
An all-day dining café, it’s hard to choose between the lamington chia pudding, French toast, or crab roll. An accessible bathroom is in the adjoining building and accessible platform super stops are just outside on Collins Street.
Ponder a Picasso
Discover an extraordinary art experience at NGV International. Offering permanent and touring exhibitions, the impressive collection features art from Australia and the world. Take advantage of talks, tours, programs for kids, films, late-night openings and performances.
Housed in one of Melbourne’s most iconic buildings, this bluestone beauty is fully accessible. The large gallery spaces, including the garden on the ground floor, are a breeze to get around. A lift takes you to each level and there are ramps and escalators throughout. Accessible toilets are on all three levels and wayfinding signage has Braille and raised letters.
Hire access aids like wheelchairs, a mobility scooter and self-regulation fidget devices for free, but you’ll need to book ahead. Companion Card holders pay concession and receive a complimentary ticket for their companion. Carer card holders receive concession-priced tickets too.
There are various experiences and resources for people with sensory disabilities. These include relaxed sessions, social stories, and sensory maps. Audio-described or Auslan-interpreted tours are also available. Service animals are welcome too. Accessible platform super stops are directly outside on St Kilda Road. Paid accessible parking is available at the Arts Centre and Australian Ballet Centre Car Park.
Discover a secret garden
Want to spend time in nature? Created to honour the pioneer women of Victoria, the Pioneer Women’s Memorial Garden is one of Melbourne’s hidden jewels. Located in Kings Domain, this sunken-walled garden is an unexpected delight.
Upon entering the garden, an even stone path surrounds a tranquil pond leading to a magical grotto. Bench seats with arms are dotted along the level paths throughout Kings Domain. Accessible public toilets are near Alexandra Avenue, and accessible platform super stops are on St Kilda Road.
Afternoon, Day 1
Delight in dumplings served by robots
Stop for lunch at Din Tai Fung, once described as serving the world’s tastiest dumplings. Made with skill and care, the xiao long bao are the most perfectly delicate steamed buns. You can indulge in noodles, fried rice and wok dishes made from the freshest ingredients too. And, then there are the robot waiters. Whether they’re leading you to your table or delivering food, it’s all part of the experience.
The restaurant is fully accessible with wide passageways, a range of seating and good height tables. A ramp leads to an accessible toilet within the restaurant. Tablets at each of the tables makes it easy to order and pay. Located in Emporium Melbourne, entry is by lift within the shopping centre. After-hours access is via the lift on the corner of Little Bourke Street and Caledonian Lane. Accessible platform super stops are on Elizabeth and Swanston Streets.
Try tapas on a terrace in the legal district
Picture this: Spanish food, on a terrace, nestled amongst modern and heritage buildings. Entering from Little Bourke Street via lift or stairs with handrails, MoVida Aqui is an accessible dream. Indoor tables are a good height for wheelchair users and chairs have arms. There’s lots of space between tables and an accessible toilet. And, the terrace has umbrellas to provide shade in warmer weather.
Crumpets with spanner crab, calamari sandwiches, or pork cutlets are just some of the treats worth trying. They have a long list of Spanish wines and non-alcoholic drinks too. Accessible platform super stops are close by on Bourke Street.
Come face to face with dinosaurs
After lunch, experience natural and cultural history at Melbourne Museum. See one of the most complete Triceratops fossils ever found. Stand in wonder at the size of the great Phar Lap. Smell the misty air and damp earth while you listen to the songs of birds in the Forest Gallery.
The building, collections, and exhibitions are designed to be accessible to as many visitors as possible. From tactile components for people with low vision to accessible toilets on all three levels. Lifts and ramps allow easy access to all areas. And, hearing loops and Auslan tours can assist people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Book in advance for free wheelchair and mobility scooter hire. Companion Card holders get free entry and assistance animals are welcome. An autism-friendly museum, there are low sensory sessions and downloadable social stories. Getting there is easy too, with accessible parking spaces in the car park and an accessible platform super stop on Nicholson Street.
Be inspired by a view unseen for 100 years
See the city from a different perspective at the Royal Exhibition Building’s Dome Promenade tour. Closed to the public for a century, the views over the Carlton Gardens are spectacular. The guided tour includes an exhibition exploring the building’s significant history and its varied uses over time.
Three levels, from the basement to the lower promenade, are accessible by lift. The upper promenade is only accessible by stairs with handrails. The lower promenade offers vistas to the east, west, and south. For people unable to access the upper promenade, a QR code provides digital versions of the view.
The tour starts in the Melbourne Museum foyer before heading across to the Royal Exhibition Building. Accessible toilets are available there. Accessible platform super stops are on Nicholson Street.
Evening, Day 1
Taste tantalising Aussie cuisine with Asian flavours
You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to dining spots in Melbourne, but it’s hard to go past Aru. Modern Australian with an Asian influence, try the roast chicken with Vietnamese mint and tamarind. Moreton Bay Bug fried rice and pavlova with blood plum are great options too.
A wide auto glass door invites you into the stunning space. Wood panelling, low lighting and muted colours create a serene atmosphere. The dining area has banquettes and chairs with arms and a mix of high and low seating overlooking the kitchen. There is also an accessible toilet. Nearby Swanston Street has accessible platform super stops.
Find joy in fluffy ricotta kisses
Little balls of fried sweet dough made with ricotta cheese. Baked scallops, handmade pasta, slow-roasted lamb. All served in a minimalist space where video installations by acclaimed Australian artists light up the walls. Di Stasio Citta celebrates food, art, and architecture and it’s all accessible too.
An auto door leads the way to a spacious restaurant with room between tables. Big windows frame the Treasury Gardens, located opposite. Press-button auto doors open to the modern accessible toilets. There are several accessible car parking spots outside on Spring Street. Platform super stops are around the corner on Collins Street.
Late night, Day 1
Sip cocktails in the sky
Not ready to call it a night? Take in spectacular views at one of the city’s tallest rooftop bars, Fable Melbourne. Entering the building via auto doors, a lift takes you up to level 13. It also takes you to the accessible toilet on level 5. This all-seasons spot has a retractable roof and a range of seating including cozy booths and chairs with arms. Bar snacks, cheese platters and desserts are served late into the night. But it’s the cocktails, massive wine list and beers on tap that make the ascent worth it. Accessible platform super stops are only a block away on Swanston Street.
Morning, Day 2
Enjoy local produce at a zero food waste café
Whether it’s the breakfast muffins, potato rosti, or Reuben sandwich, you’ll feel good eating at this spot. A neighbourhood café and wine bar, Cassette in Kensington is committed to saving food from rotting in landfill.
Designed with accessibility in mind, an auto door leads to the wide entrance ramp. There is bench seating, couches, stools and chairs. Toilets are accessible and tables are an ideal height for wheelchair users. Local brutalist-style train station, Macaulay, is not too far away.
Explore your wild side
Love lions? Or have a thing for elephants? Maybe monkeys are more your thing? With over 200 species, whichever animal is your favourite, you’re likely to find it at the Melbourne Zoo.
Be guided by the easy-to-follow path system with seats dotted along the way when you need to take a break. There are several accessible toilets, including a Changing Places facility. Book ahead to hire one of the free wheelchairs.
Assistance animals are permitted but not in all areas due to quarantine restrictions and safety risks. There are discounts for Carer and Companion Card holders. And people with sensory disabilities can download a sensory map or a social script before their visit. You’ll find accessible parking at both entrances, and accessible trams depart from the city centre every six minutes.
Afternoon, Day 2
Eat lunch in a converted warehouse
Looking for a hidden gem? Located in one of Melbourne’s iconic laneways, Krimper is unique, rustic, and fully accessible. Entry is via wide wooden doors which open into a large space. A mix of seating includes chairs and church pews. And delicious treats are displayed in an easy-to-see glass cabinet. There’s an accessible toilet too.
Serving brunch classics, burgers and salads, there’s something on the menu for everyone. Flagstaff Station is only a couple of blocks away and accessible platform super stops are on nearby Elizabeth Street.
Shop ‘til you drop
Colourful, tactile and beautifully shaped, no Melbourne shopping spree is complete without a visit to Dinosaur Designs. Renowned for its handmade resin jewellery, homewares are also part of their collection. Housed in The Strand Melbourne retail gallery, the store has a large inviting entrance. It’s easy to move around in and products are displayed at varying heights in glass cabinets and shelves. Entry to The Strand Melbourne is via both Elizabeth Street and Emporium Melbourne shopping centre. The store is close to accessible platform super stops on Elizabeth Street.
Looking for a fresh take on classic styles and cuts? Melbourne fashion label, Alpha60 embodies unique design with sophisticated quirk. Choose from cool denim pieces, dresses, knitwear and accessories too. In the heart of the city, the Alpha60 Chapter House concept store is like no other. Serene with cathedral-high ceilings and stained-glass windows, it’s fully accessible. A lift takes you to the second-floor awe-inspiring space. There’s lots of room to move around. Mannequins model clothes making it easy to decide what to try on. And huge dressing rooms with curtains have bench seats inside. Part of St Paul’s Cathedral, this hidden gem is close to Flinders Street Station and accessible platform stops on Swanston Street.
Evening, Day 2
Sneak in a snack before the show
Melbourne has an array of theatres where you can catch a live performance any night of the week. Landmarks of the city, many are historically and architecturally significant. Old grand buildings with gargoyles or modern masterpieces, all have accessible features. So you don’t have to fill up on box office snacks during interval, get a bite at one of these pre-show dining spots.
Seeing something in and around Arts Centre Melbourne? Fast and fabulous, Taxi Kitchen’s showstopper menu is perfect before or after a show. Entering via lift from Fed Square there’s lots of room to move between tables. Light filled, with incredible views, you can get to the accessible toilet one floor down on the mezzanine level via lift. With pre-theatre dining at The Deck, you’ll get European cuisine and amazing views from the accessible terrace. A lift in the Southgate shopping centre takes you to the wide entrance and the accessible toilet one floor below.
With the Princess Theatre, Comedy Theatre and Her Majesty’s Theatre in the eastern end of town there are lots of restaurants to choose from. All-day eating house Antara 128, has auto door entry, lots of room between tables and an accessible toilet. The Imperial offers classic pub grub, has a wide entry on Spring Street, and accessible toilets on the ground and rooftop levels, accessible by lift.
If you’re catching a gig at the Forum, a play at the Athenaeum Theatre, or a musical at the Regent Theatre these spots are close by. Enjoy lobster rolls before a show at Supernormal. Tables are the perfect wheelchair height and an accessible toilet downstairs is accessed by lift with help from staff. George on Collins’s pre-theatre dining package is perfect if you’re time-limited. There’s a lift down to the lower ground floor and a platform lift with staff assistance takes you up to the restaurant. An accessible toilet is there as well.
When you want to keep the good times rolling
Looking for late-night tapas? Spanish restaurant and rooftop bar Bomba is the place to go. Cheese croquettes, chickpea fritters and even churros with chocolate are served. But it’s really about the drinks. Vermouth from Europe and Australia, cool cocktails and a long list of Spanish wines.
The ground floor restaurant is spacious and light-filled with an accessible toilet on the same floor. The all-weather fifth-floor rooftop bar is accessible via lift and has a range of high and low seating. The closest accessible platform super stop is on Bourke Street, and Parliament Station is not too far away.