Enjoy six unforgettable days exploring Melbourne and some of the spectacular scenery and wildlife just beyond the city. Discover Melbourne’s famous laneways, street art, café culture and creative spirit, while enjoying the city’s incredible vegan food scene along the way.

Beyond the city, we’ll travel along the breathtaking Great Ocean Road to the Twelve Apostles, discover the history and culture of Australia’s First Peoples at Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre, and venture to Phillip Island for the magical Penguin Parade. With a relaxed free afternoon built into the itinerary, there’s also time to explore at your own pace, making this the perfect combination of vegan food, culture, wildlife and some of Australia’s most spectacular scenery.

• 5 nights’ accommodation in a centrally located boutique hotel

• 5 delicious vegan dinners

• 5 hearty vegan breakfasts

• 4 satisfying vegan lunches

• All transportation throughout the tour

• Experienced vegan tour guide throughout

• Guided Melbourne laneways and city walking tour

• Aboriginal art gallery visit

• Full-day Great Ocean Road excursion

• Visit to the Twelve Apostles and other spectacular coastal viewpoints

• Melbourne City Circle Tram experience

• Visit to Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre

• Time to explore Melbourne’s parks and surrounding neighbourhoods

• Full-day Phillip Island excursion

• Koala sanctuary visit

• Penguin Parade experience

• Opportunities to spot other native Australian wildlife

Your Melbourne adventure begins as you arrive in the city and make your way to our centrally located boutique hotel. With five nights ahead of us, there’s plenty of time to settle in and start getting a feel for one of Australia’s most exciting and eclectic cities.

This evening, we’ll come together with your guide and fellow travellers for our first taste of Melbourne’s celebrated plant-based food scene. Expect a special dining experience showcasing the creativity and diversity of vegan cuisine in a city that has earned a reputation as Australia’s vegan capital.

Today we dive into the heart of Melbourne and discover what makes the city so distinctive. Melbourne’s famous laneways are full of surprises, from colourful street art and hidden courtyards to quirky shops, historic arcades and tiny cafés tucked away from the main streets. With a local guide leading the way, we’ll explore some of the city’s most atmospheric corners and uncover stories behind the places we pass.

We’ll also experience Melbourne’s legendary café culture and take a ride aboard the city’s iconic City Circle Tram, giving us a wonderfully local way to see some of Melbourne’s central sights.

Later, we’ll visit an impressive collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, offering an insight into the ancient cultures and artistic traditions of Australia’s First Peoples. And, of course, there’ll be more opportunities to sample Melbourne’s exceptional vegan food scene along the way.

Today is a big one as we leave Melbourne behind and set off along the spectacular Great Ocean Road, one of Australia’s most famous coastal journeys.

The road winds its way along dramatic cliffs and beautiful beaches, passing through charming seaside towns and spectacular stretches of coastline. We’ll make plenty of stops along the way to stretch our legs, take photos and simply soak up the scenery.

The highlight is the magnificent Twelve Apostles, where enormous limestone stacks rise dramatically from the Southern Ocean. It’s one of those Australian landscapes that really has to be seen in person to appreciate its scale and beauty. We’ll have time to explore and enjoy the views before continuing our journey along this unforgettable coastline.

After a full day of spectacular scenery, we’ll return to Melbourne for another memorable evening enjoying the city’s plant-based dining scene.

Today offers a change of pace as we explore another important part of Melbourne’s story. We’ll visit Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre at Melbourne Museum, where we’ll learn about the history, culture and continuing traditions of Victoria’s First Peoples. Through art, stories and exhibitions, it’s an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the world’s oldest continuing cultures.

Afterwards, we’ll explore some of the surrounding area and beautiful parks at a much more leisurely pace. This part of Melbourne offers a lovely contrast to the busy CBD, with plenty of green space, historic buildings and interesting neighbourhoods to discover.

The afternoon is yours to enjoy however you choose. Relax at the hotel, browse the shops, discover more of Melbourne independently or simply take some time to recharge before our final full day of adventure.

This evening, we’ll come together again to enjoy another memorable vegan dining experience.

Today we swap the city for the coast as we head south to Phillip Island, a beautiful island renowned for its beaches, rugged coastline and abundant wildlife.

As we explore the island, we’ll keep our eyes open for some of Australia’s most iconic animals. Kangaroos, wallabies and an array of native birdlife can all be found here, and there’s something rather special about seeing Australian wildlife in its natural surroundings.

But the big event comes at sunset. As daylight fades, we’ll take our place overlooking the beach and wait for one of Australia’s most charming wildlife spectacles — the Penguin Parade. One by one, little penguins emerge from the ocean and make their way up the beach towards their burrows. Watching these tiny penguins return home after a day at sea is a magical experience and a wonderful way to finish our Melbourne adventure.

We’ll then make our way back to Melbourne after our late evening, arriving at the hotel with plenty of stories to share from the day.

After a well-earned sleep-in following our late night at Phillip Island, we’ll meet for a relaxed final morning together.

There’ll be one last opportunity to enjoy Melbourne’s fantastic vegan food scene and reflect on the adventures of the past few days before our Melbourne extension comes to an end.

From here, you’re free to continue your travels, head home or perhaps stay a little longer and explore more of this wonderfully eclectic city.