Federation Square opened in 2002 to mark the centenary of Australian federation. Its angular, fractured-facade architecture houses the Ian Potter Centre of the National Gallery of Victoria, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image and event spaces. It faces Flinders Street Station and is Melbourne's main public gathering place.

Flinders Street Station is Melbourne's most famous landmark, completed in 1909 in an Edwardian Baroque style with a green copper dome and clock tower. Its row of clocks above the main entrance gave rise to the local phrase "meet me under the clocks". It remains one of the busiest suburban railway stations in Australia.

Hosier Lane is Melbourne's best-known street art laneway, its bluestone cobbles and walls covered with constantly changing graffiti, stencils and murals. Located opposite Federation Square, it reflects the city's thriving street art culture. Artists repaint the walls frequently, so each visit reveals something new.

Queen Victoria Market has been trading since 1878 and is the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere. Its historic sheds hold fresh produce, deli halls, meat and fish, alongside clothing and souvenir stalls. Seasonal night markets bring street food and live music to the heart of Melbourne.

The Royal Exhibition Building was completed in 1880 to host the Melbourne International Exhibition. Set in the Carlton Gardens, its grand dome and ornate facade blend Byzantine, Romanesque and Italian Renaissance styles. It hosted the opening of Australia's first federal parliament in 1901 and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.

The Brighton Bathing Boxes are 82 brightly painted beach huts lining Dendy Street Beach in the Melbourne bayside suburb of Brighton. Dating back over a century, they keep their original Victorian-era shape and are privately owned. Their colourful designs, with views across Port Phillip Bay to the city skyline, make them a favourite photo stop.

The Great Ocean Road stretches about 240 km along Victoria's southwest coast between Torquay and Allansford. Built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932 as a war memorial, it is the world's largest war memorial. The route passes surf beaches, rainforest, waterfalls, seaside towns such as Lorne and Apollo Bay, and dramatic limestone cliffs.

The Twelve Apostles are towering limestone stacks rising from the Southern Ocean beside the Great Ocean Road in Port Campbell National Park. Carved by waves over millions of years, the stacks reach up to 45 metres high, though only a handful remain today. Sunset and sunrise views from the boardwalk lookouts are especially popular.

Loch Ard Gorge is a sheltered inlet framed by sheer limestone cliffs near the Twelve Apostles. It is named after the clipper ship Loch Ard, which wrecked nearby in 1878; only two of the 54 people on board survived, washing ashore in the gorge. Walking trails explore the beach, blowholes and the Razorback formation.

Phillip Island lies about 140 km south of Melbourne and is best known for the Penguin Parade, where little penguins waddle ashore at dusk at Summerland Beach. The island also has a koala conservation reserve, seal colonies at the Nobbies, surf beaches and the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, which hosts motorcycle racing.

Wilsons Promontory, known as "the Prom", is the southernmost tip of mainland Australia and one of Victoria's most loved national parks. It features granite headlands, white sand beaches such as Squeaky Beach, and abundant wildlife including wombats, kangaroos and emus. Hiking trails range from short walks to multi-day treks.