Where to see Melbourne’s Best Street Art [UPDATED FOR 2026]

Melbourne is one of the great street art cities of the world. Rather than fighting against graffiti and street artists, the city has embraced the culture and recognised their talent. In opening up the once unloved and neglected laneways as creative spaces while commissioning large-scale murals, the city has been transformed into a colourful and energetic landscape.

One of the best things about Melbourne’s street art scene is that it’s constantly evolving. Artists regularly repaint walls and laneways, meaning there’s always something new to discover, even just a few days later. Best of all, they are all completely free to explore.

If you’re visiting Melbourne, checking out the city’s street art is a must. It has become an integral part of Melbourne’s famous laneway culture and one of the city’s most unique attractions.

Here are some of the best places to see Melbourne’s famous street art.

Melbourne’s Best Laneways and Where to Find Them

Ok, you wanna explore the best Melbourne street art, well, mate, you’re in the right place! After calling the city home for two years, I’ve spent a good amount of time weaving in and out of the laneways of Melbourne, discovering all the best spots. It’s one of the real benefits of slow travel that I was able to really get below the surface of the city.

Before we get into the best laneways to visit, let’s take a look at how to actually get to them! The good news is that all the ones on this list are within the CBD, and most people will be able to easily navigate them on foot once they’re in the city centre.

I’ve marked them all off on this map here for you. If you click on it, then it will open up Google Maps, and you can explore at your leisure. Enjoy!

The Best Way to Visit the Laneways

As you can see from the map provided, all of Melbourne’s best street art is located within the CBD. So you’re easily able to explore all of these by foot and the free Melbourne city circle tram service in one day. I’d definitely leave a day in your Melbourne itinerary for street art hunting.

One of our favourite things about exploring Melbourne on foot is that there’s always something new to discover. I’ve listed all of the main and some of our favourite laneways in this post, but there are heaps of other smaller hidden gems you might stumble across whilst exploring.

If you would like to learn a little bit more about the history behind some of the laneways, or if you’re prone to getting lost! Then a great alternative is to take an organised walking tour. Below is one that we would personally recommend, because it covers all of the main laneways, and you get to hear the unique perspective of one of the street artists.

The 11 Best Laneways for Street Art

Alright then, let’s check out the best laneways to discover the epic street art in Melbourne. It’s these iconic passageways that give the city its unique, gritty and alternative vibe that we fell in love with.

1. Hosier Lane

If you’re visiting Melbourne for the first time, Hosier Lane is a must-see. This graffiti-covered lane is probably the most well-known street art laneway in Melbourne, and you will always see people walking through and admiring the art.

Located between Flinders Street and Flinders Lane, just east of St Paul’s Cathedral, Hosier Lane is easily accessible, right in the heart of Melbourne. While you’re in Hosier Lane, grab a coffee at Good 2 Go – a little hole-in-the-wall coffee shop that donates to the homeless.

Hosier Lane is probably Melbourne’s best street art laneway, and visiting is never the same, even two days in a row, as it’s a constantly evolving and changing canvas of colour. My hot tip for your Australia trip is to give yourself enough time to come back a few times to see it evolve in real time.

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2. Rutledge Lane

Within Hosier Lane itself, there is another laneway that branches off in a crescent shape, where you can wander through and join back onto Hosier Lane. This little lane is known as Rutledge Lane and is impressive when it comes to Melbourne street art. For budget travellers its also one of the most incredible experiences you can have without spending a cent.

A few years ago, all the walls were covered over to provide the street artists with a blank canvas, but it didn’t take them long to fill up the walls again. Amazing street art climbs all the way up the walls to heights that will make you wonder how the artists even got there. They’ve even painted the bins down here!

3. Union Lane

Located right in the middle of the CBD’s main shopping precinct, Union Lane is a long, narrow laneway which connects the Bourke Street Mall with Little Collins Street. The entire lane is filled with stunning, ever-changing graffiti art, and the length of the lane means that you can spend quite some time here wandering along and admiring the different work.

It is a good way to take a break from shopping in the busy Bourke Street Mall and one of the top places to catch the famous Melbourne street art.

4. Degraves Street

Degraves Street is an excellent laneway to visit for its European feel and its abundance of amazing cafes. This is always a busy place, and it connects Flinders Street with Flinders Lane. The northern end of the street is where the cafes are located, while the southern end has several nice street art murals to check out after lunch or a coffee.

Whilst it’s not necessarily the top spot if you’re looking for Melbourne’s best street art, overall, it has a very different vibe to the other laneways, and it’s a nice place to grab a coffee and soak in the atmosphere.

5. Centre Place

Centre Place, running off Flinders Lane, is what Melbourne Laneways are all about. This busy little lane is full of unique little cafes, bars, shops and restaurants, and the walls along the lane are filled with exquisite street art and murals.

While you’re checking out the art, stop in at the Soup Place for a nice cup of soup and to support the homeless. It’s ideal for those on a budget whilst travelling in Australia. Or have a drink at Hell’s Kitchen – an upstairs bar with window seats that are perfect for people watching in the laneway.

6. AC/DC Lane

Named after the famous Aussie rock band, AC/DC Lane, running off Flinders Lane just east of the amazing Chin Chin restaurant, is another cool little street art lane to check out. There are lots of cafes and bars to try out in the area, so you could grab a coffee and take a stroll through to admire the art.

Down this little laneway, you will find the Jack & Bones Island Bar – perfect for a craft beer or a cocktail. We are also huge fans of AC/DC, so we couldn’t visit Melbourne without paying tribute to this amazing band!

7. Duckboard Place

AC/DC Lane then turns into Duckboard Place, which in turn goes around the corner to connect back onto Flinders Lane, so you can make this a walk-through street art tour. The walls of Duckboard Place are adorned with fantastic street art, and there are several cool bars and restaurants to check out.

Lee Ho Fook offers some great Asian fusion food, while Rose Garden is a good spot for a cocktail. This is one of our favourite places to go Melbourne street art hunting, and being into tattoos, I love the Melbourne Rose on this laneway.

8. Caledonian Lane

Caledonian Lane might just be the narrowest laneway in Melbourne, but it is well worth taking a walk through. Located between Little Bourke Street and Lonsdale Street is one of the places to really see the Melbourne street art in its purest form.

This narrow, open-air laneway isn’t quite as full on as some of the other laneways in Melbourne when it comes to murals, but it has some nice graffiti and expressionist pieces to check out and is also often less crowded than many of the Melbourne street art hotspots, despite being mega central.

9. Cocker Alley

Cocker Alley is the tiniest smidgeon of a laneway running off Flinders Lane, just west of Swanston Street. This little alley is worth a quick look for its ever-changing graffiti art, where there is always something new to check out, and it is one of the off-the-beaten-track locations for Melbourne street art.

If you find Hosier Lane way too busy, then you’ll often find you have this laneway all to yourself. It’s the perfect way to beat the crowds when searching out Melbourne’s best street art.

10. Drewery Lane

Drewery Lane, located between Lonsdale and Little Lonsdale Street, doesn’t look like much at first sight, and is the sort of lane you might just walk straight past; but explore further, and you will be pleasantly surprised.

There is a cool Melbourne street art project happening here by the mosaic artist, Sankar Nadeson, who is slowly covering the walls in his exquisite tiled artwork. It offers something a little different to all the other street art laneways in Melbourne.

11. Finlay Alley

Another laneway that you could easily walk past without looking any further is Finlay Alley, which runs off Little Lonsdale Street before turning right to connect to Queen Street. This is one of Melbourne’s more forgotten laneways, but it is home to some excellent street art and murals, all well worth checking out during your street art tour of the Melbourne street art scene.

History of the Laneways

Now I’ve shown you where to visit, let’s take a quick look at the interesting Melbourne laneways’ history. Hidden behind main roads and tucked away down side streets, these laneways have evolved over the years to be the heartland of the creative scene in the CBD. Most of them began life as humble service or shortcut passages for the workers of the city.

These laneways allowed access to the factories, warehouses and stables of the city without clogging up the main streets. Pretty ingenious, really. Over the years, many fell into disrepair as the city moved on from industrialisation. They were dirty, unsafe and neglected before attitudes changed, and they were embraced as a unique urban space.

From their unsuspecting beginnings, they’ve become one of the biggest attractions in the city and even boost the economy of the area. Many of the laneways, such as Hosier Lane, have become internationally renowned for the quality and quantity of street art.

Some of the laneways are famous for their cafes, restaurants and independent shops, whereas others have become legal places for artists to bring their best work to life on an ever-evolving canvas. Some are both!

If you want to learn more and do a deep dive into the unique culture and history of the laneways and their street art, then I highly recommend going on a guided tour with a local.

Best Overall Accommodation For Street Art Hunting

Hotel: Hotel Indigo Melbourne Little Collins

• Perfect location in the CBD. 
• Fitness centre
• Modern on-site restaurant
• Comfortable rooms with balconies

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Exploring Melbourne’s Best Street Art: Final Tips

Exploring Melbourne to find all the best street art is something I always love to do, even though I’ve visited the CBD hundreds of times. Each new visit brings a new mural, piece or area to explore I’d not ventured to before. The best way to discover all the best spots is to just wander, get lost and see what you discover. Plus, if you’re looking for free things to do in Melbourne, then you’ve just hit the jackpot.

Some of the other places to explore once you’re done with the CBD are areas such as Fitzroy and Collingwood. Personally, I love to walk around the different neighbourhoods of Melbourne and just take in the vibe of the city.

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