Best time to visit Melbourne without the crowds

Best match

Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix and perfect late-summer weather — Melbourne at its most exciting

#1 for without crowds

Best match

Melbourne Cup and Spring Racing Carnival — the city's most iconic event in its most beautiful weather

#2 for without crowds

Best match

Melbourne Cup month — spring racing, rooftops reopening and the city at peak spring energy

#3 for without crowds

Strong option

Christmas summer in Melbourne — hot and festive, with New Year's Eve fireworks over the CBD

#4 for without crowds

Strong option

Australian Open month — tennis fever and summer heat with the city buzzing at peak energy

#5 for without crowds

Strong option

Summer continues — great beach days on the Mornington Peninsula and the city in full social mode

#6 for without crowds

Strong option

Melbourne's best month — mild weather, autumn colours in the Dandenong Ranges and the city at peak livability

#7 for without crowds

Strong option

Melbourne Cup carnival season begins — the city waking up to spring energy and AFL finals

#8 for without crowds

Strong option

Autumn Melbourne at its most local — gallery exhibitions, food scene and laneways without summer crowds

#9 for without crowds

Worth considering

Late winter transitioning — Melbourne Film Festival, good value and the first hints of spring

#10 for without crowds

Worth considering

Melbourne in winter — laneway bars, gallery season and the city's indoor culture at its most inventive

#11 for without crowds

Worth considering

Melbourne's coldest month — the authentic urban winter experience in Australia's most interesting city

#12 for without crowds