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Monday 10am - 5pm Tuesday 10am - 5pm Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 2pm

Hidden Secrets Tours

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Melbourne, VIC
Hidden Secrets Tours

The original small group laneway walking tours of Melbourne city. Inspired by evolutions of our city.
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Hidden Secrets Tours are the original laneways tours of Melbourne. We love to share the City that locals use, rather than the main tourist monuments. This contemporary team of tour hosts have designed options for travellers and locals - not just 'tourists', focusing on experiencing the city and all the local design talent that exists in Australia's creative hub with information that's more current

than a guide book! Half day tours are offered for first time and repeat visitors, to enjoy the life and soul of the city that's often missed. By design Melbourne is a spectacular city to walk, so most itineraries are focussed on the city centre. Meet the independent store owners and local characters, indulge in the cafe culture, enjoy the diversity of cuisine and find the best designer shopping that only Melbourne can provide! Tour group sizes are kept to a maximum of 8 to maintain an intimate experience, and will run with a minimum of 2 people on scheduled tour days. Food, art, fashion and wine mixed with a little history and architectural treasures. Indulge yourself in the cultural essence of Melbourne with these must do experiences.

12/08/2024

Thanks to for making our 20th birthday celebrations fabulous. Yellow bonding is all together. Celebrating small business rss is what we love to do. Thanks again

08/08/2024

Earlier this month Fiona, the owner of our big small business was recognised by the City of Melbourne for sustaining and operating a small business in the city for over 20 years. It’s a feat to keep a business going for more than 5 years, so we are all pleased to celebrate this milestone. Our city has evolved over that time, but we still aim to welcome visitors and locals, and with our quirky finds and inspiring tales are able to encourage people to use the city more. It’s a privilege and we can wait to share with the next guests ways to really

28/07/2024

Thanks so much to Stuff NZ for a lovely write up about our dining tour in Melbourne City Centre. - we love sharing the city, its spaces, design, service and people along side its amazing flavours 😉

We want you to with as it really is about seeing
Thanks Visit Melbourne

Sarah Daniell hits the streets and laneways of Melbourne on a three-hour progressive degustation.

25/07/2024

Congratulations to all who were recognised last night in the Lord Mayors Small Business Awards. Both competitive and achievement awards were given. We were recognised for 20 years, and won the innovation award, and won the Small Business of the Year award.
60+ businesses were hero’d last night. We are so excited to be in a city with such people.

24/06/2024

We have a new tour coming for Spring. Than you to 3 MBS 103.5 Fm and their Arts Weekly program.

Here is a little listen (Fiona Sweetman was on a bad line it seems)

Our new tour starts in September. If you would like to join us you can book here : https://hiddensecretstours.rezdy.com/646417/art-in-the-streets?

https://omny.fm/shows/arts-weekly/arts-weekly-22-june-2024?t=20m54s

12/06/2024

Bookings and enquiries can still be made here

Rezdy Online Booking

11/06/2024

Hello, it seems our out going mail is having troubles. We are getting emails! Please know we are working to resolve this urgently !! And website too
Fiona, Stef and Meg.

26/05/2024

A wonderful group on tour recently, about to have delicious tastings and absorbing the stories and rituals of Melbourne life. We want our guests to and with small groups, we get to enjoy conversations that offer context and connection.

26/05/2024

City wandering never stops. Loving the works on the Stella Maris Seafarers building. What are your favourite murals in the city?

24/05/2024

Our team are always researching the , on Wednesday night a collection of our team went to the . What a wonderful program supporting First Nations composers and conducted by Alex Wyatt. Why not ask us what’s happening in Melbourne when you make your tour with us. We are likely to have a few cultural delights to suggest.

23/05/2024

Full moon over our city tonight. What a fabulous end to a full 6 days of the country’s biggest trade event held here in Melbourne - The Australian Tourism Exchange. - safe travels to all who came to learn more about what our country has to offer to visitors of so many ages and nations. 👏👏

23/05/2024

Thanks Tourism Australia. What a week, we saw old friends, made some new ones, and shared the best way to visit Melbournes is with us, the Original Laneways Walking Tours of Melbourne/Naarm

23/05/2024

One of the wonderful things about a tourism trade event is the connections and collaboration opportunities we make. Today at the end of it was wonderful to share a drink and cheers with our long time walking tour friends in Perth. Always great to catch up with Ryan - We are the OG’s - look them up if you are in the west!

20/05/2024

Today is the day, 20 years ago our first paying customers ( not friends, media or supporters but actual customers) took a tour with us, well it was just Fiona back then. So grateful for all the support and generosity! Today at we got to share the milestone with industry friends. 👏🥳🤩🎉💛

16/05/2024

https://www.rrr.org.au/shared/broadcast-episode/29308/6270000/7100000 - Listen here - This morning's breakfasters.

Thanks for having us on the wireless Breakfasters Team :)
Yes, 20 years is a long time to watch and observe a city... Our team loves find the context of the city and how visitors use and appreciate the city.
We also loved that they played Courtney Barnett's Elevator Operator :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-wm0EdoeN8

Courtney Barnett - Elevator OperatorTaken from the LP: “Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit” - out through Milk! Records, House Anxiety/Marat...

15/05/2024

Hidden Secrets celebrated 20 years on Monday night at the wonderful .melbourne . This is our current Team! We are excited to be meeting our travel trade friends next week at - so great to have it back in Melbourne

14/05/2024

Hidden Secrets Tours is celebrating 20 years of operations. We are privileged to have a business that can support staff and guests, so we instigated a charitable promise in 2015 that $2 from every direct booking we would donate to local charities. Our voices has been on Melbourne, access, action against homelessness and environment. This week we celebrated with and . Thanks to their amazing work in supporting our community in its many forms.

14/05/2024

It’s a huge month for us as we celebrate 20 years of our original laneways walking tours.
We have a few new projects happening and are so excited to catch up with media and travel trade to share more.
If you are lucky enough to be heading to we are at Stand 365:)

11/05/2024

Our friends at are having fun sharing their new lunchtime offering.. now open for lunch is . We had bite size options today at their pr event. Can’t wait to try the various options.

10/05/2024

Oh my goodness! - from our guide yesterday.

“Koko Black reopened today and as I was telling a story and about to give our lovely Canadian family their little chocolate bar, they were persuaded to go into the store and ‘spin the wheel’!

Every one of them won a magnificent chocolate prize!”

We are pleased to have Koko Black reopened in time for

27/04/2024

We had lovely clients from Canada and Finland yesterday. Our Canadian guests thriving on their

24/04/2024

Thanks so much to CBD News for a little chat this month, on marking the milestone of our big small business. 20 years is really hard to comprehend, but we are so excited to be here.

Ask any Melburnian what makes their city famous, and inevitably, laneways, art and culture will dominate their responses.

20/04/2024

Wandering the city can bring so many fun discoveries… We want you to meet Melbourne, sometimes we have to do so first ;) - saying hi to on our way past

18/04/2024

Small groups, gorgeous treats, inspiring stories of local creatives, we want you to . Thanks to our fabulous guide Catherine mid sentence for hosting our earlier this week.

07/04/2024

Today was the inaugural in celebration of the 30th anniversary of and the 10th anniversary of the London hat walk. With so many milliners in our midst, what a fab activity!! We of course loved piece made for a few years back

07/04/2024

We love having groups on our walking tours of the city centre. We create bespoke itineraries for many groups, this one has evolved over the nearly 5 years we have worked with them

04/04/2024

Our city is dotted by incredible artists works. Today we remember .armstrong and his glorious versions of . They remain guardians of our city corners, and of Bruce’s artistry.

28/03/2024

Happy Easter from us at . We are closed this weekend for a grand rest after a wonderful summer. We are back on Tuesday with and exciting few months ahead - but if you are in Melbourne and need a fix today ( when many places are closed) say hi to the team at in Equitable place .

25/03/2024

We are out with a vip group tonight sharing the many options of Melbourne dining. How to choose? We do that for you on our

16/03/2024

One of our alumni is hosting some fabulous walk during the Melbourne International Flower Show…
Register via the link.

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/therapeutic-horticulture-walking-tour-tickets-863412398727?

Join a 1 -hour walking tour at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show and learn about the therapeutic benefits of gardening.

Address

Studio 618, 37 Swanston Street
Melbourne, VIC
3000

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 5pm
Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 2pm

Website

http://www.hiddensecretstours.com/

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Videos

We love sharing our city with locals, expats, and other travellers from beyond our shores. @amberdiscovers with her award winning production team visited with @visitmelbourne back in 2022. We just love her curiosity and desire to #meetMelbourne. Thanks to our fabulous friends at @krimpercafe @clementines3000 and the many artists the feature …

Thanks to Tourism Australia we have a fun video to share about our walking tours of the Melbourne laneways. We want you to #meetMelbourne and visit again soon. #hiddensecretstours Visit Melbourne #neciprogram

A mad March not yet done, thanks to all who have joined us recently.. in our 19th year, it’s great to still share our city and it’s hidden secrets #melbmoment #meetmelbourne #visitmelbourne

Small group or even private walking tours are ideal ways to soak in the city (any city, but right now it’s Melbourne) We love sharing our city and creating #MelbourneMoments #meetmelbourne #hiddensecretstours

Great shout out from our friends @globalballooningaustralia - it’s truly such an amazing way to see our city! #visitMelbourne #globalballooning #seeaustralia #holidayherethisyear

Thanks so much to Tim and the team at TODAY - Fiona was up early (before much of the city) to remind us all to plan ahead, book ahead and see the city that has evolved whilst we have been away. - #HiddenSecretsTours reopens on November 12th - book soon, so we can be sure to fit you in. #visitmelbourne #whatsonmelbourne #vticnews

There is still time to purchase an open dated give voucher for your mum... perhaps it can be something you can join you mum with - sharing experiences is always more fun. #mothersdaygiftideas #mothersday #giftvoucher — linkinbio

Celebrating Melbourne Fashion

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Our Story

Hidden Secrets Tours are the ORIGINAL laneways tours of Melbourne. We love to share the City that locals use, rather than the main tourist monuments.

Back in 2004, the laneways of Melbourne were not really the place locals would venture into, but there was a ground swell of independent small business operators making the most of lower rents, and a creative community that lived and practised in old buildings in the city centre.

Things have changed a bit, and more people have seen the light, embracing these back streets and quirky corners for new business ideas to flourish. Food, coffee, architectural musings, street art, and creative retail.

Melbourne has a history of its own, that often gets whitewashed with the convict and 1780’s First Fleet stories. Here in this southern section of Terra Australis, a new breed of settlers took on this river bank area less than 200 years ago. Not always with the purest intent, and often with dubious actions, but with gold, open plains for farming, a diverse community and a will for a better life, this Paris of the South became a melting pot.