Visit Hosier Lane, Melbourne for Graffiti Art

You’ve probably already seen photos of Hosier Lane in Melbourne?

It’s easily recognizable from many tourism photo campaigns and one of the most popular things to do in Melbourne.

girls walking through an alleyway covered in graffiti
Kalyra and Savannah in Hosier Lane

During our 8 day visit to Melbourne, we discovered a lot of cool things to do in Melbourne with kids, from the obvious to the not so obvious, and a lot of it was due to you guys for all your insider tips and recommendations for a visit to Melbourne.

We already knew Melbourne was referred to as Australia’s cultural capital and has a reputation for many things – to die for coffee, heavenly food, boutique shopping, festivals, sports, music, and erratic weather – but it’s also famous for its street art.

Where is Hosier Lane?

Hosier Lane is a pedestrian and vehicle lane way and the much celebrated landmark due to its sophisticated urban art (graffiti lined walls).

Hosier Lane is easy to find and easy to get to. It’s a 2 minute walk from Flinders Street Station and Federation Square, and runs between Flinders St and Collins St.

Colorful graffiti on the side of a building

Tours or Self-guided tours of Hosier Lane?

We got to know Melbourne’s graffiti scene simply by walking around on our own.

You can do specialized tours who take you to all the historic laneways and arcades and it would have been nice to know a bit more about the artists and history, but with the kids in tow we decided to just wander by ourselves.

Typically we were looking for good cafes to have coffee like in Centre Place in the CBD or over in Fitzroy. You can also witness many examples of street art by riding the free city circle tram and jumping off at points that interest you.

Colorful graffiti on the side of the street
Colorful graffiti on the side of a building
A colorful motorcycle is parked on the side of a road
Colorful graffiti on the side of a building

Local and international artists use the walls as a temporary canvas for their works, and even without knowing the stories behind the paintings or the artists, the art is very interesting to look at.

A graffiti covered wall
Colorful graffiti on the side of the street
Graffiti on a wall
Colorful graffiti on the side of a building
A graffiti covered wall
Graffiti on a sidewalk in front of a building
A graffiti covered wall

The kids enjoyed themselves and were kept occupied by the colourful designs, particularly Kalyra who also found the lane way to be a great backdrop for posing and busted out some dance moves J-Lo would be proud of.

A person walking down a sidewalk
A little girl walking down the street
A group of people walking down a sidewalk covered in graffiti

Check out this cool time lapse of Hosier Lane from our friend Mick Russell:

Oh, and if you’re looking for a good place to have coffee AND see some street art, go check out Centre Place which is also an easy walk from Flinders Street Station. This is what it looks like.

Centre Place - Melbourne, Australia
Centre Place - Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne’s laneways and side streets are rife with street art, some better quality than others. But if you don’t have time to do a dedicated tour and only want to take a glimpse, and for free, don’t miss Hosier Lane as an iconic thing to do in Melbourne.

Plan Your Trip to Hosier Lane

We’ve been traveling 20 years and have come to rely on a few trusted websites that save us money and time when booking accommodation, flights, and car rental. Below are our preferred partners. If you book through these links, we do receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps us continue to provide inspiring and helpful travel content for free on this site.

Booking accommodation in Melbourne

Booking flights to Melbourne

  • Skyscanner is a comparison website that searches millions of flights. Once you find your best deal, book directly through the airline (no extra fees).

Booking a Car Rental in Melbourne

  • RentalCars.com is the world’s biggest car rental booking service that compares all the major brands like Hertz, Avis, Alamo, and Europcar.

Tours in Melbourne

map

More Melbourne Travel tips

You may also like

You may also like

About The Author

39 thoughts on “Visit Hosier Lane, Melbourne for Graffiti Art”

  1. Hosier lane is great – the Ganesh is still my favourite – I did a post on Melbourne street art a few months ago – we have amazing works.
    Enjoy the great Ocean Road another great Victorian spot…

  2. This is really cool! I have been to Melbourne a few times and are ashamed to say I have never seen this lane or heard of it before now. Heading there later in the year so thanks to you guys I will be checking it out!

  3. Ah this brings back memories of when I wrote about street art in Melbourne, in particular Hosier Lane. The art has certainly changed a lot in a year. I understand it can change every few weeks hence one of those spots you have to keep revisiting.

    I first came across it on those I’m Free Tours but like you say it is easy to find. I often stop off for a drink and snack on those side streets.

    1. Yeah not sure how often art work changes. I did see those “I’m Free Tour” guys taking people around but never managed to jump on one. Next time for sure!

  4. Great photos! The colours, and your little ones dancing around in front of the wall canvasses, are awesome!

    I love the ever-changing view down laneways like Hosier Lane. A couple of other recommended spots for street art hunting is Union Lane off Bourke Street Mall, and down Croft Lane in Chinatown.

  5. It looks like you guys caught it at a great time. I’ve only visited the lane a couple of times, but every time it’s been full of tourists and other people posing for photographs which makes it seem a whole lot less edgy and cool, as well as making it less relaxing way to view the art. My parents were so confused when I tried to explain that the local businesses actually like the ‘graffiti’ around Melbourne because it lends them some cred. (:

  6. Lisa - Wee Wanders

    I am such a big fan of Street Art and this is definitely somewhere I will check out if I am in that neck of the woods. It’s so encouraging that these places are allowed to flourish by the local authorities and that the local community supports this creativity.

  7. I am obsessed with Street Art & love searching for it while I am traveling. This is definitely a place I want to visit when I am in Melbourne.

  8. Ok, this definetly goes in to my to do list when i visit Melbourne.

    I really liked the Ganesh graffitti 🙂

  9. Hosier lane is one of my favourite places to go in Melbourne.I always make sure I return there each visit to see the changes in the art. it’s amazing how quickly some of them disappear. Not so long ago they painted most pieces out and started again. Thankfully they kept Ganesh, one of my favourite pieces!

  10. I love Hosier Lane. So bright and colourful. And always ever changing.

    Cheers
    Christine King
    Photography, Travel, Lifestyle

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

4 Powerful Ways to Travel More & Create Better Memories
Want to know how we've made a lifetime of travel for 24 years? Insider tips and updates! 
This is what gives us incredible memories to share around the campfire. Join our community for insider tips and updates!
Scroll to Top