Sitting on the western edge of the CBD, Docklands is Melbourne’s modern harbour precinct — a walkable stretch of promenades, waterfront dining, public art and open water. It’s where locals come for a relaxed weekend wander, and where visitors get their first real look at the city from the water’s edge. It’s also home port for the Kingfisher II, so it’s the natural place to begin — or end — a day on Port Phillip Bay.

The best things to do in Docklands

You can comfortably fill a half-day here without ever leaving the waterfront. A few of the highlights:

See Docklands from the water

Docklands looks good from the promenade — but it looks its best from the middle of the harbour, with the city skyline lit up behind you. That’s exactly what departs from here: a dinner cruise right on their doorstep, gliding out along the Yarra and onto Port Phillip Bay aboard the twin-level Kingfisher II — dinner, a licensed bar, and the skyline drifting past the deck.

It’s the kind of thing that turns a good afternoon in Docklands into a proper night out — and it’s all a short walk from wherever you’ve parked or eaten.

Getting to Docklands

Docklands is inside Melbourne’s Free Tram Zone and a short walk from the CBD, so it’s one of the easiest precincts to reach. Here’s how the options compare: