Melbourne Running Tour: Laneways, Street Art & Coffee
Overview
Available languages
2 hours
Mobile ticket
Uncover Melbourne’s hidden stories, street art, and rich history on our Laneways Discovery Running Tour. This guided 8km (5-mile) run begins at 8:00 am from Federation Square, offering a vibrant way to experience the city before it wakes up. The pace is relaxed and suitable for all levels, with plenty of stops for photos, stories, and secret spots.
We kick off at Hosier Lane, Melbourne’s iconic street art alley, before heading to ACDC Lane — full of music, murals, and energy. From there, we run riverside through Birrarung Marr, then past the historic Mitre Tavern, State Library Victoria, and the haunting Old Melbourne Gaol. Along the way, hear tales of convicts, rebels, and legends like Ned Kelly.
We breeze through Little Lon and colourful Chinatown, before finishing with a coffee at Centre Place, surrounded by laneway cafés and local character. Whether you're new to town or a lifelong Melburnian, this is a run through the stories that built the city.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Please wear suitable running attire
What To Expect
Fed Square
We begin at Federation Square, Melbourne’s cultural meeting point and launchpad for exploring the city in motion.
Hosier Lane
At Hosier Lane, ever-changing murals showcase Melbourne’s global reputation for street art and creativity.
Options
Laneways Discovery Tour
Coffee
What‘s Included
A wonderful tour guide to lead the way and share the stories, history and myths of Melbourne
All photos will be taken for you so all you need to do is look around and take it all in!
Coffee or an alternative drink to finish the tour is included
Food and drinks, unless specified
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
27 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Tony was a great tour...
Suzy K,Mar 20, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Tony was a great tour guide. Running through the city while explaining the history and answering all of my questions. I highly recommend this tour. A great way to see the beautiful city.
Brilliant way to start your Melbourne day!
amykerin,Jul 9, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Thanks. I went with my non-running teen daughter and it was one of her highlights of the trip; chillly, architecture, history, culture and stories of Melbourne. Hits the highlights and got in some exercise.. who knows she may become a runner after all. Appreciate the memorable morning.
Fun way to see the city
Taru Mate,Mar 12, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Such a fun time running with Matt and knowing about major landmarks and the history of Melbourne. Learnt a lot about the heritage bhuildings. Matt maintained a running pace that suited us and kept up the information with his lovely sense of humour. A great way to know the city!
Martin Dullaghan
martinmJ9529IV,Feb 23, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What a great way to see the hidden treasures of downtown Melbourne and get a 'running commentary' 😁. My guide Matt was a font of knowledge and a great running partner. I thoroughly recommend Running Tours as a fantastic way to experience Melbourne. And then there was the Donuts and Coffee....amazing.
Great running tour
701georgiah,Feb 19, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I had a great running tour with Tim, he was knowledgable and happy to run at my pace whilst taking great pictures. The tour was perfect for a quick trip to Melbourne as we saw all the sights and finished with a lovely coffee. Definitely recommend if you like running
Best way to get to know Melbourne!
Q1958CBsarahk,Feb 11, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Solo traveler from the US. I happened to be the only runner for the tour of the day so Tony my tour guide catered the day's run to my needs and wants. We stopped and took pictures quite often, then ran in between places. The pace was very doable, but Tony beat me in the game of endurance (not quite in cardio shape as him, but he let me walk quite often too). Would definitely do it with a friend if I come back! Tony showed me the best parts of the city and introduced me to some great places to explore further on my own. He also took a detour from the original path for me since I wanted to see the Queen Victoria market, then led me back on the tour. Very personable, the running tour made my day a great one! Thank you Tony!
Melbourne Laneway Discovery Tour
MHum18,Feb 2, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Wow!!! What a great way to see Melbourne. I learnt a lot and saw things I never knew existed. Matty was very friendly and knowledgeable. It was such an enjoyable morning and I highly recommend this running tour to everyone.
Melbourne Laneway Discovery Running Tour
718jodies,Feb 2, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Really fun morning exploring Melbourne with Matty as our tour guide. He had great knowledge of the history of Melbourne and the laneways artists. Highly recommend if you are a resident of Melbourne or visiting this beautiful city.
A fun tour with friends
abeckett,Feb 1, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a fun experience. Matty was very considerate and looked after our group. We learned many interesting historical facts about the city on the run. A nice surprise was that we stopped for donuts halfway through at an amazing place called “Short Stop”. We saw many different laneways which i have not seen before and even saw the inside of the Manchester Unity building - an interesting site that I have seen many times but never bothered to go in to. I can recommend this tour wholeheartedly to anyone who is a local or a tourist. The tour concludes nicely with a coffee in Degraves street. Total tour time is around 2 hours. Pace is based on your ability so don’t be put off by this being a “run”.
Wonderful Morning Running the City
Gillypearl,Dec 26, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00After a week of business travel I had some extra time and booked the Laneway Discovery Running Tour. Highly recommend! My guide was friendly and informative and I got to see parts of Melbourne I would've otherwise walked right by.
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Operated by Fit City Tours