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Winter school holidays in Melbourne run from Saturday 27 June to Sunday 12 July 2026. That's two full weekends sandwiching ten weekdays of jumpers, hot chocolates and "what are we doing today?" energy. Whether you're a local rotating through your usual moves or flying in from Sydney or Brisbane, Melbourne in winter is a great hand to be dealt.
We've put this guide together from Brunswick, our home base in the city. Expect a mix of indoor wins for the wet days, outdoor walks for when the sun shows up, and a few easy day trips that work better in winter than any other time of year.
In a nutshell
- Victorian winter school holidays: Saturday 27 June to Sunday 12 July 2026
- Best indoor moves: Melbourne Museum and IMAX, Scienceworks, ACMI, NGV and SEA LIFE
- Best outdoor moves: Royal Botanic Gardens, Royal Park, Queen Victoria Market and the City Circle Tram
- Best day trips: Phillip Island penguins, Peninsula Hot Springs, snow at Mt Buller, Healesville Sanctuary
- Where to stay: Solarino House in Brunswick, with our School Holiday Offer live now
When are the winter school holidays in Melbourne in 2026?
Victorian winter school holidays run Saturday 27 June to Sunday 12 July 2026. Term 2 wraps up Friday 26 June and Term 3 kicks off Monday 13 July, so you've got two weekends and ten weekdays to play with.
Melbourne in winter sits around 7 to 14 degrees most days, with the occasional crisp blue sky thrown in. Pack layers, a beanie, and assume you'll need a jacket every day. The next 2026 Victorian breaks land in spring (19 September to 4 October) and over summer from 19 December.
Indoor wins for chilly Melbourne days
Melbourne's indoor scene is genuinely world class, and most of the heavy hitters sit a short tram or train from Solarino House in Brunswick.
Melbourne Museum
Cost: Adult $18, Senior $12, kids under 16 free, additional charge for some special exhibitions
Best for: All ages, with the Children's Gallery aimed at 3 to 8 year olds
Opening hours: 9am to 5pm daily
Location: 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton
Dinosaurs, the Forest Gallery, First Peoples, the Bug Lab and a Children's Gallery built for the little ones. Holiday programs run during the break, with bookings opening a few weeks ahead. The Melbourne-exclusive ROME: Empire, Power, People exhibition is also on across the break, with over 180 original objects from Ancient Rome on show in Australia for the first time.
IMAX Melbourne
Cost: Documentary sessions from around $18 adult and $12 child, feature films priced separately, family bundles available
Best for: All ages
Opening hours: Session times daily on website
Location: Rathdowne Street, Carlton (next door to Melbourne Museum)
One of the largest screens in the world. Pair it with the Museum for an easy full day under one roof.
Scienceworks
Cost: Adult $15, kids under 16 free, extra ticket for the Planetarium and Lightning Room
Best for: 3 to 8 in Nitty Gritty Super City, older kids across Think Ahead and Sportsworks
Opening hours: 10am to 4.30pm daily
Location: 2 Booker Street, Spotswood
Hands-on science, the Planetarium and the Lightning Room. Worth the train ride for the kids who want to push buttons and pull levers.
ACMI
Cost: Free entry to The Story of the Moving Image, paid for some special exhibitions
Best for: All ages, with kids under 13 needing an adult
Opening hours: 10am to 5pm daily (extended for cinema sessions)
Location: Federation Square, Flinders Street
Australia's home of film, TV and digital culture. School holiday workshops are reliably good for older kids and teens.
NGV International and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia
Cost: Free general entry, ticketed for major exhibitions
Best for: All ages, with NGV Kids programs across both sites
Opening hours: 10am to 5pm daily
Location: NGV International at 180 St Kilda Road, NGV Australia at Federation Square
Both galleries run dedicated NGV Kids programs across school holidays, with free art-making activities the little ones can drop into.
SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium
Cost: From $39 adult and $25 child when booked online in advance, up to $53 adult and $39 child during peak periods, free for under 2s
Best for: All ages, with under 16s needing an adult
Opening hours: 9.30am to 5pm during school holidays (last entry 4pm)
Location: Corner of King and Flinders Streets, CBD
Sharks, penguins, stingrays and saltwater crocs under one roof. Pre-book online to avoid the queue.
Bounce
Cost: Around $22 to $28 for a 1-hour general session, miniBOUNCE from around $14 to $18, grippy socks required at extra cost
Best for: 1 to 5 in the miniBOUNCE zone, 5+ on the main floor
Opening hours: Daily, hours vary by site
Location: Essendon Fields (Hangar 4, 236 Wirraway Rd)
Indoor trampoline parks built for serious energy burn. Essendon Fields is home to Australia's biggest trampoline, set inside a heritage aircraft hangar.
Holey Moley Melbourne CBD
Cost: From $20 per adult for 9 holes, family deals on website
Best for: All ages until 5pm with an adult, 18+ after
Opening hours: Daily, check website for current times
Location: 590 Little Bourke Street, CBD (also at Crown Melbourne and Point Cook)
Pop culture mini golf with 18 themed holes, plus the downstairs Funhouse challenge games. Daytime sessions are family-friendly.
O'Brien Icehouse
Cost: Public skating with skate hire from around $27 adult, $23 child (6-14), $14 child (3-5), family deals available
Best for: All ages, with junior sessions for the youngest skaters
Opening hours: Public skating sessions daily, schedule on website
Location: 105 Pearl River Road, Docklands
Public skating on two Olympic-sized rinks. Hire gloves, the rest is fun.
Winter-friendly outdoor moves around Brunswick
Outdoor in winter still works in Melbourne. You just need to time it for the dry windows. Most of these sit within easy reach of Solarino House.
The Ian Potter Foundation Children's Garden
Cost: Free
Best for: Under 12s, with a fully fenced and gated space
Opening hours: 10am to sunset every day during Victorian school holidays
Location: Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra (inside the Royal Botanic Gardens)
A sensory garden built for kids, with a bamboo forest, a kitchen garden, a rocky outcrop and a meandering waterway. Note: the garden takes its 8-week annual winter rest from the start of Term 3, so the school holiday window is the last chance before it closes.
Royal Park
Cost: Free
Best for: All ages
Opening hours: Open 24/7
Location: Parkville, just south of Brunswick
The biggest inner-city park in Melbourne, with playgrounds, walking trails, a nature playground and Melbourne Zoo on its eastern edge.
Capital City Trail
Cost: Free, bring or hire bikes
Best for: Older kids on bikes, families on shorter sections
Opening hours: Open 24/7
Location: A 29km loop through inner Melbourne, with Royal Park and Brunswick on the northern stretch
Smooth and flat the whole way. Pick a short stretch with the kids, or do the full loop past the Yarra, Royal Park, the Zoo and Docklands.
City Circle Tram (route 35)
Cost: Free
Best for: All ages
Opening hours: Daily, on a continuous loop around the CBD
Location: Loops the CBD via Flinders, Spring, La Trobe and Harbour Esplanade
A free heritage tram that loops the CBD, with a recorded commentary on the way. A genuinely fun way to thaw out between stops.
Queen Victoria Market
Cost: Free to enter, pay for what you eat or buy
Best for: All ages
Opening hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6am, Sunday from 9am. Winter Night Market on Wednesdays from 3 June to 26 August
Location: 513 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne CBD
More than 140 years of Melbourne history and over 600 traders. The Winter Night Market on Wednesdays brings street food, live music and festival bars under the sheds.
Winter activities at a glance
Here's the full lineup in one place, so you can match the day to the weather, the budget and the ages.
| Activity | Cost | Best for | Area | Indoor or outdoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne Museum | Adult $18, under 16 free | All ages | Carlton | Indoor |
| IMAX Melbourne | From around $18 adult, $12 child | All ages | Carlton | Indoor |
| Scienceworks | Adult $15, under 16 free | 3 to 8 plus older kids | Spotswood | Indoor |
| ACMI | Free main exhibition | All ages | Federation Square | Indoor |
| NGV (both sites) | Free general entry | All ages | St Kilda Rd / Fed Square | Indoor |
| SEA LIFE Aquarium | From $39 adult, $25 child | All ages | CBD | Indoor |
| Bounce | $22 to $28 per hour | 1 to 5 mini zone, 5+ main | Essendon Fields | Indoor |
| Holey Moley | From $20 for 9 holes | All ages until 5pm | CBD | Indoor |
| O'Brien Icehouse | Around $27 adult, $23 child | All ages | Docklands | Indoor |
| Ian Potter Children's Garden | Free | Under 12s | South Yarra | Outdoor |
| Royal Park | Free | All ages | Parkville | Outdoor |
| Capital City Trail | Free | Older kids on bikes | Inner Melbourne loop | Outdoor |
| City Circle Tram | Free | All ages | CBD loop | Outdoor |
| Queen Victoria Market | Free entry | All ages | CBD | Outdoor |
Easy day trips from Melbourne for winter
The best day trips from Melbourne in winter lean into things that actually work better in the cold. Animals are more active, walking tracks are quiet, and you've got a warm apartment to come home to.
- Phillip Island Penguin Parade: Little Penguins waddling ashore at dusk every night of the year, with winter arrivals from around 5.15pm. Just under 2 hours south by car
- Peninsula Hot Springs: geothermal mineral pools that hit different in winter, with the Hilltop Pool the move on a cold day. Around 90 minutes from the city
- Mt Buller: toboggan parks, snow play and beginner ski lessons in full swing across the school holidays. Around 3 hours northeast by car, with Lake Mountain a closer option for an easy snow play day
- Healesville Sanctuary: Australian wildlife in a bushland setting, with kids under 16 free on Victorian school holidays. Around 90 minutes northeast in the Yarra Valley, with winery lunches by open fireplaces just down the road
Planning a longer escape? Our guide to 12 perfect day trips from Melbourne has the full list.
Why a Brunswick serviced apartment beats a standard room for school holiday weeks
A serviced apartment beats a standard room because school holidays need space, a full kitchen and somewhere to dry out the wet kit. After a day ice skating or a tram tour of the city, you want to spread out, not perch on one bed.
Here's why our apartments work better for winter holidays:
- Full kitchens for warm breakfasts, packed lunches and easy dinners after a big day
- In-apartment laundry for damp jackets, towels and muddy boots
- Separate living and sleeping zones, so the kids can crash early while the adults keep going
- 24-hour digital concierge, so you've got help on tap whenever you need it
- Digital check-in, so you walk right in without queuing at a desk
Solarino House: your Brunswick winter base
Solarino House sits at 212 Albion Street in Brunswick, with Anstey train station just next door and the CBD a short ride away. It's the kind of neighbourhood where you can do nothing all day and still have a great one.
Our apartments come with full kitchens, in-apartment laundry, fast WiFi and Chromecast TVs. Up on the rooftop you'll find a garden, BBQ terrace and city views. Downstairs is Casa Chino, our on-site Peruvian-Chinese restaurant, with Sydney Road, Lygon Street and the Capital City Trail all on the doorstep.
Want to explore like a local? Here's how to best explore Brunswick any time of year.
The Rambla School Holiday Offer
Save on your winter stay with our School Holiday Offer, live at Solarino House across the break. Brunswick books out fast for winter weekenders and snow trip stopovers from Sydney and Brisbane, so we'd suggest locking in early.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Victorian school holiday dates for 2026?
Saturday 27 June to Sunday 12 July for the winter break. Spring holidays run 19 September to 4 October, and summer kicks off 19 December.
What date does Term 3 end in Victoria?
Term 3 in Victorian government schools ends Friday 18 September 2026. Term 4 starts Monday 5 October.
What are the term dates for VIC schools in 2026?
In Victorian government schools, Term 1 runs 28 January to 2 April, Term 2 from 20 April to 26 June, Term 3 from 13 July to 18 September, and Term 4 from 5 October to 18 December.
What's on during winter school holidays in Melbourne?
Plenty. NGV Kids workshops, holiday programs at Melbourne Museum and Scienceworks, ACMI sessions, Bounce, Holey Moley and ice skating at the Icehouse. Day trips to Phillip Island, the snow and Healesville also peak in winter.
Are there free school holiday activities in Melbourne?
Yes. NGV International and NGV Australia are free, ACMI's main exhibition is free, the Ian Potter Foundation Children's Garden is free, and the City Circle Tram is free. Queen Victoria Market is free to wander; you just pay for the dumplings.
Ready to plan a winter break the kids will actually remember? Discover Rambla @ Solarino House.
