City Circle Tram
City Circle Tram
4.5
About
The City Circle Tram is a free and convenient way to see the sights of central Melbourne and the Docklands while experiencing a ride on one of the city's much loved heritage trams.An audio commentary provides details of city landmarks and major attractions such as the City Museum, Parliament House, Docklands, Federation Square, Melbourne Aquarium and the Princess Theatre.The City Circle Tram also links with other tram, train and bus routes around Melbourne.To catch the City Circle Tram, simply wait at any tram stop along the City Circle Tram route. These tram stops are specially marked with a City Circle sign.Trams operate in both directions every 12 minutes between 10am and 6pm from Sunday to Wednesday and between 10am and 9pm every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.City Circle Trams do not run on Christmas Day and Good Friday.
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The area
Neighbourhood: Central Business District
Full of discovery and delight, Melbourne’s laneways tease the imagination long after you’ve put your weary feet up to rest. They weave through the heart of the city: cafes, bars, restaurants and boutiques, throbbing with conversation and espresso coffee. You never quite know what you’ll find around the next corner: cobblestone alleys, old beer barrel hoists and even vats of simmering organic soup. There is the air of Berlin in the street art, a touch of Paris in the umbrella-shaded cafes and, reminiscent of Rome, eateries tucked away in the most unlikely of places. Perhaps you might want a break and cross the Yarra River to Southbank - walk along the promenade, bask in the sun at a waterside bar and decide whether to go to the nearby casino or book a ticket at the Melbourne theatre company.
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See what travellers are saying
  • CJ
    10 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice free ride
    he City Circle Tram is an excellent way to explore Melbourne's CBD for free! It's a convenient and easy-to-use service that takes you around the city's top attractions. The trams are clean and comfortable, and the audio commentary provides informative insights into the history and culture of Melbourne
    Visited March 2023
    Written 31 March 2023
  • MLM
    Adelaide, Australia15 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great way to get around Melbourne
    The City Circle Tram í great way to get around Melbourne. It is visible, safe and accessible to all. It runs through the heart of the city, making it easy to get to popular attractions and landmarks. The tram is also well-maintained, with comfortable seats and plenty of space to move around. It's a great way to get around the city, and it's free!
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 4 April 2023
  • Key
    Sydney, Australia5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A great way to explore Melbourne
    It's free, quiet, comfortable and efficient. I recently took a ride on the tram and was impressed with the smooth ride and the helpful staff. The tram is an excellent way to get around the city and the surrounding areas. It's a great way to save money and time. Highly recommend it!
    Visited May 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 8 May 2023
  • Deanosaur89
    Edmonton, Canada2,162 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    All the Sights but a little crowded
    The City Circle Tram is free and has many stops within the CBD. This is an excellent way to save your legs while exploring Melbourne and it is inclusive of most of Melbourne's top attractions. The tram has clear announcements to let you know how many stops until you are leaving the free zone and when you leave it if you are traveling further so you can tap your card. Be careful on the platform though because it can get quite crowded.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 12 July 2023
  • obizerokenobi
    Los Angeles, California182 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fun tour of Melbourne!
    A great tour of central Melbourne on an old-fashioned tram car. This tram ride is free and runs on a loop around the core of the CBD. There is a pre-recorded narration describing the sites you’re passing. You can get on or off at any stop, and the stops are largely (if not entirely) at existing tram stops for regular commuters. Very fun if you have some free time or want to experience things without walking! As of midyear 2023, there is some construction along the route, so be prepared ahead of time.
    Visited May 2023
    Written 12 August 2023
  • Steve W
    Sheffield, United Kingdom11 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Melbourne free tram
    Just hop on and hop off. Avoid school closing time - packed with school kids going home ! Make sure you get up to the Victoria Market, especially for the eating market on the Wednesday evening.
    Visited August 2023
    Written 21 August 2023
  • Travelove58
    11,338 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Icon of Melbourne, excellent free transport within inner city but...
    City trams are an icon of Melbourne. Probably the only big major city that use trams extensively. Great that it is free & comfortable, easy to use, within the INNER city only. However the charges comes in once you take it out beyond the city ( Free tram zone). The one straight fare charged is very expensive , whether you use 1 stop or more. Fines are very heavy if you are caught for not paying the fares.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 31 August 2023
  • Jeffry b
    Essendon, Australia14,153 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    City Circle trams are fun
    Melbourne's free city circle trams are hop on and hop off; they are completely free. There are stops around the Central Business District (CBD). There are around half an hour between stops. The veteran trams are a "shake, rattle and roll" operation, but they are reliable, and fun.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 1 October 2023
  • Tracey F
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great way to see the city.
    Did this on our first day in Melbourne. Great way to get your bearings in the city, see places to go back to and it’s free! Lovely clean, good time info on tram stops and a one of a kind experience.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 13 October 2023
  • anditjia
    Jakarta, Indonesia55 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Super efficient transport system
    The city tram circle was very convenient to get to anywhere in the city. The network is so expansive that there is almost no uncovered location. It was our main mode of transport during our two weeks stay, going as far as St Kilda. One thing we could not really figure out is how the free tram zone really works, should we still tap every time we hop on within the zone, or only when we are about to leave the zone? 😁
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 26 October 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles18,415 reviews
Excellent
10,768
Very good
5,643
Average
1,498
Poor
334
Terrible
172

Trek31907822371
2 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Couples
If you've got a few days this is OK, it involves a fair bit of waiting between trams. Very rough & noisy & no aircon so other city trams better, also free in the city. A bit of a novelty.
Written 18 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

asmyredbud
Brisbane Region, Australia2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Solo
The perfect way to explore Melbourne and its many interesting places. A frequent service although slightly overcrowded and noisy, difficult to hear the commentary at times.
Written 14 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kerry
Rakaia, New Zealand5 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Friends
Good way to see some highlights of Melbourne CBD. Unique experience from the past. The tram is very noisy which makes it difficult to hear the commentary.
Written 5 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Monty458
Noosaville, Australia256 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
The city circle tram sounds good in theory but not quite so good in practice. About an hour round trip so it seems like a good option to get a feel for the Melbourne CBD. The population density on the tram may depend upon the time of day you embark on your trip. We got on at Flinders Street railway station at about 11,30 and were fortunate enough to get a seat with a window view. By half way, around Victoria Markets, there was only about enough space to inflate your lungs. By this point, the novelty had well and truly worn off, and OFF is the operative word. There were so many passengers by Victoria Markets, exiting the tram required numerous passengers to temporarily get off the tram to allow the exit, after which there was a mad scramble of people then trying to get back on before it took off. Might be an idea to give the tram a miss and take some good walking shoes with you!
Written 28 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

kimekstrom
Ogden, UT200 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Family
On a cruise and had one day on Melbourne. We thought this would be a fun wat to see the down town area. Complete waste of time. As we approached the tram stop, a tram was just leaving. We thought "Not big deal, one is scheduled every 12 minutes." Twelve minutes goes by, no tram. 24 minutes. No tram. We ask a non city circle tram driver tram the city circle tram is coming. "Should be right along" he says. 10 minutes later, a tram crammed to the brim arrives, and 20 asian teens in a school group and muscle their way to the front. We walk a block up the road to catch the tram at a earlier stop. 15 minutes later, another crammed full tram arrives. Nearly an hoor in the hot Melbourne sun on a 90+ degree day. Not sure when the positive review riders went, but mid day in February was a disaster. Give extra weight to the bad reviews if your time is limited.
Written 13 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

PUMBRIDGE
London, UK2,076 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
Cronky, rattly & prone to breakdown and occasional cancellation, the free city circle tram round Melbourne’s CBD is, nonetheless, good value for money!
An older version of the sleek modern trams, it shakes and judders along, giving a good introduction and orientation for city visitors.
You do NOT need any ticket; it’s all within the free inner zone. The sound quality of the commentary is variable and often impossible to hear when the tram is cornering because of the metallic screech. It is also a challenge to board as there’s almost no room at the stops, and the steps are high.
Written 9 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Shirley M
Melbourne, Australia6 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Friends
So disappointed with the circle tram. There service was unreliable and did not start on time the morning we went. We had a friend visiting and thought it would be a good way to see the city. Tram was very overcrowded and you couldn't see much. It advertised that commentary was provided but we did not have any. We ended up getting off the tram and took another one back into the city. A big waste of time if you have a limited amount of time in Melbourne.
Written 21 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Adam y
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Family
Amazing tram driver. It’s free!!! We were travelling in Melbourne on our mini vacation. It’s an incredible experience and free tram with young children is cherry on top
Written 7 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sightsee501508
Sydney, Australia5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Couples
Hop on hop off tram. Multiple stops and free in the CBD. Ideal for getting around the city of Melbourne.
Written 31 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

GDay1044
Durban, South Africa1,209 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Couples
This is a great innovation once you have worked out the routes it is so easy to get around the city centre – what’s more it is free – however avoid the business ‘rush hour’ as the passengers are packed in like in sardine in a can.
Written 22 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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City Circle Tram - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Frequently Asked Questions about City Circle Tram