The Original Walking Tours of Melbourne
est. 2004
03 9663 3358 (A/H +61447868788)
Sharing Melbourne Evolutions
 

Our Friends in Melbourne

Our mission is to showcase Melbourne and all who make it so wonderful. Here is a list of some of our favourite city friends and why.

  • Koko Black – Where do we start!

Started in Melbourne in 2003, the year before we began, we have had coffee on our Lanes and Arcades tour at their Royal Arcade shop for over 10 years. A business that has certainly grown since that time, but who calls Melbourne home. Our connections also extend as Melbourne Award Winners, and members of the City Of Melbourne Small Business Grant Alumni and are part of the amazing community of Melbourne City businesses that we call friends. Koko Black Salons of Royal Arcade and Collins Street are the only chocolate stores we visit on our Hidden Secrets Tours.

  • Melbourne Roof Top Honey

We are official sponsors of a Bee Hive! – Yes, when we met Rooftop Honey, we loved their urban plan – Sustainable, a way of educating, and also great product! YUM! look out for our Bourke Street CBD Honey – our hive is currently housed on the roof of the Alto Hotel Bourke street – Melbournes “greenest” hotel.

  • Adelphi Hotel

You my know we love design, we love entrepreneurs, and we also have a sweet tooth from time to time… so when the original boutique hotel of Melbourne was reborn in 2013 we were sure we would be good friends… nothing like being the original in Melbourne … its a hard game to win, and the dessert focused New Adelphi Hotel has certainly made a sweet spot for us and our clients.. you should try it too!

  •  Matt Irwin Photography

If there is ever a photographer who showcases the best vistas of Melbourne, we think this is Matt Iriwn… we even shared our studio with him for little while…

  •  City Precinct Association

We are members of the City Precinct Association and are involved at committee level, showcasing and sharing knowledge of small independent businesses in the postcode 3000 area.

  • Tiffany Treloar Clothing 

Tiffany is an inspiring local designer, where all of her high quality fabrics are sourced with colour, and quality in mind. Many of her fabrics are printed with imagery that Tiffany creates, and then makes here in Melbourne. A true local label, and with an eye on sustainable production and manufacturing processes. Fiona once worked with Tiffany as well, way back before the world of tourism

  • Mattt Bags 

We wanted some new bags for our guides to wear but without being too touristy… We could not go past the handmade bags from a gent in our building… the Nicholas Building. Matt T. came up with the wonderful ( and since popular ) Melbourne watercolour map option… you can buy one of your own here

  • Keep Cups

As we look at the friends we have made and the businesses we choose to work with, then Keep Cup was a no brainer.. In a city where Coffee is everywhere, we wanted to offer a gift on one of our tours that was reusable, but still talked of Melbourne. Fiona met Abigail Forsyth in 2007 in a City of Melbourne event, and so when the Keep Cup was launched at the Melbourne Design Market in 2009, Hidden Secrets Tours ordered their own a few months later. Made in Melbourne, developed in Melbourne, and now an international brand, we are so very excited to support Keep Cup any way we can – when one cup can save about 3,000 paper cups, thats a sustainable idea we want to promote.

  • Luckie Guides

We have many other entrepreneurs who inspire us, and good friends of ours have made some fabulous global guides, once known as a secret form of playing cards, they have global reaches now.  perfect to fit in your pocket – get Luckie

  • Nicole Goodman Design

We have Nicole Goodman to thank for our fantastic rebranding done in 2015. Her vision and skill continue to help us keep true to our style. She is a very talented designer who always exceeds our expectations. Thanks Nicole!  www.nicolegoodman.com.au

  • StreetSmart Australia

There really is so much to be done globally in relation to the concerns of homelessness.  We work with them to try and assist in micro grants! www.streetsmartaustralia.org 

  • Travellers Aid

Travellers Aid is a Melbourne based not-for-profit that assists those with accessibility issues. We work with them to provide the best options for our potential guests who may have mobility concerns. We are very proud supporters of Travellers Aid, please contact them if you are interested in their services even if you are not joining us.  https://www.travellersaid.org.au/

 

Tour options to book.

Testimonials

We love it when guests send us notes of what they enjoyed on tour.

These are just a few!

What others say about our Tours of Melbourne

  • What a fabulous way to experience a new city. We learned a lot while being shown some amazing places to stop in and have a bite. This was absolutely one of the highlights from being in Melbourne.
    An outstanding way to spend an evening – Laura Jan 2023
  • A very informative, comprehensive and interesting walking tour that I thoroughly recommend. I’ve been to Melbourne a few times and future trips will be so much better for the knowledge gained. Melinda is an excellent guide and I’m so glad I signed up for this.
    Best for history food shopping and outdoor art – Solo Traveller April 23
  • Fantastic evening with great food and wine. Fiona was a wonderful and knowledgeable guide. She shared great facts about the beautiful city of Melbourne and took us to wonderful restaurants. A must do!
    Great Evening in Melbourne – Jan 2023
  • I am so thrilled I did. Wow, it was so interesting. I am seriously born and bred Melbourne, lived here for 50 years (in inner 'burbs) and worked and walked these city streets probably thousands of times and thought I knew my patch pretty well. This tour was the next level. My Melbourne will never be the same to me again, for which I am truly grateful. I liked it so much we're booked on the Degustation Tour. If you are not a local and you are interested in the quirky side of history and how this staid, yet beautiful city evolved, you will enjoy it. If you are a local, you will marvel at Marvelous Melbourne.
    “I loved it, and I’m a local.” – Jen, Melbourne
  • The tour is really worth every cent. We got two coffees, three sweets, a takeaway coffee mug and even a list + booklets with all the information of the tour. After this experience I wished I will stay longer in Melbourne so I can go explore every venue we passed again. Thums up for this tours! Thanks a lot 'Hidden secrets Melbourne'!
    Cafe Culture tour – Annelies from Netherlands
  • I had enjoyed Lanes and Arcades and Cafe Culture Tours in April 2015 with my family and it was so good that I returned with my friend in August Sept 2015. It really is the best way to make the most of your time in Melbourne to spend time with a guide from Hidden Secrets Tours. They are a wonderful example of Melbourne hospitality and the guests on the tour from all over the world make the experience one not to be missed. Next time I visit Melbourne their progressive High Tea Tour is definitely on my to do list.
    “Hidden Secrets Tours are becoming a must do for our trips to Melbourne.”
  • As Friday night was our last night in Melbourne we had a debriefing about what they had enjoyed the most...and guess what??.. Your tour was the most mentioned activity. One girl said it was the best $12 she had spent. Haha. So once again, a huge thank you for fitting us in and helping broaden our girls view of the food industry. They are so much wiser for the experience. Year 12 - Newcastle High School
    Newcastle High School – March 2014
  • This excellent informative and entertaining tour focused on the inner delights of Melbourne CBD lanes and arcades. Sarah is a wealth of information and is a natural entertainer. Even if like me you have been to Melbourne many times, Sarah still delivered the 'Well I never!" factor. Go on these attractions, they are truly worth every cent. - Trip Advisor - Jan 2014
    Shirley – Lanes & Arcades walk
  • This is honestly the best tour I have ever done anywhere in the world. If you ever visit Melbourne, I strongly recommend that you take this tour.
    Visited January 2014 - tripadvisor
    Via TripAdviser WynonaLavota
  • “Fantastic, Friendly, Interesting”

    The guide was amazing. She had such a wealth of background knowledge about the area that she answered every question as well as expanding on it. I could see she really enjoyed her what she did with enthusiasm and eagerness. It was a truly amazing experience. I would gladly recommend this tour for all those who love history and interesting coffee and eats Reviewed 2 January 2014 on TripAdvisor - Cafe Culture Walk

    Cafe Culture Walk – Sth Africa
  • I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you for your great hospitality. Thank you for making my Ultimate Australian Adventure with Oprah such and amazing time... 2010 Mary re the specially arranged Lanes and Arcades Walk 
    Mary T of Nova Scotia
  • Last week Jo and I went on your Lanes & Arcades tour and the Sommelier's Tour. They both offered completely different experiences. We had a great time discovering the many wonderful shops and cafes hidden away in the lanes and arcades of Melbourne...
    Robyn of Newcastle NSW
  • Both my friend Glenda & I have been going to Melbourne for years and we would have never known that these “Hidden Treasures” existed. It was fascinating to walk up & down the lanes & arcades and to see a completely different side of Melbourne...
    Kathryn & Glenda – NSW
 
If you joined a tour with us and enjoyed it, we would love to hear! - you can email us at feedback@hiddensecretstours.com Also a fabulous post on Google here,    Facebook or    is always a joy for us and our potential clients We as a team go through them, and love getting your personalised messages!   We're proud to say we have received Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, and now 2020. We know 2020 and 2021 will be a year of new adventures. Your support is greatly appreciated.

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