Best Places to Buy Australian Souvenirs in Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia is a great metropolis where you can shop to your heart's content. The city centre features many high class shopping centers, arcades and discount basement shops. If that isn't enough you can continue to shop at the many markets and factory outlets.

There are many ways to rememberMelbourne: it could be a typical Australian souvenir but also a nice dress or perhaps that intriguing item from an Asian culture?

The list below includes both souvenir shops and other place to shop. I listed these shopping streets and shopping centers in no particular order. Just read the descriptions and follow your heart whether you want to shop there. Actually, just shop at all of them; you surely don't wanna miss out!

Use this article as a guide but remember, sometimes the best souvenirs in Melbourne are found when you just stroll around from street to street to eventually stumble upon that unique boutique...

It's hard to miss Swanston Street when you stroll around in Melbourne: it is the main street that leads you from Flinders Street Station into the city. Along Swanston you can find many typical gift shops with Australian souvenirs and opals.

Major intersections are those with Collins Street and Bourke Street. Towards the northern end you can find Melbourne Central and QV Village. Swanston Street is centrally located so if you don't have much time it's a great place to shop and for those with time to spare it can simply be your starting point for many hours or days of shopping.

Swanston Street is a great place to buy gemstones and jewellery. You can find various jewellery stores and opal stores there.

Bourke Street Mall is a part of Bourke Street for pedestrians with many shops including Myer and David Jones. This shopping area is located between Swanston and Elizabeth streets.

Bourke Street Mall also provides access to the Royal Arcade, a timeless shopping arcade that was built in 1869.

Collins Street is well-known for its great Victorian architecture so you'll have some nice views while you shop! You can purchase many high class items here in the boutiques along this street.

It is here that you can find your Prada, your Louis Vuitton and your Ralph Lauren. You can also find larger shopping centers here, such as Australia on Collins, and several shopping arcades, such as the Block Arcade.

Collins Street is also home to Collins Place, a trendy shopping center, where you can find, among others, Feathers, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Giorgio Armani.

Melbourne Central is a huge shopping mall. It also includes many restaurants, bars, a cinema and an unbelievable number of shops. You will find many clothing stores, gift shops and personal health shops in Melbourne Central. In case you're lost, the helpful interactive TV-screens make it easy to find the particular shop you are looking for.

At Melbourne Central you can buy anything ranging from popular brands of clothing to the finest diamonds.

Melbourne Central stretches across multiple levels and extends further beyond Little Lonsdale Street. Via a walkway you can get to Myer and other shops all the way to Bourke Street Mall. Your shopping spree does not have to end!

Among Melburnians known for its large underground food court, QV Village also features a large shopping center. QV Village is located next to the State Library of Victoria along Swanston Street.

You can find fashion and art here as well as everyday products.

The Queen Victoria Market is truly a huge outdoor market: hundreds of shops and food stalls all together at around seven hectares. You can also buy a large variety of food here, including fruit, vegetables, fish and live animals.

This is a great place to find bargains if you want to purchase souvenirs in bulk. All the typical Australian souvenirs that you find on Swanston Street can also be bought here and cheaper too.

Be sure to check the opening hours before you go there because otherwise you might find yourself at an empty market. The market is closed on Monday and Wednesday and the market closes early in the afternoon, except on Friday. Going there in the morning is probably the best time. You will need all the time you can get to shop around.

Southgate is a unique shopping precint along the Yarra river. It combines shopping with dining and you can find things here that are hard to find elsewhere in Melbourne, such as contemporary gifts, Japanese antique and exquisite jewellery.

Southgate prides itself for the dining experience that it provides and you can indeed find many quality restaurants there. Southgate also has a food court with coffee, sandwiches and various takeaways with European and Asian cuisines.

Chapel Street is known for exclusive fashion, gifts, and accessories by famous designers. The street features boutiques and retailers with a great variety of clothing and souvenirs. Chapel Street is a very long street spanning multiple suburbs of Melbourne. You can spend quite some time shopping here!

If you want to take a break from shopping then drop by Chapel Street at night time for its many bars, clubs, and restaurants.

Walking around Chapel Street also gives you a greate taste of the outer suburbs of Melbourne with its typical Victorian building style.

The DFO South Wharf features a great number of shops with fashion, footwear, and accessories. It's a decent place to shop although it doesn't have anything in particular that it is known for, such as high class boutiques. Other souvenirs you can grab here are handbags, lingerie and jewellery.

The South Melbourne Market is, as the name suggests, a market with many food and grocery stores. You can also find stalls for children and baby fashion, clothing, watches, sports memorabilia and toys.

It is a diverse mix and it's worth a visit if you're staying in one of the southern suburbs of Melbourne. If you're staying in or near the city I recommend to go to the Queen Victoria Market as that market is much larger anyway.

This article was written by Simeon Visser. I am earning money online by writing here at HubPages.com. Would you like to earn money online as well? Read the success stories and sign up today to get started!

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