Melbourne Solo Trip Day 2｜Yarra Valley Hot Air Balloon Experience, State Library Victoria and a Stroll Around the Royal Exhibition Building

Departing from Melbourne in the early morning, embark on a dreamlike hot air balloon adventure in the Yarra Valley, experiencing a magnificent sunrise and champagne breakfast. Return to the city in the afternoon for a leisurely stroll, visiting the Victoria Library, Royal Exhibition Building, and St. Paul's Cathedral. In the evening, savor Italian dinner and complete your shopping—a relaxed yet enriching day.

Setting Off at Dawn: Racing Toward a Hot Air Balloon Adventure At 4:15 a.m., we woke to the sound of the alarm, picked up the luggage we had packed the night before, and got ready to begin the long-awaited trip — the Yarra Valley hot air balloon experience. Since Brother Kun is afraid of heights, he chose to stay behind and rest at the hotel for this trip. The rest of us took an Uber from the hotel to the Pullman Hotel to gather, and from there the hot air balloon company arranged transfer transportation. We had originally worried it might be hard to get a car in the early morning hours, but it turned out the pickup was just as fast as during the day, and we set off smoothly. The entire hot air balloon trip costs 9,500 TWD (about 450 AUD), plus an additional 20 AUD for city pickup and drop-off. It's about a 1-hour drive from the Pullman to Balgownie Estate in the Yarra Valley, so you can take a little nap in the car. Yarra Valley: A magnificent journey from the ground to the sky Balgownie Estate is a four-star hotel nestled in the scenic Yarra Valley, renowned for its vineyards and natural scenery.We'll first take a brief rest at the hotel, complete your personal information and liability waiver, and then transfer to a larger vehicle to head to the takeoff point.

Around 6:30 in the early morning, the sky gradually brightened, a pale yellow tint appeared on the horizon, and staff members began unloading hot air balloons from the vehicles.

One of the most special parts of this experience is that passengers are invited to take part in the entire process — from laying out the balloon, inflating it, lifting off, all the way to deflating and packing it up after landing. At first there was some nervousness because of the language barrier, but once everyone actually got hands-on, they thoroughly enjoyed it and quickly got into the swing of things.

The moment we lifted off, the flames overhead dispelled the early morning chill of the valley, bringing warmth and excitement. We rose slowly into the sky — I had thought we would only fly at low altitude, but we ended up climbing all the way to 3,200 feet (about 975 meters)! Looking down from the air, the vehicles on the ground looked as tiny as grains of rice — the view was truly magnificent.

As the sun climbs over the mountains, we experience the sunrise above the clouds, with light and shadow flowing through valleys and vineyards, illuminating the early morning beauty of the Yarra Valley. Distant mountain ranges layer upon each other, and occasionally our balloon's reflection appears on the ground, a sight so beautiful it takes your breath away.

The entire flight experience was extremely smooth with no noticeable turbulence, which was very reassuring. The only thing to pay attention to is mobile phone safety — it is recommended to prepare a phone lanyard in advance to avoid slipping your hand while taking photos. Landing + Champagne Breakfast: The Perfect Ending After the hot air balloon landed successfully, with the assistance of ground staff, we worked together to pack up the balloon. We then returned to Balgownie Estate and enjoyed a champagne breakfast exclusive to the hot air balloon experience, putting a perfect end to this wonderful morning.

Right before leaving, I unexpectedly scored a bottle of 2016 red wine for just 25 AUD, of course I took it home!

Afternoon itinerary: Free stroll around downtown Melbourne After returning to the hotel for a short nap, we'll continue exploring downtown Melbourne on foot in the afternoon. A reminder again: the Melbourne CBD has a Free Tram Zone, which is very convenient for travelers exploring independently.

Coverage area: North to South from Victoria Market to Flinders Street Station, East to West from Waterfront Stadium to Parliament House. Use it with Google Maps, and you can move around easily as long as you stay within the zone. Melbourne Attractions Tour: Eastern Line Route St Patrick's Cathedral Our first stop is one of Melbourne's most important churches, featuring Gothic Revival architecture characterized by pointed arches, slender windows, and flying buttresses. It is one of Australia's largest and most historically significant Catholic cathedrals.

Royal Exhibition Building & Carlton Gardens The Royal Exhibition Building, listed as a World Heritage site, is Australia's earliest international exhibition building. Paired with the lush green gardens and fountains nearby, it's a popular spot for locals to relax and for wedding photo shoots, and today we happened to run into several newlywed couples there too.

State Library Victoria — one of Melbourne's most iconic libraries, its exterior stately and grand, while the domed reading room inside is truly spectacular. Visitors are free to walk in and explore, and you'll also see students diligently studying away.

Hosier Lane A lane famous for its street graffiti. Although it's not a must-visit on the itinerary, if you enjoy photography or street art, it's worth a detour.

St Paul's Cathedral — I walked past it yesterday but didn't get a chance to look closely, so today I made a special trip to see it properly. This Gothic-style cathedral stands beside a major traffic thoroughfare in the city centre and is one of Melbourne's landmarks.

Dinner and Shopping: A Night of City Eats and Buying Spree For dinner, we chose the Italian restaurant Max on Hardware on Little Bourke Street. We ordered two pizzas and one pasta, totaling 74 AUD. The taste was great and the price was affordable, making it a great budget-friendly recommendation in the city.

After the meal, I continued with the shopping mission. Unfortunately, many popular pharmacy and cosmetics items were out of stock — for instance, even several Starbucks locations in both Sydney and Melbourne had sold out of city mugs. Thankfully, my friend Woody finally managed to get one for me at the branch next to Flinders Station, so it all ended without any regrets! More Australia self-guided travel guides: Itinerary planning for an Australia self-guided trip: 7 must-know things + a 10-day itinerary overview ▍Sydney Australia self-guided trip Day 1-2: Flying from Vietnam to Sydney & a city stroll guide Sydney Opal Card One Day Tour: Exploring Sydney's Classic Attractions and Transportation Experience Blue Mountains One Day Tour Travel Notes | Scenic World Railway, Cable Car & Three Sisters Peak Complete Guide ▍Melbourne Melbourne Free Tour Day 1 | Jetstar Arrival, War Memorial and Yarra River Sunset Stroll | Anzac Day Special Program Australia Free Tour Recommendation: Yarra Valley Hot Air Balloon Sunrise Experience & Melbourne Attractions Walking Tour Puffing Billy Steam Train + Phillip Island Penguin Return One Day Tour Grampians National Park in Australia | Experience wild kangaroos & Victoria's most spectacular waterfall Great Ocean Road one-day trip | Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, Melbourne's most beautiful coastline Mornington Peninsula itinerary insights | Are these attractions worth visiting? Hot springs, wineries, lighthouses all explained in one