The Arts Precinct takes in the vertiginous spire of the Arts Centre, the city's home of performing arts including the Australian Ballet, NGV International with its blockbuster exhibitions and outstanding permanent collection, and the Victorian College of the Arts, where the artists of the future train.

Further south lies the astonishing architectural home of the Melbourne Recital Centre and the Melbourne Theatre Company, which acts as an artistic bridge over to the boundary-pushing Malthouse Theatre and Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA), where innovation is relentlessly pursued.

It's what's inside that counts, but in Melbourne's arts precinct the exteriors share centre stage, from the iconic Arts Centre spire to the NGV's famed waterwall, the honeycomb façade of the recital centre, the glowing tubes adorning the theatre company, and the rusty box that is ACCA.

There is an abundance of bars and restaurants around the arts precinct for dissecting performances and exhibitions. Explore the area on Sundays and take time to snap up a few handmade artworks of your own at the Arts Centre Market, along the footpaths at the eastern end of the riverbank.

To reach the Arts Precinct from the CBD, take any tram along Swanston Street and St Kilda Road to stops at Federation Square, the Arts Centre and NGV International and the Victorian College of the Arts; the free City Circle Tram to the corner of Flinders and Swanston streets; Number 1 (South Melbourne) for Melbourne Theatre Company, Melbourne Recital Centre, ACCA and the Malthouse Theatre. You can also take the free Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle (Stop 1).