Seniors in Melbourne is preparing to launch a new program of small-group city walking tours tailored specifically for retirees, offering a gentle and sociable way to rediscover the heart of the city.

Developed in partnership with journalist and experienced guide Paul Daffey, the tours are designed for locals and visitors who want to connect with Melbourne’s stories without the rush or physical demands of conventional walking tours.

The three-hour tour explores the CBD’s laneways, arcades and market precincts at a relaxed pace. Groups are capped at ten participants and include a midway cup of tea or refreshment stop at an iconic Melbourne café, with a strong emphasis on conversation, comfort and accessibility. The tour departs weekly from Flinders Street Station, long regarded as the city’s most recognisable meeting place.

Along the way, participants are introduced to layers of CBD history that often sit just out of sight. You’ll hear about Melbourne’s laneways, now famous for street art and espresso culture but once used as service alleys for horse-drawn carts, crowded with warehouses, stables and small manufacturers supporting the booming gold-rush city of the 1850s. What are now fashionable passages were, for decades, purely functional spaces that reflected Melbourne’s rise as one of the British Empire’s wealthiest cities.

The tours also delve into the arcades that emerged in the late 19th century, when Melbourne styled itself as “Marvellous Melbourne”. Grand shopping arcades such as those linking Collins and Bourke streets were inspired by European design and symbolised prosperity, optimism and civic pride. Their glass roofs and tiled floors still offer clues to an era when the CBD was a hub of promenading, people-watching and social life.

Market precincts feature prominently too, revealing stories of migration and everyday survival. From early produce traders supplying a fast-growing population to post-war European migrants who reshaped Melbourne’s food culture, these areas reflect how the CBD has constantly reinvented itself while remaining rooted in daily commerce and community.

Trial tours have already attracted positive feedback from participants, with many praising the relaxed pace and opportunity to share personal memories of the city. Public tours will officially begin in January, with weekly departures planned and additional routes expected to be added later in the year.