Jewish Melbourne Tour: St Kilda Synagogues & Bagel Belt

Oldest synagogue, replica Lubavitch headquarters, kosher sushi lunch, and bagels to take home

A private six-hour tour of Melbourne's Jewish quarter in St Kilda led by a local resident who knows the community, the history and where to eat. You'll visit the city's oldest synagogue, walk the bagel belt, pass the Beth Rivka school and Yeshiva centre, and stop for kosher lunch and ice cream. The pace is unhurried and the route adapts to what interests you on the day.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Jewish Melbourne and Kosher Highlights

• Pass oldest Melbourne synagogue
• Pass Coney Island en route
• View St Kilda synagogue and museum
• Pass Beth Rivka school and Yeshiva centre
• Visit replica 770 Lubavitch HQ
• Eat kosher sushi for lunch
• Enjoy cold rock kosher ice cream
• Buy bagels to take home
• Visit 1932 shul and auditorium
• Explore new memorial with exhibits

The experience

Your guide is a local resident of the area with deep knowledge of Melbourne's Jewish life and the people who shaped it. The tour moves through St Kilda at an easy pace, starting with the oldest synagogue in the city and moving toward the bagel belt. The neighborhood where Jewish families have lived and worked for generations. Along the way you'll pass Coney Island and the Beth Rivka school, then reach a replica of 770 Eastern Parkway, the Lubavitch headquarters in Brooklyn, which sits at the heart of the community here.

Lunch happens at a kosher eatery in the bagel belt where you can order sushi or other meals (you choose and pay separately). Afterward, cold rock kosher ice cream is next door, and you'll pick up bagels to take home. Depending on the day and what's on, your guide can detour to other sites of interest around Melbourne or visit the St Kilda Synagogue Museum, which opened recently with audio-visual exhibits and displays about Jewish history and the fight against antisemitism. The 1932-built St Kilda Synagogue itself (the only one named after a saint) sits unused most of the year but fills for the high holidays and cantorial concerts.

Private transportation is included, and the tour wraps with a return to your hotel or port. The route is not weather-dependent and suits all fitness levels. It's not available on Saturdays or Jewish holidays.

What’s included

• Private transportation.
• in-person guide in English.
• snacks.
• bagels on completion.

Options for this experience

2 options

Private Jewish Melbourne tour.Guide in English · 09:30Pickup is included

Shore excursion welcomeGuide in English · 09:30Private city overview lasting 6 hours in an SUV with a panoramic sunroof. It can be extended across multiple days. Numerous other private designer tours are available; let's discuss! Tours obviously do not run on the Sabbath. Pickup is included.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day except SaturdayDeparts at 09:30

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Ozz Private Tours Melbourne

Is this one for you?Choose this private tour if you want a local resident to customize the route around your interests rather than follow a set path, and you need flexibility to stop for meals at kosher eateries along the way.

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Top questions

What is the oldest synagogue in Melbourne and what makes it unusual?

The oldest synagogue in Melbourne is the one you visit on this tour. The St Kilda Synagogue, built in 1932, is the only synagogue in the city named after a saint, which your guide will explain. It has a 1,200-seat auditorium and is used today for cantorial concerts and high holiday services for families with a tradition of attending there.

What is the bagel belt and what will I eat there?

The bagel belt is the neighborhood in St Kilda where Melbourne's Jewish community has lived and worked. You'll stop at a kosher eatery where you can order kosher sushi or other meals (you pay separately), then get cold rock kosher ice cream next door and pick up New York-style boiled bagels to take home.

Will I meet a rabbi or other community members on the tour?

Your guide can arrange for you to meet a rabbi if you want. The tour is built around a local resident who knows the community and can introduce you to people and places as your interests guide the day.

What else is on the route besides the synagogues and the bagel belt?

You'll pass Coney Island and the Beth Rivka school and Yeshiva centre on the way to a replica of 770 Eastern Parkway, the Lubavitch headquarters. If time and what's happening in Melbourne that day allow, your guide can take you to the St Kilda Synagogue Museum, which has audio-visual exhibits and displays about Jewish history and antisemitism.

How long does the tour take and what's included in the price?

The tour runs six hours with private transportation, a local guide, snacks, and bagels included. Meals at the kosher eateries are not included. You order and pay for lunch and ice cream separately. Travel time to and from your hotel or port is part of the six hours.