The 20 best things to do in Canberra

Have you ever encountered a wild emu? If the answer’s no, your state of deprivation can be quickly rectified with a visit to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. Just a 40-minute drive southwest of Canberra, this sprawling wildlife park boasts sweeping views, 24 hiking trails, a huge variety of birdlife, as well as kangaroos, wallabies, platypuses and some very accessible koalas (just take the Koala Walk for an all-but-guaranteed sighting).

Opened in 1982, Australia’s heritage-listed national gallery is home to the largest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art collection in the entire world. Its collection comprises more than 155,000 Australian, Indigenous and international masterpieces, including Jackson Pollock’s ‘Blue Poles’ and the Ned Kelly series by Sidney Nolan. The NGA’s extensive collective extends outdoors into the manicured Sculpture Garden that sits on the shore of Canberra’s tranquil Lake Burley Griffin. Try to align the conclusion of your visit with dusk, when pioneering light artist James Turrell’s permanent installation, ‘Within without’, really comes alive.

At 2pm, on days Parliament is sitting, Australian politics turns into a contact sport. The name of the game is Question Time, and the debates can get heated. You can take in the drama from the viewing galleries of Parliament House. If you’re more interested in architecture than politics, the billion-dollar building – which is based on the shape of two boomerangs – is still worth a look. Sadly, children are no longer allowed to roll down the property’s sloping green lawns; but you can still daydream about how fun it would be to try while unmarked secret service vehicles do slow laps around the grounds.

There’s one way to easily win the morning in Canberra, and it’s by hitting up Campbell’s laid-back café, Intra, for an OG kimchi jaffle and a flattie. The chashu bacon and egg roll is another local favourite, and if you’re visiting on weekends, match your cuppa with a cardamom bun from the legends at Under Bakery. 

If you think Tulip Fever is just for 17th-century Dutchmen, you haven’t been to Floriade. This month-long flower festival – which is the largest in Australia – sees more than one million bulbs planted in decorative garden beds, forming spectacular waves of colour. You can learn tips from gardening pros at demonstrations held in dedicated marquees or visit the flowers by night to take in evening concerts, movies and dance parties.

Bright, sunny days in Canberra mean one thing: an adventure to, around – or even on –  Lake Burley Griffin. Stretch those legs by following the leisurely five-kilometre bridge-to-bridge walk, which starts at Commonwealth Bridge and steers you around the lake, taking in sights like the Captain Cook Memorial Jet and the National Carillon, and finishing at Kings Avenue Bridge. You can also cycle or scooter around the 40km shoreline, or if you prefer to steer a ship rather than pound the pedals, hit the high seas in your very own electric GoBoat – no licence required.

Fyshwick has been known for a lot of things, but these days it’s super-fresh beers that are pulling people to the tap rooms at Capital Brewing Co. Being an inclusive bunch, they let you bring your little humans and your four-legged friends to play, while you sink a crisp glass of Coast Ale or their famously juicy, tropical Rock Hopper IPA for those who love the fresh bitterness of hops. You can kick back in the beer garden with a burger or hot dog from the legends at Brodburger, or laze around on the 2,000 metres of lush garden space – including the only beer river in the world (we’ll take their word for it).

If you’re partial to a 360-degree lookout, this short and steep trail connecting up Mount Ainslie is a must. You’ll want to time your summit with sunrise or sunset to beat the heat and enjoy the best views overlooking the Australian War Memorial, Parliament House, the mountains of Namadgi National Park and beyond. If you’ve already hit your step count for the day, then you can also drive to the top of the summit with a picnic in tow. 

We have four words for you: bathtub selfie with tigers. At Jamala Wildlife Lodge, inside the National Zoo and Aquarium, you can book a night of luxury accommodation that’s been built inside the animals’ enclosures. Potential hotelmates include Malayan sun bears, cheetah brothers, a pride of lions and a family of giraffes. Day-trippers can also meet native Australian wildlife, white rhinos, spotted hyenas and many more exotic animals, while within the aquarium are colourful reef fish, sharks and amphibians.

Much to Melbourne’s chagrin, the best coffee in Australia comes from Canberra. Ona Coffee’s founder, Sasa Sestic, once won the World Barista Championship, and his employee Hugh Kelly has won the Australian Barista Championship two years running. Of Ona’s three shopfronts around Canberra, the bright and airy Highroad is our pick. Here, classic Australian café fare, like prawn rolls and avocado toast, is crafted with precision to match the prize-winning roasts.

You don’t have to be a green thumb to visit this sprawling 250-hectare tree museum in Canberra. Set on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin, the Arboretum is home to more than 44,000 rare and endangered trees that were planted after the Christmas 2001 and 2003 Canberra bushfires. You can wander through 20 kilometres of multi-purpose tracks that wind through the mosaic of greenery or explore the smallest of trees in the National Bonsai Collection. Good luck stringing the kids away from the nature-themed Pod Playground featuring giant acorn cubbies, nest swings and banksia pods.

Pack your baskets, bags or nanna-approved tartan shopping trolley – we’re off to the Old Bus Depot Market. Every Sunday, you’ll find more than 200 stalls run by local and regional creatives, offering up everything from vintage records, antique china, colourful clothing and artisan fudge. While you’re shopping and snacking, you’ll be entertained by some of Canberra’s most talented musicians and entertainers, all for free. 

History buffs will love the attention to detail displayed at this museum, which was ranked as one of the top ten best places across the globe by TripAdvisor in 2023. It’s the distinctly human angle that makes the Memorial appealing. More than just monuments, the memorial offers a genuine insight into what wartime life was like for Australian women and men, with multimedia displays, documentary footage and a moving Last Post closing ceremony at 4.30pm daily.

If anyone ever complains about Canberra’s nightlife, just nod quietly and then laugh all the way up the stairs to Bar Rochford, where you will be enjoying a glass of the grippy, slightly zesty Ravensworth shiraz from Hilltops and Murrumbateman. This is undoubtedly the best little wine bar in the ACT, and once you’re here, you’ll never ever want to leave. Let the bartenders guide you on a vinous adventure that traipses the world, but if you don’t order food too, it’s a lost opportunity. 

34 meters tall, 24 meters long, with ten pendulous breasts and a placid, turtle’s smile. This was the balloon commissioned by Canberra-raised artist Patricia Piccinini to celebrate the city’s centenary. While the ‘Skywhale’ doesn’t take flight at every annual Balloon Spectacular, the fact it was commissioned at all (for $350,000 no less) speaks to Canberrans' enduring love for hot air balloons. Brave a chilly March morning to watch dozens of balloons float over Lake Burley Griffin and you’ll feel the fondness too. You can even snag yourself a spot on one of them for an aerial view of the city taken in at a lazy pace.

Most East Coast Australian school children have at least one fond memory of visiting Questacon. The interactive science museum is right up there with Parliament House on the school tour route. While the showy lightning demonstrations and earthquake machine tend to linger longest in kids’ imaginations, it’s the genuine passion of the science educators on staff that will garner parental appreciation.

Come face-to-face with our country’s most topical and trending Australian characters at the nation’s leading portrait gallery. From Archie Roach and Adam Goodes to Carla Zampatti and Cate Blanchett, these are the people and artists who have shaped our Australian identity. You can take a squiz at the 500-plus portraits, before popping just across the road to the National Gallery of Australia, Questacon or Old Parliament House. 

If you fancy your vino straight from the source, Lerida Estate should be your first stop. The drive to the vineyard along the shore of Lake George is one of Canberra’s most scenic routes – the hills rising up on one side and the land dipping away from you on the other, out over the water to the distant wind turbines on the far hills. Lerida Estate perches on a hill overlooking it all – plus they have a café on site that opens daily, so you can order up a classic Australian meat pie to go with your glass of pinot noir.

If you’re craving action, a few rides on the snaking 1.2 kilometre alpine slide – the longest in the Southern Hemisphere – at Corrin Forrest will do the trick Around 40 minutes’ drive from the centre of town, the slide winds through a gum forest, and it’s not unusual to spot kangaroos as you zip your way down the hill. Adult adrenaline junkies may be a little less impressed with the slide’s velocity – but its proximity to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve makes it a worthwhile stop anyway. In the cooler months, Corrin Forrest cranks out the artificial snow machines (often augmented by the real deal) and offers a novel day out for Australians unused to the white stuff.

If you’ve ever wondered how your humble pint glass gets made, the Glassworks offer you the chance to get hands-on experience creating one yourself. Here you can play with fire, experiment with a ‘punty’ and walk away with something you made with your own two hands (and an 1100-degree furnace). The Glassworks holds ‘Make Your Own’ workshops most weekends, or you can drop in on other days to watch pros at work. The building is also home to a gallery showcasing intricate glass art by local and international creators.