Things to do in Canberra, Australia

The best things to do in Canberra, Australia, include Parliament House tours, hot air ballooning, the Australian War Memorial and the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.

Canberra is the capital of Australia, but by no means the country’s biggest city. It has a somewhat unfair reputation of a dull places full of politicians. Well, you can’t do much about the politicians, but the dull bit is easily ditchable. Canberra hosts some of Australia’s top museums and cultural attractions. There is also a wealth of nature on the doorstep, hence Canberra’s nickname – “the bush capital”.

Canberra, the planned city

Canberra is a planned city, designed by Chicago architect Walter Burley-Griffin. Burley-Griffin’s plans got extensively modified, although the man-made lake the city surrounds still bears his name. You can take a Canberra Segway tour around Lake Burley-Griffin if you like, or hire out a GoBoat for a picnic on the lake. But if you’re interested in the city’s design and history, the National Capital Exhibition is the best starting point.

An alternative way to see the city’s layout is from a hot air balloon. Balloon Aloft runs Canberra ballooning tours which float across the city, taking in the many, many roundabouts.

Things to do in Canberra: Parliamentary Quarter

Many of Canberra’s top attractions cluster around Australia’s Parliament House on the south side of the lake.

Parliament House is a remarkable building, not least for the amount of access the public has to it. The free guided tours leave three times a day. They’re well worth taking to understand the thinking behind the architecture and decoration.

From there, stroll through the Parliamentary Quarter for a cluster of big, important museums. The National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery are pretty good, but the National Library is the big surprise. It contains hugely important documents from Australia’s history. These include Captain Cook’s log from when he discovered the country in 1770. There’s also what’s thought to be the first letter written by an Aboriginal Australian.

More fun for the kids is Questacon, Canberra’s science museum, which brims with interactivity. Head to the waterfront and you’ll spot the National Carillon – one of the world’s largest musical instruments – on Aspen Island in the lake.

Things to do in Canberra: Acton Peninsula

Cross Lake Burley-Griffin by walking over the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge, and you’ll reach the Acton Peninsula. This is home to the National Museum of Australia, a fabulously engaging museum. The National Museum of Australia does a brilliant job of tackling the continent’s history and geography, themed around the people and places that have helped to shape it.

Things to do in Canberra: Australian War Memorial

That said, top of your list of things to do in Canberra should be the Australian War Memorial. This frequently moving museum tackles the last century-or-so of conflict. There’s particular emphasis on the two World Wars, with an Australian slant.

Photos of emaciated prisoners of war, dioramas of national character-forming battles and personal tales of bravery prove utterly absorbing. Get there for the reliably tear-jerking Last Post ceremony, just before closing at 5pm. The story of one name from over 100,000 that died serving their country is read out. Then the lone bugler pierces the sombre silence.

Shopping in Canberra

On Sundays, the Old Bus Depot Markets in the Kingston Foreshore area are a great place for gift shopping. The traders offer everything from sheepskin slippers to hand-made glass trinkets.

Nature in Canberra: Namadgi National Park and Tidbinbilla

Not many people come to Canberra for the shopping, however. Getting close to nature is a much better reason to visit. The National Arboretum is a good place to start, and this tree haven offers some of the most interesting Aboriginal tours in Canberra.

Much of the Australian Capital Territory is occupied by the sub-Alpine, bushland-swathed Namadgi National Park. There are plenty of hiking trails to disappear down and vertiginous lookouts to trek up to. It’s wild enough to ensure you’ll not see many people. But there’s a strong chance of encountering the prodigious local kangaroo population.

Slightly closer to the city centre is the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, which offers walks of varying lengths, most of which come with educational signposting. The common denominator is that you’re almost certain to see wildlife, whether it’s koalas, echidnas or black swans.

Next to Tidbinbilla is the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex. You can come here to gawp at the enormous radio telescopes. Alternatively, go inside to learn about Australia’s surprisingly large role in exploring space.

The top Canberra accommodation picks

There is a large selection of Canberra accommodation options. But these are particularly good choices…

• The one with the highest guest rating: A By Adina Canberra.
• For something cool and stylish: East Hotel and Apartments.
• The one where the VIPs stay: Hyatt Hotel Canberra.
• For high quality apartments: Quest Canberra City Walk.
• For something much cheaper and family-focused: Alivio Tourist Park.