What is there to do in Canberra? Where can you go for day trips or shopping? What activities are worth travelling to Canberra for?

Canberra, Australia, is a very small city and attracts tourists’ attention due to its unique history: it was founded as a completely new city on a greenfield site to resolve the dispute between Sydney and Melbourne over which would be the capital.

Canberra is ideal for a1–2-daystopover before travelling further around Australia.

Book a hotel in the centre of Canberra

Museums and galleries

The capital is home to several nationally significant cultural institutions, and you can easily spend a whole day exploring the local museums and galleries.

Among the most significant, which we describe in detail in the ‘What to See’ section, are the following museums:

• The National Museum of Australia
• National Gallery of Australia
• Museum of Australian Democracy
• Australian War Memorial and Museum

Entry to all museums is free.

Relax in the gardens

On the western outskirts of the city, you can visit two beautiful botanical gardens. Both are large and you’ll spend 1–2 hours there.

The gardens are lovely places to relax, as you can wander freely even off the marked paths, but they are also a source of learning.

• The Australian National Botanic Gardens
• National Arboretum

Entry to both gardens is free.

Enjoy the views from the two hills

The whole city lies in the wide valley of the River Molonglo, with the city centre nestled between two wooded hills over 800 metres high.

Both hills offer beautiful views:

• Mount Ainslie – in the morning and early afternoon, the town is beautifully lit; in the afternoon, you can see sunsets over Black Mountain opposite
• Black Mountain – in the morning, the whole town is backlit by the sun and isn’t very photogenic, but in the afternoon there are magnificent views from here

Walks and swimming in the lake

The Canberry commercial and residential centre is separated from the government centre by theartificial Lake Burley Griffin, which is up to 11 km long.

Beautiful walking and cycling paths run along both its banks, lined with parks and green meadows where locals and tourists alike enjoy picnics and relax.

On the northern bank, near the city centre, you can go for a swim at the lovely sandy Acton Beach.

Discover the beauty of this man-made city

Canberra attracts lovers of urbanism and town planning. Much like Brasília in Brazil or Astana in Kazakhstan, Canberra was built solely for the purpose of serving as a capital city.

The city was founded in 1907, and whether you’re looking at satellite maps or simply walking through its streets, it’s clear that the city did not develop gradually but was planned all at once.

There is an abundance of space everywhere; at first glance, the boulevards and streets seem almost unnecessarily wide, but on the other hand, Canberra is a very pleasant place to be thanks to its abundance of green spaces and trees.