Family-Run Coach & Touring · Since 1974
Cooee Local · Canberra

A Weekend in Canberra
Two Unhurried Days in the Capital

A weekend is just enough for Canberra. The city is compact and unhurried, the big national institutions are free, and the country - lake, hills and wi

By Frank Burns · Cooee Tours · 8 June 2026

A weekend is just enough for Canberra. The city is compact and unhurried, the big national institutions are free, and the country - lake, hills and wine - is never more than a few minutes away. Here is how a relaxed two days tends to unfold.

Saturday - The Institutions

Start at the Australian War Memorial while it is quiet, walk a stretch of the lake foreshore, then spend the afternoon at Parliament House and Old Parliament House. Finish in Braddon, where the laneways come alive in the evening.

Sunday Morning - Lake and Hills

Catch the view from Mount Ainslie, then the National Arboretum's ninety-four forests and city panorama. If the season suits, the Old Bus Depot Markets at Kingston are a good Sunday stop.

Sunday Afternoon - Wine or Wildlife

This is the choice that defines your weekend: the cellar doors of the Canberra District around Murrumbateman, or the kangaroos and bushwalks of Tidbinbilla. Both are a short drive, and both make an easy run home afterwards.

Letting Someone Else Drive

A weekend goes further when you are not navigating or parking. Our day tours cover the institutions, the lake and the country, and a structured version of this trip lives on our weekend itinerary page.

Plan It

See It with Cooee

Make a Trip of It

Tell us your dates and what you would like to see, and we will build the day.