Capital Hill
Parliament House
The working federal parliament at the apex of the land axis - the forecourt, the chambers and the grass roof with its sweeping view back over the city.
See Canberra's landmarks in one guided loop - Parliament House, the War Memorial, Lake Burley Griffin and the Mount Ainslie lookout - with the planned-capital story told as you go.
Canberra is a city built to a plan, and a sightseeing tour is the best way to read it. In one guided loop you take in the set pieces - Parliament House on the hill, the War Memorial at the head of Anzac Parade, Lake Burley Griffin between them, and the Mount Ainslie lookout that lines the whole axis up in a single view.
It is the ideal first day for visitors: the planned-capital story told as you go, and the city laid out so the rest of your stay makes sense. Want a themed or out-of-town day instead? See our day tours, or the full range at Canberra Tours.
The landmarks that define the capital, on one guided loop.
The working federal parliament at the apex of the land axis - the forecourt, the chambers and the grass roof with its sweeping view back over the city.
The nation's shrine at the head of Anzac Parade - the galleries, the Hall of Memory and, at closing, the moving Last Post Ceremony.
The water at the heart of Walter Burley Griffin's design - the foreshore, the Captain Cook jet and the bridges that frame the city's set-piece views.
The classic Canberra panorama - straight down Anzac Parade and the land axis, over the lake to Parliament House. The orientation stop that makes the city plan click.
The ceremonial heart - Old Parliament House, the national galleries and museums, and the broad avenues that link the institutions across the lake.
A slow drive through the leafy diplomatic quarter past Government House and dozens of distinctive national embassies.
A half-day covers the headline icons; a full day adds the lake, the lookouts, the embassy drive and time inside an institution or two.
Your driver-guide brings the planned-capital story to life - the Griffin design, the land axis and the meaning behind the monuments.
Pick-up from your central Canberra hotel, comfortable coach transfers between the sights, and drop-off at the end - no parking, no navigating.
The capital's headline landmarks in one guided loop - Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial, Lake Burley Griffin, the Mount Ainslie lookout, the Parliamentary Triangle and the Yarralumla embassy precinct.
Both are available. A half-day covers the must-see icons; a full day adds more time at the institutions, the lake and the lookouts, plus the embassy drive.
A sightseeing tour focuses on seeing and orienting you to the landmarks, with time to step inside one or two on a full day. For a deeper institution-by-institution day, a private or themed day tour works better.
Yes. Sightseeing tours include pick-up from central Canberra hotels or an agreed meeting point, with drop-off at the end.
Ideal. The Mount Ainslie lookout and the loop of the Parliamentary Triangle make sense of Canberra's planned layout quickly, so the rest of your stay falls into place.
Yes. Private sightseeing tours give your group its own coach, driver-guide and pace - good for families, clubs and special-interest groups.
Tell us your dates and group size and we will set up a half-day or full-day Canberra sightseeing tour.