The Case for Canberra
Australia's Most
Underestimated City
Most Australians last visited Canberra on a school excursion and formed their opinion then. The city has changed beyond recognition. A brief reintroduction is warranted.
The Finest Museum Collection in Australia
The Australian War Memorial is widely considered the finest museum in Australia by those who have visited it — not the most visited, the finest. The National Gallery of Australia holds the country's best art collection. The National Museum, Questacon and the National Portrait Gallery are all within twenty minutes of each other and each is genuinely world-class.
Wilderness Starts Twenty Minutes from the City
Namadgi National Park covers 46 per cent of the ACT's total land area — a wilderness of granite peaks, alpine bogs, ancient Aboriginal rock art and mountain streams with platypus. It begins a twenty-minute drive from Parliament House. Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve has some of the most reliable platypus viewing in Australia. The city and the bush are, in Canberra, genuinely the same place.
A Wine Region of Serious Quality
The Canberra wine district produces some of Australia's finest Riesling, Shiraz Viognier and Pinot Gris from estates on the elevated limestone plains north-west of the city. Clonakilla's Shiraz Viognier is among Australia's most celebrated wines. Most estates are family-owned, most offer private tastings with the winemaker, and almost none are crowded. It is, for wine, what the region has always been for government: quietly excellent and rarely given sufficient credit.
ACT Highlights
What to Do in
the Capital Territory
Parliament House & Civic Precinct
Parliament House, Old Parliament House, the High Court, the National Library and Lake Burley Griffin's parliamentary triangle.
Free Entry · Parliament HouseAustralian War Memorial
Australia's most visited tourist attraction and widely considered its finest museum — the memorial, the galleries and the Last Post Ceremony at dusk.
Last Post Daily at 4:55 PMNamadgi & Tidbinbilla
Namadgi National Park's granite ranges, Tidbinbilla's platypus sanctuary and the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex.
Platypus at DawnCanberra Wine District
Clonakilla, Helm, Lark Hill, Brindabella Hills and Murrumbateman's cool-climate estates — Riesling, Shiraz Viognier and Pinot Gris.
Best: Autumn HarvestFloriade
Australia's largest flower festival — one million blooms along the northern shore of Lake Burley Griffin, September to October annually.
Sep–Oct OnlyArboretum & Botanic Gardens
National Arboretum Canberra's 250 forest gardens, the Australian National Botanic Gardens' eucalyptus collection and balloon flights at dawn.
Dawn Ballooning AvailableOur ACT Packages
Featured Canberra & ACT
Tour Packages
Canberra Museums & Parliament
Parliament House and its extraordinary architecture (and the debates, if sitting), the Australian War Memorial's galleries and the 4:55 PM Last Post Ceremony, the National Gallery's Australian and international collections, Questacon's hands-on science centre, the National Portrait Gallery and the National Museum. Three days, the full civic circuit, expert interpretation throughout.
Namadgi & Tidbinbilla Wilderness
Pre-dawn at Tidbinbilla's Sanctuary for platypus on the wetland — one of Australia's most reliable viewing sites. Namadgi National Park's Gudgenby Valley trail across granite outcrops and sub-alpine heath. Aboriginal rock art sites in the Tharwa Valley with a Ngunnawal guide. The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex at Tidbinbilla — active NASA tracking station, open to visitors.
Canberra Wine & Food Trail
The Capital Region Farmers Market at Exhibition Park on Saturday morning — the finest producers' market in south-eastern Australia. Clonakilla winery (their Shiraz Viognier is Australia's answer to Côte Rôtie), Helm Wines in Murrumbateman, Lark Hill's biodynamic estate above Lake George and Brindabella Hills' high-altitude Riesling. Dinner at one of Canberra's best restaurants, chosen for the evening's wine selections.
Day by Day
ACT Tour Itineraries
Two Canberra journeys in full — so you know exactly what each day looks like before you commit.
Morning: Arrive in Canberra and transfer to your hotel on the parliamentary triangle. Parliament House by guided tour — the building's architecture (by Romaldo Giurgola, one of Australia's most significant public buildings) is as interesting as its politics. The Cabinet Room, the Members' Hall and the rooftop grass lawn. Afternoon: Old Parliament House (now the Museum of Australian Democracy), where every significant political moment in Australian history from 1927 to 1988 took place. The chamber where Gough Whitlam was dismissed. Evening: Dinner in Kingston Foreshore — Canberra's best restaurant district, genuinely excellent and almost never crowded.
Morning: The Australian War Memorial — allow at least three hours. The ANZAC Hall's aircraft and maritime exhibits, the Galleries of Remembrance and the extraordinary collection of personal stories, letters and objects from every conflict in which Australians have served. Genuinely moving. Lunch: The Memorial's café overlooks the Eternal Flame and the full length of ANZAC Parade to Parliament House. Afternoon: The National Gallery of Australia — the Sidney Nolan Ned Kelly series, the Indigenous Australian collection (the finest in the country) and the international collection including Monet, Picasso and Pollock. 4:55 PM: Return to the War Memorial for the Last Post Ceremony — a daily event of quiet power. Every name on the Wall of Honour from the day's date in any year is read aloud. Brief, dignified and unmissable.
Morning: Questacon — the National Science and Technology Centre, designed by Japanese architect Koji Kamiya. Genuinely engaging for adults, not just children. The free-fall shaft, the earthquake simulator and the working science demonstrations are all excellent. Late morning: The National Portrait Gallery — the best art institution in Canberra that most people skip. Every significant figure in Australian history depicted by the country's finest portrait painters. Afternoon: The National Arboretum Canberra — 250 forest gardens on a ridgeline overlooking the city, the lake and the Brindabella Ranges. The dawn redwoods from China, the Wollemi pines and the village of Cork oaks. Transfer to airport or continue for additional ACT touring.
Pre-dawn: Depart at 5:30 AM for Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve's Sanctuary. The platypus are most active at dawn and dusk on the wetland — your guide knows where to stand, when to stand still and what to look for in the reeds. Eastern grey kangaroos, koalas in the eucalypts and waterbirds in the marshes also in the first hour. Morning: Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex — the Tidbinbilla facility is one of three NASA deep space tracking stations in the world. The 70-metre dish that received the Apollo 11 lunar landing signals is still operational. An extraordinary story of Australian science, engagingly told. Afternoon: Walk the Tidbinbilla Nature Trail through riparian woodland. Return to Canberra for dinner in Braddon — Canberra's most interesting dining precinct.
Morning: Drive into Namadgi National Park via the Naas Road to Gudgenby Station — a historic homestead at the confluence of two valleys. The Yankee Hat trail to Aboriginal rock art (approximately 2 hours return, medium difficulty) — stencil art and ochre paintings in a granite overhang, interpreted by an accredited Ngunnawal guide who contextualises the art within ongoing living culture, not archaeology. Afternoon: The Orroral Valley — a sweeping sub-alpine plain ringed by granite ranges, excellent for eastern grey kangaroo and wombat sightings. The ruins of a NASA tracking station operational from 1965 to 1985, still visible in the valley floor. Return via the Brindabella Ranges outlook at sunset.
7:30 AM: Capital Region Farmers Market at Exhibition Park — the finest regional producers' market in south-eastern Australia, operating every Saturday morning. Canberra honey, Braidwood cheese, Southern Highlands charcuterie, ACT vegetables and the Hawker Markets' extraordinary breadth. Breakfast from market traders. Mid-morning: Murrumbateman wine country. Clonakilla for a tasting with the winemaker (Tim Kirk, whose Shiraz Viognier is one of Australia's most admired wines). Helm Wines' Riesling — Karl Helm has been making wine in the Canberra district since 1973. Lark Hill's biodynamic estate above Lake George. Afternoon: Bungendore — a heritage village east of Canberra with Wood Works Gallery (one of Australia's finest craft furniture galleries), local producers and the last hour at Lerida Estate on the slopes of Lake George.
Compare & Choose
All ACT Tour Packages
| Package | Duration | Key Highlights | Best Season | From | Enquire |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
🏛 Museums & ParliamentWar Memorial · NGA · Parliament House · Questacon | 3 Days | War Memorial, Last Post, National Gallery | Year-round | $890 pp | Enquire › |
🦘 Namadgi & Tidbinbilla WildernessPlatypus · Rock Art · Deep Space Complex | 3 Days | Platypus at dawn, Ngunnawal guide, NASA station | Year-round | $790 pp | Enquire › |
🍷 Canberra Wine & Food TrailClonakilla · Helm · Lark Hill · Farmers Market | 3 Days | Winemaker tastings, Capital Region Farmers Market | Mar–Jun | $990 pp | Enquire › |
🌷 Floriade Spring ExperienceCommonwealth Park · NightFest · Hot Air Balloon | 4 Days | 1M blooms, NightFest illuminations, ballooning | Sep–Oct only | $1,190 pp | Enquire › |
🎈 ACT Grand ExperienceAll highlights · Ballooning · Wine · Museums · Wilderness | 6 Days | Complete ACT — everything included | Year-round | $1,890 pp | Enquire › |
💡 Prices per person include accommodation, guided tours, listed meals and private transport within the ACT. Flights to Canberra Airport from Sydney (50 min), Melbourne (1 hr) and Brisbane (1.5 hrs) not included. Canberra Airport is served by Qantas and Virgin Australia with multiple daily services from all major east coast capitals. Alternatively, Canberra is 3 hours by road from Sydney — self-drive combination tours available on request.
When to Visit
Canberra by Season
Cold winters, spectacular springs, warm summers — every season has a strong case.
Summer
- Hot days (30–38°C) with clear skies — Canberra's driest season
- Evening dining at Kingston and Braddon precincts at their best
- Lake Burley Griffin for kayaking and cycling the foreshore path
- Namadgi walks in longer daylight — golden hour lasts late
- Museums and Parliament air-conditioned — relief from the heat
Autumn
- Canberra's trees are deciduous — the city turns gold and crimson
- Floriade's NightFest events and wine harvest in Murrumbateman
- Lake Burley Griffin's parliamentary triangle in autumn colour
- Cool clear days — ideal for walking Namadgi
- Canberra Balloon Festival in March — one of the world's best
Winter
- Cold nights (sub-zero) but crisp, clear sunny days
- Namadgi's sub-alpine walks occasionally snowcapped
- Museums entirely uncrowded — the best time for the War Memorial
- Tidbinbilla's geothermal mud pools more atmospheric in cold air
- Canberra Truffle Festival (June) — one of Australia's finest food events
Spring
- Floriade: one million blooms, late September to mid-October
- NightFest illuminations — Commonwealth Park after dark
- Dawn hot air ballooning over the tulip fields
- Capital Region Farmers Market at its freshest and most abundant
- Book accommodation 6–12 months ahead for Floriade dates
Before You Go
Essential ACT Travel Information
Getting to Canberra
Canberra Airport is served by Qantas and Virgin Australia from Sydney (50 min), Melbourne (60 min), Brisbane (90 min) and other east coast capitals. The airport is 15 minutes from the city centre. Alternatively, Canberra is 3 hours by road from Sydney via the Federal Highway — a scenic drive through the Southern Tablelands that makes for a worthwhile stop at Goulburn or the Southern Highlands. All Cooee ACT tours include airport or city hotel pickup.
Climate & What to Pack
Canberra has the most extreme temperature range of any Australian capital city — cold winters (sub-zero nights common June to August), warm to hot summers (35–38°C in January) and clear, brilliant springs and autumns. Pack layers regardless of season. A warm jacket for evenings is necessary year-round outside summer. Walking shoes for Namadgi and Tidbinbilla. Sunscreen in spring and summer — Canberra's altitude (600m) intensifies UV exposure relative to coastal cities.
National Institutions — Entry & Booking
Most national cultural institutions in Canberra are free entry — Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery of Australia, the National Museum of Australia, the National Portrait Gallery and the National Library are all free admission to permanent collections. Ticketed exhibitions and events do apply. Questacon charges admission. Your Cooee guide arranges all timed entry passes, special access bookings and group admission where applicable in advance of departure.
Getting Around the ACT
The ACT is a driver's territory — public transport services the parliamentary triangle and inner city but Namadgi, Tidbinbilla, the wine district and many key attractions are only reasonably accessible by private vehicle. All Cooee ACT tours include private transport throughout. If self-driving, hire cars are available at Canberra Airport from all major operators and Canberra's road network is uncongested, well-signposted and straightforward by Australian capital city standards.
What Our Travellers Say
Australians Rediscovering
Their Own Capital
The most common thing our ACT tour guests say: "I had no idea."
"The Australian War Memorial was the most affecting museum experience I have had in Australia. I am not particularly interested in military history. I went because the guide said I should. I spent three and a half hours there and left unable to speak for twenty minutes. The Last Post Ceremony was the best fifteen minutes of the entire tour. I have told every person I know to go."
"I have lived in Australia my entire life and never seen a platypus in the wild. Tidbinbilla at dawn — the guide took us to a specific bend in the wetland boardwalk at 6:15 AM and we stood quietly for twelve minutes and then a platypus appeared and dived and surfaced and dived again for about twenty minutes. I was completely unprepared for how extraordinary it would be. It is one of the strangest and most beautiful animals in the world and it lives forty minutes from Canberra."
"I dismissed Canberra for thirty years. I moved to Australia from England in 1994 and someone told me not to bother. I finally went on the Cooee Canberra Wine and Food tour at the age of 61. Clonakilla's Shiraz Viognier is genuinely one of the finest red wines I have tasted anywhere in the world, including in France. The Capital Region Farmers Market on Saturday morning is better than most London farmers markets. I was embarrassed to have waited so long."
Common Questions