By rail
Canberra station, about four hours by train from Sydney
Australia & New Zealand · Australia
Canberra, Australia
Australia's planned capital of museums and lakes
Getting there
By air
Canberra (CBR), ~8 km from the centre
Best time to visit
March to May for autumn colour; September and October for Floriade
Don't miss
Australian War Memorial
Parliament House
National Gallery of Australia
Lake Burley Griffin
Mount Ainslie
National Arboretum
Questacon
Old Parliament House
Things to do
The Australian War Memorial
Parliament House
The National Gallery
Cycling around Lake Burley Griffin
A drive up Mount Ainslie
Floriade in spring
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Thennicke · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Layers for cold mornings, walking shoes, a bike for the lake path
A quieter corner
The National Arboretum's forests of a hundred species on the hills west of the lake
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Canberra?
March to May for autumn colour; September and October for Floriade. What to pack: Layers for cold mornings, walking shoes, a bike for the lake path.
How do I get to Canberra?
Fly into Canberra (CBR), ~8 km from the centre.
What is there to do in Canberra?
The Australian War Memorial, Parliament House, the National Gallery, cycling around Lake Burley Griffin, a drive up Mount Ainslie, Floriade in spring. A quieter find: The National Arboretum's forests of a hundred species on the hills west of the lake.
What should I eat in Canberra?
Modern Australian dining in Braddon, coffee culture, cool-climate wines from the Canberra district, weekend farmers' markets.
About Canberra
- Inland
- Lakeside
Where it is
Canberra is the capital of Australia, in the Australian Capital Territory, an inland city between Sydney and Melbourne set around an artificial lake.
History
Chosen as a compromise capital between Sydney and Melbourne, Canberra was designed in the early twentieth century by the American architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, with avenues radiating from a lake that was not filled until the 1960s. Parliament moved here in the 1920s, and the city has grown into the nation's centre of museums, galleries and government.
People
A city of public servants, academics and diplomats with the highest average education in the country; Canberrans cycle, run around the lake and defend their city against the jokes of Sydney and Melbourne.
Known for
- The Australian War Memorial
- Parliament House
- The National Gallery of Australia
- Floriade flower festival
Did you know?
The name Canberra is thought to come from a Ngunnawal word, and the Ngunnawal people are the traditional custodians of the area.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.