How to have fun in Canberra? Where to go hiking or shopping? What activities are worth travelling to Canberra for?

Canberra Australia is very small and attracts tourists' attention because of its unique history, when it was founded as a brand new city on a green field to spark a dispute between Sydney and Melbourne over who would be the capital.

Canberra is ideal for a 1-2 day stopover before travelling further afield in Australia.

Book a hotel in Canberra city centre

Museums and galleries

The capital is home to several nationally important cultural institutions and the local museums and galleries will keep you quietly entertained for the day.

The following museums are among the highlights, which we describe in detail in the 'What to see' section:

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

Entrance to all museums is free.

Relax in the gardens

On the western outskirts of the city, you'll visit two beautiful botanical gardens. Both are large and you can spend 1-2 hours in them.

The gardens are lovely places to relax because you can move freely in them off the marked paths, but they are also a source of education.

• National Botanic Gardens of Australia
• National Arboretum

Admission to both gardens is free.

Enjoy the view from the two hills

The entire city is nestled in the wide Molonglo River valley, and the centre is sandwiched between two forested hills over 800 metres high.

Both hills offer beautiful views:

• Mount Ainslie - in the morning and morning the town is beautifully lit, in the afternoon the sunsets over the opposite Black Mountain can be seen from here.
• Black Mountain - in the morning, the whole town is against the sun and you can't take very good pictures, but in the afternoon there are wonderful views

Walking and swimming in the lake

The commercial and residential centre of Canberra is separated from the government centre by the artificial lake Burley Griffin, which is up to 11 km long.

Beautiful walking and cycling paths run along both sides of the lake, lined with parks and green meadows where locals and tourists alike picnic and relax.

On the north shore near the centre, you can swim at the pretty sandy Acton Beach.

Discover the beauty of a man-made city

Canberra attracts lovers of urban planning and city design. Like Brasilia, Brazil, or Astana, Kazakhstan, Canberra is built purely for the purpose of being a capital city.

The city was founded in 1907, and looking at satellite maps, as well as moving around the streets, it is clear that the city did not develop gradually, but was planned all at once.

There is an extreme amount of space everywhere, the boulevards and streets are at first sight unnecessarily wide, but on the other hand, being in Canberra is very pleasant thanks to the large amount of green spaces and trees.