Best things to do in Canberra, including free and rainy-day options

If you have one day, start at the Australian War Memorial when it opens, walk or drive the short hop to the National Gallery and Questacon, then finish at Parliament House and the National Museum. Everything sits around Lake Burley Griffin, so you are not crossing the city between stops.

If you have two days, split it: day one for the national institutions, day two for the Australian National Botanic Gardens, Mount Ainslie lookout and either Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve or the National Arboretum. Rain does not ruin the trip here, because the strongest sights are indoors.

Prices are 2026 estimates in Australian dollars and change; confirm on the day. Free entry is the norm for the national institutions, with paid special exhibitions inside.

The national institutions cluster on the Acton and Parkes peninsula, on the south side of Lake Burley Griffin. The Australian War Memorial sits at the top of Anzac Parade, the National Gallery and Questacon face each other across the lake edge, and Parliament House and the National Museum are a short walk or one bus stop away. You can cover the core on foot in a day if you are comfortable with 8–10 km, or use the light rail and local buses between stops.

The Australian War Memorial is the one to prioritise. It is free, it needs two to three hours, and the Last Post ceremony at the end of the day is the moment most visitors remember. Book a free timed ticket if the site asks for one, especially on weekends and school holidays.

For families, Questacon is the paid highlight: hands-on exhibits across several floors, aimed at children roughly 5–14. Pair it with the National Museum, which is free and has a good children's gallery, then let them run at the National Arboretum or the Botanic Gardens.

Outdoors, Mount Ainslie gives the postcard view and takes 30–45 minutes by car or a longer walk up. The Botanic Gardens and the lake foreshore are easy half-days. Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, about 40 minutes southwest, is where you go for kangaroos, emus and bush walks rather than buildings.

Canberra is a planned city with wide roads and few crowds, so the main planning question is not queues but distance: sights look close on a map and are not always walkable in summer heat.

Canberra is one of the cheaper Australian capitals for sightseeing because the national institutions are free. A two-day visit can cost almost nothing beyond food and transport if you skip Questacon and the paid exhibitions.

Budget roughly: free entry to the War Memorial, National Gallery, National Museum, Parliament House, Botanic Gardens and Mount Ainslie; paid entry for Questacon, Cockington Green and the National Zoo and Aquarium (check current prices); a paid vehicle fee at Tidbinbilla (check). Public transport fares are low and capped by day; see the transport page for how to pay.

Food and coffee around the museums and in Braddon and Kingston are the main variable. A picnic by the lake is the cheapest option and the weather often allows it.

Start early. The War Memorial and the National Gallery are quietest in the first hour, and summer afternoons get hot.

Check opening days before you go: some institutions close on certain public holidays, and special exhibitions sell out.

Wear real shoes. The walk between the War Memorial, the lake and Parliament House is longer than it looks.

In winter, bring a warm layer: Canberra nights fall near 0 °C and the wind off the lake is cold.

If it rains, do not change plans much. Swap Mount Ainslie and the gardens for the National Library, the Portrait Gallery or a second museum.

Use the light rail from the city to Gungahlin and local buses for the outer sights; a car helps for Tidbinbilla and the arboretum.