Canberra

Australia's capital, planned around a man-made lake, with free entry to Parliament House, the War Memorial and the National Gallery, a spring flower festival, an autumn balloon festival and wild platypus spotting on the outskirts.

Canberra is the capital of Australia, located in the north of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), about 280 km southwest of Sydney. Built from 1913 to a plan by American architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, it centers on the man-made Lake Burley Griffin, with parliament, courts, museums and galleries arranged around its shores. The climate is temperate continental with four distinct seasons: spring (Sep–Nov) brings the Floriade flower festival; autumn (Mar–May) brings golden leaves and the Balloon Spectacular in March; summers are hot and dry, and in winter (Jun–Aug) mornings are often below freezing, with occasional frost and snow. Areas to explore: the Parliamentary Triangle on the south side of the lake gathers Old and New Parliament House, the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, the National Library, the High Court and Questacon; north of the lake are the Australian War Memorial, Anzac Parade, Commonwealth Park, the Civic city center and the Braddon dining precinct; to the west are the National Museum, the Botanic Gardens, Black Mountain Tower, the National Arboretum and the zoo; southwest on the outskirts lie Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, the Deep Space Communication Complex and Namadgi National Park, while to the north is the Murrumbateman wine region. Getting there: Canberra Airport has domestic flights; from Sydney it is about 3 hours by coach or 4 hours by train, and about 7 hours' drive from Melbourne. The city has light rail and buses, but you'll need a car for outlying sights. Allow 2–3 days. Note: most national institutions are free, but they open and close early, often around 5 pm; visits to Parliament House require a security check.

Top sights

Where to eat

Itineraries