Canberra, the capital of Australia, is an interesting city. There are museums, galleries and monuments a plenty, perfectly laid out roads, mountains and an abundance of nature. If you’re only visiting for a day trip, let me help you with my guide to spending 24 hours in Canberra.
Canberra is, without doubt, an underrated city. At first glance, it’s very clinical perhaps a little quiet but if I described the city to you on paper, with an abundance of natural beauty, mountain top viewpoints, meticiously planned road layouts, some of the best museums in the country, home of the Australian government and with plenty more going for it, you might think I’ve just described the perfect city.
Canberra has always had a bit of a reputation for being sterile, man-made and a ‘country-town’ and, when I first visited for a few days, I was a little taken a back by the city. First things first, it’s bigger than I thought. I had read Bill Bryson’s ‘Down Under’ in advance and felt as though I had a good idea of what to expect from Canberra and the way in which Walter Burley Griffin’s vision was brought to life. Due to the size, each attraction feels a good drive away from each other but along pristine freeway sized avenues. It was all a little odd but, over time, I’ve got fond memories of visiting and I would, given the chance, return to experience more of Canberra’s revival.
If you’re only spending a short period here, perhaps a day trip to Canberra from Sydney or Melbourne, I’ve pulled together this guide to spending just 24 hours in Canberra to help you see the highlights. Of course, this guide can be stretched out and incorporated into your own Canberra itinerary with perhaps a little more time for relaxation and enjoyment of more bars and restaurants! Either way, you’re getting the lowdown on the best things to do in Canberra right here.
24 HOURS IN CANBERRA
One day in Canberra isn’t long but, if it’s all you’ve got, then you can still experience all of the highlights and come away feeling as though you’ve had a good crack at Canberra. You won’t have completed the city, there will be plenty that you’re unfortunately going to have to skip, but that just gives a good reason to return! In terms of how we’re going to make the most of these 24 hours, I’ll give an approximate itinerary but I’m not your boss so please feel free to take as much or as little inspiration from me.
MOUNT AINSLIE – FIRST THINGS FIRST
Whenever I visit a new city, I like to try and get up high as soon as possible to help me get my bearings and, to be fair, cities just look insane from above. Canberra is no exception and Mount Ainslie offers the most incredible views across the city, Lake Burley Griffin and the various main attractions from 250 metres high. Even better than the view itself is appreciating how the entire city is lined up perfectly with Mount Ainslie as though the axis of each avenue and road leads from the mountain. There are few better sights that the arrow straight ANZAC avenue seemingly stretching from Mount Ainslie and the War Memorial to the Parliament Building.
The easiest way to get to the top of Mount Ainslie is off course to drive yourself, take a taxi or, and this ones probably for those with longer than a day in Canberra, you can hike to the top (4.5km return).
Personally, I’m a sucker for the delicate morning light but you could head here just before sunset to capture the golden glow.
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL – MORNING
The Australian War Memorial was my favourite museum in Canberra and, if you can only visit one or two on your trip, I would highly recommend visiting here. It’s a sombre, eye-opening yet peaceful experience that guides you through all of the sacrifices that Australians have made both in past and modern conflicts. The museum is huge and will easily fill two hours of your time which is a coincidence as the museum now operates a free ticketing system allowing access for two hours.
The building itself is beautiful and worthy of many photographs but inside you’ll find walls filled with poppies alongside many names of those who lost their lives and an eternal flame within the Pool of Reflection helping you remember and contemplate those that paid the ultimate sacrifice. Even if you’re not a museum lover, or that into military history (I don’t think anyone is into war but you know what I mean), a trip here will exceed your expectations.
TIME FOR COFFEE
When I visited Canberra, I was somehow not a coffee drinker but you have to factor in a stop for a caffeine hit. I’m now a firm lover of a flat white so much so that I could easily plan a return trip to Australia for some sort of coffee expedition. Some of the best coffee shops in Canberra include Lonsdale Street Roasters 7 & ONA Coffee House.
LAKE BURLEY GRIFFIN – MORNING
Take in the remainder of a lovely morning with a stroll along the beautiful Lake Burley Griffin that the city of Canberra is built around. The Commonwealth Park by Waterloo Bridge is a good place to start with great views of the Captain Cook Memorial Jet, plenty of tulips in Spring and a little playground for the kids if you’re travelling with children.
LUNCH
Thankfully, it’s time to eat and we need to go straight to the Canberra Centre; yes a shopping centre. Tiger Hall is a unique space inspired by the hawker centres of Asia delivering pan-Asian cuisine from 9 dining outlets. There’s such a diverse range of flavours on offer here but, for those who love Asian food at least, you’ll definitely be able to grab a delicious lunch here.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA – AFTERNOON
Next up is a trip to the National Museum of Australia where you can easily spend another couple of hours learning everything you need to know about the history of this beautiful country and its First Nations people. I loved visiting this museum too even after spending time in various museums across Melbourne, this was the one for me that helped me understand more about this great southern land.
Entry is free but expect to pay for car parking – $3.80 per hour or $16.50 for all-day. If you’re using public transport, grab the #53 bus or its around a 30 minute walk from the city centre.
SHOP ON LONSDALE STREET
Ok, I’m not going to subject you only to a day of museums, museums and more museums. Perhaps a gallery? The National Gallery has a renowned collection of international art. There are plenty of National somethings here in Canberra and visiting all of them would take more than just 24 hours so unfortunately we have to be a little selective.
So now, we’re going to leave the museums and galleries behind and head to Lonsdale Street for the city’s best shopping. Lonsdale Street is home to a wide array of independent stores stocking homewares, furniture, jewellery and clothing. For more retail therapy, Canberra Centre has all of your high street favourites.
DRINK & DINE – EVENING
When my wife and I visited Canberra, we were on a strict budget and most of said budget went on the admission cost of the ‘must-visit’ museums. This meant that, unfortunately, we didn’t get chance to experience many of the great bars, breweries and restaurants in Canberra. There is however a thriving food scene with so many award-winning restaurants that you could head to Canberra solely as a foodie destination. Italian & Sons, Rebel Rebel and Little Theo’s (the burgers sound insane!) all come highly recommended. If you’re like me and love a cold one, head to Capital Brewing Co. For wine, head to Bar Rochford and, for the best rooftop views, The Howling Moon.
WHERE TO STAY IN CANBERRA
I’m assuming that if you’re only spending one day in Canberra that you will at least be planning on staying over at least one night, either before or after your epic day of exploration. When we visited, we were travelling around Australia in a campervan so we made the most of a cheap campsite the night before our trip to Canberra at Bungendore Showground followed by a free camp on the edge of the bone dry Lake George. If I was to return to Canberra, I would certainly be spending my hard-earned dollars on a night of luxury (at least more luxurious than a campervan) and I’d either stay at the QT Canberra (we booked QT hotels in Melbourne and Queenstown for our to-be-cancelled honeymoon and their customer service was excellent) or the A By Adina Canberra; both of these are right up my street.
And that’s that. A whistle-stop guide to spending 24 hours in Canberra scratching the surface on what the capital of Australia can offer. There’s so much to do, you could easily spend 48 hours to a week here especially if you’re wanting to get out in nature. If you’ve got any comments at all, or recommendations that you would include, let me know below.
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Ok, let’s be honest, it’s taken me long enough to find the time to publish guides covering my time in Australia. Now though, the majority of them are linked below, so wherever you’re heading you’re likely to find what you need below!
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