Best of Canberra
How to Spend a Weekend in Canberra: A Two-Day Local Guide
Canberra rewards a weekend more than most people expect. The national institutions are clustered tightly around Lake Burley Griffin, many of the biggest ones are free, and a hilltop view is never far away. The city was laid out to a 1912 plan by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, organised around a land axis (Mount Ainslie to Parliament House) and a water axis along the lake. Once you grasp that geometry, the whole place reads like a map you can walk. Here is a loose two-day shape rather than a rigid timetable. Treat it as a frame and swap pieces to suit the weather and your pace.
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- 1
Day 1 Morning, Australian War Memorial
Start Saturday at the War Memorial in Campbell. Allow three hours for the permanent collection. The Anzac Hall aircraft exhibits and the Hall of Memory are the unmissable sections.
- 2
Day 1 Afternoon, National Gallery of Australia
Cross the lake to the NGA in Parkes after lunch on the Kingston Foreshore. The permanent collection is free; check the exhibition calendar for ticketed shows running during your visit.
- 3
Day 1 Evening, Kingston Foreshore Dinner
The waterfront restaurants in Kingston are the right choice for a Saturday evening. Casual options on the strip include the Boat House and waterfront wine bars within walking distance.
- 4
Day 2 Morning, Parliament House
Sunday morning at Parliament House is relaxed and crowd-free. The rooftop grass walk and the Great Hall are worth seeing even outside sitting weeks. Tours run at regular intervals.
- 5
Day 2 Afternoon, Botanic Gardens and Black Mountain
Walk the Aboriginal Plant Use Trail and the Rainforest Gully at the National Botanic Gardens, then take the easy 30-minute track to the Black Mountain summit for a final panorama over the city.
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