Held in Spring each year (September/October – dates differ each year), Canberra’s Floriade has more than one million blooms that bring Commonwealth Park to life in a vibrant display of colour and natural beauty. Wander through spectacular garden beds and enjoy a diverse program of entertainment, food and drink, workshops, talks, and activities for all ages, as Australia’s Biggest Celebration of Spring comes into full bloom.

No tour to Canberra would be complete without a visit to the Australian War Memorial.  The Memorial combines a world-class military museum, an extensive national archive and a solemn shrine.   It commemorates all Australians who served in conflicts, warlike operations, and peacekeeping missions.   You have the option of a self-guided visit or a pre-booked guided visit, led by the Memorial’s knowledgeable voluntary guides.

Anzac Hall

Discover their new Anzac Hall, highlighting Australia’s involvement in modern conflicts and peacekeeping.   Spread across three expansive levels, Anzac Hall focuses mainly on Australia’s commitments to the Middle East, Afghanistan and peacekeeping operations.

Aircraft Hall

Discover their reopened Aircraft Hall, displaying classic aircraft from the First World War, Second World War and Korean War.  Aircraft Hall features three aircraft from the First World War era.

Anzac Atrium

Discover Anzac Atrium, the light-filled gateway between the heritage building and Anzac Hall.   A place of calm and reflection, Anzac Atrium is one our newest gallery spaces, featuring a vast, sweeping wall constructed from Wondabyne sandstone—quarried from the very same rockface used to construct the heritage building.

The Roll of Honour

The heart of the shrine features the Roll of Honour, listing the names of over 103,000 Australians who made the ultimate sacrifice in service.

Last Post Ceremony

Make sure you time your visit to the Memorials, so you are present for the daily Last Post Ceremony, which takes place at 4:30 pm in the Commemorative Area, sharing the story behind a single name from the Roll of Honour.

Australia’s Parliament House is located on Capital Hill in Canberra and serves as the meeting place of the federal Parliament. Opened in 1988, it features 4,500 rooms, a distinctive 81-meter flagpole, and houses the House of Representatives, the Senate, and offices for the Prime Minister and ministers.  The building took seven years to construct, cost $1.1 billion, and was designed by the architectural firm Mitchell/Giurgola & Thorp.

Regardless of whether you are on a Guided Tour or walking around on a self-guided exploration, Parliament House is a politically informative venue to visit.   If you time your visit in a Parliament Sitting week, you could even get to watch Question Time:

Guided Tours:  Explore the Marble Foyer, the Great Hall, and the House of Representatives and Senate Chambers.

Democracy in Action:  Watch Question Time or see bills being debated from the public galleries when Parliament is sitting. 

Yeribee Indigenous Experiences:  Join the Yeribee Tours to hear the stories of Indigenous parliamentarians and discover First Nations

Discover the world’s most comprehensive display of Australian native plants in the heart of Canberra.

The Australian National Botanic Gardens is a place for recreation, inspiration, conservation, science and learning. Through our Living Plant Collections and the National Seed Bank, the Gardens makes a substantial contribution to conservation of Australian native plants.

Visitor Centre

Garden Highlights

The Australian National Botanic Gardens boast around 75,000 plants from over 4,300 species. That’s about a fifth of Australia’s known native plant species.

Their collection is arranged around several themes. Many plants are grouped by their geographic origin, botanical family or the ways they are used by Indigenous Australians.   Some areas display Australia’s rare and endangered plants. Others are organised by horticultural attributes to help you develop a native garden at home.

Explore their garden highlights to discover Australia’s diverse habitats and botanical wonders:

Rainforest Gully

Retreat into the cool, shady Rainforest Gully, one of the Gardens’ most popular attractions.

Wandering the upper and lower boardwalks, you’ll admire lush plants from the diverse rainforests of Australia’s east coast all the way from Tasmania to Queensland.

Interpretive signs give more details about our remarkable rainforests, and daily mistings enhance the ambience and refreshing temperatures.

Proteaceae Displays

Witness the beauty and diversity of the Proteaceae family, which includes iconic Australian flowers like the banksia, grevillea, hakea and waratah.

Proteaceae are grouped together in numerous displays throughout the Gardens. These plants often have great horticultural value thanks to their diverse fruiting and flowering habits.

A highlight of the Gardens’ Proteaceae collection is the unusual white waratah, which produces an abundance of beautiful white blooms in spring.

Asteraceae (Daisy) Garden

Be dazzled by a uniquely Australian flower garden made up of native daisies.  Highlighting the diversity within a single plant family, the Asteraceae (daisy) garden features a number of species not grown before at the Australian National Botanic Gardens, including several threatened species.

Australian daisies can be found from the desert to the alpine country and come in every form from tall trees to tiny annuals.

Thousands of trees, shrubs and annuals have been propagated by Gardens’ staff and planted in this garden, which features over 50 Australian daisy species.

Take a wander through the incredible world of daisy diversity in the Asteraceae Garden.

Rock Garden

Check the time on the sundial, unwind by the waterfall or laze on the lawn at the Rock Garden.  The much-loved Rock Garden is one of the Australian National Botanic Gardens’ most popular areas.

The garden’s special soils support a wide variety of plants that naturally occur in habitats ranging from alpine areas to deserts.

The Rock Garden is where you’ll find some of their smallest, most intricate plants nestled into carefully prepared garden beds.  Brightly coloured flowers and a stunning waterfall add to the beauty of this exceptional area.

Red Centre Garden

Wander through the dramatic scenery of Australia’s red centre, from vast dunes and sand plains to rocky escarpments and desert rivers.

Their Red Centre Garden features iconic plants from Central Australia including the mulga, desert oak, ghost gum, spinifex and saltbush.

The garden is inspired by ecosystems within 500 km of Alice Springs. This encompasses the northern parts of South Australia, Western Queensland, Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park and the southern parts of the Northern Territory.

The garden also showcases the significance of this region as the physical and spiritual heart of Indigenous Australia.

The Central Meeting Place

The Central Meeting Place is a highlight of the Red Centre Garden. It features a paved artwork with a stunning interpretation of Country by Indigenous artist Teresa Pula McKeeman.

Born in 1964, Teresa lives and paints in the traditional Country of her mother and grandmother on the outstation at Atnwengerrp, 40 km from the central Utopian or Alywarr community of Ampilatwatja in the Northern Territory.

Banksia Gardens

Visit the Banksia Garden and discover one of Australia’s most iconic group of plants.

This ambitious garden has been carefully designed to showcase a diverse range of banksias, featuring over 70 different types of banksias from across Australia and telling stories of their place in the Australian landscape.

Explore themes including how we’ve cultivated some of the difficult-to-grow banksias, life cycles of banksias and pollination, and banksias and fire.

Sydney Region Gully

With more than 600 plant species, the Sydney Region Gully showcases the extraordinary diversity of flora around Sydney and the Blue Mountains.

Wander through the gully to see how the environment changes from a coastal habitat to wet mountain forests.

You can spot banksias, melaleucas and tea trees in the dense heathland. These tough plants grow in open, wind-blown habitats, where they cluster together to shelter each other from the worst of the weather.

The forest and woodland zones are home to gum trees, bushy lilly pillies and the spectacular gymea lily, which boasts sword-like leaves and striking red flowers.

The National Arboretum Canberra is a mosaic of living forests and gardens offering breathtaking views, unique experiences, and a world-class entertainment and events hub including the award-winning Margaret Whitlam Pavilion and the popular Village Centre.

With over 40,000 rare and endangered trees across a 250-hectare site, the Arboretum is a place of beauty, conservation, science research, education, tourism and recreation.

Guided Coach Tours

Enhance your coach tour with expert commentary from an Arboretum guide. While our driver explores the grounds, their guide shares stories of rare trees, forests, gardens, and sculptures.

From the comfort of your seat, you’ll uncover stories of the Arboretum’s history, conservation efforts, and unique living collections, all while taking in spectacular views across Canberra and beyond.

Custom Guided Walking Tours

Enjoy a tailored guided walk through the Arboretum, where we share the stories of the land, its rich history, environmental significance, and the remarkable forests that make this place unique. We will communicate with their friendly staff about a customising guided walking tour for your group.

Short Walks and Forest Walks

Welcome Walks | Duration:  20 minutes

The Arboretum is so much more than trees!  Their Welcome Walks will introduce you to the Arboretum, its forests, gardens and even some hidden treasures. Join their guide for a gentle stroll and take in the impressive views.

• Arboretum Views Walk
• Discovery Garden Walk
• Gallery of Gardens Walk

Forest Walks | Duration:  1 hour

Want to walk amongst the trees and hear some of their stories? Venture into the forests with a volunteer guide to see and hear more about the trees and features of the Arboretum. Walking location and topic depends on weather and season.  Not available everyday!

Long Forest Walks | Duration:  Various

Join an experienced guide and delve into the forests. These walks are themed and will give you an insight into a particular aspect of the Arboretum.

Moderate fitness is required for this walk and ground may be uneven in places. Sturdy, enclosed shoes are essential. Please bring a hat, drinking water and dress for the weather.

Venture into this delightful and fascinating display of meticulously handcrafted miniature buildings from around the world.

Set within beautifully landscaped gardens, complete the experience with a ride on the miniature steam train and view the 34 room dolls house ‘Waverley’.  No matter what your age, there is something for everyone at Cockington Green Gardens.

The Rose Room – Coffee Shop/Kiosk (and Gift Shop & Exhibition Room)

Don’t forget to make time for some homemade scones in the Garden Cafe or depending on the temperature a warm or cold drink and sit down in an old English style environment.

The Rose Room building is built in the style of a Cornish cottage, the sagging roof caused much consternation for the building inspector involved in approving the structure. Visitors still look at the building commenting on the “crooked roof-line” usually making for some interesting conversations with enthusiasts and construction specialists.

The Rose Room Gift Shop

The Rose Room gift shop retails a wide range of miniature furniture accessories for the dolls house enthusiast or maybe you would prefer to add model cars to your collection. There is a variety of novelty items, gifts, toys, dolls and more. Here is the chance the purchase your own miniature from the Rose Room Gift Shop!

Exhibition Room

Displayed in the Exhibition Room are:

• Privately-owned expansive Royal Winton China collection
• 34 Room ‘Waverley’ Dolls  house
• Misrule Dolls house of ‘Seven Little Australians’ fame
• Chester Shops
• Miniature bottle collection
• Private collection of dolls from around the world in traditional dress

Located just five minutes from the city centre, the National Zoo & Aquarium is a privately owned, 19-hectare wildlife park, that combines native and exotic animals with Australia’s largest inland saltwater tank.   

Voted in the top 2 major attractions in Australia, this beautiful zoo and aquarium offers easy viewing of animals and marine life, in their thought out enclosures.  A great experience for any age!

Self-guided Visit

Grab a map at entry and take your time to stroll through the zoo at your own pace.  Maybe spend a little more time observing your favorite animals.  Make sure you take note of the times for the Meet the Keeper Talks, held at various times during the day.

Optional Guided Tours

The National Zoo & Aquarium off a number of guided tours, all with minimum and maximum numbers and all with varying start times and durations.  Offered as an optional extra, for those who are wanting more than a self-guided visit.  Of course, they don’t come cheat but will add an extraordinary experience to your time in Canberra:

Awesome Roarsome Tour | Duration:  90 minutes | Time:  7.30am

Big Tigers, Bears, Hyenas and small Otters, Meerkats and Servals…..

For 90 minutes you will experience the magnificence of the world’s most dangerous and endangered animals and learn how to help save them in the wild.

Experience the serenity as you visit the lions and meerkats while they rise to meet the sun and be the first to greet the otters as they prepare for the day. Find their leopards and get your heart racing as you come face-to-face feeding a serval, tiger, bear and even a beautiful hyena (yes, beautiful!). This tour is held early in the day when their animals are most active!

African Savanah Safari | Duration:  90 minutes | Time: 9.30am

Meet Giraffes, Rhinos, Zebras, Cheetahs and many more…..

This tour will instil a sense of wonder regarding the wild species of Africa. Many African species face well known threats, so learn all about these amazing animals and how we can act to help them before it’s too late.

Join them for a 90-minute journey through the wilds of Africa. Meet our gentle giants, the rhinoceros and experience the texture of their skin and feel dwarfed as you feed out the giraffe’s breakfast. Hear the chirp of a cheeky cheetah and see the distinctive trot of a zebra as they delicately receive some carrot treats.

Optional Animal Encounters

The Zoo offers a number of Animal Encounters, all varying in closeness to animals and price:

Lion Encounter: Look into the eyes of a lion and be forever changed by their majesty and grace.

Tiger Encounter:  Marvel at the size of the tiger’s paw when they are centimetres from you, before being astonished by the size of their teeth!

Sun Bear Encounter:  Meet their beautiful sun bears and hear their remarkable story!

Meerkat Encounter:   Meet and feed our ‘gang’ or ‘mob’ of meerkats in this memorable encounter.

Giraffe Encounter:   You will be overshaowed and in awe of their towering giraffe pair Shaba & Mzungu!

Tree Kangaroo Encounter:  You will have the privilege of feeding their beautiful Tree Kangaroo Simbu his favourite food.

Rhino Encounter:  Get as close as possible to the second largest land animal – two or more tons of power and strength!

Barking Owl Encounter:  The Barking Owl is native to Australia and New Guinea and quite the cutie!

Black & White Ruffed Lemur Encounter:  Join the Canberra ‘conspiracy’ of Black and White Ruffed Lemurs.

Shark & Ray Encounter:  Get closer than ever as sharks and rays come to the beach for a feeding experience you’ll never forget.

Where to Eat, Drink or Rest

Feeling like a bit peckish or thirsty or maybe you just need to sit down for a bit, the Zoo offers to foodary options:  the Rhino Bistro and the Jungle Vines Cafe.