Discover Canberra

Canberra knows how to do seasons properly. Think warm, sun‑drenched summers; crisp winters with a kiss of frost; a golden autumn that sets the city ablaze; and springs that burst with blooms and native wildflowers. The air is clean, the humidity stays low, and nature feels close enough to touch.
Set on the Southern Tablelands, the city is wrapped in rolling grasslands, woodlands, rivers and hills. With 39 nature reserves and more than 90 parks across the ACT, Canberra is designed as a true urban‑meets‑nature experience, ecological corridors, native wildlife, and pockets of wilderness woven into everyday life. It’s a city where biodiversity thrives and the outdoors are always an easy escape.

The National Arboretum is one of the city’s most recognisable and photographed landscapes. The National Arboretum Canberra is not just a landmark it is a major environmental, conservation and landscape restoration project managed by the ACT Government. It covers 250 hectares with forests of rare and endangered trees from all around the world. The Arboretum was established after the 2003 Canberra bushfires which destroyed large areas of native forest.

Lake Burley Griffin is the glittering heart of Canberra, a sweeping, man‑made lake designed as the centrepiece of the city and framed by many of the nation’s most iconic cultural institutions. Originally shaped by architect Walter Burley Griffin as part of Canberra’s master plan, the lake was created by damming the Molonglo River and officially inaugurated in 1964. Today, it remains an essential part of the capital’s identity.

Parliament House is one of Canberra’s most iconic landmarks, instantly recognisable and woven into the city’s identity. Sitting proudly atop Capital Hill, it’s the meeting place of Australia’s Parliament, a symbol of democracy, design, and national storytelling.

The Australian War Memorial is one of Canberra’s most meaningful and unforgettable places, a landmark where remembrance, history, and reflection come together. More than a museum, it’s a powerful blend of shrine, gallery, and archive, dedicated to honouring those who have served Australia in war, conflict, and peacekeeping

The National Gallery of Australia is one of Canberra’s most celebrated cultural landmarks, a place where creativity, history and imagination come together. As the nation’s premier visual arts institution, the Gallery is home to Australia’s most valuable art collection, with over 155,000 works spanning Australia, the region and the world.

The National Portrait Gallery is one of Canberra’s quiet gems, a place where art and identity meet. Through portraiture in all its forms, the Gallery invites visitors to look into the eyes of the people who have shaped Australia: artists, activists, scientists, musicians, leaders, icons, and everyday changemakers.

The National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) is one of Canberra’s most intriguing cultural treasures, a place where Australia’s stories are preserved, played back and brought to life. Housed in a striking 1930s art deco building in Acton, the NFSA cares for more than a century of film, sound, broadcast and digital media that together shape our shared memory

Together, these landscapes and landmarks shape a city that feels both grounded and inspiring, a capital where nature, history, creativity and community sit side‑by‑side. Whether you’re wandering tree‑lined paths, meeting the eyes of a portrait at the Portrait Gallery, or watching the Lake Burley Griffin glow at sunset, Canberra invites you to slow down, look out for wildlife and take it all in.