Spread between mountain ranges and with views from the city’s summit taking in immense skies, eucalyptus forest and endless fields, Canberra is a city with a difference.
Australia’s capital, easily reached by a short flight from Sydney or Melbourne, or just three hours by road from Sydney, offers dazzling architecture, a vast swath of cutting-edge museums and galleries, fabulous food and numerous opportunities to explore the region’s Indigenous cultural heritage.
A place of beauty: the National Arboretum Canberra offers a great selection of unique experiences
Credit: Tourism Australia
Ngala Tours’ Walk On Country Tour at the National Arboretum Canberra is the perfect way to begin your exploration of the rich diversity of the region. Every Tuesday, a local Indigenous guide leads tours around the Arboretum’s ‘Forest 2’ where many of the plants are used for traditional medicine and cooking. Plus you’ll get to see how ‘skins’ and ‘clapsticks’ are used in traditional ceremonies.
Over at the Australian Parliament House building, a sun-drenched space complete with a wall-length tapestry of the Australian bush by Arthur Boyd, tours run so you can get insider access to the heart of Australian democracy.
Go behind-the-scenes: Australian Parliament House has daily guided tours
Credit: Getty
Fuel up for the great outdoors by dining out on Canberra’s ever-evolving food scene, then take to the road. Within easy distance of the capital city you can gaze upon the heights of the Brindabella Range, waterfalls, gorges and vineyards.
Van Du Vin winery tours are the ideal way to get acquainted with one of Australia’s most celebrated new wine regions, while Canberra Guided Tours’ Best Of Wildlife trips gives you an up-close-and-personal experience with some of the region’s most spectacular animal residents, including emus, koalas, wallabies, platypus and, of course, more than a few kangaroos.
Furry friends: see some of Australia’s unique animals on the Best of Wildlife tour
Credit: Tourism Australia
Regardless of the season, Canberra consistently wows with its natural abundance; from truffle hunting in the winter to wine tours in the summer, taking soaring flights above a typically golden Canberra autumn on a hot air balloon or hiking through carpets of wildflowers in the springtime. This is a region that delivers an ever-changing calendar of unique, natural experiences.
Flying high: take to the skies on a hot air balloon ride over the city
Credit: Tourism Australia
Back in the centre of Canberra, combine art with nature at the National Portrait Gallery, set on the edge of serene Lake Burley Griffin, where you can spot portraits of some of Australia’s greatest individuals, from Cate Blanchett to Indigenous Olympian Cathy Freeman. While at the National Gallery of Australia, there’s a visual feast of works by great Australian and international artists; in particular be sure not to miss the astounding and vibrant works in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander collection as well as pieces by Monet, Picasso, Francis Bacon and Jackson Pollock.
Cultural capital: Canberra has some of the best art galleries in Australia
Credit: Tourism Australia
At sunset, and before you hit the nightlife joys of Braddon and Civic (to name but two) take a drive or hike up to Mount Ainslie. It’s here that you’ll get the best idea of how the visionary architects of the Prairie School designed the unique buildings and streetscapes of Canberra over a century ago, all blending in seamlessly with the wild bush and mountains beyond.
From your vantage point here, it all becomes clear: whatever the weather and whatever the season, the easy links from Sydney and Melbourne mean Canberra’s ever-evolving charms have never been closer or easier to discover for a first-time visit and an extended stay.
Singapore Airlines takes you to the heart of Australia
Travel to Canberra via Sydney and Melbourne with Australia’s most frequent airline visitor from the UK. Singapore Airlines offers four daily flights from London Heathrow and five weekly flights from Manchester to Singapore, with seamless onward connections to eight Australian destinations, including Sydney and Melbourne.
Thanks to Singapore Airlines’ partnership with Virgin Australia, you can conveniently connect to Canberra from Sydney or Melbourne. Experience award-winning service and arrive in Australia refreshed and ready for adventure in Canberra with the world’s most awarded airline.
For more information on travelling to Canberra with Singapore Airlines, visit singaporeair.com