The essential Canberra: top attractions for first-time visitors

Canberra is a city built around big ideas, and most of them sit within a few kilometres of Lake Burley Griffin. For first-time visitors, the good news is that the capital's headline attractions are close together, genuinely world class, and in many cases free to enter. Here is how to spend your first couple of days, and what to know before you go.

Australian War Memorial

Part shrine, part museum, the Australian War Memorial is one of the most visited and most moving places in the country. The galleries are open daily from 10am to 5pm (closed Christmas Day), and entry is free, with no tickets required. Try to be there for the Last Post Ceremony, held each afternoon shortly before the building closes, when a single life story from the Roll of Honour is told. Look straight down Anzac Parade from the front steps and you will see the deliberate line that connects the Memorial to Parliament House across the lake.

National Gallery of Australia

The National Gallery holds the nation's art collection, from Sidney Nolan's Ned Kelly series to major Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander works and international pieces. General admission is free, though special exhibitions may charge. Do not miss the National Sculpture Garden, a woodland of native plants dotted with sculpture and home to James Turrell's Skyspace and Lindy Lee's Ouroboros, a vast perforated form you can step inside. It is open daily and free, and it spills down toward the lakeside paths.

Parliament House

Australia's working Parliament is open to the public every day except Christmas Day, and you are free to wander the public areas or join a free guided tour. When Parliament is sitting, you can watch proceedings from the public galleries of the House of Representatives and the Senate, with Question Time the liveliest session. Walk up the grassed ramps to the roofline for a sweeping view back along the land axis, then stand under the 81-metre flagpole that crowns the building.

Questacon

On the lake's edge in Parkes, Questacon is the National Science and Technology Centre and a firm favourite with families. Hands-on galleries cover everything from earthquakes to free-fall slides, and it is open daily from 9am to 5pm (closed Christmas Day). Timed entry tickets apply and must be booked online, and sessions can sell out on weekends and in school holidays, so book ahead. Allow at least a couple of hours, and longer if you are travelling with curious kids.

Lake Burley Griffin

The lake is the centrepiece of Walter Burley Griffin's 1912 design for the capital, and the shared walking and cycling paths around it are the best way to link the major sights. A popular central loop, crossing two bridges, runs roughly 5km and takes about an hour to walk, while the full circuit is far longer. Watch for the Captain Cook Memorial Jet firing a tall plume of water from the Central Basin, and consider hiring a bike if you want to cover more ground.

Mount Ainslie Lookout

To understand how Canberra fits together, climb or drive to Mount Ainslie. The walking track starts behind the War Memorial and takes around an hour each way, and at the top a viewing platform reveals the city's grand axis: the War Memorial, Anzac Parade, the lake and Parliament House all lined up in a single sweep, framed by hills. It is a favourite at sunrise and sunset, and there is free parking at the summit for those who would rather not walk.

Planning your visit

A few practical notes. Most of the national institutions cluster around the Parliamentary Triangle, so basing yourself near the lake keeps walking distances short. Many of the big attractions are free, which makes Canberra an unusually affordable city break, but the ticketed ones (Questacon especially) reward booking in advance. Always check official websites before you go, as opening hours and timed-entry rules can change with exhibitions and events.