Things to do in Canberra

Things to do in Canberra

1. DoBelconnen

   Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Guided Tours

   Guided public tours depart daily at 10AM, 11:30AM, 1PM, and 2:30PM. A 90-minute tour of Australia's premier elite athlete training precinct, led by competitive domestic athletes. The experience grants access to high-performance gymnastics halls, indoor athletic tracks, and testing labs. Every ticket includes admission to Sportex, an interactive sports exhibit featuring virtual reality simulators and memorabilia collections.

   Adults $21.50, children $14

2. DoSouth Canberra

   Axxe

   Axxe - Urban Axe Throwing

   It's a rather niche thing that you probably wouldn't usually think of doing daily, learn to throw steel axes onto wooden targets. Over 18s only, and bookings highly recommended.

3. DoBelconnen

   Big Splash Waterpark

   Closed since 2024. Canberra's only waterpark that opened in 1969 as a simple public pool. At one point in time, it only contained a kids pool and a simple 50-metre pool, but the venue has since expanded and features five pools and nine waterslides (sure, it's not a lot when you compare it to the Gold Coast, but it's Canberra, a small, inland capital city, not a party beachside city).

   Daily 11AM–5PM (summer only)

4. DoBelconnen

   Burns Golf Club Belconnen

   An 18-hole par 72 public-access course located on the western edge of Belconnen. Features a classic country-style layout with open fairways, grass greens, and basic bunkering. The club includes a bar, restaurant, and pro shop.

   Green fees from $25

5. DoBelconnen

   CISAC (Canberra International Sports and Aquatic Centre)

   A massive indoor athletic venue open to transient public visitors. The aquatic pavilion houses an indoor Olympic 50-metre lap pool, a heated 25-metre leisure pool, a whirlpool spa, and a steam room sauna. The attached multi-story complex contains a commercial health club, a dedicated weightlifting gym, and cycle studios. Paid on-site parking applies during business hours.

   Single casual swim entry from $9

6. DoSouth Canberra

   Canberra Cruises and Parties

   A boat cruise operator on Lake Burley Griffin offering private charters, themed social cruises, and group scenic tours. The fleet includes the 'Maid Marion' (a 35-passenger catamaran with indoor and outdoor decks, a sound system, and climate control) and the 'Cygnet' (a smaller, quiet electric boat hosting up to 10 passengers for intimate gatherings). Private charters feature full BYO food and beverage flexibility with on-board barbecue facilities.

   Scenic cruises from $35/pp, private charters from $1,480

7. DoSouth Canberra

   Canberra International Golf Centre

   A dedicated short-game practice facility featuring an 18-hole pitch and putt short course, an 18-hole outdoor mini-golf layout, and a two-story driving range equipped with night lighting. Includes a large on-site retail pro shop.

   Entry from $15

8. DoCivic

   Canberra Merry-Go-Round

   An iconic heritage-listed carousel featuring 52 hand-carved wooden horses and two elephants alongside a traditional mechanical organ. It operated in Melbourne from 1914, but was relocated to its current octagonal pavilion in Petrie Plaza in 1974. Rides are free daily from 1–24 December during the city's Christmas festival.

   Mon-Thu 11:30AM-2:30PM, Fri 11:30AM-4PM, Sat Sun 11:00AM-3:00PM·$3 per ride

9. DoCivic

   Canberra Olympic Pool

   A central public health and aquatic centre featuring an indoor 50-m Olympic lap pool and a fully equipped health club fitness gymnasium. During the summer season, the outdoor complex opens to the public, offering a dedicated toddler splash zone and a diving pool equipped with 1-m and 3-m public springboards.

   Mon-Fri 6AM-9PM, Sat Sun 7AM-7PM·Single swim entry from $8

10. DoSouth Canberra

    Canberra Public Golf Course

    An 18-hole par 69 public golf course featuring tree-lined fairways, light bunkers, and water hazards. The facility operates without strict dress codes or member-only bookings, allowing open access to social players daily. Facilities include a golf shop, equipment hire, and cart rentals.

    Green fees from $20

11. DoBelconnen

    Canberra Stadium

    GIO Stadium

    Canberra's largest sporting venue with a capacity of over 25,000. It's the home ground of the Brumbies but otherwise home to many footy (both rugby football and Australian rules football) matches.

12. DoCivic

    Canberra Theatre Centre

    Canberra Theatre

    Canberra’s central performing arts complex, encompassing the main Canberra Theatre, the Playhouse, and the Courtyard Studio. The venue hosts a regular rotation of national and international touring productions, including ballet, musical theatre, live contemporary music, and drama.

13. DoSouth Canberra

    Canberra Yacht Club Boat & SUP Hire

    A casual watercraft rental service located at Lotus Bay on the southern side of Lake Burley Griffin. The club rents out Hobie Wave resort-style catamarans (no sailing experience required), RS Quest dinghies (for experienced sailors), and stand-up paddleboards. All hires include lifejackets. Operations are weather-dependent and may close during excessive or insufficient winds.

    Open daily during summer; seasonal hours vary depending on wind and weather conditions.·SUP hire from $60/hr, boat hire from $90/hr

14. DoCivic

    Casino Canberra

    A boutique gaming venue featuring classic table configurations such as blackjack, roulette, poker, and baccarat alongside electronic gaming terminals. Property facilities include a central sports bar and an on-site eatery. Under ACT territory law, traditional poker machines (pokies) are not permitted here.

    Daily

15. DoTuggeranong and Country ACT

    Corin Forest Mountain Resort

    Corin Forest Resort

    If you cannot leave the ACT during winter, and don't want to miss the snow, this place gets a bit of snow, enough to be a ski resort and a recreation centre with an alpine slide, ski and snowplay area, and a lodge along with an alpine dining area. It is the only ski resort in the ACT, and it receives surprisingly good amount of snow (on top of the snow machines).

    Mon–Fri 10AM–5PM, Sat Sun 9AM–5PM

16. DoNamadgi National Park

    Corin Forest Mountain Resort

    Corin Forest Resort

    has a ski resort and a recreation centre with an alpine slide, ski and snowplay area, and a lodge along with an alpine dining area.

    Mon–Fri 10AM–5PM, Sat Sun 9AM–5PM

17. DoCivic

    Dendy Cinemas Canberra

    A major multi-screen commercial cinema complex located within the Canberra Centre shopping mall. It screens a mix of mainstream Hollywood blockbusters, independent films, and foreign releases. Facilities include premium dining cinemas, a lounge bar, and a cafe.

18. DoWeston Creek, Molonglo Valley and Woden

    Eddison Park

    This premier community park is loaded with unique recreational facilities. It features a highly rated, championship-level 18-hole disc golf course that is completely free to play (just bring your own discs). The park is also home to a world-class, floodlit concrete skatepark and a massive nature playground complete with a wobbly rope bridge, climbing tunnels, water play features, walking tracks, duck ponds, and shaded electric barbecue pavilions.

    24 hours daily·Free

19. DoWeston Creek, Molonglo Valley and Woden

    Escape Rooms Canberra

    This immersive attraction offers incredibly detailed, high-production escape rooms. Teams of 2 to 7 players are given exactly 60 minutes to solve a series of visual, linguistic, and lateral puzzles to achieve their objective—whether it's exploring witchcraft in Salem or stopping a rogue magic show. Uniquely, the venue features "Garden Party", a gorgeous hidden speakeasy cocktail bar and beer garden accessible only to customers to unwind in after their game.

    Mon–Thu 9:30AM–9:30PM, Fri Sat 9AM–10:30PM, Sun 9AM–10PM·From $35-50 per person depending on group size

20. DoBelconnen

    Evatt Wetlands & Ginninderra Creek Trail

    An expansive, eco-restored urban nature reserve stretching along the western arm of Ginninderra Creek immediately below the Lake Ginninderra spillway. It incorporates the tranquil Croke Place Wetlands—a series of man-made sediment ponds and reed beds designed to filter urban stormwater and provide a sanctuary for local frogs and waterbirds. Hardened dirt and gravel walking tracks wind through open native grasslands, ivy-covered tree glades, and hidden stepping-stone creek crossings. Highly popular for off-leash dog walking, rugged birdwatching, and quiet family walks away from the main lake loops. No public toilets on-site.

    Free

21. DoAirport and East

    Fairbairn Golf Club

    An 18-hole par 70 public golf course located on the northeastern perimeter of the Canberra International Airport precinct. Operating as a not-for-profit club, it features a flat layout with bunkers and light water hazards. Visitors and social groups are welcome seven days a week.

    Green fees from $30

22. DoSouth Canberra

    Federal Golf Club

    An 18-hole par 72 inland championship course located on the slopes of Red Hill. The layout features undulating fairways, heavy bushland surrounds with resident wildlife, and a full pro shop. Social play hours are available throughout the week alongside a public restaurant.

    Green fees from $65

23. DoSouth Canberra

    GoBoat Canberra

    A self-drive electric boat rental service operating from the Kingston Foreshore on Lake Burley Griffin. The picnic-style watercraft accommodate up to eight passengers and feature a central built-in table layout. No marine license or prior boating experience is required to pilot the vessels, which operate via simple low-speed steering controls. Safety equipment and life jackets are provided on-site, and dogs are permitted on board.

    Boat hire from $99 per hour

24. DoGungahlin

    Gold Creek Country Club

    Though the golf course veers into the village, most of the golf course including the entrance is outside the Gold Creek Village, and requires you to drive a little bit from the village. It's an 18-hole course with par 72 layout, and golf courses of its size are rare outside the big cities.

25. DoGungahlin

    Gungahlin Enclosed Oval

    A multi-use stadium and the home ground for Gungahlin United, Gungahlin Jets, Gungahlin Bulls and Gungahlin Eagles. The venue has a seating capacity of 1,150 people and an overall capacity of 5,000.

26. DoGungahlin

    Gungahlin Lakes Golf Club

    An 18-hole championship layout characterized by an extensive network of artificial lakes and ponds that come into play on more than half the holes. Includes a fully equipped pro shop, driving range, and a large modern community club and gaming lounge.

    Green fees from $40

27. DoWeston Creek, Molonglo Valley and Woden

    HOYTS Woden

    This modern multiplex features 8 digital cinema screens, including a massive, high-impact HOYTS Xtreme screen with Dolby Atmos surround sound. Every single auditorium is outfitted with premium stadium seating and comfortable high-back chairs to maximize comfort. They showcase everything from major Hollywood blockbusters and family movies to curated international art-house film releases.

    daily 10AM-late·Standard tickets approx. $18–$26

28. DoHall

    Hall Showground

    The village's local showground is where the Sunday markets and events usually occur. The showground contains an equestrian park, but it's restricted to certain equestrian groups only. Apart from that, there is not much, and it looks like any other rural NSW town's showground.

29. DoAirport and East

    Historic Glenburn Homestead

    A highly fascinating cultural heritage precinct containing early European structures, ruins, historic gravesites, and rusted farm machinery dating back to the 1830s. It offers a remarkably raw, authentic glimpse of what the Limestone Plains looked like when the region was just an isolated patchwork of subsistence farmland. The site features three self-guided, signposted loop trails of medium difficulty that are perfectly suited for bushwalkers and mountain bikers. There are no public toilets, drinking water taps, or rubbish bins available at the homestead precinct, so visitors must pack in all essentials.

    Open 24 hours daily (closed during days of Total Fire Ban)·Free

30. DoCivic

    Holey Moley Golf Club

    An indoor pop-culture and novelty mini-golf venue featuring 18 themed holes, alongside an attached arcade challenge space, karaoke rooms, and a licensed cocktail bar.

    From $20

31. DoBelconnen

    Hoyts Belconnen

    A large mainstream multiplex cinema located inside the Westfield shopping mall. It features multiple screens equipped with powered motion recliners, oversized 'Xtremescreen' projection setups, and D-BOX interactive seating that moves in sync with the onscreen action. Includes an on-site café, a licensed bar, and a Ben & Jerry's scoop shop.

    9:30AM-10:00PM daily·Tickets from $19.90

32. DoSouth Canberra

    Jerrabomberra Wetland Nature Reserve

    The wetlands and the area surrounding this wetlands are an important spot due to the large array of different wildlife. There are many bushwalking trails and if you're into fishing, it's surprisingly permitted (though you're not allowed to catch certain fish).

    Daily

33. DoBelconnen

    John Knight Memorial Park

    A sprawling 12-hectare lakeside park on the eastern foreshores of Lake Ginninderra. It features extensive open lawns, native forest ridges, a water garden with rapids, and a model boat jetty. The park is highly popular for families due to its large fitness trails and distinct playgrounds, including the iconic, newly refurbished "Snake House" climbing structure and a treehouse flying fox. Free public gas barbecues, picnic tables, and accessible toilets are available on-site.

    Free

34. DoTuggeranong and Country ACT

    Kambah Pool

    Great swimming spot with big boulders in the middle of the Murrumbidgee River. It's a 10-minute walk from your car to the river.

35. DoCivic

    Kingpin Canberra

    A large multi-attraction indoor amusement complex. The venue houses upscale tenpin bowling lanes, over 100 modern and retro arcade terminals, virtual reality gaming setups, private karaoke rooms, and on-site escape room challenges. Features a fully licensed cocktail bar and a casual dining menu.

    Bowling from $18, arcade packages from $30

36. DoSouth Canberra

    Lake Burley Griffin Cruises

    Temporarily suspended. An eco-friendly tour company offering quiet historical sightseeing and morning tea cruises aboard all-electric vessels. Under normal circumstances, the company runs daily tours from mid-September through to mid-May. All public cruises are temporarily offline while the operator undergoes extensive maintenance following a vessel incident.

37. DoBelconnen

    Lake Ginninderra Shared Path

    A scenic 7-kilometre paved walking and cycling loop that contours completely around the lake. The flat, easy-grade trail connects the Town Centre, Emu Bank dining strip, the University of Canberra, and various public parklands. It is highly frequented by birdwatchers, joggers, and cyclists.

    Free

38. DoTuggeranong and Country ACT

    Lakeside Leisure Centre

    An indoor community aquatic and health club facility featuring a 50-metre Olympic swimming pool, leisure pool, indoor splash park, gym, and public lap lanes.

    Mon–Fri 5:30AM–9:30PM, Sat Sun 7AM–7:30PM·Casual swim: adult $9.20, child/concession $6.45, family $23.50

39. DoTuggeranong and Country ACT

    Limelight Cinemas Tuggeranong

    A modern multi-screen cinema complex showing major blockbuster releases, family films, and select independent titles. Features stadium seating and premium screening formats.

    Daily·Adult $14, Gold Lounge $30, Tuesday specials $10

40. DoSouth Canberra

    Love Boats Canberra

    A watercraft rental service operating from the northern edge of Lake Burley Griffin, a short walk south of the city centre. The fleet features four-passenger pedal boats and ten-passenger self-drive electric boats equipped with fully enclosed overhead canopies, Bluetooth speakers, and internal cooling storage. No marine or boating licence is required to pilot the electric watercraft. Secondary pick-up points also operate out of Commonwealth Place and the Kingston Foreshore.

    Pedal boats from $30, electric boats from $130

Browse all 483 places in Canberra

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Canberra (CC BY-SA 4.0).