What to do in South Canberra

Activities, attractions and tours

Melbourne showing night scenes, heritage architecture and a city
Australian Capital Territory showing a garden and autumn colours
Royal Australian Mint featuring interior views
Royal Australian Mint featuring interior views
Parliament House showing interior views, an administrative building and modern architecture

Places to Visit in South Canberra

Ready for the adventure of a lifetime? Let Expedia.co.nz help you find the most exciting and fun things to do in South Canberra, Canberra while also allowing you to save a ton on travel arrangements. Regardless of whether you’re an urban explorer or an intrepid outdoor enthusiast, we can help you decide exactly what to do and see during your time in town.

Our thorough travel guides offer you an insider’s perspective on all of the best South Canberra attractions from NZ$4, making it easy for you to decide which places to visit and when. And by using Expedia.co.nz to set your sightseeing schedule, you can take in more of the enchanting attractions this area is famous for.

From group South Canberra tours and must-see landmarks to personal guides who take you off-the-beaten track, Expedia.co.nz offers you over 26 of the most popular events, activities, and attractions in this corner of the world. So whether you’re travelling alone, alongside a loved one, or with the whole family in tow, be sure to browse through our extensive travel guides prior to your plane touching down in this spectacular South Canberra. We even have a massive selection of flights, car hires, and accommodation for you to choose from. So what are you waiting for? Start your search today, and you’ll be having the time of your life before you know it.

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Top places to visit

1. Parliament House

The Old Parliament building may have been a 'make-do' affair, with its limited 50-year shelf-life, but the new Parliament House has made up for that earlier understatement in spades. Dominating the skyline of Canberra with its enormous flagpole, this grand palace to democracy – at the very heart of the capital – was the most expensive building in the world, when completed in 1988. Over 1 billion Australian dollars were lavished on it.
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Parliament House featuring an administrative building

2. Questacon

Less a museum, more a playful science lab, Canberra's Questacon has become one of its most popular attractions. It lies on Parkes Place, on the lakeside between the National Library and the High Court. But there's nothing bookish or law-bound here – except obeying the maxim of having as have much fun as is scientifically possible. Ever since it opened in 1988, as the National Science and Technology Centre, it has pursued the idea that hands-on is better than glass-case. Most of its more-than-200 exhibits are interactive – some spectacularly so.
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Questacon showing interior views

3. National Gallery of Australia

Australia – one of the world's youngest nations, with one of its oldest cultures – has sparked some remarkable art. It is inspired by that fusion of old and new, city and outback. And the mission of the National Gallery of Australia has been to collect, distil and broadcast its brilliance. The National has also made a name for itself as a premier collector of traditional art forms, especially from neglected Pacific Island and Asian cultures. And along the way, it has built a respected portfolio of Western art, from both America and Europe. Come to this gallery on Canberra's lakeside Parkes Place, and you're in for a rare visual treat.
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National Gallery of Australia which includes outdoor art

4. Old Parliament House

The Old Parliament House, sitting astride the Parkes area of Canberra, was never meant to be a permanent building. It was built in 1927 to 'last 50 years', until the new parliament building could be built. That deadline was missed by over a decade, with Australia's parliament only making the move to Capital Hill in 1988. In the intervening six decades, the Old Parliament saw plenty of parliamentary rough-and-tumble – and was the epicentre of 'The Dismissal' in 1975, Australia's worst constitutional crisis.
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Old Parliament House showing an administrative building, interior views and heritage architecture

5. Manuka Shopping Centre

Experience a friendly village atmosphere at Manuka Shopping Centre, which provides interesting outlets for everyday needs, entertainment and luxuries all in one location. Visit for essential services and stay for the restaurants, fashion and gift shops, all in close proximity to Canberra’s major attractions.
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Manuka Shopping Centre featuring autumn colours

6. Royal Australian Mint

In 1965, in preparation for the new dollar, released into circulation in 1966, Australia invited Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh to Deakin for the inaugural opening of the Royal Australian Mint. Although it was not responsible for note production, the factory has made each and every coin in circulation since operations began. Every Australian dollar medallion and souvenir coin is minted here too.
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Royal Australian Mint showing interior views as well as a large group of people

7. National Library of Australia

Once derided as a 'bush capital' and 'little more than a village', Canberra has caught up in leaps and bounds over the last 50 years, especially in the development of its treasure-stores of culture. The National Library of Australia is one of the shiniest of such cultural gems. It's a part of the Parkes Place campus of museums and places of culture, and is an impressive building in its own right. It's also one of the few libraries in the world where rock-climbers come to scramble. That's thanks to the rough-cut surface of its sheer granite walls.
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Autumn is quite a spectacular affair in Canberra as the deep reds, oranges and yellows creep into the foliage with earnest on a backdrop of the rich gold colour of the grass plains after another hot summer. Canberra comes alive for ten days and celebrates the coming of autumn with the Enlighten Festival, which literally lights up the Parliamentary Triangle. The first week in March is the time to visit. The Enlighten Festival is a must, with food, street performers, architectural projections, music, film and more to absorb over the 10 days.

8. National Archives of Australia

Canberra isn't just a place to come to see sights, parks and high culture. As the capital, it's also home to an incredible collection of national records, historical documents and archives. Many of them are held at the Canberra National Archives of Australia. So it's the place to come to, if you want to search, query or just hold those records that matter most to you. Immigration tallies, emigration departure forms, military service papers – all these and more are kept here, alongside a huge array of government papers, maps, photos and patents. Among the visual records are 30,000 photos of immigrants as they arrived in the country. So if you want to add 'colour' to the tracking of your family tree, the National Archives will give you the brushes and the pigment, to really bring it to life.
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National Archives of Australia which includes an administrative building

Recommended things to do in South Canberra

Number of things to do
26
Cheapest thing to do on Expedia
eSIM: Airalo Australian Package: NZ$4
Top 5 things to do
Half-day tours
With kids

What to do in South Canberra

Discover the most popular places to visit in South Canberra

Parliament House

Parliament House

There are few parliaments that have such a dramatic view as Australia's second parliament to house its elected politicians, and so few that let the public in.

Parliament House
Questacon

Questacon

The Questacon lets you walk on the wild side of science and technology, with over 200 exhibits tailored to get your heart pounding and your brain doing somersaults.

Questacon
National Gallery of Australia which includes interior views

National Gallery of Australia

The styles may be wide-ranging, and the content globe-spanning, but the National Gallery takes most pride in its stunning collections of native Australian art.

National Gallery of Australia
Old Parliament House

Old Parliament House

As the building most associated with political power in Australia, treading its one-time corridors of power can be both educational and a little thrilling.

Old Parliament House
Manuka Shopping Centre showing street scenes and autumn leaves

Manuka Shopping Centre

Make a stop at this suburban shopping oasis in Canberra’s inner south region, for gourmet foods, fashion, coffee and specialty stores.

Manuka Shopping Centre
Royal Australian Mint showing interior views as well as a large group of people

Royal Australian Mint

Visit the birthplace of every single coin in the country – it's an insightful learning experience for the whole family.

Royal Australian Mint
National Library of Australia

National Library of Australia

This library is about more than just books. It has maps and pictures, audio-clips and long-lost websites. And the occasional rock climber shimmying up its walls.

National Library of Australia
National Archives of Australia featuring interior views

National Archives of Australia

So much more than just dusty collections of paper, the National Archives of Australia bring their millions of records to life, with tours, exhibitions and lectures.

National Archives of Australia
High Court of Australia

High Court of Australia

Observe justice in action at the highest court in the land inside a modern edifice on the banks of a tranquil lake.

High Court of Australia

Explore areas of South Canberra

Kingston which includes a bridge and modern architecture

Kingston

The buildings of this foreshore, once a Canberra industrial hub, have been transformed into a welcoming urban lakeside community.

Kingston
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Narrabundah

Visitors to Narrabundah appreciate its restaurants. A visit to Capital Public Golf Course and The Cusack Centre might round out your trip if you're looking to see more of the area.

Narrabundah
Manuka Shopping Centre featuring autumn colours

Griffith

Griffith is known for its abundant dining options, and you can plan a trip to Manuka Shopping Centre and Manuka Oval while you're in town.

Griffith
Parliament House which includes an administrative building

Capital Hill

4.5/5(1,004 area reviews)

The abundant dining options and interesting museums are top of the list for many visitors to Capital Hill. A stop by Parliament House or National Archives of Australia might round out your trip.

Capital Hill
Manuka Shopping Centre featuring autumn colours

Manuka

While visiting Manuka, you might make a stop by sights like Manuka Shopping Centre and Manuka Oval.

Manuka
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Forrest

Check out the restaurants, shopping and forests while spending some time in Forrest. Though there might not be many attractions in the neighbourhood, you won't need to go far to find top spots like Manuka Shopping Centre or Manuka Oval.

Forrest

 

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Day trip destinations from South Canberra

Parliament House which includes landscape views and an administrative building

Canberra

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