Canberra flights and travel guide

Canberra is a fitting name for our nation's capital and seat of government. It means "meeting place" in the language of the local Ngambri people.

Politicians and legislators on expense accounts may not be as concerned with finding cheap flights to Canberra as the rest of us, but every Australian should budget for a trip - it's a delightful city. Or, rather, two cities.

There is the city with the show-stopping monuments - the Australian War Memorial, Parliament House, the National Gallery of Australia and National Museum of Australia - and there's the beautifully laid out garden city, not yet 100 years old.

Canberra was designed by Walter Burley Griffin, an American architect, in the early years of the 20th century. Lake Burley Griffin, which takes his name, is in the centre of Canberra and several of the most important buildings - the National Gallery, the National Museum, the National Library, High Court and the Australian National University - are located on its shores while Parliament House is close by.

The Bush Capital has, within its city limits, Black Mountain, Red Hill, Mount Ainslie, Majura, Taylor and Pleasant - all wonderful places to roam around. Within a 45-minute drive of Canberra is Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve where native animals including kangaroos and emus roam free.

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Canberra climate

The summers are hot and dry with temperatures up to 27 degrees. Winters are cold with occasional fog and frost and temperatures that range between 1 and 12 degrees.

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When to fly to Canberra

Peak Season: 

Christmas/New Year period and school holidays are high season. 

Off Season: 

There's not really a bad time to take cheap flights to Canberra, but spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) are most pleasant, weather-wise.

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Getting into town Canberra

Car-rental companies such as Avis and Hertz are available at the airport. 

Taxis are available from the front of the Terminal. A fare downtown costs about $23. 

The Airliner Shuttle runs every 30 minutes Monday to Friday and every hour or so on Saturdays and Sundays. Fares are between $7 and $9 one way.

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Getting around Canberra

Most of the tourist attractions are clustered around the lake - the "Parliamentary Triangle" - in easy, walking distance of each other. There's also a fantastic network of walking paths and trails.

Biking around Canberra is a great way to experience the city. There's a good network of shared paths and on-road cycling lanes.

ACTION operates Canberra's buses. The orange-and-blue buses operate daily. A Shopper's Off Peak Daily ticket costs about $5.

Taxis and rental cars are readily available.

Canberra Day Tours runs the Explorer Bus, a loop bus service that visits most of the city's major attractions such as The Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery of Australia and Parliament House.

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Canberra insider information

• Canberrians enjoy several festivals during the year including Summernats Car Festival (January), Canberra Multicultural Festival (February), Celebrate Canberra festival (coincides with Canberra Day on March 12), the National Folk Festival (April), Stonefest (October) at the University of Canberra, a popular music festival. 
• The National Carillon stands on Aspen Island in Lake Burley Griffin. It was a gift from the British Government on the 50th anniversary of the National Capital. Its 53 bells chime every 15 minutes. 
• The Australian War Memorial is one of the most-visited museums in Australia. It's not only a memorial to those who died in past wars, it also shines a light on today's conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Floriade is held in September and October each year. It is Australia’s largest spring floral festival and takes a different theme each year. A recent theme was Mind, Body, and Soul. More than one million bulbs are used in the displays.
• The National Zoo and Aquarium in Gold Creek Village, just 20 minutes from Canberra, has Australia's largest collections of big cats. The best thing about the zoo is that you can get close to the animals in their natural habitats. There's an excellent Meet a Cheetah tour. 
• To get an overview of Canberra in all its planned glory, visit Black Mountain Tower or Mount Ainslie. The Black Mountain Tower stands 195 metres above the summit of Black Mountain, from where there are 360-degree views of the city and its surrounds. Mount Ainslie in Canberra Nature Park has a lookout area at 842 metres above sea level. The views from there are also 360 and pretty majestic.

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Canberra airports

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