ACT Snowy Mountains
3
Day Itinerary •
Australia
Three days in the ACT and the Snowy Mountains take you from Australia's purpose-built capital city to the highest peaks on the continent. Canberra's extraordinary collection of national institutions including the Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery and Parliament House gives the finest concentration of free world-class museums in Australia, while the Snowy Mountains an hour south give the finest alpine landscape on the continent. This route covers the essential ACT and Snowy Mountains. The extraordinary Australian War Memorial with its remarkable Hall of Memory, the National Gallery of Australia with its fine collection of Indigenous art, Parliament House on Capital Hill, the remarkable Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve with its extraordinary wildlife, and the Snowy Mountains with the summit of Mount Kosciuszko, Australia's highest peak.
Best Time To Visit
Year-round. Jun to Sep for skiing. Oct to Apr for Kosciuszko summit walk.
Getting There
Fly to Canberra Airport from Sydney (1 hour) or Melbourne (1 hour).
Getting Around
Car essential. Canberra museums walkable or by bus. Snowy 2 hours from Canberra.
Budget Per Day
Approx A$180 to A$380 per person per day
Difficulity
Easy to moderate. Kosciuszko summit walk is moderate, 13km return.
DAY 1
CANBERRA MUSEUMS
MORNING
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
The Australian War Memorial is the most extraordinary museum in Australia, its remarkable collection of military history from Gallipoli to the present day and the extraordinary Hall of Memory with the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier giving the finest single memorial institution in the Southern Hemisphere. The remarkable aircraft hall with its extraordinary Lancaster bomber and the fine Roll of Honour along the memorial walls are outstanding. Entry entirely free. Travel: 10 min drive
MIDDAY
PARLIAMENT HOUSE AND CAPITAL HILL
Parliament House on Capital Hill is the most extraordinary public building in Australia, the remarkable 1988 building designed by Romaldo Giurgola with the extraordinary grass roof lawn accessible to visitors and the fine Great Hall with its remarkable Arthur Boyd tapestry giving the finest public architecture in Canberra. The extraordinary view from the roof lawn over Lake Burley Griffin and the parliamentary axis toward the War Memorial is outstanding. Free guided tours daily. Travel: 10 min walk
AFTERNOON
NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA
The National Gallery of Australia on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin is the most extraordinary art museum in Australia, its remarkable collection including the finest Indigenous Australian art in any museum in the world and the fine international collection including remarkable works by Monet, Pollock and Sidney Nolan. The extraordinary Aboriginal Memorial of 200 hollow log coffins in the entrance hall is the most remarkable single artwork in Australia. Entry free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The National Portrait Gallery beside the National Gallery is the most extraordinary free portrait museum in Australia, its remarkable collection of portraits of notable Australians from Indigenous elders to prime ministers giving the finest single survey of Australian faces and stories. Entirely free. One of the finest hidden free attractions in Canberra.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Canberra city Coffee before the Australian War Memorial. | Lunch: NGA Cafe, National Gallery Outstanding lakeside cafe with views over Lake Burley Griffin. | Dinner: Temporada, Canberra Outstanding Canberra restaurant. Local ACT lamb and Canberra district wine.
DAY 2
TIDBINBILLA NATURE
MORNING
TIDBINBILLA NATURE RESERVE
Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve 40 minutes from Canberra is the most extraordinary free wildlife experience in the ACT, its remarkable wetlands, eucalyptus forests and the extraordinary Sanctuary enclosure giving the finest accessible encounters with kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, emus and platypus in Australia. The extraordinary platypus viewing platform at the Sanctuary gives the finest dawn platypus encounter in New South Wales. Nature reserve entry free. Sanctuary entry approx A$15. Travel: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
NAMADGI NATIONAL PARK AND VISITOR CENTRE
Namadgi National Park covers 46 percent of the ACT and is the most extraordinary wilderness accessible from any Australian capital city, its remarkable sub-alpine landscapes, the extraordinary Yankee Hat Aboriginal rock art site and the fine Orroral Valley giving the finest single day walk near Canberra. The remarkable Namadgi visitor centre gives the finest context for the park's extraordinary landscape and cultural significance. Park entry free. Travel: 30 min drive back to Canberra
AFTERNOON
NATIONAL ARBORETUM CANBERRA
The National Arboretum on a hill above Lake Burley Griffin is the most extraordinary tree collection in Australia, its remarkable 94 forests of rare and endangered trees from around the world and the extraordinary panorama over Canberra, the Brindabella Ranges and the Snowy Mountains beyond giving the finest single viewpoint in the ACT. The remarkable Japanese bonsai collection and the fine Pod Playground are outstanding. Entry free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Murrumbidgee River Corridor at Casuarina Sands near Tharwa is the most extraordinary free nature walk in the ACT, the remarkable river flats with extraordinary birdlife and the chance of platypus sightings in the river giving the finest undiscovered walk near Canberra. Entirely free. Almost entirely unknown to Canberra visitors.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Canberra Early coffee before the Tidbinbilla dawn wildlife walk. | Lunch: Cafe at Tidbinbilla or Tharwa village Outstanding rural ACT cafe. Local Canberra district produce. | Dinner: Ottoman Cuisine, Canberra Outstanding Canberra restaurant. Turkish-inspired ACT produce.
DAY 3
SNOWY MOUNTAINS
MORNING
DRIVE TO KOSCIUSZKO NATIONAL PARK VIA COOMA
The drive from Canberra to Kosciuszko National Park via Cooma gives the most extraordinary approach to the Australian Alps, the remarkable Monaro Tableland with its extraordinary high-country woolly landscape and the fine Cooma town, the gateway to the Snowy Mountains, giving the finest rural Australian drive accessible from Canberra. The extraordinary Snowy Mountains Scheme visitor centre at Cooma tells the remarkable story of Australia's greatest engineering project. Travel: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
MOUNT KOSCIUSZKO SUMMIT WALK
The Kosciuszko summit walk from Thredbo Top Station via the chairlift is the most extraordinary high alpine walk in Australia, the remarkable 13km return route across extraordinary alpine meadows, past glacial lakes and along the Main Range ridge to the 2,228-metre summit of Australia's highest peak giving the finest single walk in the Snowy Mountains. The extraordinary view from the summit over the entire Australian Alps is outstanding. Chairlift approx A$50 return. Travel: 45 min drive
AFTERNOON
JINDABYNE AND LAKE JINDABYNE
Jindabyne on the shores of the extraordinary Lake Jindabyne, the reservoir of the Snowy Hydro scheme, gives the finest base for the Snowy Mountains in summer and the most extraordinary ski resort gateway in winter. The remarkable Old Jindabyne ruins visible below the lake surface at low water and the fine Snowy Mountains Brewery give the finest afternoon on the return from the Kosciuszko summit.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Blue Lake near Charlotte Pass in Kosciuszko National Park is the most extraordinary glacial lake in Australia, a remarkable cirque lake formed by ancient glaciers with extraordinary blue-green water accessible on a 4-hour return walk from Charlotte Pass. Entirely free with national park entry. The finest hidden alpine walk in the Snowy Mountains.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel breakfast in Canberra or Cooma Before the Kosciuszko drive. | Lunch: Cafe at Thredbo Village Outstanding alpine village cafe. Local Snowy Mountains trout. | Dinner: Restaurant in Jindabyne Outstanding Snowy Mountains dinner. Local venison and regional wine.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Canberra, Night 1 Hotel Realm or QT Canberra. City centre. Approx A$180 to A$380. Thredbo or Jindabyne, Night 2 Thredbo Alpine Hotel or Sundance Resort. Approx A$150 to A$350.
Top Tips
1. All Canberra national institutions are free. The Australian War Memorial is the finest museum in Australia.
2. Parliament House free guided tours run daily. Book at aph.gov.au to walk on the roof lawn.
3. Tidbinbilla is the finest free wildlife encounter near Canberra. Arrive at dawn for platypus sightings.
4. The Kosciuszko summit walk starts from Thredbo Top Station via the chairlift. Approx A$50 return chairlift.
5. Kosciuszko National Park requires an entry fee of approx A$29 per vehicle per day. Pay at the park entry.
6. Canberra autumn colours in April and May are extraordinary. The National Arboretum is finest in this season.
Total Budget
Approx A$180 to A$380 per person per day