Canberra from the UK: what a trip really costs
What a day costs in Canberra, when to go, the visa for British travellers and the sights not to miss. Every figure comes from Trip720's checked data, with its source. Updated 26 Oct 2026.
Plan my Canberra tripDay to day in Canberra, per person
| Style | Food | With transport |
|---|---|---|
| Street food and markets | £19 | £24 |
| A balanced mix | £42 | £48 |
| Mostly restaurants | £61 | £66 |
- Local transport: about £5 a day. Taxi: £3 to start, then £1.29 a km.
- Cooking for yourself: about £17 a day for food.
Your stay, flights and activities come on top: the planner prices them for your dates. Sources: livingcost.org, transport.act.gov.au, taxi-calculator.com; in GBP at today's rate.
When to go
29°F
26°M
23°A
19°M
14°J
11°J
10°A
11°S
15°O
19°N
23°D
25°
The most pleasant months are March, April and September to January. May is the driest month (31 mm of rain) and February the wettest (92 mm).
Bars: rain each month; green: the most pleasant months. Numbers: average daytime high. Source: NASA POWER climatology.
Best time to visit Australia, place by placeCompare: Australia or New Zealand · Australia or Thailand · Australia or Japan · Australia or United States
Visa for British travellers
An e-visa before you fly (eVisitor visa)
Allow at least 7 days before you fly.
Official source: gov.uk, checked 2026-10-26. Rules change: your plan checks your own passport when you build it.
Not to miss in Canberra
- Questaconmuseum · half a day
Hands-on science centre; book timed tickets in school holidays
Old Parliament House (Museum of Australian Democracy)museum · a couple of hoursWander the old chambers and prime minister's office; cheap entry
National Museum of Australiamuseum · a couple of hoursFree; on Acton Peninsula next to the lake
Australian War Memorialmuseum · half a dayFree; stay for the Last Post Ceremony at 4:45pm (book online)
National Gallery of Australiagallery · half a dayFree entry; the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander galleries and sculpture garden are the highlights
Parliament Houselandmark · a couple of hoursFree guided tours daily; walk on the grass roof for the view down Anzac Parade
Mount Ainslie Lookoutviewpoint · a couple of hoursDrive up or walk the 2 km trail from behind the War Memorial; kangaroos at dusk
Australian National Botanic Gardensgarden · a couple of hoursFree; the Rainforest Gully and Red Centre Garden are the must-sees
- Tidbinbilla Nature Reservenature reserve · half a day
40 minutes south-west; the Sanctuary loop is the easiest place to see platypus and koalas
National Arboretum Canberrapark · a couple of hoursFree entry; bonsai collection, Pod Playground and Dairy Farmers Hill lookout
From our research of travel guides; ticket prices from Tiqets when we found them. Photos: Wikimedia Commons, free licences.
Questions travellers ask
How much does a day in Canberra cost?
Food and getting around come to about £24 a person a day eating street food, £48 with a balanced mix and £66 eating mostly in restaurants, before your stay and activities.
When is the best time to visit Canberra?
The most pleasant months are March, April and September to January. May is the driest month (31 mm of rain) and February the wettest (92 mm); daytime highs run from 10 to 29 °C over the year.
Do British travellers need a visa for Australia?
An e-visa before you fly (eVisitor visa). Checked on gov.uk on 2026-10-26; rules change, so check again before you book.
What should I not miss in Canberra?
Questacon, Old Parliament House (Museum of Australian Democracy), National Museum of Australia, Australian War Memorial, National Gallery of Australia.
Your whole Canberra trip, priced from your door
Trip720 adds the flights from the UK, the stays, transfers, food, activities and the visa for your dates and budget, home to home.
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