What to See in Canberra, Australia: Free Audio Guide

Canberra is Australia’s purpose‑built capital, laid out amid bushland and centred on Lake Burley Griffin, offering a mix of national monuments, museums, galleries and tranquil parklands. Its wide avenues and landscaped settings give the city a relaxed feel that contrasts with the bustle of Sydney or Melbourne, making it a rewarding destination for anyone interested in history, culture and outdoor spaces. Neywo provides a free audio guide for Canberra with 49 narrated places, letting you hear the story of each site as you walk.

Explore Canberra’s highlights

National Library of Australia

The National Library holds Australia’s largest collection, with more than 7.7 million items and almost 18 kilometres of manuscript shelves. It preserves publications, recordings and papers that document the nation’s social, political and cultural life.

National Gallery of Australia

As the country’s national art museum, the Gallery displays over 166,000 works ranging from Indigenous art to international masterpieces. Its spacious halls allow visitors to linger over paintings, sculptures and decorative arts that trace Australia’s visual heritage.

Parliament House

Rising on Capital Hill, Parliament House is recognised by its 81‑metre flagpole and a design likened to two crossed boomerangs. Opened in 1988, the building contains about 4,700 rooms, with public areas that showcase the Great Hall’s tapestry and the distinctive green‑and‑red chambers of the House of Representatives and Senate.

Australian War Memorial

This memorial combines a shrine, museum and archive honouring Australians who have served in war. The Memorial Building opened to the public in 1941 and its grounds include a sculpture garden and commemorative spaces that tell stories from the First World War to contemporary peacekeeping missions.

National Archives of Australia

Located in the East Block, the Archives safeguards the federal government’s official records. Established under the 1983 Archives Act, it offers exhibitions, publications and educational programs that reveal how governmental documents shape the nation’s story.

National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA)

The NFSA collects moving images, sound recordings, video games and related artefacts from the late 19th century to today. Its Canberra headquarters were opened by Prime Minister Bob Hawke on October 3, providing public access to Australia’s audiovisual memory.

Calthorpes’ House

Built in 1878 for Harry and Dell Calthorpe, this heritage‑listed home shows domestic life in late‑1920s Canberra. Preserved as a museum since 1986, it retains original furnishings and an intact World War II air‑raid shelter in the backyard.

Canberra Museum and Gallery

Situated in Civic Square, this free museum presents changing exhibitions of art, photography and social history. Its permanent “Reflecting Canberra” collection, opened in 2001, is regularly updated to reflect events such as the 2003 bushfires.

National Capital Exhibition

This museum introduces the planning and development of Canberra, featuring models, maps and multimedia displays that explain how Walter Burley Griffin’s vision shaped the city.

High Court of Australia

Australia’s highest court has occupied its purpose‑built home beside Lake Burley Griffin since 1980. The building hosts the court’s appellate and original‑jurisdiction functions, with public areas that allow visitors to view its striking architecture.

National Carillon

Set on Queen Elizabeth II Island in Lake Burley Griffin, the Carillon consists of 57 bells spanning nearly five octaves. The massive bass bell weighs 6,108 kg while the smallest treble bell is just 8 kg, creating a resonant soundscape heard across the lake.

Australian National University (ANU)

ANU’s main campus in Acton brings together seven colleges, national institutes and research centres. Founded in 1946, it is a member of the Group of Eight and is recognised for its strong research focus and academic reputation.

Experience Canberra with Neywo

Neywo’s audio guide turns a simple walk into a self‑guided discovery. In Canberra you can choose from four walking tours and one bike route:

• Griffin’s Lake: Galleries, Courts and Commonwealth Place – 2.36 km, about 75 minutes, 7 stops (National Capital Exhibition, National Library of Australia, Two Piece Reclining Figure No. 9, Commonwealth Place, National Portrait Gallery, High Court of Australia, National Gallery of Australia)
• Capital Hill: Where Australia Governs – 3.84 km, about 98 minutes, 8 stops (Parliament House, Australian Senate, Australian House of Representatives, National Archives of Australia, Hotel Kurrajong, Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest, St. Christopher’s Cathedral, St Paul’s Church, Manuka)
• Civic and the Campus: Theatres, Archives and Ideas – 3.9 km, about 101 minutes, 9 stops (Canberra City Uniting Church, Canberra Museum and Gallery, Canberra Theatre, Canberra Centenary Column, Fenix 2, Llewellyn Hall, National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, Australian National University Classics Museum, Australian National University)
• Anzac Parade and the Lake: Remembrance, Pioneers and Bells – 3.03 km, about 66 minutes, 4 stops (Australian War Memorial, St John the Baptist Church, Reid, Blundells Cottage, National Carillon)
• Around Lake Burley Griffin by Bike – 4.5 km, about 22 minutes, 6 stops (Commonwealth Place, High Court of Australia, National Portrait Gallery, National Carillon, Blundells Cottage, National Capital Exhibition)

Each story plays automatically when you reach the location, letting you explore at your own pace with no group timetable or schedule. The guide is available in 11 languages and completely free to download.

Whether you are drawn by the solemnity of the War Memorial, the creativity of the National Gallery, or the quiet beauty of the lake’s shores, Canberra offers a varied and thoughtful itinerary. Grab the Neywo app, select a tour, and let the capital reveal itself step by step.