I will be sharing the best family friendly destinations in Canberra. Here’s why you need to book your next family adventure here.
Since becoming a family of six, we decided we were due for a little family holiday.
We live in Sydney, so we usually like to explore the south coast. This time, we decided to drive a little further south and visit chilly and delightful Canberra.
We had already booked tickets to some sites in advance and had prepared to visit some other places, but it all still exceeded our expectations.
It was also a wonderful place to visit for our homeschooling, as Canberra is the home of the Parliament House and Australian War Memorial along with other noteworthy sites, like the National Museum of Australia and National Library of Australia.
So, we got to fit in about five history lessons in this one trip, which gave me peace of mind, as we haven’t fit in much history this year (due to juggling newborn/toddler life).
I’m going to share four must-see family-friendly destinations along with our favourite cafes and restaurants we visited.
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What I cover in this post:
– What are the best family friendly destinations to visit in Canberra for families?
– What are the best cafes and restaurants to eat at in Canberra?
– Where should you stay in Canberra?
What are the best family friendly destinations to visit in Canberra for families?
We stayed in Canberra for four days and felt like we could have stayed a couple more days to see all the sites we wanted to. However, we were able to cram in the best sites to visit with our four children.
Questacon
The first family-friendly site we visited was Questacon. Questacon is a science and technology centre with lots of cool science related experiments and experiences for kids.
Questacon has about eight themed galleries that contain different science experiences for kids. Our personal favourites were the ZAP! CLANK! POW! Gallery, Natural Disaster Gallery And the Excite Gallery.
My personal favourite experience is the Free Fall slide in the Excite Gallery. I braved the slide for my children, my eldest two not feeling brave enough to slide down with me (I don’t blame them- it’s scary when you get to the top).
Questacon is a wonderful place to learn about all of the elements, how to solve problems and how things on earth work.
It’s very hands-on, too. You can get involved in the experiences, which makes it more enjoyable for the kids.
Cockington Green Gardens
The second place in Canberra we visited and loved (probably me so more than my kids), was Cockington Green Gardens.
Cockington Green Gardens is a beautiful garden filled with miniature houses, buildings and structures that are mini replicas of real life buildings around the world. A lot of money and time have been dedicated to the making of these miniature buildings.
It’s truly a magical place. You feel like you are being transported to a fairy tale or something of the sort.
The miniature buildings and people/animals were uniquely handcrafted, which was mind blowing. Another thing that we loved was the garden and lawn.
I especially love that the flowers and plants are dwarfs and if they grow too big, they are replaced with a smaller plant. This intentionally goes with the theme of the miniature buildings the garden surrounds, which I love. So much thought has gone into it.
The gardens have recently expanded to display international buildings, from over 20 countries. We all marvelled at the detail of the St Andrew’s Church in Ukraine.
The cherry on top was the steam train ride we took around the gardens. It was a fitting touch to the whole experience. It went around twice, which was worth the $4 per ticket we paid.
POD Playground, Molonglo Valley
The next family-friendly place we visited was the POD Playground near the National Arboretum. We arrived about 45 minutes before the gates closed and it was freezing cold, so we only stayed for about 30 minutes. But oh my goodness, what a beautiful location! The park is nestled on a hill and overlooks the stunning Molonglo Valley. We arrived just at sunset and the vibrant pink, purple and orange hues covered the sky as the kids played. It was magical.
The park is made up of cute acorn shapes that the kids took notice of and has a great variety of activities to do, including two slides, four swings, little caves with slides, a giant net to climb and more.
If you have kids ages 3-12, they will love this playground.
The Australian War Memorial
The Australian War Memorial was the final main destination we had time to visit. First of all, they have done a magnificent job of the memorial’s architecture and interior design. It’s so slick and I love the neutral, wooden colours. I could have just appreciated the design and been satisfied.
Because the kids were beginning to get sick, we only stayed for about an hour, but you could easily make half a day of it. They are expanding in 2026, so it will elongate the experience.
I especially love learning about the Second World War, so we explored that part of the memorial for the majority of the time.
I love that they highlight the women who served in the war, too.
What are the best cafes and restaurants to eat at in Canberra?
We got to try out a few that I will list here and rate out of five.
1. Via Dolce Patisseria: 8/10. This was a lovely authentic Italian restaurant and patisserie in the heart of Canberra. It offered a wide variety of pizza and pasta selections along with gluten free options. My favourite part was the wide range of desserts. The tiramisu cup was delightful! The only downside to the restaurant was how crammed the inside part is. We were taken to a table for six inside the restaurant and it was quite squashy. But they have lovely outdoor seating areas too.
2. Fonda Mexican: 7/10. Mexican is my favourite cuisine, so I often have high expectations for new Mexican restaurants I try. This place did not disappoint. I ordered the nachos with beef brisket and it was a suitable size with a generous amount of toppings. My husband enjoyed his tacos and burrito also. It also had toilet and change table facilities, which is always a win for a parent. The seating was also spacious and aesthetic. The only downside was that the service was not great. I felt like I had to go out of my way a few times to get the waiter’s attention, when it was not busy at the time we were there.
3. Sandoochi: 9/10. I had heard of this sandwich shop from a lady I followed on Instagram, so I decided to check it out. The sandwiches were only a select few to choose from, but they were gourmet and had so many different fancy toppings. I decided to try a sandwich with salami and capsicum feta (and a few other toppings that I don’t remember). It was nourishing and delicious. I highly recommend this place. The only downside was that the sandwich was quite expensive. I paid $15. I feel like that is expected of a gourmet sandwich in this currency, but the price may steer people away.
4. The Goods Wholefoods: 6/10. I stumbled across this cafe after I bought my sandwich from Sandoochie. I love a good wholefoods cafe, so I decided to check it out for a hot drink. I ordered the chai latte with soy milk. The service was okay. The drink was okay. But it was a lovely little cafe to look at and had a pleasant vibe.
Other top rated restaurants in Canberra are: Akiba (Asian), Wilma (Asian), Rebel Rebel, The Cupping Room and Jarochos Mexican.
Where should you stay in Canberra?
We stayed in a suburb called Belconnen, which is about a 15 minute drive from the heart of Canberra. I liked the area because the apartment we stayed at overlooked Lake Ginninderra and was absolutely stunning. Belconnen is about a 15 minute drive away at most from all the main destinations, like Questacon, the Australian War Memorial, Cockington Green Gardens and Molonglo Valley.
However, you can also stay in the heart of Canberra and still be close to all of the main tourist attractions. It would just be busier.
Braddon and Kingston are other wonderful suburbs to stay in Canberra, offering various cafes, restaurants, waterfront views and tourist attractions.
After reading this, I hope I encouraged you to visit Canberra! Let me know in the comments if it’s somewhere you would go!
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