National Arboretum
National Arboretum
4.5
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
The National Arboretum Canberra is a 250-hectare (618 acre) arboretum in Canberra, the national capital of Australia, created after the area was burned out as a result of the Christmas 2001[1] and 2003 Canberra bushfires:[2] The Himalayan Cedar forest lost about one third of its trees, and the commercial Radiata Pine plantation was burned out, allowing the arboretum to be created. In 2004, the Government of the Australian Capital Territory held a nationwide competition for an arboretum, which was to be part of the recovery from the 2003 bushfires. The winning design by landscape architects Taylor Cullity Lethlean and architects Tonkin Zulaikha Greer proposed 100 forests and 100 gardens focussing on threatened, rare, and symbolic trees from around the world. The site has been planted since 2005, and includes ceremonial trees planted by visiting heads of government and ambassadors. It was officially opened in February 2013.
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  • Felicity J
    Mt Martha, Australia99 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Magical day at the Arboretum
    The National Arboretum opened 10 years ago on land that had been razed by bushfires at the beginning of the century. It occupies 250 hectares and so far 44,000 trees - both indigenous and exotic - have been planted in separate forests of one species only. There are lots of walks to take by yourself or, as I did, with a guide. In this way I learnt a lot about the arboretum and the different types of trees there, which come from all over the world, including endangered species, as well as Australian trees. There are also seven individual gardens with different designs and plantings. It’s a wonderful place to bring a picnic and admire the stunning views or bring the dog for a walk. There is a restaurant on site as well as a cafe which serves good food. A fascinating exhibition of bonsai adds to the day’s enjoyment, as does a well stocked gift shop. Don’t miss visiting, you’ll be sorry if you don’t go.
    Thank you … that is a lovely summary of the Arboretum!
    Written June 13, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited March 2023
    Written April 1, 2023
  • MelbourneTravelmad
    Melbourne, Australia808 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lovely area that will be even better in time
    This is a part of Canberra I didn't know of. My daughter had seen the playground online and wanted to visit. Given that it's only 10 years old, we found it very pleasant to wander around. The bonsai were fascinating. Other areas will only improve as the trees grow. The playground was thoroughly enjoyed by my daughter and I would think all the other kids there. There is food to eat, takeaway style or more formal fare. There are plenty of areas to spread a rug too. The staff are helpful and knowledgeable. It's free to visit but you need to pay for car parking. An lovely few hours can be spent here.
    Hi 😊 The POD Playground is a lot of fun and glad to hear your daughter loved it. We hope to see you again soon. Not many people know, the money raised from the parking goes back into the National Arboretum Canberra’s living collection.
    Written June 13, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written April 7, 2023
  • Sue T
    Melbourne, Australia3,312 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    "Truly Amazing and will only Get Better."
    The Arboretum is a must to see when visiting Canberra. Even though a lot of it is still under development stage the lay out will amaze you. In years to come as the trees and plants develop it will look stunning. The site is 250 hectares with over 44,000 trees from over 100 countries. There is also a huge pavilion onsite called The Village Centre which has a huge cafe with plenty of seating to take in spectacular views, along with Ginger (coffee bar) and the Curatorium Gift Shop. Grab a map and head off on one of their walking trails or drive up to Dairy Farmers Hill lookout for the fantastic views and snap some photos of the beautiful scenery.
    Hi Sue, We agree… definitely worth a visit. We are so glad you enjoyed your visit and hope you return to see the forests grow and mature.
    Written June 13, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited March 2023
    Written April 8, 2023
  • Shane S
    Melbourne, Australia486 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great outdoor activities
    Kids had a blast at the pod playground. The gardens are beautiful maintained. The bonsai trees were good Great walking tracks and heaps of places to ride your bike. Overall excellent experience.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written July 7, 2023
  • TrendyTrash
    7 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Don’t go for the coffee
    Absolutely love the Arboretum. The bonsai display was just amazing. Shop has some very cute things. Visited the GG cafe to enjoy a coffee before we left and it was cold. Don’t recommend the coffee at all but the slice was delicious.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written July 14, 2023
  • Brent C
    Tweed Heads, Australia74 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must visit
    Just a wonderful place to visit, everything about this place is just relaxing. Loved the views and the gardens, seeing kids flying kites and couples just enjoying the morning. Recommend anyone visiting Canberra goes and has a morning or afternoon here. Only thing I don’t like is the paid parking, should be free so everyone can come enjoy this place.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written March 9, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,552 reviews
Excellent
854
Very good
512
Average
136
Poor
32
Terrible
18

John F
Canberra, Australia2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2020 • Friends
Attended as we’d done a hundred times before but not recently. Looking forward to todays visit very much. Ordered a meal and were directed to outside seating. Fine with us. Quietly eating ... then, ten minutes later we’ve not finished eating and with coffee barely touched were told to leave by rude female attendant I choose not to name. Because she said there were others waiting. On leaving I said to her I believed she was very rude and had ruined the visit. Subsequently approached by loitering manager who was “sorry” but in reality was only interested in making room for others. But there weren’t any others waiting. Not only were we made feel to unwelcome the attitude was “you’ve got your food we’ve got your money now get out.”

The food was attractive as always but tasteless. The menu was extremely limited. The coffee was exquisitely presented but a cheerful barista but alas was bland. The wooden cutlery was feeble and broke instantly meaning eating from the cardboard box with fingers in violation of COVID sanitary advice was necessary.

The staff made an anticipated lunch just awful. Insulting people won’t aid financial stress of COVID and will eliminate repeat custom. Such a nice day ruined by unnecessary rudeness and ignorant people.

Canberra Arboretum remains a lovely facility but some of the cafe staff are unsuited to their roles. The customer apparently is just an inconvenience nowadays.

JF

Canberra ACT
Written June 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Colleen S
Greater Sydney, Australia57 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2020 • Family
This was our first stop on our holiday and had us off to a great start!

We started with the POD Playgrpund which is just amazing! Such great attention to detail and just really very well done, my 3 year old daughter had a blast. Toilets are located within the fenced playground which is perfect.

After an hour or so of playing we headed into the main building to get lunch. There was a sit down restaurant or a cafe with loads of tables available. We went with the cafe and all the food we got was really yummy, including a nice chicken salad - they had good options not just chips and fried options, though the chips were really great too! The building itself was really beautiful and nice to relax in. There were more toilets inside and also a really cute shop with a great selection of books and other gifts.

Connected to the building was a Bonsai nursery which was just outstanding! We didn’t get to walk any of the trails but def will come back and spend longer here next time.

Everything was free to enter and you just needed to pay for parking at the machines in the car park
Written December 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Penguin279
Sydney, Australia31 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020
Amazing open space in Canberra. Gives you a real sense of just how much damage the bushfires back in 2003 did to the area but what an amazing way to regenerate!

While we didn't get around the whole area, the kids playground and the "rolling hill" is just the place for kids to let off some steam. There's also a children's garden where they can touch and feel what's growing and learn where things come from. There's also a nice cafe so you can have a coffee while watching the kids.

If you have the time, you can also take guided walks of the area.

You do need to pay for parking and a tip if using a credit card, don't accept the full-day fee that automatically comes up, you can lower the fee to how many hours you think you'll need before paying.
Written July 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Scottie
Sydney, Australia116 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Business
I came here for a function and the view and space were spectacular.
The outside area was well set out to maximise the views.
What let me down was with a lot of people inside the venue, it was extremely uncomfortable and I’m not sure how effective the cooling/ heating system is.
I will have to come here again to form another opinion.
Written January 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Robert W
Caringbah, Australia80 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Friends
Today I visited the National Arboretum in Canberra. I have visited the ACT numerous times over many years but have never been to this venue. I found the Arboretum a fantastic place to explore. It has only been open to the public since 2013 so still very much a work in progress. There are several different areas to visit within the park, each giving a different perspective of the site.
We elected to part take in a guided tour of the main facility, our tour guide a volunteer named Yole did an excellent job, telling us about the different areas of the park and explaining the history of how the park came to be. Thanks Yole.
This is a great place for the whole family or those visiting from overseas. As this is an elevated location it offers great views of Canberra in general.
Highly recommended.
Written March 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cate
Auckland, New Zealand120 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2020
Took visitors from Melbourne who had never been to the Arboretum. We all had a great day.
Highlights: the Bonsai nursery; the walks through the forests to the tops of the hills; the views back across Canberra; and the book shop.
The cafe is back in action also, now that some COVID restrictions have been eased. The food is good and arrives quickly, and the coffee is acceptable for how they have to churn it out for such a wide clientele.
The "greeting staff", are good too - tell them what you want to achieve while you are visiting and they can tailor your activities to make best use of your time.
Main down side is having to pay for parking, but that seems to be the way in Canberra these days.
Thanks. Cate.
Written February 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CocoTampa123
Perth, Australia1,714 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
This was quite a unique experience, a lot of trees and area to look at. The bonsai display is something else, a great range of bonsai trees and with small narrative. Even out here, you still need to pay for parking and the parking is not too close to the main attractions.
Written August 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are glad to hear you enjoyed your experience and loved the National Bonsai and Penjing Collection of Australia. As there is no fee to enter the Arboretum, all parking proceeds benefit the maintenance of the Arboretum’s living collection, education programs, scientific research and assets. We hope you return to the Arboretum in the future to see how we continue to grow and change.
Written October 23, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Shezza
Coopernook, Australia177 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
It was cold and wet but you can drive up to the lookout and to other stopping points . The views are wonderful and there are A couple of picnic tables And some art works. The one I liked was the eagles nest made from a collection of old scrap metal. There are walking tracks you can take as well but most of the trees have yet to grow big. I was suprised how much I liked the place
Written August 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Marcusact
Canberra178 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
The National Arboretum is located on and around a high ridge to the west of Canberra. On a good day it provides one of the best views of Canberra and its surrounds.

There are also a variety of rare trees in regular blocks, some iron sculptures, a cafe and a child's playground. There is also a bonsai collection.

Paid parking if you visit the cafe, otherwise free, and lots of space.
Written March 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

uschiTownsville
Townsville, Australia92 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021
Thia place is definitely worth spending time there and if you are a keen Walker this is a must.
The cork trees were just amazing and the rest of the park is beautiful.
Pitty that they want one to pay for parking at the Cafe and centre but there are free parking spot if one don't mind walking.
Written May 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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