A walk around the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra is a must-see for anyone visiting Canberra.

It’s perfect for people who love getting outdoors in Nature and learning more about Australia’s beautiful and diverse native plants and flowers.

I’d also highly recommend some Rainforest Bathing while you are there in Rainforest Gully. Soaking in the atmosphere there is sure to chill out even the most highly strung government worker.

The Australian National Botanic Gardens is a cool, calm and peaceful place to visit throughout the year and especially cool on a hot summer’s day as there are plenty of shady spots for a wander within the Gardens.

Located in Acton in Canberra, the Australian National Botanic Gardens are nearby to the Australian National University (ANU) and the city centre.

Visiting the Australian National Botanic Gardens in February 2024, I was astonished at the variety of flowers on display and how the Gardens were brimming with wildlife.

There are so many different birds and critters living in the grounds that you can marvel at.

Be sure to wear comfy walking shoes and long pants and bring your bug spray if they usually like to bite you! It’s not uncommon to see snakes in the Botanic Gardens

Make sure you are snake aware; stick to paths and keep an eye on where you are placing your feet.

There are usually signs up to warn visitors about snake sightings.

At the moment there is a bit of construction within the grounds but there was nothing noisy going on as I walked around.

I spent a couple of hours walking around and was surprised at how quickly it went.

I loved seeing the Native Australian plant life like the giant scribbly gums, eucalypts and Banksia.

There is an entire Banksia Garden that you can walk around and marvel at these mystical looking plants.

At the far end of the Banksia Garden be sure to take a look at the incredible Paperbark Treehouse and Garden or climb to the top to take your Botanical Gardens adventure to the next level.

One of my favourite spots for a bit of forest bathing in Canberra is in the Rainforest Gully in the Australian National Botanic Gardens.

You can walk down into this cool and lush rainforest section, wander around and climb up the steps at the other side too, but do be mindful there are a few steps up and down which can get slippy due to the water misting to keep the ferns happy.

One of the most fun parts of the Australian National Botanic Gardens for young children (or for very hot grown ups!) is to time your visit to Rainforest Gully to coincide with the misting.

At these times of day the rainforest becomes even more magical when the rainforest fogger springs into action and the mist appears and thickens till you can’t see far in front of you.

On this particular day I was mooching around in the Rainforest Gully just before 11am so I was there when the rainforest fogger came on.

I got to enjoy the cool fine mist and see the forest fog up and look even more magical.

The ferns are marvellous and you can just soak up the coolness of the forest.

The misters usually come on at 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm for approx 30mins each time.

You can find out more about the timings of these on the Australian National Botanic Gardens website.

After a walk around the Botanic Gardens I couldn’t help but have a rest at the onsite café which has a range of seating options from more formal tables indoor to a mix of comfy outdoor lounge chairs, table and chairs and bar stools and bench.

There are plenty of tables inside and out but it’s very popular so worth booking a table in advance if there’s a group of you going.

Alas there were no comfy seats spare (which looked very tempting to sit and sink into and relax!) and the tables were either occupied or had reserved signs on, so I sat outside on one of the bar stools and high table.

The Pollen Café serves up coffee, tea and food, with a comprehensive menu with something to tempt most people.

I enjoyed a cappuccino and some fries served with tangy aioli. Sitting outside in the garden section of the cafe, I was pleased to be able to order from a QR code on the table and be able to adapt my coffee easily from the app to make sure it was made exactly the way I like!

Hot but not too hot, with plenty of chocolate sprinkled on the top.