Guided walks through the Gardens help visitors to see and understand the beauty of Australia's native flora, as well as the ideas and effort involved in creating, maintaining and developing the Gardens. The Volunteer Guide Service is a joint program of the Gardens and the Friends of the Gardens.
Would you like to take a walk?
Free guided walks depart from the clock under the rainforest bridge at 11am each day. Due to COVID-19 the normal 2pm walks have been cancelled. There is a maximum of 10 people per walk (no longer limited to 2 family groups). Social distancing requirements will be explained by the guide. This information is current on 20 December 2020.
Each walk takes approximately one hour.
If you have special needs, please mention these to the guide beforehand. The Gardens has manual and motorised (electric) scooters for the use of disabled visitors.
Booked walks
Walks tailored to your group’s special interests and needs can be arranged and taken at times convenient to you.
Groups of visitors and/or groups requesting tailored walks must book and pay at least one week beforehand.
There is a charge for all booked walks of $5 per person, with a minimum $30 per group (if less than six in the group), unless special circumstances apply. Conditions for cancellations and refunds are in the information leaflet.
To arrange a booked walk, download and print the information leaflet, fill in the booking form and return it to the Gardens as directed. If you have any questions, please phone 0427 396 952, or send an email to: bookedwalks@friendsanbg.org.au.
Special walks
At different times during the year we conduct walks with a special theme:
- Wattle Walks
- Spring flower walks
- Bush tucker walks
- walks related to other events happening in Canberra
The dates and times for these walks are listed in our calendar.
Interested in becoming a volunteer guide?
Guides are selected for training by application and interview. Training courses are run as needed, usually once every 2 or 3 years. The course typically consists of the equivalent of 10 days conducted over several weeks, plus research in your own time. The most recent training course occurred in 2019.
Information can also be found on the Volunteers page of the ANBG website.
Australasian Botanic Gardens Volunteer Guides Conferences
The most recent biennial conference of volunteer guides in botanic gardens was hosted by Perth in September 2019. The next conference is planned for Melbourne in 2021.
