Guided walks

Would you like to take a walk?

Free guided walks depart from the clock under the rainforest bridge at 11am each day. There is a maximum of 10 people per walk and social distancing is required. This information is current on 8 July 2021.

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.

Themed walks

At different times during the year we conduct walks with a special theme, for example:

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.

Volunteer guide Maureen Connolly and visitors to the Gardens (Photo: Alan Munns)

Contact information

guides@friendsanbg.org.au

Self-guided walks

The Eucalypt Discovery Walk is a self-guided walk featuring 22 iconic eucalypts growing in the Gardens. Pick up a printed brochure from the Visitor Centre, or download it in PDF format (1.95 MB) and follow the map. Each of the featured trees has an attractive and informative sign describing key features of that species. The walk covers a distance of 1.8 km and takes around 1 hour.

The walk and signage were updated in 2021 and now include new examples of the different eucalypt species. Both the update and the original project (from 2013) were funded by Eucalypt Australia (previously the Bjarne K Dahl Trust) and the Friends’ Public Fund. Research for the signs and brochure was done by members of the Friends with input from Gardens’ staff.

The Aboriginal Plant Use Trail is a self-guided walk that has been developed by the ANBG with funding from the Friends. There are 33 stops on the walk, described in this map. The interpretive panels along the route explain how different plants are used for food, fibre or medicinal purposes. The text that is on the interpretive panels can be viewed here. Be aware that the map may change with time, as some of the plants are likely to die or be removed.