A Sustainable City Break in Canberra

Capital Brewing Co. is Australia’s first carbon-neutral brewery and a certified B Corp. Located in the buzzing Dairy Road precinct in Fyshwick, it’s known for its commitment to sustainability, from solar-powered brewing to waste reduction practices. Enjoy a drink in the beer garden and try their locally sourced menu.

What began as a café has grown into a thriving community hub. Two Before Ten in Aranda features a café, bar, roastery, yoga studio, mushroom farms, beehives, fruit trees, and a lush urban farm. Produce grown on-site is used in seasonal dishes, and a produce exchange program invites locals to trade backyard harvests for in-store goods.

Just 30 km northeast of Canberra, Lark Hill Winery offers a serene escape with a strong sustainability ethos. Certified by NASAA, Lark Hill practices biodynamic farming, treating the vineyard as a living ecosystem. Their wines are made with minimal intervention, and the vineyard is committed to preserving biodiversity and soil health.

Monster Kitchen & Bar boasts contemporary cuisine driven by responsibility and seasonality.  Expect a menu that embraces a fresh and contemporary approach to dining, championing locally sourced and seasonal ingredients to create dishes that are approachable yet full of depth and character.

BentSpoke Brewing Co. is a local favourite with a strong sustainability ethos. With 18 varieties of beer and cider brewed onsite, the Braddon brewpub is a hub for craft beer lovers. They recycle spent grain with local farmers and use energy-efficient systems throughout their operations.

Sweet Bones in Scullin serves organic, plant-based meals in a punk rock, eclectic setting. Their menu is built around sustainability, with a focus on whole foods and ethical sourcing.

Nestled in Canberra’s NewActon precinct, Ovolo Nishi is a boutique hotel that blends bold design with genuine sustainability. The building features solar power, high-performance glazing, and a blackwater recycling system, all wrapped in a façade of native plant boxes and reclaimed materials.

Inside, the rooms are a warm, earthy retreat. Some rooms overlook a lush indoor forest of Tasmanian tree ferns, while others offer sun-drenched views of Lake Burley Griffin and surrounding bushland. The hotel’s in-house restaurant, Monster Kitchen & Bar, complements the eco ethos with a seasonal menu sourced locally.

For those seeking a deeper connection to nature, Cubby and Co provides a stripped-back glamping experience just 15 minutes from the city. Nestled among the vines at Mount Majura Vineyard, their bell tents, affectionately named Edgar and Frank, invite guests to unplug and unwind from spring through autumn. In winter, the tiny house Dinny offers a cozy retreat with sweeping views. Each hideaway is thoughtfully equipped with plush bedding, books, board games, and eco-toilets, encouraging guests to slow down and savour the moment. With no Wi-Fi or showers, the experience is all about stargazing, picnicking, and enjoying fine wine and food in the great outdoors.

Dhawura Tours, led by a Ngunnawal Traditional Custodian, provides a powerful opportunity to connect with the land and its stories. Through guided walks across Mount Majura, Black Mountain, and other significant sites, visitors are invited to learn about bush tucker, artefacts, and the rich cultural heritage of the Ngunnawal people.

A visit to the National Arboretum Canberra will reveal a large living collection of rare and endangered trees, spread across 250 hectares. This visionary site is a symbol of regeneration and a hub for education, research, and recreation. It also plays a proactive role in celebrating Indigenous culture, with features like the Mununja the Butterfly Garden and bush tucker trails that reflect Ngunnawal traditions and stories.

GoBoat is all about freedom. There's nothing quite like skippering your own boat, free from the worries of the world. With the highest standards of safety, as well as a commitment to environmental sustainability, you can relax knowing you're in good hands (and you're treading lightly on the environment) as you cruise around Canberra's famous Lake Burley Griffin in your electric picnic boat.

Or hop on board one of Canberra's best self-drive cruise experiences, with Love Boats. Fitting up to 10 people, the boats are easy to operate and powered by zero-emissions electric motor, that are clean, quiet, and emission-free.

A night tour at Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary is a unique experience to step back in time and explore the Australian bush as it was 100 years ago. On the tour you might be lucky enough to witness the Eastern Bettong foraging on native truffles in the wild (a species which has been extinct from the Australian mainland for almost 100 years).

The Mulligans Flat-Goorooyarroo Woodland Experiment is specifically designed to develop a sound knowledge base for understanding and managing temperate woodlands for improved biodiversity conservation. By restoring landscapes and reintroducing extinct species, the work at Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary will help benefit future generations.