Why Winter Is the Best Time to Visit Canberra with a Group
Canberra has a bit of an image problem when it comes to winter. Cold mornings, grey skies, politicians — none of it sounds particularly inviting. But here's what those who know the city well will tell you: winter is actually when Canberra is at its most compelling. The crowds are down, the galleries are warm, the restaurants are putting their best on the table, and the truffle season turns the whole region into a destination for serious food lovers.
For Probus clubs and senior groups travelling by coach from Sydney, Canberra is one of the most satisfying and flexible destinations we offer. It's a comfortable three-hour journey each way, easy to do in a day or extended to two or three nights, and there's genuinely more to do than most people expect. This winter, there are two particular highlights that make the case for a Canberra group trip especially well.
The Truffle Festival — Canberra Region
When: 1 June – 31 August 2026 (throughout the truffle season)
Where: Restaurants, cafes, wineries, farms and markets across Canberra and surrounds
Cost: Varies — see the full program at trufflefestival.com.au
Canberra has quietly become one of the world's great truffle-producing regions. The cool climate and distinctive soils of the ACT and surrounding southern NSW tablelands are ideal conditions for the prized Black Périgord Truffle — and each winter, from the solstice through to the end of August, the whole region celebrates the harvest with one of Australia's most distinctive food festivals.
The Canberra Region Truffle Festival is not a single event but a season of experiences. Across June, July and August you can book a truffle hunt on a working farm, where specially trained dogs sniff out the buried truffles with extraordinary precision. You can join a cooking workshop led by accomplished chefs, visit farmers markets where fresh truffles are sold alongside other exceptional regional produce, and dine at restaurants and wineries across the capital where truffle features on menus in ways that range from simple and satisfying to genuinely extraordinary.
The flagship event is the Winter Festival weekend, which includes a Bonfire Night, a Saturday Winter Market full of local produce, and a Sunday truffle long lunch — a wonderful anchor for a Canberra group weekend.
For any group with a love of great food and regional produce, this is a bucket-list Australian experience. And because the festival runs for the entire truffle season, there's real flexibility in when you visit — you don't need to hit a single weekend to enjoy it.
Arthur Boyd: Tapestries — National Gallery of Australia
Where: National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place, Canberra
When: 20 June – 18 October 2026
Cost: Free
The National Gallery of Australia is always a highlight of any Canberra group visit — and this winter, it's presenting something genuinely special. Arthur Boyd: Tapestries is the first time all 20 of Arthur Boyd's monumental tapestries from his Life of St Francis series have ever been put on public display.
Boyd commissioned the tapestries in the early 1970s from the Manufactura de Tapeçarias de Portalegre in Portugal — one of the world's great tapestry workshops — and the National Gallery purchased them in 1975. For more than 50 years they have largely been held in storage, too large and too rarely seen. This exhibition changes that, bringing all 20 together in a landmark display that is likely to be one of the most talked-about art events of the year.
Boyd is one of Australia's most celebrated artists, known for his deeply felt landscapes and his ability to find the spiritual in the everyday Australian environment. To see these tapestries — monumental in scale, rich in colour and symbolism — is a rare privilege.
Entry is completely free, and the gallery itself is a wonderful space to spend a morning or afternoon. It also sits just minutes from the Parliament House and Lake Burley Griffin foreshore, making it easy to build a full and varied day around.
Making the Most of a Canberra Group Trip
The beauty of a Canberra visit is how well the two experiences above sit alongside each other. A morning at the NGA followed by a truffle lunch at one of Canberra's acclaimed restaurants makes for a genuinely memorable day. For groups wanting more time, a two-night stay opens up truffle farm visits, the excellent Canberra Museum and Gallery, a High Tea experience, and a leisurely explore of the lakeshore and botanical gardens.
At Alura Coaches, we offer a popular 3 Day Canberra High Tea tour and a 4 Day Batemans Bay & Canberra tour — both of which visit the capital with comfortable coach travel from Sydney and are well-suited to being timed around the truffle season or the NGA exhibition this winter.
We also regularly arrange custom day trips to Canberra for Probus clubs and senior groups who want a tailored itinerary. Our coaches pick up across Sydney's south, south-west and north-west — get in touch and we'll help you plan a Canberra winter trip your group will be talking about for a long time.
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