Canberra being what Australia considers an alpine city, has the perfect weather for spring bulb flower festivals.
Everyone local is familiar with Floriade, which is held in the centre of the city by the lake, and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. It’s a spectacular and vibrant festival that spans around a month in the middle of spring.
In recent years, we’ve discovered another stunning spring show very close to Canberra at the Tulip Top gardens. Tulip Top is entirely created and run by one family that have been doing this for 22 years now - which when you see the gardens will amaze you!
So, which one is best? Well - it depends on what you want to get out of your trip. Have a look at the pros and cons for each below:
Team Floriade: [ https://floriadeaustralia.com/ ]
PROS:
1. Centrally located, lots of parking nearby
2. Many food market stalls with specialty products (favourite of ours is the honey donuts!)
3. Beautiful lake walk with stunning themed floral displays
4. It’s free! (Night fest is held at night, which includes amazing light displays and live music - this has a ticket cost of about $30 for adults.)
CONS:
1. Can be super crowded
2. If you’re there to take photos, it can be hard as people get in the way - a lot!
3. The prices of the food and drinks can be quite expensive
Team Tulip Tops: [ https://tuliptopgardens.com.au/ ]
PROS:
1. Not nearly as crowded as Floriade
2. Huge variety of tulip varieties
3. Plenty of seating for picnicing
4. Much better for taking photos as crowds don’t get in your shot
CONS:
1. Is around 30mins out of town
2. There is one option for food onsite
