Canberra Airport to the City by Bus: Rapid 3 Runs Seven Days, About 25 Minutes on Weekdays (Canberra, ACT)

Canberra Airport is connected to the City by Transport Canberra’s Rapid 3 bus, which runs seven days a week including public holidays. On weekdays the timetable puts the first bus from the airport at 5:55am and the last at 10:52pm, with a bus about every 15 minutes through most of the day, and on weekends a bus every 30 minutes.

This guide uses the Canberra Airport public transport page, the Rapid 3 timetables on Transport Canberra’s Rapid routes page and Transport Canberra’s fares and ways to pay pages. The timetables and fares were read on Wednesday 21 October 2026.

Which bus goes from Canberra Airport to the City?

Rapid 3, also written R3. The airport says Transport Canberra runs it between the airport terminal and the City interchange, then on to the Belconnen interchange, the Cohen Street interchange and Spence Terminus. The timetable lists the stops in this order from the airport:

1. Canberra Airport
2. Brindabella Business Park
3. Russell Offices
4. City Interchange
5. Belconnen Interchange
6. Cohen St Interchange
7. Copland College
8. Spence Shops
9. Spence Terminus

If you are heading for the City, stay on until City Interchange. If you are going to Belconnen, the same bus continues there without a change.

How often does Rapid 3 run?

The airport page says Rapid 3 runs every 15 minutes throughout the day on weekdays and every 30 minutes on weekends. The Transport Canberra timetables, read on 21 October, show these first and last trips from the airport:

Day	First bus from the airport	Last bus from the airport	Number of trips
Weekday	5:55am	10:52pm	65
Saturday	7:09am	11:39pm	34
Sunday	7:39am	9:09pm	28

On weekdays the buses leave the airport about 15 minutes apart through most of the day, for example at 9:03am, 9:17am and 9:31am. After the 8:22pm bus the gap widens to 30 minutes. On Saturday and Sunday the buses leave at 9 and 39 minutes past each hour.

Weekday departures from the airport

Here are the weekday departure times, with the timetable’s arrival time at City Interchange for a few trips across the day:

Leaves the airport	Arrives at City Interchange
5:55am	6:21am
7:03am	7:32am
9:03am	9:32am
12:03pm	12:29pm
3:01pm	3:31pm
6:00pm	6:30pm
8:52pm	9:17pm
10:52pm	11:17pm

Timetables change, so check the current Rapid 3 weekday, Saturday and Sunday timetables before a flight, especially for early or late departures.

How long does the trip to the City take?

The airport says the trip from the airport terminal to the City is less than 20 minutes. The Transport Canberra timetable shows something different on weekdays: for the trips listed above, the arrival at City Interchange is 25 to 30 minutes after the departure from the airport. On Saturday and Sunday the timetable gap is 19 to 21 minutes.

The two official sources do not agree for weekdays, so plan for the longer figure if you have a flight or a meeting to make, and use the timetable time rather than the airport’s round figure.

What about the trip back to the airport?

Rapid 3 runs in both directions. The weekday timetable from City Interchange to Canberra Airport starts with a bus at 6:09am that arrives at the airport at 6:32am, and ends with a bus at 10:48pm that arrives at 11:11pm. The inbound weekday trip takes 23 to 25 minutes by the timetable, and the buses leave City Interchange about 15 minutes apart through most of the day.

If you have an early flight, the first weekday bus to the airport leaves City Interchange at 6:09am. On weekends the first Rapid 3 from the airport is at 7:09am on Saturday and 7:39am on Sunday, so the timetable does not offer a very early weekend bus on this route.

How much does the fare cost?

MyWay+ is the ticketing system for Canberra’s buses and light rail. These are the adult fares that came into effect on Saturday 10 January 2026, as listed by Transport Canberra:

Item	Adult	Concession
Peak fare per trip	$3.41	$1.71
Off-peak fare per trip	$2.70	$0.95, or free for some concessions
Weekday daily cap	$10.16	$5.08
Weekend and public holiday daily cap	$6.22	$2.30
Single use ticket, single trip	$5.29	$2.65

Off-peak applies on weekdays between 9:00am and 4:30pm and after 6:00pm, and all day on weekends and public holidays. That means a weekend trip on Rapid 3 is charged at the off-peak adult fare, and a weekday trip outside those hours, such as one that starts before 9:00am or between 4:30pm and 6:00pm, is charged at the peak fare. Transport Canberra says there is no off-peak discount for pre-paid tickets.

Every paid trip includes a free 90-minute transfer. If you take Rapid 3 to City Interchange and then change to a different bus or the light rail within 90 minutes of first validation, you do not pay a second fare, as long as you tap on and off each time. Our Canberra fares and MyWay+ guide explains the caps, the default fare and the concessions in more detail.

How do I pay at the airport?

The airport page says the easiest way to pay an adult fare is to tap on and off with a physical bank card, or a bank card in the digital wallet on a phone or watch. You do not need to create an account if you are only visiting Canberra for a short time.

• Contactless: MyWay+ accepts Mastercard and Visa only. It does not accept American Express. Tap on at the start and tap off at the end with the same card or device.
• MyWay+ account and app: an account adds personalised settings, more ways to pay, concession management, transaction history and journey notifications. The app’s pass shows a QR code that changes each time.
• MyWay+ travel card: sold at retail outlets, including concession travel cards. A new card costs $5.00 for an adult and $2.50 for a concession.
• Ticket vending machine: there is one on the ground level at the airport, next to the baggage claim area, and it can issue a paper ticket.

Transport Canberra says it is cheaper and more convenient to tap on and off with a contactless card or device, or a MyWay+ travel card, than to buy a single use ticket. Concession holders must carry their proof of concession.

Tap off or pay the default fare

You must tap off at the end of every trip. Transport Canberra says that if you do not, a default fare, the maximum possible fare for the trip, applies. During the transition period it has said default fares are not being applied, and that it will tell the community in advance when they resume. The fares page gives no resumption date.

Is there a shuttle instead?

The airport page lists one shuttle service: Snowy Mountain Shuttles, which carries passengers from the airport to Thredbo and the NSW Snowy Mountains. The airport page gives a booking phone number and a link to the operator’s website. This guide does not cover taxis or other shuttles, because the airport’s public transport page does not give their prices or times.

Quick checklist

• Catch Rapid 3 from the Canberra Airport bus stop outside the terminal.
• Pay by tapping on and off with a Visa or Mastercard, phone or watch.
• Allow about 30 minutes to City Interchange on weekdays, going by the timetable.
• Check the Rapid 3 timetable for your day, because weekends run every 30 minutes.
• Call Transport Canberra on 13 17 10 during business hours if you need help.

If you are visiting Canberra on Sunday 1 November, bus stops around Parliament House are closed for a running event. See our Run Canberra 2026 bus diversions guide for the affected routes, and note that all buses run to a Sunday timetable that day.

Sources

• Canberra Airport — Public transport and shuttle services (checked 21 October 2026)
• Transport Canberra — Rapid routes and the Rapid 3 weekday, Saturday and Sunday timetables (checked 21 October 2026)
• Transport Canberra — Fares (checked 19 October 2026)
• Transport Canberra — Ways to pay (checked 19 October 2026)

Featured image: The Canberra Airport bus stop, June 2026 (photo: Totallynotarandomalt69 / CC BY 4.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Canberra Airport or Transport Canberra. Timetables and fares can change; check the official pages above before you travel.