Just in time for the holidays, several of Canberra’s cultural institutions have banded together to provide a free shuttle bus between the various venues.

The Culture Loop bus is a joint six-month pilot venture launched by 10 organisations, which will run seven days a week from 9am to 5pm.

The one-hour round trip, which starts at 9am on Thursday, December 20, will include stops at the National Museum of Australia, the National Film and Sound Archive, Regatta Point, the National Library, Questacon, the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, Australian Parliament House, Canberra Museum and Gallery, and the Canberra Centre.

The National Gallery of Australia, the National Portrait Gallery and the Australian War Memorial declined to participate in the pilot.

The project was instigated by the National Museum, which is situated away from many of the other institutions and has long had an issue with adequate parking.

Museum director Mathew Trinca said the project would cost around $150,000 over the six-month period, with the cost shared between various organisations.

He said the bus was something Canberra had long needed.

“We saw an opportunity that Canberra really needed to take advantage of,” he said.

“There's so much that Canberra can say about being a prime cultural destination for the nation. I think that what Canberra offers is not available anywhere else in the country.

"Our colleagues, a number of them, agree with us, and we decided we'd jointly put our money where our mouth is on this.”

He said most major institutions were on board, and would benefit from the improved visitor experience.

“We know over summer how strong the visitor numbers are for Canberra coming in for the major shows that we have on,” he said.

“That's why we think a bus service that connects up those experiences is exactly what Canberra needs. So instead of just talking about it, we did something about it.

“Where you can come together and the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, then you should do it.”

He said the project was not related to the changes in Canberra’s bus services across the city, and particularly the removal of the bus service to the nearby Australian National University.

“I'll be honest, it's thought of in wholly different terms. We really just saw it as a free service to ameliorate the parking issues that I think each of us is finding,” he said.

“We're a victim of our success here, and from time to time we're concerned about adequate parking on the peninsula.

“It helps to communicate that the city really benefits from the mass of cultural experiences that are available, and this is another way of demonstrating that.”

Liberal senator for the ACT Zed Seselja said it was important to consider the institutions as collaborators.

"Being able to access these institutions is important. If you try and walk them, it’s not easy," he said.

"If you’re coming from interstate, it’s not easy if you don’t have a car, so being able to access a bus, being able to see leading institutions will, I think, add a lot more interest to Canberra.

"When I became a senator, I remember speaking to a number of the leaders of institutions about better collaboration between them, even co-ordinating events, so I think it’s a really great example of that."

The Culture Loop service, which will take in the large car park at West Basin, will be provided by Capital Touring Services Pty Ltd, trading as Redbus.

The bus has a seating capacity of 39 people (plus 22 standing) with wheelchair access, air conditioning, front and centre double doors, and accessibility for people using mobility aids.