Albury to Bathurst road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time

The best stops on an Albury to Bathurst road trip itinerary include Young and Cowra. By car, the distance from Albury to Bathurst is 454km, with a driving time of around 5h2m.

Planning an Albury to Bathurst road trip itinerary

An Albury to Bathurst road trip connects the biggest city on the Murray River to the motorsports capital of New South Wales.

For Albury accommodation picks, head here.

Bathurst brings private luxury wine tours and jet fighter flights. For Bathurst accommodation, investigate here.

This guide should help you plan out the best stops on an Albury to Bathurst road trip itinerary. Click through on the individual places and attractions for more detailed, specific information – and remember to stock up on your road trip essentials before setting off.

Albury to Bathurst distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Albury to Bathurst is 454km. That makes for a driving time of around five hours and two minutes.

Things to do in Albury include kayaking along the Murray, seeing Aboriginal art of the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk and getting a fascinating insight into Australian immigration history at the Bonegilla Migrant Experience.

Best Albury accommodation picks

The best places to stay in Albury are:

For a heated pool and spa in a gorgeous location next to a riverside park: Best Western Plus Hovell Tree Inn.
For apartments with kitchenettes in a central location: Mantra Albury.
For a good quality motel next to the train station: Winsor Park Motor Inn.
For a holiday park with lots of facilities for the kids: Big4 Albury Tourist Park.
For a motel with cheap rates and fairly central location: Allawa Motor Inn.

Near Albury on the New South Wales side of the border, Woomargama National Park provides a pleasant diversion if you’re in search of wildlife and walking trails.

Next up, Gundagai offers the Australian Road Transport Heritage Centre and high quality, distinctive accommodation nearby at the Nimbo Fork Lodge or Kimo Estate.

Where to stay in Gundagai

The best Gundagai accommodation options are:

For a decent, cheap motel: Poets Recall Motel.
For family cabins and a playground: Gundagai Cabins and Tourist Park.
For central location: Garden Motor Inn.

Albury to Bathurst road trip: Gundagai to Young

The turning off the Hume Highway comes at Coolac. From there, head north along Muttama Road, past Cootamundra.

Cricket fans might want to make the short detour into Cootamundra to visit the birthplace of Australia’s greatest batsman, Sir Donald Bradman. Otherwise, join the Olympic Highway just to the north-east of Cootamundra.

Where to stay in Cootamundra

The top Cootamundra accommodation options are:

For the highest guest ratings: Cootamundra Heritage Motel and Apartments.
For cheap cabins: Cootamundra Caravan Park.
For an outdoor pool: Bradman Motor Inn.

Further along the Olympic Highway come Wallendbeen and Wombat. The latter is surrounded by fruit farms. You can pick your own cherries and peaches at the Wombat Heights Orchard.

From Wombat, it’s a short drive to Young.

Here, the star attractions are the Lambing Flat Chinese Tribute Garden and the Young Historical Museum. Both tell the story of the strong Chinese influence on the town, in their own ways. You can also pick cherries – something Young is famous for – at the Ballinaclash Orchard.

For overnight accommodation in Young, NSW, try the reasonably central Colonial Motel and Apartments, the budget-friendly Young Caravan Park and the four star Young Federation Motor Inn.

The town hall building in Young, NSW — The town hall building is one of the main attractions in Young, NSW. Photo courtesy of Destination NSW.

Albury to Bathurst road trip: Young to Cowra

The Young to Cowra drive is along the Olympic Highway and passes through mostly uneventful agricultural land and countryside.

For much of the journey, the Young to Cowra drive runs parallel to the Dananbilla Nature Reserve, which is mainly left as it is for conservation purposes rather than recreation. However, at the southern end, you can visit the Quamby Park Farmstay and Petting Zoo. There’s a goat stud at the same site.

A similar situation applies to Bendick Murrell National Park to the west of the route. It’s a former national forest that has been converted to national park status, but hasn’t had any tourist facilities installed.

At Koorawatha, those with a 4WD vehicle can make the detour to Koorawatha Falls – created by a man-made weir. The waterfall plunges into a pool at the bottom, and it’s a good spot for a picnic. There’s a good chance of seeing wallabies here, too.

Things to do in Cowra include visiting the WWII Prisoner of War Camp, where more than 1,000 Japanese POWs broke free in 1944, and admiring the Cowra Japanese Garden.

Where to stay in Cowra

The best Cowra accommodation options are:

For four star quality in a central location: Cowra Club Services Motel.
For overall quality: Country Gardens Motor Inn.
For character and something a bit different: The Shearing Shed – Boutique Farm Stay.

Albury to Bathurst road trip: Cowra to Bathurst

The Cowra to Bathurst leg of the drive covers a 106km distance. The journey is almost entirely along the Mid-Western Highway, also known as the A41.

It’s a very rural drive, passing what seems at times to be endless canola fields. The first settlement of any real size along the route is Lyndhurst. The historic Royal Hotel is the main place of interest here.

Otherwise, continue to Mandurama, where there’s another Royal Hotel to try. They like Royal Hotels in these parts…

Much more interesting, however, is Carcoar. Also on the Mid-Western Highway, Carcoar happily milks its heritage village status. Kangaroos hang out in the surrounding hills, pretty Carcoar Dam is a popular spot for fishing and water sports and the village itself has a host of quirky little museums. These include the 20^th Century Toy Museum and a Hospital Museum.

Carcoar is also at the foot of Mount Macquarie, a 1,220m-high peak that is often snow-capped even when the surrounding area isn’t.

The final worthwhile stop is Blayney, where the Church Hill Lookout offers excellent views over the rolling hills and Athol Gardens is dotted with fountains and sculptures.

Attractions in Bathurst include the Bathurst Rail Museum, Abercrombie House and the Mount Panorama racing circuit. The Rydges Bathurst hotel is right next to the race track, while other Bathurst accommodation includes the apartment-style Littomore Hotels and Suites plus the NRMA Bathurst Panorama Holiday Park.