Campbelltown to Canberra drive: Distance, time & road trip stops
The distance from Campbelltown to Canberra is 232km, with a driving time of 2h27m. The best stops to add to a Campbelltown to Canberra road trip itinerary are the Southern Highlands and Goulburn.
Planning a Campbelltown to Canberra road trip
The drive from Campbelltown to Canberra takes you from the Macarthur region of New South Wales to the Australian national capital.
To look for Campbelltown accommodation deals, head here.
Canberra offers wine and distillery tours, plus guided visits to the National Museum of Australia. To investigate Canberra tour and experience options, head here. To find the best Canberra hotel deals, book here.
7 great Canberra experiences to book before you arrive
- Full day city highlights tour – including Mount Ainslie, Parliament House and the Australian War Memorial.
- Tidbinbilla wildlife and birds tour – see kangaroos, koalas, platypus and emus in the wild.
- Hot air balloon flight – see Canberra’s unique design while floating above the city.
- Small group wine tour – discover the amazing wineries and food producers of the Canberra region.
- Australian Institute of Sport tour – see where Australia’s next generation of sporting greats train.
- Australian Museum – expert-guided tour of the museum highlights.
- Brewery tour – hop between Canberra’s best craft breweries.
This guide should help you plan your ideal Campbelltown to Canberra road trip. Click through on the links for more detailed information about individual towns and attractions.
If you need to hire a car, find the best rental deals. And don’t forget to do all your pre-road trip shopping.
Campbelltown to Canberra distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Campbelltown to Canberra is 232km, with a driving time of around two hours and 27 minutes.
Attractions in Campbelltown include the Campbelltown Steam and Machinery Museum, the Sambar Brown Lookout and the Australian Botanic Garden. The Smiths Creek Reserve, meanwhile, is the best place to see koalas in Sydney.
Campbelltown to Canberra road trip stops: The Southern Highlands
If taking a slow road trip, the Southern Highlands is a highly enticing region to explore. The highway skims Mittagong and Berrima, but the best base is Bowral. Here, there’s great accommodation such as the Berida Hotel and Milton Park, plus innovative wineries such as Centennial Vineyards. Cricket fans will adore the Bradman Museum, while Fitzroy Falls or Belmore Falls in the Morton National Park are also nearby.
5 great Southern Highlands experiences to boost your visit
- Personalised private Southern Highlands wine and attractions tours – tailored to your tastes.
- Tutored wine-tasting and canapes experience.
- Beekeeping experience – learn how honey is made.
- Guided wine-tasting at the Mill – with tasting notes procided.
- Behind the scenes tour of a sustainable winery in Berrima.
Campbelltown to Canberra drive: Sutton Forest to Goulburn
Further along, the main stop is the Sutton Forest East Service Centre. This motorway services pulls in a startling number of people – timing-wise, it’s pretty much bang on where a driver’s rest break should kick in.
You can, however, pay a visit to the neighbouring Sutton Forest Estate Wines.
There’s another services at Marulan before facing the choice of going into Goulburn or not.
If you stop for a coffee break in Goulburn, or to get a photo of the Big Merino, then it’s not too much further to the Australian capital. The route to Canberra branches off the Hume Highway shortly after Goulburn, joining the Federal Highway at Yarra.
Best places to stay in Goulburn
The top Goulburn accommodation choices are:
- For good quality, business traveller-friendly apartments: Quest Goulburn.
- For a cheap, decent motel for a no-fuss one night stay: Black Sheep Motel.
- For road-tripper convenience next to the Hume Highway: Mercure Goulburn.
- For free parking in the city centre: Heritage Motor Inn.
Attractions between Campbelltown and Canberra: Goulburn to Canberra
The two best stops on the Goulburn to Canberra leg of the drive are beside Lake George. The Lerida Estate winery offers wine-tasting opportunities and the Weereewa Lookout majors in photogenic views over the lake.
The Federal Highway then continues past Bywong, before entering the Australian Capital Territory next to the Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve. The Mount Majura Nature Reserve comes up shortly on your left. Then, before you get into properly urban Canberra, there are the Canberra Showground, Thoroughbred Park and Yowani Country Club on the right.
What to do in Canberra
Once in Canberra, there’s loads to do. Suggestions include…
- Go hot air ballooning across the city.
- Learn how the city was designed at the National Capital Exhibition.
- Taste local drinks on a winery and distillery tour.
- Putter around Lake Burley-Griffin on a GoBoat.
- Let the kids loose at interactive science museum Questacon.
- Discover the wealth of artworks at Australia’s Parliament House.
- Learn about the first Australians on a special tour of the National Museum of Australia.
- Take an Aboriginal-guided tour at the National Arboretum.
- See wildlife at the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.
- Discover Australia’s role in space research at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex.
The top Canberra accommodation picks
There is a large selection of Canberra accommodation options. But these are particularly good choices…
- The one with the highest guest rating: A By Adina Canberra.
- For something cool and stylish: East Hotel and Apartments.
- The one where the VIPs stay: Hyatt Hotel Canberra.
- For high quality apartments: Quest Canberra City Walk.
- For something much cheaper and family-focused: Alivio Tourist Park.
More Canberra travel
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What to do on the Marulan to Canberra drive.
The best stops on a Canberra to Mudgee road trip.
Where to stop on a Canberra to Taree road trip.
The best stops on the Moss Vale to Canberra drive.