Canberra to Alice Springs road trip: Distance, drive time & top stops
The drive from Canberra to Alice Springs covers a 2,558km distance in a driving time of around 27 hours. Top road trip stops to add to an itinerary include Wagga Wagga, Yanga National Park, Mildura and Coober Pedy.
The drive from Canberra to Alice Springs is a long and often lonely adventure, which passes through some of the most remote parts of Australia.
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.
Alice Springs is Central Australia’s biggest town. It offers hot air ballooning over the rugged outback, spectacular adventures in the West MacDonnell Ranges and quirky camel rides. For a bigger range of Alice Springs activities, step this way, and for Alice Springs accommodation, book here.
If you do just one thing in Alice Springs…
Make it a West MacDonnell Ranges day tour. It’ll show off many of the Red Centre’s most dramatic gorges, photogenic swimming holes, rugged landscapes and weird rock formations. (FIND OUT MORE).
Australia travel expert David Whitley.
The road trip from Canberra to Alice Springs isn’t packed with obvious attractions, but there are some good stops you can add to the itinerary.
Canberra to Alice Springs distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Canberra to Alice Springs is 2,558km. That makes for a driving time of around 27 hours.
Good choices for overnight stops along the route include Wagga Wagga, Mildura, Port Augusta and Coober Pedy.
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.
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.
Canberra to Alice Springs road trip: Canberra to Wagga Wagga section
The Canberra to Wagga Wagga drive is 245km and takes around two hours and 47 minutes.
The first leg is on the Barton Highway to Yass. Stop at wineries along the way and learn about early pastoralists at Cooma Cottage.
Join the Hume Highway outside Yass, then head towards Jugiong and Gundagai.
Have lunch at the Long Track Pantry in Jugiong and visit the Australian Road Transport Heritage Centre in Gundagai.
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.
Cut onto the Nangus Road and Oura Road for a stop at Kimo Estate, Oura Beach and Wild Vine Vineyard.
Wagga Wagga has a surprisingly large population and Wagga Beach – arguably the best inland beach in Australia.
Click through to the next section: Wagga Wagga to Narrandera.