Canberra to Byron Bay road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time
The best stops on a Canberra to Byron Bay road trip itinerary include Albury, Bowral, Sydney, Coffs Harbour and Yamba. By car, the distance from Canberra to Byron Bay is 1,034km, with a driving time of around 10h41m.
Planning a Canberra to Byron Bay road trip itinerary
A Canberra to Byron Bay road trip connects the Australian capital to arguably the top holiday town on the New South Wales coast.
Canberra is the capital of Australia. It 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.
Byron Bay, meanwhile, offers kayaking with dolphins, beach and waterfalls tours and surfing lessons. To check out more Byron Bay tours and experiences, click here. For Byron Bay accommodation deals, venture this way.
However, there is plenty to see along the way. A Canberra to Byron Bay road trip strings together wineries, charming country towns, urban energy, national parks and glorious coastline.
This guide should help you plan out the best stops on a Canberra to Byron Bay road trip itinerary. Click through on the individual places and attractions for more detailed, specific information.
Canberra to Byron Bay distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Canberra to Byron Bay is 1,034km. That makes for a driving time of around 10 hours and 41 minutes.
The best stops to add to a Canberra to Byron Bay road trip itinerary are Bowral, Sydney, Newcastle, Coffs Harbour and Yamba.
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 Byron Bay road trip: Leaving the ACT
The Canberra to Byron Bay drive starts out along the Federal Highway. It heads past Valour Park and the Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve, then the Stonehenge replica known as the Henge and Tulip Top Gardens near Sutton, NSW.
Afterwards the Canberra to Byron Bay road trip route creeps up on Lake George. The Weereewa Lookout offers the best photo opportunities here. There are also a couple of wineries – Lerida Estate and Lake George Winery – near the northern part of the lake.
The Federal Highway then goes through Collector before meeting the Hume Motorway at Goulburn. Attractions here include the Big Merino, the Goulburn Rail Heritage Centre and the Goulburn Historic Waterworks.
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.
Canberra to Byron Bay road trip: Goulburn to Campbelltown
The best place to stop on the Canberra to Sydney leg of the road trip, however, is the Southern Highlands. Almost everyone stops at the Sutton Forest East Service Centre on the way, although Sutton Forest Estate Wines is a more amiable spot for a journey break.
Once in the Southern Highlands, the highway skirts the edge of Mittagong and Berrima, but the best base is Bowral.
Top Mittagong accommodation
The best places to stay in Mittagong are:
- For heritage in an 1836 sandstone building: Fitzroy Inn Historic Retreat.
- For kid-friendly facilities: Mittagong Caravan Park.
- For a relatively cheap, decent motel: Mittagong Motel.
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.
In Bowral, you’ll find character-packed accommodation such as the Berida Hotel and Milton Park, plus innovative wineries such as Centennial Vineyards. Cricket fans will lap up the Bradman Museum, while Fitzroy Falls or Belmore Falls in the nearby Morton National Park cater to nature-lovers.
From Bowral, it’s not much of a drive until you reach the south-western fringes of Sydney’s suburbia.
Before joining the M7 motorway, you’ll go past the Nepean Dam, the Australian Wildlife Sanctuary at Bargo and Sydney Skydivers in Wilton.
There’s also the Campbelltown Steam and Machinery Museum in Campbelltown, the Sambar Brown Lookout and the Australian Botanic Garden.
Click through to the next section: Sydney to the Hawkesbury River.