Canberra to Cowra drive: Distance, time & road trip stops
The Canberra to Cowra drive covers a 189km distance in a driving time of around 2h23m. Road trip attractions to add to the itinerary include the Murrumbateman wineries and the Boorowa Historical Museum.
The drive from Canberra to Cowra takes you from the Australian capital to one of the largest towns in the Central West region of New South Wales. It’s a journey you might undertake as part of a longer road trip – Canberra to Orange or Canberra to Dubbo, for example.
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.
Cowra’s highlights can be explored on an attraction-packed e-bike tour.
Canberra to Cowra distance and driving time
The distance from Canberra to Cowra is 189km. Expect a driving time of approximately two hours and 23 minutes.
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.
There are, however, a few potential road trip stops to add to the itinerary.
The first leg of the Canberra to Cowra drive is from Canberra to Yass. This goes past the National Dinosaur Museum and cutesy model village Cockington Green on the way out of the Australian Capital Territory.
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.
Canberra to Cowra road trip: Murrumbateman wineries
Then come several Canberra region wineries around Murrumbateman. Briar Hill Estate, McKellar Ridge Wines, Eden Road Wines and Clonakilla are all pretty close to the Barton Highway.
Things to do in Yass include Cooma Cottage, which gives an insight into early pastoralist history, and the 2.8km walk to the top of Mount Mundoonen.
If you decide to stay overnight, Yass accommodation options include the handily located Yass Central Bed and Breakfast and the well-reviewed Colonial Lodge Motor Inn.
Click through to the next section: Lachlan Valley Way.
Canberra to Cowra drive: Lachlan Valley Way
Beyond Yass, after a short stretch on the Hume Highway, you’ll join the Lachlan Valley Way. And here’s where the Canberra to Cowra road trip gets exceedingly rural.
The first village of any real size along the route is Boorowa. There’s plenty of Irish heritage here, and the Boorowa Historical Museum does the standard local history thing.
And that, alas, is about all the entertainment you’re going to get before Cowra. So you might as well just plough straight on through.
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.
More Canberra road trips
Canberra road trips: To New South Wales
Albury to Canberra: Distance 338km, driving time 3h47m.
Bathurst to Canberra: Distance 253km, driving time 3h13m.
Canberra to Batemans Bay: Distance 148km, driving time 2h.
Canberra to Bega: Distance 228km, driving time 2h41m.
Canberra to Braidwood: Distance 87km, driving time 1h7m.
Canberra to Cowra: Distance 189km, driving time 2h23m.
Canberra to Cooma: Distance 116km, driving time 1h17m.
Canberra to Dubbo: Distance 399km, driving time 4h45m.
Canberra to Jindabyne: Distance 179km, driving time 2h3m.
Canberra to Merimbula: Distance 246km, driving time 3h.
Canberra to Narooma: Distance 224km, driving time 3h.
Canberra to Orange: Distance 279km, driving time 3h17m.
Canberra to Wagga Wagga: Distance 245km, driving time 2h47m
Canberra to Wollongong: Distance 244km, driving time 2h40m.
Canberra to Young, NSW: Distance 157km, driving time 1h50m.
Goulburn to Canberra: Distance 91km, driving time 1h5m.
Gundagai to Canberra: Distance 160km, driving time 1h48m.
Sydney to Canberra: Distance 286km, driving time 3h5m.
Yass to Canberra: Distance 60km, driving time 52m.
Canberra road trips to other states
Adelaide to Canberra: Distance 1,159km, driving time 12h12m.
Melbourne to Canberra: Distance 663km, driving time 7h7m.