Canberra to Perisher road trip: Distance, drive time & stops
The best stops on a Canberra to Perisher road trip include Cooma and Jindabyne. The Canberra to Perisher drive covers a 211km distance in a driving time of around 2h30m.
The drive from Canberra to Perisher takes you from the national capital to the top ski resort in New South Wales. It is possible to do a Canberra to Perisher day tour if you don’t fancy driving.
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.
For Perisher accommodation, head here.
This guide is aimed at travellers planning a Canberra to Perisher road trip itinerary, perhaps building in a few stops along the way.
Canberra to Perisher distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Canberra to Perisher is 211km. If you tackle that in one stint behind the wheel, then it’ll take around two hours and 30 minutes. However, if you’re not desperate to get to the snow as quickly as humanly possible, there are plenty of attractions you can weave into a road trip itinerary.
Top road trip stops between Canberra and Perisher include Cooma and Jindabyne.
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 Perisher road trip attractions: Canberra to Cooma drive
The drive from Canberra to Cooma is along the Monaro Highway, and largely rural. You’ll pass the Rob Roy Range Nature Reserve and Gigerline Nature Reserve near Williamsdale on the way out of Canberra.
You can also taste in wines and truffles at Macenmist Black Truffles and Wines near Bredbo, then watch gliders at the Bunyan Air Strip.
Things to do in Cooma include paying a visit to the NSW State Correctional Gaol Museum and Snowy Mountains Hydro Discovery Centre.
Where to stay in Cooma
The best Cooma accommodation picks are:
- For a solid motel with cheap rates: iMotel Cooma.
- For a heated indoor pool: Kinross Inn.
- To be within walking distance of restaurants: Nebula Motel.
Click through for the next section: Cooma to Perisher.