Sydney to Albury road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
The 553km Sydney to Albury drive should take around five hours and 40 minutes. If you’re going to extend the Sydney to Albury driving time with a road trip stop along the route, the Southern Highlands is the best option.
The Hume Highway isn’t exactly the most enjoyable drive in Australia. For most driving from Melbourne to Canberra or Sydney, it is a necessary evil. The Hume Highway is the quickest route, and the aim is to just get there rather than pick the prettiest roads.
However, there is another decent reason to head down the Hume Highway, and that’s to get to Albury in New South Wales. The city itself is moderately enjoyable. You can go for a river kayaking tour, see some heritage buildings and do an Aboriginal sculpture walk. But its status as the first major settlement on the Murray River makes Albury the perfect starting point for a Murray River road trip. The Albury weather means it’s best visited in spring or autumn.
It’s possible to hire a car in Albury and start the road trip from there. But given hire car prices tend to be cheaper in the big cities, it may be better to pick up a rental car in Sydney.
Find the best Aussie accommodation deals before you set off.
And some incredible experiences!
Sydney to Albury driving time and distance
The drive from Sydney to Albury becomes necessary in this case. Going via the shortest possible route, it is a 553km journey from Sydney to Albury by car.
Sticking to the speed limit, and without stops, the Sydney to Albury driving time is five hours and 39 minutes. That’s according to Google Maps, anyway.
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Special occasion? Here’s how to do Sydney in style!
- A private sunset cruise on Sydney Harbour with bubbly.
- Dodge the tour buses on a private, personalised Blue Mountains day tour.
- See the harbour, beaches and city skyline from a bird’s eye view on a helicopter tour.
There are also dozens more private Sydney tours, tailorable to your tastes.
If you’re looking to break up the drive from Sydney to Albury, the most enjoyable options are near the start of the route. Once you’ve battled your way out of Sydney’s suburban sprawl, you hit the Southern Highlands. Here lie pretty towns with gardens and wineries, plus the International Cricket Hall of Fame in Bowral. The walks to Belmore Falls and Fitzroy Falls in the Morton National Park are worth doing too.
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.
Sydney to Albury road trip stops: Hume Highway towns
From then on, the Hume Highway passes tediously functional agricultural towns such as Goulburn and Gundagai. There’s very little reason to detour and prolong the agony, although Jugiong has good food and the Woomargama National Park just off the Gundagai to Albury leg has some pleasant walking trails.
An alternative is to drive to Albury from Melbourne – that’s a 328km journey. Or you can take the Sydney to Albury train.
Best Albury accommodation picks
The best places to stay in Albury are:
- For a heated pool and spa in a gorgeous location next to a riverside park: Best Western Plus Hovell Tree Inn.
- For apartments with kitchenettes in a central location: Mantra Albury.
- For a good quality motel next to the train station: Winsor Park Motor Inn.
- For a holiday park with lots of facilities for the kids: Big4 Albury Tourist Park.
- For a motel with cheap rates and fairly central location: Allawa Motor Inn.
13 brilliant experiences in Sydney you should book
- (💲Great value 💲) Tick off several bucket list items on a highlights-packed Blue Mountains day tour.
- Get perfect views of the world’s most beautiful city on a Sydney Harbour helicopter tour.
- Save money with a multi-attraction pass.
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Enjoy the romance of a tall ship cruise on Sydney Harbour.
- Eat all you can at the Skyfeast at the top of Sydney Tower.
- See migrating humpbacks – on a whale-watching cruise.
- (Highly recommended ✅) Go behind the scenes of Australia’s most famous building on an Opera House tour.
- Dine as the city lights up on sunset dinner cruise around the harbour.
- Combine beers and stories on a historic pubs tour through the convict-era Rocks district.
- Stand on your board and catch waves during Bondi Beach surfing lessons.
- Go to wombat and kangaroo-spotting hotspots on a Southern Highlands tour.
- Enjoy Sydney’s wild side on a Manly snorkelling & nature walk.
- (🥇Top choice in Sydney) And, best of all, paddle to hidden beaches on a harbour kayaking adventure.
More road trips from Sydney
Sydney to Adelaide | Sydney to Alice Springs | Sydney to Byron Bay | Sydney to Canberra | Sydney to Dubbo | Sydney to Newcastle | Sydney to Port Macquarie |