Mittagong to Canberra road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time
The best stops on a Mittagong to Canberra road trip include the Bradman Museum in Bowral, Goulburn and the Weereewa Lookout. By car, the distance from Mittagong to Canberra is 174km, with a driving time of around two hours.
The Mittagong to Canberra drive takes you from the beginning of New South Wales’s Southern Highlands region to the Australian capital.
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.
It’s an easy enough drive to complete in one stint, although you may wish to make a few scenic stops along the way.
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.
Mittagong to Canberra distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Mittagong to Canberra is 174km. That makes for a driving time of around two hours. Obviously, that will be longer if you make a stop or two along the way.
Things to do in Mittagong include birdwatching at the Lake Alexandra Reserve and wine-tasting at Tertini Wines.
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.
Neighbouring Bowral is a generally seen as a better base in the Southern Highlands, however. There’s a decent argument for paying a visit on the way to Canberra, too.
Bowral offers gorgeous accommodation at the Berida Hotel and Milton Park, plus inventive wineries such as Centennial Vineyards. Cricket fans will love the Bradman Museum, while Fitzroy Falls or Belmore Falls in the nearby Morton National Park offer a more natural slant on the region.
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.
Mittagong to Goulburn drive
On the way towards Goulburn, most people end up refuelling at the Forest East Service Centre on the way. If you don’t need although Sutton Forest Estate Wines is a more amiable spot for a journey break.
You turn off the Hume for Canberra at Goulburn, home of 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.
Mittagong to Canberra road trip: Hume Highway to Canberra
It’s 91km from Goulburn to Canberra, with the Lerida Estate winery and Weereewa Lookout by Lake George the best stops along the way.
Once in Canberra, there’s loads to do. Suggestions include…
- Go hot air ballooning across the city.
- Learn how the city was designed at the National Capital Exhibition.
- Taste local drinks on a winery and distillery tour.
- Putter around Lake Burley-Griffin on a GoBoat.
- Let the kids loose at interactive science museum Questacon.
- Discover the wealth of artworks at Australia’s Parliament House.
- Learn about the first Australians on a special tour of the National Museum of Australia.
- Take an Aboriginal-guided tour at the National Arboretum.
- See wildlife at the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.
- Discover Australia’s role in space research at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex.
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.
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