Sydney to Hay, NSW: Best road trip stops, distance & drive time
The best stops on a Sydney to Hay road trip include Yass, Wagga Wagga and Hay. By car, the distance from Sydney to Hay is 725km and the driving time around 7h22m.
Sydney to Hay road trip itinerary
A Sydney to Hay road trip takes you from the international icon of New South Wales to a fascinating Murrumbidgee River town.
For most travellers, this will be a leg on a longer road trip – perhaps from Sydney to Mildura or Sydney to Adelaide.
Sydney offers harbour cruises on romantic tall ships, historic pub tours and behind-the-scenes visits to the world’s most famous Opera House. To get the best deals on Sydney accommodation, book here. To find Sydney tours and experiences that suit your tastes, step this way.
Hay, meanwhile, offers fabulous views over the plains and fascinating wool industry heritage.
There are, however, plenty of good places on the way to add to a Sydney to Hay road trip itinerary.
Sydney to Hay distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Sydney to Hay is 725km. You can expect a driving time to Hay from Sydney of around seven hours and 22 minutes.
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.
The fastest driving route leaves Sydney via the south-western suburbs along the Hume Motorway. It heads past the Macquarie Links International Golf Club and the Australian Botanic Garden en route to Campbelltown. Here, you can enjoy the Sambar Brown Lookout or the Campbelltown Steam and Machinery Museum.
Sydney to Hay road trip: Campbelltown to Mittagong
The Sydney to Hay road trip broadly follows the Nepean River on the way toward the Southern Highlands. It heads past Sydney Skydivers in Wilton, the Australian Wildlife Sanctuary at Bargo and the Nepean Dam before arriving in Mittagong.
Things to do in Mittagong include spotting birds at the Lake Alexandra Reserve and tasting wines 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.
Mittagong to Goulburn
Nearby Bowral is a better base, though. It has stunning accommodation at 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 show off the region’s natural beauty.
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.
The Forest East Service Centre is the most common stop on the way to Goulburn, although nearby Sutton Forest Estate Wines can provide wines rather than fuel.
The Hume Motorway skirts the edge of Goulburn, but you can go into town to see 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.
Click through to the next section: Goulburn to Jugiong.