Sydney to Narrandera, NSW: Road trip stops, distance & drive time

The best stops on a Sydney to Narrandera road trip include Bowral, Yass and Wagga Wagga. By car, the distance from Sydney to Narrandera is 554km and the driving time around 5h39m.

Sydney to Narrandera road trip itinerary

A Sydney to Narrandera road trip takes you from the international icon of New South Wales to a surprisingly arty country town surrounded by natural attractions.

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.

Narrandera, meanwhile, is a great spot for seeing koalas.

There are, however, plenty of good places on the way to add to a Sydney to Narrandera road trip itinerary.

Sydney to Narrandera distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Sydney to Narrandera is 554km. You can expect a driving time to Narrandera from Sydney of around five hours and 39 minutes.

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The Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains.

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Get perfect views of the world’s most beautiful city on a Sydney Harbour helicopter tour.
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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 Narrandera road trip: Campbelltown to Mittagong

The Sydney to Narrandera 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.

Walking in the Lake Alexandra Reserve, Mittagong, NSW. Photo courtesy of Destination NSW.

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.

Sydney to Narrandera drive: Goulburn to Jugiong

The next stretch of the drive is from Goulburn to Yass. There are several delightful heritage buildings here, but the best thing to do in Yass is taking a tour around the nearby wineries. Canberra Winery Tours offers pick-ups in Yass.

The next potential stop is Jugiong on the Murrumbidgee River, which has some good places to eat. The Long Track Pantry, in particular, has developed a wider reputation.

Gundagai to Oura

After Jugiong comes Gundagai. The Australian Road Transport Heritage Centre is the main attraction here, and there’s some quality, quirky accommodation nearby at the Nimbo Fork Lodge or Kimo Estate.

Where to stay in Gundagai

The best Gundagai accommodation options are:

For a decent, cheap motel: Poets Recall Motel.
For family cabins and a playground: Gundagai Cabins and Tourist Park.
For central location: Garden Motor Inn.

Shortly after Gundagai, you need to turn off down the Nangus Road. This becomes the Oura Road, which skirts close to the river at the brilliantly-named Wantabadgery.

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Wantabadgery is home to one of the best beaches on the Murrumbidgee River – the less brilliantly-named Sandy Beach.

There’s another beach to enjoy at Oura, a small riverside village just east of Wagga Wagga. Once you’ve had a dip at Oura Beach, you can visit the Wild Vine Vineyard. This Wagga Wagga winery is a popular wedding venue, but you can still do tastings at the cellar door.

Wagga Beach in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. Photo courtesy of Jack of Hearts Photography; Visit Wagga Wagga.

Click through to the next section: Wagga Wagga to Narrandera.

Sydney to Narrandera road trip: Wagga Wagga to Narrandera

The Gundagai to Wagga Wagga leg of the drive also goes past Eunonyhareenyha Wines before crossing the Murrumbidgee River and entering Wagga.

Just after the river crossing, you can make the short detour to Wagga Beach, the most famous inland beach in Australia.

You leave Wagga Wagga along Sturt Highway, which largely follows the Murrumbidgee River. Kolhagens Beach is another good river beach along the way from Wagga Wagga to Narrandera.

On the outskirts of Narrandera, the Koala Reserve is one of the best places in Australia for spotting koalas.

Other things to do in Narrandera include kayaking on the Rocky Waterholes, admiring the giant mural on the Narrandera Water Tower and taking a self-guided walking tour of the town’s heritage buildings.