Yass to Wagga Wagga road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops

The drive from Yass to Wagga Wagga covers a distance of 183km, with a driving time of around 1h53m. The best road trip stops along the route are Jugiong, Gundagai and Oura Beach.

The drive from Yass to Wagga Wagga takes you from a winery-surrounded town by the Hume Highway to one of the biggest inland towns in New South Wales.

Things to do in Yass include learning about early pastoralists at Cooma Cottage.

Yass to Wagga Wagga distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Yass to Wagga Wagga is 183km. That makes for an estimated driving time of around one hour and 53 minutes.

There are a few tempting road trip stops you might want to add to the itinerary, however.

Yass to Wagga Wagga road trip: Jugiong and Gundagai

The route from Canberra to Wagga Wagga joins the Hume Highway just outside Yass, and continues on towards Jugiong and Gundagai.

Jugiong has a delightful location on the Murrumbidgee River, and the Long Track Pantry is arguably the top spot for lunch on the drive.

Things to do in Gundagai include indulging your inner petrolhead at the Australian Road Transport Heritage Centre. There’s also a slice of Australiana at the Dog On A Tuckerbox monument – something that is likely to baffle overseas visitors.

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.

Yass to Wagga Wagga drive: Gundagai to Wagga Wagga

Shortly after Gundagai, and just before Tarcutta, the Canberra to Wagga Wagga drive branches off the Hume Highway and on to the Sturt Highway.

However, on the Gundagai to Wagga Wagga leg, you can cut across onto the Nangus Road and Oura Road. This allows you to stop at Kimo Estate, Oura Beach and the Wild Vine Vineyard.

Follow the Sturt Highway all the way along, and you’ll eventually end up in South Australia. But the first town of any reasonable size on this mammoth highway is Wagga Wagga.

The population of Wagga Wagga is surprisingly large, and the town is famous for hosting Wagga Beach – perhaps the best inland beach in Australia.