Your Canberra Road Trip Guide

Updated 21 Apr 2026

Hitting the road from the city in the north, the mountains in the south, the coast in the east or the country in the west?

We’ve got the perfect spot for you to stop and recharge on your road trip into the Canberra, and suggestions for what you have to look forward to when you arrive.

From the city

As you leave the hustle and bustle of Sydney behind, you’ll notice the clearer air as you park your car at Some Café. This Collector café boasts a menu filled with seasonal local produce, including some just outside – beehives sit nearby, and adorn the menu and shelves of the café. Feel good about food centimetres rather than food miles.

Continue to embrace the great outdoors when you arrive in Canberra with a visit to Mulligans Flat Wildlife Sanctuary. This conservation area is Australia’s largest single box-gum grassy woodland, where native wildlife can flourish free of the impacts of introduced predators. Check in at Wildbark Visitors Centre or register for a tour to get the insiders tips on what resident wildlife you might be privy to at this time of year.

From the mountains

Departing the Snowy Mountains and heading north, a stop in Tharwa Village is a recommended. Nestled against the beautiful Namadgi National Park, this village and surrounds delight visitors year round. Perhaps a Friday night degustation at the historic Cuppacumbalong  Homestead is on the cards, or a spring or autumnal ‘Snip and Snip’ picnic at Twyllo Flower Farm is more your speed? Take a step back in time to the historic Lanyon Homestead, where the gardens and outbuilding invite you to learn and discover this slice of Canberra’s history.

Continuing north, Canberra’s cultural attractions promise warmth and enrichment. The home of Australia’s story welcomes visitors year round to explore the national collection across portraiture, currency, artworks, artefacts and more.

From the coast

Leaving the green pastures and clear waters of the south coast of New South Wales for an escape to the capital? A stop at The Malbon in Bungendore will prepare you for what awaits. This trove of antiques and handmade objects provides you shopping that will excite all the senses – beeswax candles for wintery nights, a nursery where spring blooms are promised, a providore to sample their curation of local produce paired with global delicacies, and clayworks of hand crafted stoneware to have and to hold.

Once you’ve arrived in Canberra, continue to prioritise investing in quality goods with a story via a visit to Dirty Janes Canberra. For the uninitiated, this warehouse in the heart of Fyshwick is brimming with unique stallholders, where one-offs and charming items call to you from the nooks and crannies, tucked into corners and floating from the rafters. Curios adorn their shelves and invite you to be the latest custodian of these object’s stories.

From the country

‘Warm hearts, warm hands’ is what Murrumbateman promises with Four Winds Vineyard, Blackwattle Alpacas and Murrumbateman Chocolate Co.. Start your pitstop in the Canberra District Wine Region with a visit to Four Winds Vineyard, where woodfired pizza awaits. Learn about the natural fibres and discover a new meaning to ‘hands on’ as you experience alpacas on this working farm up-close. Close out your road trip with a visit to Murrumbateman Chocolate Co. where you can see your future car snacks made right before your eyes.

Time your visit to coincide with experiencing more local producers at the Capital Region Farmers Market on a Saturday morning. Breakfast options abound, from creperies to coffees, gozleme to gyoza. Stock up on local produce to keep your pantry working hard and add that special touch to your home cooked meals.