Road trips in New South Wales
9 road trips and 74 hand-picked places in New South Wales, with routes, stops and practical tips for driving and camping.
- Trip guides
- 9
- Places
- 74
Trip guides
Road trips through New South Wales
Photo by Paddy Pohlod on UnsplashCoast & island drives
Grand Pacific Drive: Sydney to Kiama
Photo by Dominic Kurniawan Suryaputra on UnsplashMountains & lakes
Blue Mountains and the Central West
Things to do in…
Hunter Valley to Port Macquarie
Photo by Giri on UnsplashScenic byways
Coffs Harbour to Byron Bay: Rainforest and Lighthouse
© Graeme Bartlett · CC BY-SA 3.0Motorhome-friendly trips
South Coast: Kiama to Narooma
© Simon Yeo from Pakenham, Australia · CC BY 2.0Things to do in…
Outback NSW: Mungo, Broken Hill and the opal fields
© Thennicke · CC BY-SA 4.0Classic American drives
Sydney to Melbourne: the Princes coast out, the Hume home
Photo by kylie De Guia on UnsplashMountains & lakes
Canberra and the Snowy Mountains
© Andrew Mercer (www.baldwhiteguy.co.nz) · CC BY-SA 3.0Coast & island drives
Sydney to Cairns by the Pacific and Bruce Highways
| Route | Suggested days | Distance | Driving | Stops |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Pacific Drive: Sydney to Kiama | 2 | 138 km | 1 h 30 min | 9 |
| Blue Mountains and the Central West | 5 | 459 km | 5 h 00 min | 11 |
| Hunter Valley to Port Macquarie | 4 | 505 km | 5 h 31 min | 12 |
| Coffs Harbour to Byron Bay: Rainforest and Lighthouse | 4 | 367 km | 4 h 00 min | 9 |
| South Coast: Kiama to Narooma | 4 | 309 km | 3 h 22 min | 8 |
| Outback NSW: Mungo, Broken Hill and the opal fields | 9 | 1,543 km | 16 h 49 min | 12 |
| Sydney to Melbourne: the Princes coast out, the Hume home | 6 | 1,669 km | 18 h 11 min | 11 |
| Canberra and the Snowy Mountains | 4 | 228 km | 2 h 29 min | 9 |
| Sydney to Cairns by the Pacific and Bruce Highways | 9 | 2,626 km | 28 h 38 min | 11 |
Editor's picks
Places worth the detour in New South Wales
History
Sydney Opera House
© Taro Taylor from Sydney, Australia · CC BY 2.0Nature
Bondi Beach and the coastal walk to Coogee
Views
Three Sisters and Echo Point
Nature
Jenolan Caves
Food
Pokolbin cellar doors, Hunter Valley
© AyanA123 · CC BY-SA 4.0Views
Cape Byron Lighthouse
Views
Sea Cliff Bridge
Nature
Hyams Beach
Nature
Mount Kosciuszko summit
History
The Dish, Parkes Observatory
Nature
Walls of China, Mungo
History
Silverton and the Mad Max country
Stays
White Cliffs opal field and dugouts
History
Chambers of the Black Hand
Views
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Nature
Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
Nature
Manly Beach and ferry
Food
Sydney Fish Market
History
Cockatoo Island
Views
Barrenjoey Lighthouse
Nature
Wattamolla, Royal National Park
Oddities
Scenic World, Katoomba
Nature
Wentworth Falls
Views
Govetts Leap Lookout
FAQs
What are the best road trips in New South Wales?
Popular routes include Grand Pacific Drive: Sydney to Kiama, Blue Mountains and the Central West, Hunter Valley to Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour to Byron Bay: Rainforest and Lighthouse. CampingSpirit has 9 trip guides that pass through New South Wales, each with a stop-by-stop itinerary and a route map.
Which places in New South Wales are worth a detour?
Our editors recommend Sydney Opera House, Bondi Beach and the coastal walk to Coogee, Three Sisters and Echo Point, Jenolan Caves, Pokolbin cellar doors, Hunter Valley and Cape Byron Lighthouse.