Important travel information

Travel to this destination may be affected by changes to traffic conditions on the Great Western Highway, including a detour at Victoria Pass. Alternative routes are available, with multiple travel options to access the region. Visitors are encouraged to plan ahead and check the latest travel advice and maps via the Transport for NSW website. 

On the banks of the Macquarie River in the Central Tablelands of NSW, the vibrant regional centre of Bathurst is rich in history and tales of the gold rush. With Mount Panorama-Whaluu rising in the distance, it’s also the home of Australian motor racing and a hotspot for motorsport enthusiasts.

Highlights

History and culture

Bathurst is Australia’s oldest inland colonial settlement, thanks to the discovery of gold in the region during the early 1850s. The elegant architecture and historic homes are on show around town, including the grand Bathurst Courthouse and Abercrombie House, a Scottish-baronial mansion from the 1870s that offers tours, high tea and music performances. 

Front facade of a Victorian tudor-style heritage mansion known as Abercrombie House, Bathurst

Abercrombie House, Bathurst

The Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum boasts a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton and kids will love the miniature railway at the Bathurst Railway Museum. The Bathurst Regional Art Gallery is home to a wonderful collection of Australian paintings and contemporary artworks – join a tour to get an insider perspective. To learn more about the local agricultural industry and get a taste of country life, visit in May for the Royal Bathurst Show, which has been held since 1858.

Family enjoying the model trains at Bathurst Rail Museum, Bathurst

Bathurst Rail Museum, Bathurst

A motorsports icon

Most Australians associate Bathurst with motorsports thanks to Mount Panorama-Wahluu, one of the world’s most famous circuits. It hosts a number of international racing events, including the Bathurst 12 Hour and the Bathurst 1000. When it's not in-use for racing, the public can take a spin around the course in their own vehicle. Or buckle up beside the experts and drive a high-powered V8 or Mustang for a few laps of the iconic track.

The Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit is a public road open for anyone to drive around, Bathurst

Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit, Bathurst

To learn more about the track’s legacy and the history of Australian motorsports as a whole, visit the National Motor Racing Museum right next to the track. Inside there are more than 100 classic cars and motorbikes on display and a rotating calendar of exhibitions.

Family enjoying the National Motor Racing Museum located at Murray's Corner, Mount Panorama, Bathurst

National Motor Racing Museum, Bathurst

Outdoor adventures

Simmo’s Offroad Tours is an Eco Certified operator that can show you the best of the wilderness around Bathurst. There’s everything from food and wine safaris to scenic 4WD tours, tag-along tours and multi-day camping adventures. They also run fossicking and gold panning tours, where you can follow in the footsteps of 19th-century pioneers.

Trout fishing in mountain stream, wild mushroom foraging in highland forests, panning for gold & sapphires, Bathurst

Simmo's Off Road Tours, Bathurst

Explore the Abercrombie Karst Conservation Reserve, famous for the spectacular Abercrombie Caves, a series of limestone arch caves. Join a guided or self-guided tour and walk through The Archway, the largest natural limestone bridge in the Southern Hemisphere, to enter another world. Bushrangers used these enormous caves as a hideout and miners made one cavern into a makeshift dance hall. (Note that Abercrombie Karst Conservation Reserve is closed until mid-2026.)

A series of limestone arch caves known as the Abercrombie Caves that are located in the Central West of NSW, Abercrombie River - Credit: Stephen Babka | DCCEEW

Abercrombie Caves, Abercrombie River - Credit: Stephen Babka | DCCEEW

The Reserve is also a wildlife sanctuary with wallabies, kangaroos, wombats and many different birds. Follow the Grove Creek Falls walking track through picturesque bushland to dramatic views of the falls, while the nearby Mount Gray walking track takes you to historic mine relics. Camping is available as well as a guest cottage and cabins. 

Scenic drives and nearby villages

The gentle countryside around Bathurst is threaded with scenic drives and picturesque villages surrounded by farmland. Heritage drives will take you through the former gold mining towns of Wattle Flat, Hill End and Sofala or north to the quaint settlement of Peel. For a gourmet journey, make the 30-minute drive south to the tiny village of Rockley and The Rockley Pub, run by celebrity chef Matt Moran – if you’re lucky, you might even see him working in the kitchen.

Driving through Bathurst, Bathurst

Heritage Drives, Bathurst

If you have a four-wheel drive, tackle The Bridle Track between Bathurst and Hill End. Following the original route from the 1800s, today it runs for around 50 kilometres alongside the Macquarie and Turon rivers with great fishing and swimming spots as well as 13 campsites along the way.

Eat and drink

Dining in Bathurst celebrates local produce. Start the day with brunch at Harvest Cafe and Store. For lunch, choose a classic country pub like The Victoria Hotel or The Oxford, or tuck in to woodfired pizza at Church Bar, set in a former Anglican school house. Make sure to leave time for a sweet treat at Annie’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlour. At night, Bootleg Dining promises an exceptional modern Australian meal with a seasonal, share-style menu. Finish the day with a drink at cosy small bar Norma Joan.

Family visiting Annie's Ice Cream Parlour, Bathurst

Annie's Ice Cream Parlour, Bathurst

Discover the emerging local wine industry at boutique vineyards like Winburndale Wines, where you can dip cool climate pinot gris, chardonnay or cabernet over a grazing platter. Craft beer fans should make a beeline for Reckless Brewing Co and Cosmo Brewing. Bathurst Grange distillery produces whisky and gin using sustainable artisan practices. Be sure to take a tour of the heritage estate and working farm, which dates back to 1823.

Couple enjoying a walk through the Winburndale Vineyard and Winery, Glanmire

Winburndale Vineyard and Winery, Glanmire

Where to stay

Just 15 minutes out of Bathurst, Wilga Station is a luxurious farm stay on a 260-acre working sheep property. Choose from the adults’ only Farmers Hut for two (complete with outdoor shower and sunken cattle trough bath) or the Shearers Hall for groups of up to 10. Join the owner on an immersive culinary tour that takes in the huge kitchen garden.

Wilga Station offers exceptional levels of contemporary, luxury accommodation, Evans Plains

Wilga Station, Evans Plains

In town, Littlebourne Guest House is a boutique hotel with six suites in a restored 1830s home. Get a bird’s eye view of the famous track at the Rydges Mount Panorama. Families will love the spacious, contemporary rooms at the Littomore Hotel on Stewart. Bring your tent to sleep under the stars (and catch trout in the river) at Windy Oaks and Rockytop Bush Retreat, or feel part of gold rush heritage at Glendora Campground and Wattle Flat Heritage Lands.

A luxury bedroom suite with wooden floors and a bay window at the Littlebourne Guest House, Kelso - Credit: Bathurst Regional Council

Littlebourne Guest House, Kelso - Credit: Bathurst Regional Council

Getting there

Bathurst is just over three hours’ drive from Sydney and 3.5 hours from Canberra. Due to current road closures, alternative routes are available from Lithgow or along the Bells Line of Road. Make it a road trip and see more of the region on our Tour of Caves and Fossils route. You can also catch the train direct from Sydney daily, which takes around four hours, and hire a car to explore the region. Express coaches also run regularly and the trip is just over three hours. Rex and QantasLink operate daily flights from Sydney to Bathurst Airport.

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