Heritage & history 

Get your bearings with a stroll along Mudgee’s elegant tree-lined streets on the Heritage Walking Tour and discover its beautifully preserved colonial buildings, including the Mudgee Post Office designed by architect Alexander Dawson in 1862.  

Stop by the Mudgee Museum to see its vast collection of artefacts and Mudgee memorabilia, displayed across several buildings, including a mid-19th-century hotel, a historic church and a replica of a slab hut. 

Streetscapes, Mudgee

Arts & culture 

Mudgee is also renowned for its vibrant cultural community. Visit the state-of-the-art Mudgee Arts Precinct, Australia's newest regional gallery, to see exciting contemporary exhibitions or join a workshop. From the gallery, you can stroll along the banks of the Cudgegong River and through Lawson Park to admire the works of the Mudgee Sculpture Trail. Sculptures in the Garden is an annual outdoor sculpture exhibition held on the grounds of Rosby Wines.

Mudgee Arts Precinct, Mudgee

Gourmet experiences 

You'll find delicious food (and wine) at top vineyard restaurants like Pipeclay Pumphouse and Zin Food + Wine, cool bars such as Roth's Wine Bar, and lovely cafes like Alby & Esther's, tucked down an historic cobblestone laneway. For locally made craft beers, head to The Mudgee Brewing Co, Small Batch and Three Tails Brewery and Smokehouse.

Zin Food and Wine House, Eurunderee - Credit: Monique Lovick

Be sure to check out the annual Mudgee Wine and Food Month, a culinary celebration in spring. Pick up farm fresh produce from the Mudgee region at the Mudgee Fine Foods Farmers Market, held on the third Saturday of the month in Robertson Park. More local goodies await at Spencer Cocoa Chocolate Makers, High Valley Mudgee Cheese Co and Aril Estate, an award-winning producer of olive oil and pomegranate products.

Mudgee Food + Wine Festival 2018, Mudgee

Wineries & cellar doors 

Taste local drops at some of the more than 35 wineries and cellar doors throughout the region. Start with the signature shiraz at renowned Logan Wines and Stein Winery. Take a tour and meet the winemakers at Lowe Wines, enjoy a delicious taste of Tuscany at di Lusso Estate, or try elegant French styles at De Beaurepaire Wines. At horse stud, farm stay and winery Gooree Park, sit down for a tasting in the quirky cellar door, created out of the repurposed stables.

De Beaurepaire Wines, Rylstone

The unique cellar door at First Ridge Wines, set inside two red shipping containers, is the perfect place to sample their Italian varietals. When you're hungry, boutique 791 Estate pairs their wines with a seasonal lunch menu. Family-owned and run Slow Fox Wines produces superb small-batch wines that are handpicked and handmade, while the Pieter Van Gent Winery cellar door is housed in an old barrel room, with church pew seating and clusters of gilded wine bottles suspended from the ceiling.

Pieter van Gent Winery and Vineyard, Eurunderee - Credit: Pieter van Gent Winery & Vineyard

Take a tour

Not sure where to start on your exploration of Mudgee? There are lots of tours and guided experiences available that can get you started. Let the expert team from Mudgee VIP Wine Tours plan the perfect itinerary, travelling in style on a private journey. If beers are you're your thing, make a day of it and try all the town's best brews with Mudgee Ale Trail. To explore on your own, hire some wheels from EBike Supply Co Mudgee and create your own path.

Small Batch Brew, Mudgee

Natural wonders

East of Mudgee, you’ll find Ganguddy-Dunns Swamp on the Cudgegong River, a popular spot for camping, bushwalking and kayaking, in the World Heritage-listed Wollemi National Park. North, the Drip Gorge walking track meanders along the Goulburn River to the ‘Great Dripping Wall’, where rainwater trickles through the sandstone wall. A 20-minute drive from Mudgee, Windamere Dam is a popular spot for water sports, fishing, bushwalking and camping.

Ganguddy-Dunns Swamp, Wollemi National Park

Mudgee’s clear night skies are a bonus for stargazers. A short drive from the town centre is the Mudgee Observatory, where you can see the Milky Way galaxy up close through a range of telescopes. There are night and day tours, as well as a theatre and flat screen planetarium. For a bird’s-eye view of the picturesque region, jump on a hot air balloon ride with Balloon Aloft. 

Hot Air Ballooning, Mudgee

Stylish stays 

You're spoilt for choice when it comes time to stay in Mudgee, from bed and breakfasts and farm stays to luxury cabins and tiny houses. If you like an outdoor bath or hot tub with a view, book in to Sierra Escape, Glenayr Farm or Strikes Mudgee. Sleep beneath the stars in the bold geodesic structure of Hideaway Domes or wake with the alpacas at Wallinga Farmstay.

Sierra Escape Luxury Glamping, Mudgee - Credit: Sierra Escape

There are plenty of options in the town centre as well. The Clairfield Hotel is a retro motel reborn, with a Palm Springs vibe and a great restaurant, Gigi's. Perry Street Hotel has 13 suites housed within the historic 1862 Mechanics Institute. To pair some wellness with your wine tasting, book into a retreat at Zensi for a few days of yoga, meditation, saunas and organic food.

The Clairfield Hotel, Mudgee - Credit: Alan Jensen | The Clairfield Hotel

Getting there  

Mudgee is 3.5-hour drive northwest of Sydney, via the Blue Mountains. Follow the Food Lover’s Loop for a gastronomic road trip to Mudgee through the Hawkesbury and Hunter Valley. Another popular scenic drive is the Bylong Valley Way, connecting the towns of Kandos, Rylstone and Bylong. Pelican operates direct flights between Sydney and Mudgee six days a week. You can also catch a train and coach service from Sydney and the journey takes around five to six hours.