Unmissable highlights on a road trip from Sydney to Orange

Make the journey to Orange as incredible as the destination with these must-sees along the way.

Meandering through the World Heritage Blue Mountains and on through the beautifully sun-bleached Australian rural landscapes of the central west, the 3.5-hour drive from Sydney to Orange is punctuated with worthy stops to divert your attention. You could easily make the journey in one go, but you’d miss out on the treasures of heritage towns, delicious food and spectacular scenery along the way. Here are the best places to revive and help you into a minibreak mood before you roll into Orange.

Sydney to Katoomba: 1 hour 45 minutes

You’re setting out for Orange on a sojourn of wining, dining and fun-timing, but you needn’t hurry it along. Slow it down, stretch it out and take the whole day to arrive by enjoying the scenery and charming towns en route, after all, you’re passing through the beautiful Blue Mountains. Escaping the clutch of Sydney traffic is the hardest part of any road trip, but once you’re free of the city limits, the towering eucalypts and gentle curves of the Great Western Highway will give way to a getaway state of mind. Lean into it and stop in Katoomba to enjoy this historic mountain town’s dramatic scenery and a handful of must-see highlights.

Echo Point Lookout

You’ve been on the road for almost two hours now, so get blood pumping to your legs again with a stop at Echo Point Lookout for sweeping vistas of the Jamison Valley and the Three Sisters. While you’re here, fortify for the next part of the journey at the Milkbar, where you can cradle a good coffee and a breakfast roll or crumbed brisket bagel.

Admire the Three Sisters from Echo Point Lookout. (Image: Destination NSW)

Bowery

If you’re pulling into Katoomba in time for brunch or lunch, placate your growing hanger with a stop at casual eatery Bowery. Straddling two meal times, the menu wanders from a sweet brioche French toast to a more filling osso buco or roasted sesame poke bowl. Set in a former church, the vast dining hall and courtyard make for an ambient spot to stop.

The vast dining hall is set within a former church. (Image: Destination NSW/Bowery Kitchen and Bar)

Mountain Culture Beer

Katoomba’s beloved brewpub is a must-visit for those in the vehicle not sharing the driving. Although those who are teetotalling will still relish the break to clasp two hands around a generously stuffed burger. If you are partaking in a drink, the craft brewery has plenty of interesting beers to try, such as the Status Quo Pale Ale to the Moon Dust Stout and a range of seasonal brews.

If you’re not sharing driving order a tasting paddle of Mountain Culture Beer. (Image: Destination NSW)

Round Walking Track Katoomba

A short stroll through the rainforest is a truly lovely way to ensure you’re relaxing into a minibreak. You needn’t lace up hiking boots for this concise 1.2-kilometre loop, but you’ll still be treated to a highlight reel of the area’s big-hitter sights, such as the Three Sisters and Witches Leap Waterfall.

Find your way to Witches Leap Waterfall on the Round Walking Track in Katoomba. (Image: Stephen Alton/ DCCEEW)

Scenic World

If you have a little more time up your sleeve, go big at Scenic World to get right to the heart of the Blue Mountain’s gob-smacking beauty. The Scenic Skyway will glide you across the Jamison Valley, the Scenic Cableway will take you 510 metres down to the valley floor and back again, and the Scenic Railway, the steepest in the world, will descend 310 metres at a 52-degree incline. An Unlimited Discovery Pass will give you access to all attractions, all day.

Glide across the striking Blue Mountains scenery on a Scenic cable car. (Image: Destination NSW)

Katoomba to Bathurst: 1 hour 20 minutes

While Bathurst was the site of the first Australian gold rush, these days, the rush more readily comes from motor racing on Mount Panorama. But away from the engine revving, Bathurst, founded in 1815, remains a beautiful and historic town well worth a stop on your itinerary. Set to the west of the Blue Mountains and on the south bank of the Macquarie River, it has both heritage grandeur and a rural casualness.

The Hub

If you’ve arrived with a need to fill your tank, head to The Hub Espresso Bar and Eatery to refuel. Grinding the beans of Fish River Roasters to make aromatic coffee, this is the place for your caffeine fix. Breakfast is until noon, after that, settle into lunch classics of toasted panini, BLTs and salads outside in the leafy courtyard.

The Hub Espresso Bar and Eatery is the perfect place to refuel en route to Orange.

Bathurst Regional Art Gallery

Take an artful detour at this excellent gallery that is well-endowed with a collection of more than 3000 works, from painting and sculpture to photography and ceramics. You’ll find the names of some notable Australian artists gracing the walls, such as James Gleeson, Grace Cossington Smith and Lloyd Rees, while the gallery also hosts feature and touring exhibitions.

Find more than 3000 works on display at the gallery. (Image: Destination NSW)

Abercrombie House

Bathurst isn’t short on marvellous buildings and a stroll through the centre of town will reveal a long and architecturally significant history, such as the Victorian-style courthouse. But rather than admire from the street, why not step back in time with a tour of the stately Abercrombie House? Although privately owned by the Morgan family, this 50-room, 1870s Scottish mansion is regularly open for tours and self-guided tours. Rather incongruously placed in rural Australia, this building is astonishingly well-preserved and worth a visit. You can even enjoy a high tea here on certain dates.

Step back in time with a tour of the stately Abercrombie House. (Image: Destination NSW)

Bathurst to Orange: 50 minutes

If you still have time up your sleeve on the final leg of your journey, there are stops between Bathurst and Orange that deserve your time. Although, the delights of your destination await. Perhaps you’re eager to get cosy by a cottage fire at a snug and stylish Airbnb, sip a much-longed-for glass of pinot noir at a cellar door, or make your reservation at one of Orange’s incredible restaurants. Whatever you don’t manage to fit in on your inward journey, be sure to earmark the below for when it’s time to retrace your steps home.

It’s time to enjoy the spoils of Orange with a wine tour. (Image: Destination NSW)

Millthorpe Village

The very idea of a proverbial country village brought to life, Millthorpe is nothing short of adorable. Sweet and welcoming, it’ll have you fantasising about the rural life you always suspected you were made for. Just 20 minutes southeast of Orange, it’s an easy slip off the main route to wander the main street lined with heritage buildings. From vintage shopping to produce-driven eateries and generally beautiful streets, it seems wonderfully uninterrupted by ordinary life.

Explore the charming village of Millthorpe. (Image: Destination NSW)

Larder and Home

If you simply can’t wait to get to Orange for a bite and a cup of good coffee (or a glass of vino), pull into Lucknow, where you’ll find Larder & Home. Owned by the same people behind Orange’s much-adored Byng St Cafe, settle in here by the banks of Summer Hill Creek for Allpress coffee, wood-fired pizza and a well-edited list of local wines.

Highland Heritage

As you enter the outskirts of Orange, toast to your adventures from Sydney by stopping in at Highland Heritage, one of the first cellar doors you’ll see as you drive toward town on the Mitchell Highway. Prime your palate for a weekend of wine-tasting here, where cool climate wines are made in one of Orange’s oldest vineyards. Open from 10am to 5pm, it’s a lovely way to begin (or end) your tour trip.

Fit in one final stop at the lovely Highland Heritage vineyards.