Bowral is easy to underestimate on first visiting. It’s only after exploring a little more, heading off down side streets, getting out in the surrounding countryside and trying different restaurants that you start to realise how much there is to see and do.

It’s around 90 minutes from Sydney and two hours from Canberra, putting it in the sweet spot for an easy weekend escape – close enough that you don’t spend the whole weekend driving, but far enough that you feel like you’ve left the city.

This article focuses on activities and things to do in Bowral. For a more detailed guide, including accommodation and restaurants, check out the Next Escape Bowral Travel Guide.

Next Escape is your guide to real places and real experiences across NSW — honest, practical travel advice based on real visits. The beaches we’ve swum at, the restaurants we’ve eaten at, the walks we’ve actually done. This page may contain affiliate links; if you book or buy through them, Next Escape may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Walk Bong Bong Street

Along the main street, Bong Bong Street, you’ll find antique stores, clothing boutiques, homewares shops and several excellent cafes and restaurants. While there are chain stores that you’d find in most large Australian towns and cities, there are also plenty of independent stores stocking local products. It’s also worth exploring the side streets off Bong Bong Street, where you’ll find some excellent stores like Dirty Janes and Ferris Wheel.

There are plenty of great places to take a break on your walk – Dolly’s Donuts or Gumnut Patisserie for something sweet, and Sonoma Bakery or The Press Shop for coffee. If you walk further down Bong Bong Street, Italo is a great spot for a casual lunch, coffee or afternoon pastry.

Corbett Gardens & Tulip Time

Corbett Gardens is a fairly small, beautifully manicured garden in the town centre of Bowral. For most of the year it’s quiet (locals having their lunch or families with their kids), however if you are here during Tulip Time in late September/early October then it’s a completely different scene. There are over 75,000 tulips in bloom, the gardens are full of visitors and the whole town is noticeably busier. Don’t let the crowds put you off though, the display is absolutely worth seeing.

Local’s tip: during Tulip Time there is an entry charge and parking becomes difficult. Arrive early if possible, or walk from where you are staying. Midday on a weekend is when it’s at its most chaotic.

Bowral Cherry Tree Walk

This 5 km paved route begins at the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial in Rivulet Park and winds alongside Mittagong Creek and through Bowral’s suburbs. It’s flat, pram-friendly, and dog-friendly (on leash), with ample parking at the start near Bowral Swimming Centre.

As the name suggests, this walk is fantastic in spring when the cherry trees blossom (typically late September to October), but it’s also lovely in autumn as the leaves change colour. It’s a great option if you want a longer walk without heading out of town for a bush track.

Day trip to Berrima

Berrima is one of Australia’s best-preserved Georgian villages – a quiet, historic pocket of the Southern Highlands where the main street looks much as it did in the 1830s. Just 15 minutes from Bowral, it’s an easy addition to any Southern Highlands trip.

With heritage sandstone buildings, antique shops, a legendary old pub and excellent cafes, Berrima offers a slower, quieter alternative to its busier neighbour. The Berrima Courthouse (built 1838, now a museum) and Berrima Gaol are the architectural highlights — both remarkably intact. Walk the main street, browse the antique shops, and stop for a coffee or a pub lunch at the Surveyor General Inn, which has been continuously licensed since 1834 and is one of the oldest hotels in Australia.

Bendooley Estate is also just a few minutes’ drive from Berrima – combining wine tastings, a cafe, a restaurant, and the Berkelouw Book Barn (an enormous second-hand bookshop that’s worth the stop on its own).

Local’s tip: Weekdays are significantly quieter than weekends. If you prefer a relaxed browse without the crowds, a midweek visit is worth considering.

For the full guide to Berrima including where to eat and what to see, head to our Berrima guide.

Bradman Museum

The Bradman Museum is located just a 10-minute walk from the centre of Bowral. Tickets are $30 for an adult and $16.50 for children (under-5s free). Once inside, you explore at your own pace through the cricket memorabilia and galleries. An excellent venue for cricket fans, there’s also a cafe on-site for a casual breakfast or lunch.

Visit nearby wineries

There are several excellent cool-climate wineries near Bowral. It’s a lovely scenic drive between the three below (if you have a patient designated driver!) or you can arrange a hosted tour.

Artemis – gorgeous winery with outdoor seating at tables and around barrels. The winery offers both wine tastings and lunch (cheese and charcuterie boards plus wood-fired pizzas on weekends). The wine tastings can take place indoors at the cellar door, but any lunch bookings are outdoors so not recommended for lunch if it’s raining. Artemis gets very busy, especially on weekends, so we’d highly recommend making a reservation whether it’s for the wine tasting or lunch.

Centennial Vineyards – an easy winery to visit with lots of room and a great selection of wines. There’s a large terrace area so you can sit outside and enjoy a glass of wine, a tasting paddle of wines if you can’t decide on just one, and a grazing board or cheese board. There’s also a Modern Australian restaurant with a more extensive menu. The terrace is kid-friendly – when we last visited there were several families with children sitting outside.

Bendooley Estate – located around 10 minutes drive from Bowral, Bendooley Estate includes a restaurant, cafe, wine tasting, cottage accommodation and an absolutely massive bookshop – Berkelouw Book Barn. The cafe is a fantastic spot for a long lunch on a sunny day with outdoor seating under trees and umbrellas. You can also call in for a coffee or a glass of wine, a browse through the bookstore and a wine tasting.

Fitzroy Falls, Morton National Park

Fitzroy Falls is an 81-metre waterfall in Morton National Park, about 20 minutes from Bowral. The lookout walk is easy and suitable for all fitness levels, and the views from the cliff edge are beautiful. The visitor centre covers local Aboriginal culture and wildlife.

Entry is $4 per vehicle per day. Allow around 1-2 hours for the main lookouts, longer if you want to tackle the West Rim walking track (3.5 km harder walk), which offers additional waterfall views or the East Rim and Wildflower walking tracks (6.7 km return).

Bundanoon and the Glow Worm Glen

Bundanoon is about 30 min from Bowral and is the quietest and most nature-focused of the five main towns in the Southern Highlands. The Glow Worm Glen is the main draw to Bundanoon. This is an evening walk through a fern gully where bioluminescent glow worms light up the rock walls and creek banks. It’s a short walk, it’s a public reserve (no booking required), and it doesn’t cost anything. You do need to go after dark.

This one works best if you’re staying overnight in the region. If you’re day-tripping from Sydney, the timing gets complicated as you’d be heading home very late. For a weekend stay in Bowral, it’s an easy add-on to a Saturday or Sunday evening.

Mount Gibraltar Reserve

The “Gib” is a distinctive rocky outcrop visible from around the Southern Highlands. The reserve has walking tracks through bushland with views over the tablelands, good for an hour’s walk if you’re based in Bowral or passing through. The main lookout has sweeping views towards Bowral and the surrounding hills.

Bowral Market

Artisan Market Events run several markets in the Southern Highlands:

• On the second Saturday of every month from 9 am to 1 pm at the Bowral Bowling Club
• On the fourth Saturday of every month from 9 am to 2 pm at the Bowral Public School
• On the second Sunday of every month from 9 am to 1 pm at Peppers Manor House.

Stalls include local businesses selling food, fashion, jewellery, homewares and fresh produce. Check the organiser’s socials or website for exact dates and timing.

Romantic things to do in Bowral

Bowral’s combination of good food, wineries, and seasonal scenery make it a perfect base for a couples’ weekend. To help craft the perfect weekend from the activities above, some suggestions are:

Have dinner at Lucette. Lucette is a relatively new (and welcome) addition to the Bowral fine dining scene. The service is impeccable, the wine list is extensive, and the food is perfect. Our highlights were the parfait and the perfectly cooked steak frites.

Spend an afternoon at Artemis winery. Great for a couple’s lunch and wine tasting. Could also be combined with Bendooley Estate and Centennial Vineyards to make a day of it.

Walk the Cherry Tree Walk. It’s an easy flat walk and you can park by the swimming pool and then as much or as little as you like.

Visit Corbett Gardens. Either visit during Tulip Time for the full (but busy) tulip display, or enjoy a quiet walk through at other times of the year.

Stay somewhere worth staying. The Berida Hotel is a relaxing, comfortable, luxurious stay on the outskirts of Bowral. With Bistro Sociale and Aspinalls Bar & Lounge on-site, you could almost spend your entire weekend cosied up inside. Peppers Craigieburn is another option: a rambling country manor-style hotel a few kilometres outside of town, with an on-site restaurant and bar.

Practical tips

• Best time to visit: Spring for Tulip Time and cherry blossoms, or autumn for leaf colours. Even in summer it can get cool at night so pack layers.
• Book wineries and restaurants ahead: especially on weekends.
• Parking can be tough during Tulip Time. Main street parking may be metered.

Useful links

• Accommodation options on booking.com
• Accommodation options on stayz
• Next Escape Bowral Travel Guide (including restaurants and accommodation)