10 Day Backpacker Tours in Canberra

10 day Backpacker Tours in Canberra this summer

Canberra is a starting point for short trips to the Snowy Mountains, the New South Wales South Coast and a cluster of historic villages well versed in food and wine. Experience Unforgettable adventures with our backpacker tours in Canberra! 

Gundaroo Near Canberra

Drive for 30 minutes north of Canberra to Gundaroo, a pint-sized village that boasts a Gold Rush-era pub and country-style restaurant with cuisine to swoon over. Stop in for a tipple at the 144-year-old Gundaroo Colonial Inn before making a beeline for lunch at Grazing, housed in a restored, red-roofed former pub. Indulge in the ash-dusted kangaroo fillet, cassoulet beans and garden beets.

Eden Road Wines

Turn west and return along Murrumbateman Road, making pit stops at local wineries Eden Road Wines and Four Winds Vineyard before pulling up a chair in the pretty gardens at Poachers Pantry for a cheese platter.

Braidwood

Travel an hour east to Braidwood, a hotspot for antique and retro-collectable stores such as Bernadoff and the Stur Gallery. Make your first stop the tucked away DOJO Bread for a loaf of artisan sourdough or a gourmet, handmade pie. Next, enjoy brunch and a coffee at the artfully styled Albion Café. 

Macs Reef Road Canberra Cool Climate Wine

Drive back towards Canberra before dropping in at biodynamic vineyard Lark Hill Winery for lunch and a taste of Canberra’s cool-climate wine. On your way home via Macs Reef Road, join a truffle hunt – in which dogs locate truffles underground – at Blue Frog Truffle Farm. Hunts take place over eight weeks in winter and are held on Wednesdays and Sundays. 

Snowy Mountains Ski

Fuel up with scrumptious coffee and pastries at Silo Bakery in Kingston before hiring ski gear at Straight Line Ski and Scuba in the nearby precinct of Fyshwick. You’ll pass by the townships of Bredbo and Cooma en route to the Snowy Mountains. 

Australian Gum Trees Thredbo Perisher

Go past the serene vista of Lake Jindabyne, weave a path to Thredbo or Perisher Blue Ski Resort and ski the day away, taking in the sight of snow weighing down the branches of Australian gum trees. Leave time for an après-ski aperitif of sour apple or Williams pear schnapps at the Wild Brumby Distillery, just outside Jindabyne, on your journey back along the Monaro Highway and it is one of the 10 day Backpacker Tours in Canberra.

Huskisson

For a summer-style day trip, go out of Canberra to the blissful beachside town of Huskisson. Make your first port of call the cheerful Loaded Dog Tarago Hotel for a pub lunch, before continuing along the bushy, scenic drive though Nerriga to Huskisson. 

Jervis Bay

Take in the vintage shops, as well as the great cafés here, such as 5 Little Pigs and Hyams Beach Store and Café before sinking your toes into the white sand and sparkling waters of Jervis Bay. Return to Canberra via Booderee National Park and stroll along the pure white Murrays Beach.

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve

Less than an hour from Canberra lies the rugged Namadji National Park. One of the highlights of this park is the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, an expanse of protected bushland. Spot kangaroos, koalas, cockatoos and emus at The Sanctuary before following the well-signposted Birrigai Time Trail from the Visitor Centre to the Birrigai Rock Shelter. 

Gibraltar Peak

It is the Ngunawal Aboriginal people occupied during the last ice age more than 20,000 years ago. Alternatively, take the challenging eight-kilometre (five-mile) hike to Gibraltar Peak. The panoramic view from the top is well worth the effort.

A Nature Lover’s Day out

Visit the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, an expansive, protected area on the fringe of the Namadgi National Park, at the northern end of the Australian Alps. Around 40 minutes’ drive southwest of Canberra, Tidbinbilla is home to a huge variety of birdlife, as well as kangaroos, wallabies, platypi and some very accessible koalas. There are 21 trails to walk throughout the park, including an Aboriginal Heritage Walk and is among the 10 Day Backpacker Tours in Canberra. 

Koala Path

These range in difficulty from very easy – the wheelchair accessible Koala Path – to long and challenging uphill hikes, including one that leads to the rocky outcrop of Gibraltar Peak, which, when you make it to the top, has remarkable views out across the valley below. Venture further into Namadgi National Park to learn more about the local Ngunnawal people, who have lived on this land for at least 21,000 years. Popular walks for day visitors include hikes up to the granite boulders at Square Rock, the Yankee Hat rock art site in Gudgenby Valley and Mount Franklin (yes, of bottled water fame).

Clonakilla Wines

30 Wineries

Not only is Canberra home to some top-notch bars but they also grow and ferment the good stuff right here in the region. There are over 30 wineries within 35 minutes’ drive of the city centre, with the region primarily focusing on grape varietals like riesling, chardonnay, pinot noir, sangiovese, merlot, shiraz and tempranillo. Lerida Estate (87 The Vineyards Rd, Collector 2581) should be at the top of the list for any wine tour. Get your hands on a bottle of their pinot noir rosé that has sweet wild strawberries on the nose and moreish savoury finish. Red drinkers will find their spiritual home at Clonakilla Vineyard. 

Smoked Meats

The bucolic Pialligo Estate (1/18 Kallaroo Rd, Pialligo 2609) has fruit orchards to explore and smoked meats to try at their picturesque cellar door. Then there’s the compact Mount Majura Vineyard (88 Lime Kiln Rd, Majura 2609). Get here in the early afternoon when the sun streams into the glass-fronted tasting room that looks out onto the vines, order a cheese plate, then get stuck into a tasting, which kicks off with their dry Siluria sparkling that’ll cleanse the palate with hints of crunchy apple and lime zest.

Explore the Tablelands

The inland areas on the outskirts of the ACT are known as the Tablelands. You’ll find charming country towns (all with excellent country bakeries) that make you long to become a treechanger, ditching the big smoke for fresh, farm-to-table produce, award-winning wineries and enough unique outdoor experiences to make you say “Blue Mountains, who?” Head west to discover the Yass Valley, which is rich in cultural heritage, colonial-style buildings and colorful annual festivals.

Old School Pubs

If you fancy driving through wine country, head east through Queanbeyan to visit the historic towns of Braidwood and Bungendore. You can find antique stores, galleries and classic old-school pubs. Head north and you’ll find the Upper Lachlan region known for the remarkable Wombeyan Caves, which are estimated to be between 400 and 430 million years old. Just west of there you’ll find the Hilltops region, which is known for its wine and its local produce as well as events such as the National Cherry Festival.

Head out on an Alpine Adventure

Ready for some outdoor fun? Canberra is perfectly placed beside a number of Australian ski resorts including the Snowy Mountains and its plethora of alpine wilderness, rivers and glacial lakes. Here you’ll be able to find wildflowers and go on horse riding treks in the summer, while winter brings with it great skiing facilities. Popular ski resorts like nearby Thredbo, Perisher, the more family-friendly Mount Selwyn and Australia’s highest ski resort, Charlotte Pass, are often packed with budding snowboarders, skiers and tobogganers during the ski season. 

Main Range

If you’re looking to do some bushwalking in the warmer months, Mount Kosciuszko is a wonder to explore. The 22km Main Range Track is the best way to experience it, beginning and ending at Charlotte Pass. 

Sapphire Seas on the South Coast

Canberrans have easy access to the wonders of New South Wales’ South Coast and boasts of emerald hills, sapphire seas, uncrowded beach coves, epic national parks and several little seaside towns. To get there, get in your car, head east along the Princes Highway from Queanbeyan and don’t stop driving until you reach Batemans Bay.

Beachside

Explore the beachside by foot before taking in the forests and mountains that frame the coastline. If you’re keen on turning this into a long weekend you can try glamping at Tanja Lagoon Camp (142 Haighs Rd, Tanja 2550). Next, head towards the Shoalhaven coast. Here you can try your hand at surfing in Mollymook.

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