Captivating countryside, memorable wining and dining experiences, indulgent luxury stays and a rich history – this is the Mudgee magic that keeps visitors coming back. A 3.5-hour drive from Sydney in the Central West of New South Wales, Mudgee lets you choose your own adventure, whether you’re drawn by its sights, food and wine scene, social calendar or all of the above. 

See Mudgee from a new angle

A stroll through Mudgee’s picturesque main streets puts this region’s layered history within reach. Admire storied buildings such as the grand Mudgee Post Office – built in 1862, it was one of the state’s first major country post offices; while the red-brick clock tower at the top end of Market Street is a war memorial dedicated to those who served in World War II. Seek out Cobb & Co Court Boutique Hotel, which was built in the 1850s on Market Street and originally served as an overnight refuge for the coaches that provided transport in the region.

Get a feel for regional artistic talent at Mudgee Arts Precinct then marvel at the 60,000 local artefacts on show at Mudgee Museum, also on Market Street. A wander through Lawson Park on the banks of the Cudgegong River serves up the silhouettes of a sculpture walk featuring a permanent display of work from local and visiting creatives. The collection is added to each year following the annual Sculptures in the Garden competition, which is held in October within the beautiful grounds of Rosby Wines and Gallery, where you’ll find cosy accommodation, too.

Hire an e-bike from Ezyride E-bike Hire Mudgee and take an exhilarating ride to Flirtation Hill Lookout. Soak up the panoramic views of the precinct before cruising back down with the wind in your hair. Or be wowed by a truly spectacular experience on a hot-air-balloon flight with Balloon Aloft. Soar 600m into the sky as the sun rises and soak up an hour of jaw-dropping rural scenery before descending for a delicious breakfast.

Create your own wine trail

Home to more than 60 wineries producing vintages with a remarkable intensity of flavour, Mudgee’s wines tell stories of the region’s past, with the first vines being planted in 1858. Follow the thread of this history starting at Gilbert Family Wines, run by fifth-generation winemaker Simon Gilbert and his son Will. Settle into The Cellar by Gilbert with a grazing board to go with your wine-tasting flight or opt for a long lunch in the winery’s produce-focused restaurant with generous plates like 12-hour beef brisket with olives and tomatoes and a side of halloumi fries. 

Head three minutes down the road and you’ll find yourself at the cellar door Vinifera Wines, a family-owned vineyard producing a range of organic, terroir-driven wines from Spanish varietals, including tempranillo, garnacha and graciano. A two-minute drive from here, you’ll find the stunning Yeates Wines, which produces small-batch drops from one of Mudgee’s oldest vineyards – the vines’ deep roots contributing to the consistency of flavour in the winery’s renowned shiraz and cab sauvignon offering. If you can’t resist the allure of reclining beside the glassy waters of the dam, you can book a stay within the cellar door grounds.

Swing past McIntosh Estate to marvel at the  vines’ remarkable transformation from unkempt, abandoned rows into solid producers of excellent wines. Then be equally inspired by the glass-box tasting room perched on the side of a hill at Logan Wines, where antipasto plates and uninterrupted views across the vineyard beautifully complement the wines you’re tasting.

Next, make a beeline for Rylstone to visit a winery pioneered by the De Beaurepaire family, who chose this region for the limestone-rich soils and climate that mirrored that of their homeland in Burgundy. De Beaurepaire Wines is a single-estate vineyard sitting above the slopes of the Cudgegong River with the majestic mountains as a backdrop to its 170-year-old sandstone-stables cellar door.   

Or, if you’ve reached your vino limit, you can get into the spirit at Baker Williams Distillery, where handcrafted spirits and liqueurs blossom thanks to native lemon myrtle and locally grown oranges. If beer is more your quencher, head to Mudgee Brewing Co, which draws on Mudgee’s beer-making heritage that started off around 1853, or Three Tails Brewery and Smokehouse where you can pair a pint with Texan-style barbecue meats and burgers.  

Ready your appetite

Beyond the delights of the above venues, Mudgee’s rich offering ensures you’ll never be at a loose end when it comes to good food – so many vineyards serve up produce-focused menus to suit their drops. Robert Stein Winery, Vineyard and Farm is one such place, its Pipeclay Pumphouse restaurant a smart setting for a sublime seasonal degustation experience.

The Barn at Blue Wren Farm offers a menu guided by sustainability and seasonality, and the setting is impeccable. Similarly mastering the balance between ethos and aesthetic is award-winning The Zin House. About 15 minutes out of town, the restaurant is part of the Lowe Family Wine Co property and its menu heroes what’s grown in the surrounding gardens and orchards, and has options to pair with the organic and biodynamic wine of the vineyard. There’s even a boutique studio for two at the Shed by Zin.

The cafe culture doesn’t disappoint either. Start your day with gusto at MillBrie, where you’ll spot a breakfast gnocchi alongside a classic stack of pancakes. Or head to Alby and Esthers for on-point coffee and one of the famous Esthers jaffles with leg ham, eggs and Swiss cheese. If a pastry is what you crave, you’ll find it hard to choose at Althea by Zin, which channels a three-generation love of baking into beautiful sweet and savoury options – the Roman pizza slices make for an ideal post-wine-tour snack.  

For a more casual evening bites that let you sample from a rotating weekly wine menu, hit up Roth’s Wine Bar and Cellar (the oldest continually licensed wine bar in NSW) in town for a woodfired pizza or pull up a stool at Kelly’s Irish Pub and Balcony Bar for a bite on the balcony and a country welcome. 

To get a sense of everything the Mudgee scene has to offer, make a note in your calendar for Flavours of Mudgee in September – the Mudgee region’s biggest food and wine festival featuring more than 60 producers. 

Recharge in luxury

Stay close to Mudgee’s heartbeat by checking into Perry Street Hotel – the former 1862 Mechanic Institute that now boasts 13 sleek suites. Still connected yet on the quiet edge of town, you’ll find The Clairfield Hotel – a very-new, very-luxe boutique with a dedicated wellbeing offering care of Jila – lean into sauna and float therapy to leave stress behind. Once you’ve nurtured your body in the spa, head to the attached restaurant, Gigi’s, for nourishment that aims to re-create the nostalgia of a trip to grandma’s thanks to seasonal produce, generously served of course. 

For something minutes from the buzz that feels a million miles from it all, Evanslea Luxury Boutique Hotel is a tranquil spot to recharge. Built in the 1860s, the main house sleeps eight (with four extra cottages for couples, too) and makes the most of its riverside location. If the weather permits, you might crave a dip in the pool or, if indulgence is the order of your stay, pencil in a private wine tasting or an in-room massage. Wilgowrah, too, is five minutes from town and offers three distinctly beautiful offerings including a reimagined 1920s church, a refined-rustic cottage and an architectural delight of a ‘hut’.  

Evamor Valley, set on a scenic, 34-hectare farm alongside the Cudgegong River, lets you get acquainted with the stunning scenery from the comfort of luxuriously furnished glamping tents, complete with a king-sized bed and a private hot tub for two. For more glamping, you’re spoilt for choice – there are four bell tents and an optional extra hot tub at Glenayr Farm, couple-perfect tents with handmade timber decks at Akuna Estate, or next-level lodgings via a two-bedroom luxury safari tent at Budgalong Spicers Creek. You’ll also find a different version of safari-style serenity at Sierra Escape, where you can choose between a tiny home and timber-floored tents all with outdoor bathtubs – watch for wild deer and roos strolling past as you bathe under the stars. 

Go beyond the tent while enjoying similar levels of seclusion in one of Kundalini Lodge’s four luxury cabins set on 10 hectares or have the place to yourself at Piambong Tops. Here, an isolated, architecturally striking cabin offers a stay with thoughtfully curated details. Brew a coffee with the beans included in your booking and tune into the sounds of nature. Or, if you’re thirsty for something else, lock in the two-bedroom Winemaker’s Cottage so you’re a stroll away from the Burnbrae Wines cellar door.