The Southern Highlands is one of those places where the best days happen when you’ve given yourself enough structure to get started and enough freedom to wander.

With beautiful villages, cool-climate producers, great food and independent makers scattered throughout the region, there’s no need to fit everything into one visit. Your Southern Highlands Tasting Pass is designed to be enjoyed at your own pace, whether that means a day out, a weekend away or several trips over its validity period.

Here’s one way to start exploring.

Before You Go

Load your Tasting Trails Pass onto your phone. It will be your guide to participating venues, offers and experiences across the region.

Have a look through the venues before you set off and check whether any require advance bookings. Some cellar doors are by appointment, while popular restaurants can book out quickly on weekends.

And pack a layer or two. The Highlands can be several degrees cooler than Sydney, particularly later in the day.

If you plan to enjoy alcoholic tastings during your visit, make transport part of your plans too. Nominate a designated driver, arrange local transport or consider staying overnight. There’s no need to try to fit every tasting into one day — your pass gives you plenty of time to come back.

The drive from Sydney is under 90 minutes via the Hume Highway. From Canberra it's under two hours. Both routes have their scenic moments if you take the right detours.

Morning: Start in Berrima

There's no better way to begin a Highlands food day than in Berrima, which is arguably one of the most intact colonial villages in Australia. Arrive early enough to catch the artisan bakery at Baked in Berrima in full swing — the croissants go quickly, and the sourdough is worth the trip on its own. Make sure to use your tasting offer from your pass to get a sweet and savoury offering to take with you.

Walk the main street after breakfast. The sandstone buildings, the old courthouse, the village green. Berrima operates at a slower frequency than the rest of the world, and that's the point. Let it recalibrate you before the rest of the day. Make sure to visit Mrs Oldbucks Pantry where if you send $40 you'll receive a gift package when you present your pass.

Late Morning: Meet A Local Producer in Mittagong or Exeter

From Berrima, there are plenty of Tasting Trails partners worth discovering.

You might choose Artemis Wines near Mittagong, one of the Southern Highlands’ pioneering cool-climate wine producers, or Dawning Day at Exeter, a small vineyard with a story stretching back more than 20 years.

At Artemis, visitors can discover cool-climate wines and small-batch spirits in a relaxed cellar-door setting surrounded by vineyard views.

At Dawning Day, book ahead for a more intimate experience. Depending on the season, that might mean sitting by the fire in winter or under the pergola in summer, with local produce and the story of the vineyard woven into the visit.

The Tasting Trails app also lets you discover more about the people behind each venue before you arrive. Knowing a little about the maker, the property and the story behind what they produce can turn a simple visit into a much more memorable experience.

Pass holders can access participating tasting experiences and credits at both venues.

If you’d prefer to remain around Berrima, PepperGreen Estate is another Tasting Trails partner offering a tasting experience, while nearby Bendooley Estate is well worth adding to your plans.

Image of Mike from Dawning Day.

Now if you wanted to stay in Berrima, just up the road is the famous Bendooley Estate, a Tasting Trails partner where you can enjoy a free tasting or use your credit.

Lunch: Settle In

Lunch in the Southern Highlands is something worth making time for.

You’ll find everything from relaxed country pubs to restaurants showcasing local and seasonal produce.

For a pub-style lunch, Tasting Trails partners include Bundanoon Hotel, Mittagong Hotel, the Surveyor General Inn in Berrima and Sutton Forest Inn Hotel & Pub, with a range of offers or discounts available to pass holders.

If you prefer a restaurant, take a look at Monaco Bowral, Julien’s Bowral Brasserie or Eschalot in Berrima. Participating offers vary, so check the Tasting Trails app for the latest details and conditions.

There’s no need to rush. A long lunch and a wander through one of the nearby villages can be an experience in itself.

Afternoon: The Farm or the Village

Depending on your energy and curiosity, the afternoon offers two great directions. If you want to understand the food side of the region more deeply, a visit to a producer like Mussett Farm in Colo Vale offers a completely different kind of experience from the cellar door: regenerative farming, animals, the soil and philosophy behind the produce. You'll need to book ahead for this experience.

Alternatively, use the afternoon to explore one of the region's villages — Bundanoon, Burrawang, Moss Vale — each with their own character, their own small pleasures and their own reasons to stop.

Make a Weekend of It

One of the best things about the Southern Highlands is knowing you don’t need to see — or taste — everything at once.

If you’ve enjoyed an alcoholic tasting during the day, leave the car behind and arrange a designated driver or local transport. Better still, stay overnight and continue exploring the following day.

Your Tasting Trails Pass is there when you’re ready, so you can spread your experiences across multiple visits rather than trying to squeeze them all into one itinerary.

That’s part of the appeal of the Highlands.

There is always another producer to meet, another village to wander through and another reason to come back.

Want some inspiration for your next visit? Explore more Southern Highlands itineraries HERE.  

Alcoholic tastings are available to guests aged 18+ and are subject to Responsible Service of Alcohol requirements. If you plan to drink, arrange a designated driver or alternative transport.