Things to do in Armidale NSW in 48 hours

I really enjoyed Armidale in northern NSW.

In a way, I kind of knew I would considering it’s a University town located in the picturesque New England region of NSW, it’s just my kind of town if I’m not on the coast.

There are plenty of things to do in Armidale NSW and the surrounding region with lots of history, heritage buildings, tree-lined streets, nearby waterfalls and gorges and a reputation for good food and wine.

It’s a place that’s easy to like for its historical rural charm.

Armidale Post Office
Armidale Post Office
Armidale Court House
The Court House
Nearby drive along Tourist Drive 19 - things to do in Armidale NSW
Nearby drive along Tourist Drive 19

I wanted to stay in Armidale longer and two days felt a little rushed.

But we decided to move on after Kalyra broke her arm at the playground (which slowed us all down) and it was coming up to the long weekend and we just wanted to relax and go camping by the coast.

But our two days exploring the Armidale region kept us fulfilled, and what’s so appealing about Armidale is that it’s not just an urban centre, but within reach are several national parks, wineries and tourist drives that loop you back into town.

Below are our highlights of our 2 day visit to Armidale, NSW.

Fun Things to Do in Armidale, NSW

Armidale Heritage Bus Tour

For a great introduction to Armidale, jump on the free guided Heritage Bus Tour which runs for 2.5 hours.

You’ll learn about the history of Armidale and the people from an informative guide. This tour operates on donations and  departs from the visitors information centre at 10.am 7 days a week.

Some of the sights you’ll see include Booloominbah, a Victorian mansion situated at the University of New England:

Tnings to Do in Armidale - NSW, Australia
Booloominbah Mansion, Armidale attraction
Booloominbah - Armidale, Australia

Heritage Homes:

Heritage Home - Armidale, Australia
Heritage homes, Armidale NSW

Impressive Churches:

Church in Armidale - NSW, Australia
Beautiful churches in Armidale
Church in Armidale - NSW, Australia
Armidale church

and Gardens:

Orange Mudgee Armidale 250
Gardens in Armidale

Petersons Winery, Armidale NSW

One of the top recommendations from our Facebook community when we asked for things to do in Armidale was to visit Pertersons Winery, just 5 minutes out of town.

The picturesque driveway leads you to the cellar door for tasting, which is a refurbished stable and overlooks the beautiful garden area with impressive trees to sit amongst, and importantly for our kids to run around.

We bought ourselves a bottle of vintage Shiraz.

Petersons Winery - Armidale, Australia
Best winery Armidale
Petersons Winery, Armidale, Australia
wine tasting in Armidale – fun thing to do
Petersons Winery Armidale things to do
Petersons Winery Armidale, NSW

Tourist Drive 19 – Armidale attraction

Tourist Drive 19 is a lovely 86km half-day loop starting and ending in Armidale.

We drove anti-clockwise and our first stop was the town of Uralla, best known for the exploits of NSW’s last bushranger Captain Thunderbolt. Visit the New England Brewery or grab yourself a coffee at Trina’s Cafe.

Uralla tourist drive 19 Armidale NSW
Trina’s Cafe, Uralla – regional NSW

From Uralla we followed the winding road through scenic countryside before arriving at the settlement of Gostwyck, with the highlight being the Gostwyck Chapel and the avenue of 200 elm trees.

Gostwyck Chapel - things to see in Armidale, Australia
Gostwyck Chapel – things to see in Armidale, Australia
Elm Trees - Armidale, Australia
Elm Trees – Armidale, Australia

Continuing on we drove through typical New England farming country on our way towards Dangars Gorge.

Tourst Drive 19 - Armidale, Australia
Armidale road trip on Tourist Drive 19

This spectacular gorge has been formed over millions of years. There are three walks on offer, but for a sneak peak from the Lookout is only 100m from the car park.

Dangars Gorge - Armidale, Australia
Dangars Gorge – place to see in Armidale
Dangars Gorge - Armidale, Australia
Great family activity on Dangars Gorge, Armidale NSW

Last stop on our drive was the before mentioned Petersons Winery.

Places to Eat in Armidale

Feeling hungry? Below are two of our personal recommendations plus tips from our Facebook community.

Prue & Olive Cafe – delicious food and quality coffee. And I love how they have a “name of the day” on their blackboard. If it’s your name, you get a free coffee! Loved my risotto…

Risotto - Pure & Olive Cafe, Armidale, Australia
Risotto – Prue & Olive

Goldfish Bowl – they make their own wood fired sourdough bread, pizzas and pies, the coffee is roasted in-houses, and it’s great for kids with the outdoor seating area.

Goldfish Bowl Cafe - Armidale, Australia
Goldfish Bowl Cafe – Armidale, Australia

Suggestions from our Facebook fans:

Best Pubs in Armidale:

We didn’t get to a pub unfortunately, but the very friendly ladies at the visitors information centre recommend:

vintage building on the side of a road
Imperial Hotel

Drive the Waterfall Way in Armidale, NSW

The Waterfall Way is a 191km touring route that winds its way from Armidale down to Coffs Harbour on the coast.

It’s a picturesque drive, and it’s called Waterfall Way for a reason.

Waterfall Way - Armidale to Coffs Harbour, Australia
Waterfall Way – Armidale to Coffs Harbour, Australia

If you’re not heading to the coast after Armidale, two spots within reach and worth a round-trip along Waterfall Way include Wollomombi Gorge and Ebor Falls.

Wollomombi Gorge and Falls, Armidale NSW

A 35 minute drive east from Armidale brings you to the Wollomombi Falls and Wollomombi Gorge.

Wollomombi Falls are the highest waterfalls in NSW and they plunge 220m over the cliffs into the valley. You just have to hope there’s been decent rain, unfortunately for us they were dry when we visited, but the Gorge is spectacular and worth a stop on its own.

There’s a range of walks on offer to go deeper into this area.

Wollomombi Gorge - NSW, Australia
Credit: A Schaffer

Ebor Falls, Armidale NSW

Driving one hour east from Armidale gets you to the impressive Ebor Falls.

The Guy Fawkes River plunges 100m over the upper and lower falls and there’s a kid friendly walking track linking both falls which each have viewing decks offering top views of the falls and surrounding bush.

It makes for a great stop off heading towards Coffs Harbour, with picnic tables and wooded BBQ’s.

Upper Falls:

Ebor Falls - things to do in Armidale, NSW, Australia
Ebor Falls, Waterfall Way – top Armidale attraciton

Lower Falls:

Orange Mudgee Armidale 299
Lower Falls Armidale, NSW

So if you’re heading in-land from Coffs or north through the NSW country region, stop in at Armidale and put our tips to good use. Yet again, it’s another town we’ll be going back for more!

Places to stay in Armidale

More NSW travel posts

Tell Us. Have you visited Armidale? Are planning a visit? In the comments below, share any of your tips on things to do in Armidale.

We visited Armidale as part of our partnership with Destination NSW

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