Spring in the Southern Highlands: Gardens, Long Lunches & Things to Do
If there’s one season made for a weekend in the Southern Highlands, it might just be spring. Gardens are bursting with colour, cellar doors become perfect places to spend a sunny afternoon and some of the region’s biggest events return, led, of course, by Bowral’s famous Tulip Time.
But there’s much more to spring in the Southern Highlands than tulips. As the evenings get warmer and the days a little longer, spend the morning wandering beautiful gardens, settle in for a long lunch overlooking the vines, browse the villages of Bowral, Berrima and Moss Vale, or time your visit with one of the food, wine and cultural events happening throughout the spring period.
Here’s how we’d spend a spring weekend in the Southern Highlands.
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See the Southern Highlands in Bloom
Tulip Time in Bowral is top of the list of things to do in the Southern Highlands, but Corbett Gardens is far from the only place to see the region come alive in spring. From colourful public displays to sprawling country estates, Southern Highlands gardens are at their most beautiful from September onwards, filled with tulips, blossoms and fresh spring colour. Here are some of the best gardens and floral displays to add to your spring itinerary.
Tulip Time, Bowral
Corbett Gardens transforms for Tulip Time with around 80,000 hand-planted tulips and annuals, alongside live entertainment, boutique market stalls and floral activities. The festival runs daily from 9:30am–4:30pm, with extended hours over the October long weekend.
When: 11 September–5 October 2026
Follow the Tulip Time Trail
The official 2026 Tulip Trail extends the spring colour beyond the festival, including public displays at Leighton Gardens in Moss Vale and the Southern Highlands Visitor Information Centre in Mittagong. Private gardens are also part of the wider spring garden experience.
When: 11 September–5 October 2026
Retford Park
Retford Park National Trust, a historic house and gardens, is giving people another beautiful Bowral experience beyond Tulip Time with a weekday Tulip Time Honey Farm Tour + Lunch at Bowral Honey Farm within the Retford Park grounds.
When: 11 September to 2 October
Red Cow Farm
Red Cow Farm can feel like stepping into a fairyland. A beautifully curated, colourful and abundant garden that adapts based on the season. As you can imagine, spring will bring something truly special.
Read more: Our guide to the Southern Highlands
Make Time for a Long Lunch
Spring is when long-lunch season really returns to the Southern Highlands. Swap cosy winter dining rooms for vineyard views, garden settings and an afternoon that revolves around little more than good food and a bottle of local wine.
Below are our favourite Southern Highlands long lunch spots for spring:
For lunch among the vines -Centennial Vineyards Restaurant
Best for: A classic Southern Highlands vineyard lunch.
For ‘destination’ dining - Eschalot Restaurant
Best for: A fine-dining lunch in historic Berrima.
For food + books + wine - Bendooley Estate
Best for: Turning lunch into an entire afternoon.
For French - Julien's Bowral Brasserie
Best for: A leisurely French lunch in Bowral
For something relaxed - Harry’s on Green Lane
Best for: A casual lunch before you stroll Bong Bong street.
Read more: Best Restaurants in the Southern Highlands for a Special Occasion
Spend an Afternoon at a Cellar Door
If you’re looking for the best Southern Highlands wineries to visit in spring, there’s no shortage of beautiful cellar doors made for a warm and slow afternoon. Exploring Southern Highlands wineries is also one of our favourite things to do in Bowral in spring, with cool-climate wines, vineyard views and long lunches all within an easy drive of town.
Here are our top picks for your spring weekend:
What’s On:
Father’s Day Lunch menu, Sunday 6th September - 2 courses for $98 pp and 3 courses for $115 pp
PepperGreen Estate Friday Dinner, Friday 18th September - 2 courses for $98 pp and 3 courses for $115 pp
Best for: Berrima day + wine tasting
What’s On:
Lunch on the Lawn every Sunday - live music, wood-fired pizzas and cheese and charcuterie boards.
Best for: A relaxed cellar-door afternoon, great family friendly option.
Best for: A smaller winery experience.
Best for: Wine tasting while exploring Sutton Forest.
Local Compass Tip: Make a day of it! If you visit a garden in the morning → long lunch or antipasto platter → cellar door → Bowral for dinner.
The Best Things to Do in the Southern Highlands in Spring
Wander the old town of Berrima
Local Compass top picks:
Follow the Berrima Self-Guided Heritage Walk past sandstone cottages, historic inns and Georgian buildings dating back to the 1830s.
Visit the old Berrima Courthouse where you can watch a re-enactment of its most famous case or even go ghost hunting! Bookings are essential.
Browse Berrima's boutiques! Current favourites include: The Brown Shutter, Klā Ceramics, Berrima Village Pottery and SGR Vintage Wares.
Spend an hour at Harper's Mansion and get lost in the giant maze.
Do the Berrima River Walk
Visit the Berrima Museum
Stock up on local goodies at the legendary Mrs Oldbuck's Pantry and The Lolly Swagman
Drop in to Bendooley Estate either for a book browse at the barn, a long lunch or a fire-side dinner at Leo’s by Night.
Spend an afternoon in Moss Vale
Local compass top picks:
Go homewares shopping on Argyle Street. Our current favourites are: Suzie Anderson Home, Mossy Store, Hunter & Gatherer Collections and Nest & Burrow.
Eat your way around Moss Vale! We have our definitive guide off all the must-eat places here.
Walk the Moss Vale Historic Walk. A 3.5km self-guided historic walk through town, passing Moss Vale's 19th-century buildings, heritage railway station, churches and old shopfronts.
Visit The Pines Pastoral, a working farm offering tours on its Angus cattle property, giving visitors a look at farming practices and the chance to see the cattle and calves. It's a particularly nice stop for families!
Do an Italian cooking experience! Chef Stefano Marvello runs Italian cooking classes around pasta-making, open-fire cooking and long lunches.
Railway Street Farmers Market is a nice addition to a Moss Vale morning, particularly for those foodie on the hunt for local food and produce.
Read more: The definitive Moss Vale Food Guide is here!
Browse Bowral’s Bong Bong Street
Yes, you really can spend a whole day on just one street: introducing Bong Bong Street. Shopping, books, and cafes aplenty, here are our top tips for a spring day in Bowral’s epicentre!
Browse the boutiques. Our current favourites are is Ecolena and Birdhouse by HEM, but you’ll find plenty! For homewares do not miss Few and Far.
Duck into High Street - just off Bong Bong Street - for more boutique shopping. Also, if you get hungry here you will find the likes of the legendary Lucette as well as Dolly’s Donuts and Sweets and Treats.
Lose an hour in Dirty Janes. While here, if you feel like a coffee before antique shopping duck into The Press Shop just up the road, or if you’re needing lunch after grab a sit at Harry’s on Green Lane right next door.
Pick up baked treats at the two great bakeries in Bowral. Of course, the sensation Gumnut Patisserie is not to be missed if you can help it, but if the line is too long head down further to Fermento (equally as delicious, and a true hidden gem).
Visit a country market
Browsing a country market is one of the loveliest things to do in the Southern Highlands in spring, when local produce, flowers and handmade goods are in abundance. If you’re planning a spring weekend in NSW, time your visit with one of the region’s village markets for an easy morning of local food, makers and country atmosphere.
Moss Vale Showground
When: 3rd Saturday 9am-3pm & 3rd Sunday 9am-3pm
Exeter Village Market
When: 1st Saturday 9.00am-1.30pm
Bundanoon Makers Market
When: 1st Sunday - 8.30 - 2.00pm & 3rd Saturday - 8.30am - 2.00pm
The Bowral Market
When: 2nd Saturday: 8am - 1pm
Robertson Country Market
When: 2nd Sunday - 8.30am - 2.00pm
Kangaroo Valley Farmers Market
When: 2nd Sunday - 9.00am - 1.00pm
Mittagong Markets
When: 3rd Saturday 8.00am - 2.00pm & 5th Saturday 8.00 - 2.00pm
Berrima Schoolyard Markets
When: 4th Sunday - 9.00 - 2.00pm
Colo Vale Village Market
1st Saturday 8:30 am – 1:30 pm
What's On This Spring
Spring is one of the busiest times of year in the Southern Highlands with garden festivals, food and wine events, markets, live music and major annual celebrations taking place across Bowral, Berrima, Bundanoon and surrounding villages. If you’re planning a Southern Highlands weekend between September and November, these are the spring events worth putting in the diary.
11 September–5 October | Tulip Time Festival — Bowral
The headline Southern Highlands spring event, Corbett Gardens is transformed by around 80,000 hand-planted tulips and annuals. Beyond the flowers, the 2026 festival includes live entertainment, boutique market stalls, floral workshops and special events, with extended opening hours over the October long weekend.
11 September–5 October | Follow the Tulip Trail — Southern Highlands
Don't stop at Corbett Gardens. The official Tulip Trail extends the colour throughout the Highlands, including displays at Leighton Gardens in Moss Vale and the Visitor Information Centre in Mittagong, alongside beautiful private gardens throughout the region.
11 September–2 October | Tulip Time Honey Farm Tour & Lunch — Bowral
For something a little different, Bowral Honey Farm at Retford Park National Trust is running weekday experiences during Tulip Time. Visitors learn about the hives, take part in a guided honey tasting and morning tea, then have lunch overlooking the lake before heading into Bowral for Tulip Time.
11 September - 2 October | Sunset Evenings at Retford Park - Bowral
As the sun sets over Retford Park, experience the historic estate from a completely different perspective. Sunset Evenings invite visitors to enjoy drinks and canapés on the verandah of the property's distinctive pink mansion, before taking in the gardens and house in the softer evening light - a truly beautiful way to experience one of the Southern Highlands' best-known heritage estates.
12 September | Jimeoin: Ballyhoo — Bowral
Looking for a little entertainment between the flowers and food? Jimeoin brings his Ballyhoo tour to Bowral in September! Perfect for couples or groups of friends looking for a fun night out with plenty of laughs.
13th & 27th September, 1st, 15th & 29th November | Fire Feast at Osborn House - Bundanoon
One for the foodies! Indulge in a long lunch at one of the region’s most stunning venues - Osborn House. Sit out in the sun, have a drink and embrace the age-old South American tradition of live fire cooking before you feast. We urge you to secure those tickets!
21 September | Paws Among the Petals - Bowral
The perfect Dog’s day out! Tulip Time's special dog-friendly day in Corbett Gardens will take place on Monday the 21st and invites dogs and their owners to walk through the spring floral displays.
27 September | Apple Day Festival - Tallong
A great day out for the whole family. Celebrate Tallong’s rich apple orchard heritage with fun attractions, heaps of craft and food stalls, special events for children, and competitions galore! Whipcracking, medieval battles, wood chopping, pig racing, pony rides, fleece to garment, bake-off, photography competition, car and bike show, rock climbing wall, bungee jumping, live music, puppet shows, snake and reptiles, Boral Free Kids Activity area and loads more!
28 September | Bloom & Play - Bowral
A dedicated Tulip Time family day at Bowral Memorial Hall where parents and kids can play amongst the blooms with special activties.
2–4 October | Horizontal Festival — Bowral
One of the biggest foodie events of spring. Centennial Vineyards hosts a multi-sensory festival of NSW wine, food, craft beer, spirits, live music and art, with both daytime and evening sessions across the October long weekend. Make sure you book tickets!
2–9 October | Golden Vale Twilight Torch Tours — Sutton Forest
The historic Golden Vale opens for evening torchlight tours for a limited time only, combining the property's beautiful landscape with stories of the estate's history, including tales of adventure and tragedy, recounting stories of the First Nations people, early explorers and convict settlers.
4 October | Battle of the Banger — Berrima
Bit of fun for your October weekend! The Surveyor General Inn revives its legendary sausage competition, with five finalists (local butchers and producers) face off to claim the title for best banger. The day involves plenty of sausages, crowd voting for the People's Choice, live music, local wine, beer and spirits. Oh, and entry is free!
5 October | Jam Exchange — Bowral
This is a new annual event as part of the Horizontal Festival celebrating jams, preserves and seasonal produce, and features artisan stalls, a jam-making competition, and a community jar swap. Delightful, quaint and oh so delicious (very on brand for spring in Bowral!)
18 October | Bowral Classic — Bowral & surrounds
The Bowral Classic celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2026, with three cycling routes of 85–150km winding through Southern Highlands countryside. Even if you're not riding, the finish-line village at Loseby Park will have live music, gourmet food stalls and local beer and wine and makes for a great day out.
24–25 October | Bundanoon Garden Ramble — Bundanoon
One for the green thumbs among us - eight privately owned gardens around Bundanoon open for just one weekend, ranging from smaller gardens to sprawling country properties. There are also plant, garden, gift and homewares stalls, plus a free shuttle between the gardens.
24 October–14 November | An Invitation to the Table — Retford Park, Bowral
This experience offers visitors a different perspective on historic Retford Park, exploring the estate through the lives of people who lived and worked there. It begins in late October and continues into November and is an absolute must for history lovers.
25 October | Golden Vale Spring Picnic Day — Sutton Forest
Golden Vale opens for a spring picnic day, giving visitors a chance to experience the historic homestead and grounds at one of the prettiest times of year. Great day out for families, bring a picnic basket and enjoy a day on the lawn with a backdrop of acoustic music, lawn games, gardens and sandstone. Bookings are essential!
The Perfect Southern Highlands Spring Weekend
Still don’t know where to start when it comes to your perfect spring itinerary for the Southern Highlands? From experiencing Bowral in spring and wandering its flower-filled gardens to long lunches, local wineries and slow mornings exploring Berrima and Moss Vale, here’s how we’d spend the perfect spring weekend in the Southern Highlands.
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SATURDAY
9am — Bowral breakfast
10am — Tulip Time
12:30pm — Long lunch
3:30pm — Berrima
4:30pm — Cellar door
7pm — Dinner
SUNDAY
9am — Moss Vale breakfast
10:30am — Retford Park / garden
12:30pm — Country lunch
2:30pm — Spot of shopping
4pm — Bakery stop for the drive home
Keep Exploring the Southern Highlands
🍽️ Eat
→ Moss Vale Food Guide
→ Best Restaurants for a Special Occasion
→ Where to eat breakfast in Bowral
🌿 Explore
→ Weekend in Bowral
🏨 Stay
→ Best Boutique Hotels & Stays
→ Best Farm Stays NSW
FAQ’s
Everything you want to know, answered!
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The best time to visit the Southern Highlands in spring is from mid-September through October, when gardens are in bloom and the region’s spring events are underway. For tulips, plan your trip between 11 September and 5 October 2026, when Bowral’s famous Tulip Time takes over Corbett Gardens. Later in October and November are also beautiful for a Southern Highlands weekend, with warmer weather making it ideal for garden visits, wineries, village walks and long lunches.
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Some of the best things to do in the Southern Highlands in spring include visiting Bowral for Tulip Time, exploring spring gardens, browsing the villages of Berrima and Moss Vale, visiting local wineries and settling in for a long lunch. You can also walk to Fitzroy Falls, shop along Bowral’s Bong Bong Street, explore Berrima’s heritage streets or follow the wider Tulip Trail. Spring is particularly good for combining the region’s gardens, food, wine and beautiful country towns in one weekend.
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Tulip Time Bowral runs from Friday 11 September to Monday 5 October 2026 at Corbett Gardens. More than 80,000 hand-planted tulips and colourful annuals will transform the gardens for the festival, alongside live entertainment, boutique market stalls and floral activities. Standard opening hours are 9:30am–4:30pm daily, with extended hours during the October long weekend. If you’re planning a spring weekend in Bowral specifically for Tulip Time, booking tickets in advance is a good idea.
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Bowral’s Corbett Gardens is the best-known place to see spring flowers in the Southern Highlands, particularly during Tulip Time. However, the spring colour extends beyond Bowral. The official Tulip Trail includes displays at Leighton Gardens in Moss Vale and the Southern Highlands Visitor Information Centre in Mittagong, while private gardens throughout the region also put on beautiful displays. Garden lovers can also explore larger country gardens around Bowral and Sutton Forest for a full Southern Highlands spring itinerary.
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Some of the best Southern Highlands gardens to visit include Corbett Gardens in Bowral, Retford Park National Trust, Red Cow Farm Garden in Sutton Forest, Leighton Gardens in Moss Vale and Southern Highlands Botanic Gardens. In spring, Corbett Gardens is the obvious starting point thanks to Tulip Time, while the surrounding estates and country gardens offer a quieter way to experience the region’s seasonal colour.
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Start a spring day in Bowral with coffee before browsing the boutiques and homewares stores around Bong Bong Street. From there, walk to Corbett Gardens for the spring flowers or Tulip Time, then explore nearby Dirty Janes and Green Lane for antiques, vintage finds, plants and interiors. In the afternoon, head beyond the town centre for a garden visit, wine tasting or long lunch. Spring is one of the best times to explore Bowral on foot before venturing into the surrounding countryside.
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There are plenty of excellent Southern Highlands wineries and cellar doors to build into a spring weekend. Centennial Vineyards near Bowral is a great choice if you want to combine wine with a long lunch, while Artemis Wines offers a relaxed cellar-door experience near Mittagong. In Berrima, PepperGreen Estate can easily be combined with shopping and sightseeing, while Sutton Forest Estate Wines and Cherry Tree Hill Wines are good additions to a drive through Sutton Forest.
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Yes - spring is one of the best times for a Southern Highlands weekend away. September brings Tulip Time and the first major garden displays, while October and November offer warmer days for cellar doors, country walks, village shopping and long lunches. Bowral, Berrima and Moss Vale can easily be combined over two days, with wineries, gardens and Fitzroy Falls added along the way. For a classic spring escape from Sydney, the Southern Highlands offers an easy mix of food, wine, flowers, shopping and countryside.
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