Cherry Season, Gardens and Good Company
5-Day Sweet Cowra Getaway
Famed for its annual Cherry Festival, the town of Young is the place for cherry pie, cherry jam and cherries with ice cream, and this relaxed five-day tour lets you enjoy all the festival fun while staying in beautiful Cowra on the Lachlan River. It is the right mix of colour, history and warm country hospitality, all at a comfortable pace.
Peaceful by choice and beautiful by nature, Cowra makes the perfect base, with an eventful past and plenty to explore close by.
Unpack once and settle in for four easy nights, with days spent wandering tranquil Japanese gardens, hearing the stories behind the World Peace Bell, tasting your way through a fudge and jam factory, touring a grand country castle and picking cherries straight from the orchard.
Important Information:
5-Day Tour | 3 – 7 December 2026
Twin Share: From $2,105 | Single Traveller: $2,415
Deposit: $200 on booking (non-refundable within 30 days of travel)
Balance Due: 6 to 8 weeks before departure
Refund: No refund, transfer or credit if you cancel within 2 weeks of departure
Travel Insurance: Recommended for peace of mind
Terms & Conditions: Read the full Terms & Conditions here
Your 5-Day Itinerary
Day 1
Thursday: Home to Cowra
We begin with door-to-door pick-ups this morning before settling in for a scenic run through the Blue Mountains, with a stop for morning tea along the way. Continuing towards Bathurst, we enjoy a relaxed picnic lunch from the coach before turning onto the Mid-Western Highway for a look around historic Blayney. Gold was discovered here back in 1867, and many of the fine old buildings lining the main streets are now classified by the National Trust. From there it is an easy drive on to Cowra, where we check in to our motel and settle in for the next four nights.
Accommodation: 4 nights in Cowra
Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner
Day 2
Friday: Exploring Cowra
After a hearty cooked breakfast, we call in at the Information Centre before our driver takes us out for a full day exploring Cowra. We visit the Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre, a beautiful monument to peace and reconciliation and a celebration of Japanese landscape, garden design and craft. After wandering the grounds and building an appetite, we enjoy lunch at the lovely cafe on site.
This afternoon we visit the Cowra Italy Friendship Monument and the World Peace Bell, cast from melted coins donated by the 106 member nations of the United Nations, and hear the moving story of the migrant camps here after the Second World War.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3
Saturday: Young and the Cherry Festival
Today our cherry adventure begins in Young. We start at Poppa's Fudge and Jam Factory for a tasting, with plenty of cherry pies and other treats to stock up on. We stop for morning tea and a gentle stroll at Chinaman's Dam and the Lambing Flat Chinese Tribute Gardens, crossing the bridge past the marble lion sculptures to the viewing platform overlooking the Pool of Tranquillity. The gardens were established in 1992 to honour the contribution of the Chinese community to Young and to Australia.
After lunch (own expense today), we enjoy the Cherry Festival in full swing, with market stalls, buskers, entertainment and displays, before taking in the Grand Parade down the main street, complete with marching bands.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4
Sunday: Iandra Castle and Cherry Picking
This morning we venture out to the small town of Greenthorpe where, amid grazing sheep and paddocks of wheat and canola, you will find the last thing you would expect to see, a castle. Iandra Castle and the Mount Oriel homestead are a unique part of Australia's heritage.
We enjoy morning tea here and take a guided tour before heading back to Young for a light lunch. This afternoon we visit a local orchard to pick our own cherries to take home, seeing first-hand how the fruit is grown and harvested.
Entry is included, with any fruit you pick at your own cost.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5
Monday: Cowra to Home via Yass
We farewell Cowra this morning and make our way to Yass for morning tea. An important rural service centre on the Yass River, Yass was long known for its high-quality wool and merino studs, and over recent decades has become equally well regarded for its vineyards and fine produce. Now a quiet town with a broad main street, handsome historic buildings and a relaxed feel, it is a lovely spot for a wander.
We then travel on to Goulburn for a final lunch together before an easy drop-off back at your front door this evening.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
What's Included:
Return coach travel in a luxury air-conditioned vehicle
4 nights' accommodation in Cowra
All sightseeing and entry fees as per itinerary
Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre visit
World Peace Bell and Cowra Italy Friendship Monument
Poppa's Fudge and Jam Factory tasting
Chinaman's Dam and Lambing Flat Chinese Tribute Gardens
Young Cherry Festival and Grand Parade
Guided tour of landra Castle
Cherry orchard visit (fruit picked at own cost)
4 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 4 dinners, morning teas
Door-to-door transfers (subject to location)
Tour Highlights:
Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre
The World Peace Bell: cast from coins donated by the 106 member nations of the United Nations
Young Cherry Festival: market stalls, buskers, entertainment and the Grand Parade
Poppa's Fudge and Jam Factory: tastings and treats
Chinaman's Dam and Lambing Flat Chinese Tribute Gardens
landra Castle: Piece of Australian heritage
Cherry picking: visit a working orchard
Yass: a handsome historic town known for its wool, wine and produce
Terms & Conditions
Before booking your multi-day tour, please review the key terms regarding payments, cancellations, and responsibilities.
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