Our Snowy Mountains tours page features a private three-day tour with pick-up and drop-off, priced from AUD 1575. It suits travellers who would rather leave the long drive to someone else.
The rest of this page fills in the planning details around the tour: the seasons, the weather, the road distances from other parts of New South Wales, and a place to base yourself near Jindabyne. Please check current prices and details with the operator before booking.
The Snowy Mountains tours we list
The tour is the Snowy Mountains NSW Private Tour 3 Days - Pick up & Drop off. It runs for three days and is priced from AUD 1575. As the name says, it is a private tour, and pick-up and drop-off are part of it.
| Tour | Length | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Snowy Mountains NSW Private Tour, pick-up and drop-off | 3 days | from AUD 1575 |
What the region offers a tour
The Snowy Mountains, known as the Snowies, are the tallest range on mainland Australia and part of the Great Dividing Range. They hold the country's five tallest peaks, all above 2,100 m, and the highest is Mount Kosciuszko at 2,228 m.
The seasons split things neatly. Thredbo and Perisher are the winter snow destinations, while Kosciuszko summit walks and fly-fishing suit summer. Snow falls heavily from May to October and usually melts by November.
History you can read in the landscape
Aboriginal people are thought to have occupied the range for 20,000 years, gathering in the High Country in summer to feast on the bogong moth. Europeans first explored the area in 1835, and Edmund Strzelecki climbed Mount Kosciuszko in 1840. Stockmen followed, and the huts they left are now looked after by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and volunteers such as the Kosciuszko Huts Association.
Kiandra, where gold was mined, once had about 4,000 people and 14 hotels. It has been a ghost town since the last resident left in 1974. Then there is the Snowy Mountains Scheme, begun in 1949, which employed 100,000 men. By 1974 it linked sixteen dams and seven power stations with 145 km of tunnels and 80 km of aqueducts.
Snowy Mountains weather by month
Weather shapes any trip here, so it is worth a look before you pick dates. These are 1991-2020 averages for the area.
| Month | Max C | Min C | Rain mm | Rain days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18.9 | 7.5 | 87.1 | 10.7 |
| February | 17.9 | 7.1 | 86.6 | 10.1 |
| March | 15.2 | 4.9 | 66.5 | 8.4 |
| April | 11.0 | 1.7 | 58.0 | 8.2 |
| May | 6.9 | -1.0 | 65.3 | 9.3 |
| June | 3.6 | -2.8 | 99.2 | 11.5 |
| July | 2.4 | -4.1 | 94.3 | 12.5 |
| August | 3.4 | -4.2 | 110.0 | 13.3 |
| September | 7.0 | -2.2 | 106.8 | 12.6 |
| October | 10.7 | 0.0 | 109.8 | 12.9 |
| November | 13.7 | 2.8 | 117.9 | 13.2 |
| December | 16.2 | 5.0 | 102.1 | 11.9 |
Summer days top out near 19 degrees, while July averages just 2.4 degrees at best and dips to about -4 overnight. Only areas above 1,400 m get a consistent heavy winter snowpack. We would pick the season first and the tour dates second.
How far the Snowy Mountains are by road
Most visitors drive a long way to reach the range, so allow for it when you plan a three-day tour. The Alpine Way and Snowy Mountains Highway are the major roads through the region.
| Route | Distance | Drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Snowy Mountains to South Coast | 335 km | about 294 min |
| Jervis Bay to Snowy Mountains | 365 km | about 317 min |
| Snowy Mountains to Wollongong | 448 km | about 342 min |
| Orange to Snowy Mountains | 472 km | about 393 min |
| Snowy Mountains to Sydney | 489 km | about 370 min |
| Blue Mountains to Snowy Mountains | 536 km | about 421 min |
| Central Coast to Snowy Mountains | 541 km | about 422 min |
| Mudgee to Snowy Mountains | 582 km | about 479 min |
A tour with pick-up and drop-off removes the driving from your hands, which is the obvious appeal on distances like these.
Where to stay near Jindabyne
If you want a base on the lake, Discovery Parks - Jindabyne is a caravan park with powered sites and cabins. Contact the park for current rates and availability. For hotels, lodges and apartments across the region, see our Snowy Mountains accommodation page.
Planning your trip further
Our Snowy Mountains activities page covers things to do beyond a tour, and the Snowy Mountains travel guide gives the wider picture. For official state information, Visit NSW has an official tourism site, and background on the range is on Wikipedia.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Snowy Mountains tour?
The private three-day tour is priced from AUD 1575.
How long does the tour take?
It runs for three days, with pick-up and drop-off.
When does the snow fall?
Significant snow builds from May to October and usually melts by November, though it can occasionally linger through summer.
