Things to Do in Bilpin: A Day on the Bells Line of Road
Bilpin is a small apple-growing village on the Bells Line of Road in the Blue Mountains, about 90 minutes’ drive from Sydney. A day here usually means orchards and fruit stalls, a cider or a gin tasting, a long lunch, and a stop at the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden at Mount Tomah on the way through. Here’s how we’d spend it.
How far is Bilpin from Sydney?
Bilpin is roughly 90 minutes from the Sydney CBD by car, heading north-west through Richmond and Kurrajong Heights and up onto the Bells Line of Road. There’s no train to Bilpin, so driving is the way to get here. It makes an easy day trip or a relaxed overnight stay.
When is apple season in Bilpin?
Bilpin calls itself the Land of the Mountain Apple, and the orchards are at their busiest from late summer through autumn. That’s when the roadside stalls are full, pick-your-own is on at several farms, and the whole road smells of apples. Our Apple-cello is made from those same Bilpin apples. Outside apple season there’s still plenty to do: cellar doors, cafés, gardens and bushwalks run all year.
What are the best things to do in Bilpin?
- Pick your own fruit. Farms like Bilpin Fruit Bowl open for pick-your-own in season, with pies and juice to take home.
- Taste cider. Bilpin Cider and Hillbilly Cider both pour local apple ciders on the Bells Line of Road.
- Taste small-batch spirits. At The Old Shed Distillery cellar door you can try our gin, vodka, whisky and cellos, including an Apple-cello made from Bilpin apples.
- Stop for a pie. The road is known for its apple pies, and there are several bakeries and roadhouses to choose from.
- Visit the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden at Mount Tomah. A short drive west, with cool-climate gardens and wide views over the mountains.
- Take a short walk. Walls Lookout, further west along the Bells Line of Road, is about an hour return and looks out over the Grose Valley.
Where to go fruit picking in Bilpin
Bilpin’s orchards open for pick-your-own at different times of year, so check each farm’s website or socials before you drive up.
- Shields Orchard: apples, including Royal Gala and Sundowner, from February to May. Bookings are required.
- Pine Crest Orchard (2549 Bells Line of Road): family-run for more than 40 years, with apples, pears, cherries, stone fruit and persimmons from November to June.
- TNT Produce (153 Kurts Road): apples from January to June, cherries in November and December, strawberries from November to May, and citrus in winter.
- Bilpin Fruit Bowl (2093 Bells Line of Road): the shop and bakery are open daily, and the farm opens on weekends from November to May, weather permitting.
Bilpin through the seasons
| Season | What’s on |
|---|---|
| Spring (Sep–Nov) | Orchard blossom, spring bulbs and waratahs at Mount Tomah, Wildwood Garden opens |
| Summer (Dec–Feb) | Cherries and strawberries, the first stone fruit and early apples |
| Autumn (Mar–May) | Peak apple picking, persimmons, autumn colour across the mountain |
| Winter (Jun–Aug) | Citrus picking, fireside tastings and quiet roads |
Wineries, cideries and cellar doors near Bilpin
Bilpin itself is cider and spirits country. The wineries are down the hill in the Hawkesbury, so it’s easy to make a day of both.
- In Bilpin: Bilpin Cider Co (2369 Bells Line of Road) and Hillbilly Cider (2230 Bells Line of Road) both pour ciders made from local apples. The Old Shed Distillery (2419 Bells Line of Road) has free tastings of our gin, vodka, whisky and cellos.
- Hawkesbury wineries: Tizzana Winery in Ebenezer, set in a National Trust-classified sandstone building from 1887, is open weekends and by appointment. Jubilee Vineyard Estate, also in Ebenezer, offers weekend tastings. Bull Ridge Estate in East Kurrajong offers tastings by arrangement.
- Craft beer: Gypsy Fox Brewing Co in North Richmond has a dog-friendly taproom.
Where to eat in Bilpin
- The cideries: Bilpin Cider Co and Hillbilly Cider both serve food alongside their ciders, so you can make lunch part of the tasting.
- The Hive, Berambing: just up the road, known for its wood-fired coffee. It’s the same coffee that goes into our Coffee Liqueur.
- Bilpin Markets: every Saturday from 10am to 12pm at Bilpin District Hall, with local produce and a market kitchen for breakfast and brunch.
- Wildwood has a café alongside its garden and nursery, and the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden at Mount Tomah has a café with mountain views.
- Apple pie is the local speciality. Bilpin Fruit Bowl’s bakery is a good place to start.
- At The Old Shed, you can pair a tasting board with food from the bar.
Things to do near Bilpin
- Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah: open daily 9am to 5pm, and entry is free. Dogs aren’t allowed, except assistance dogs.
- Mountain Lagoon: a quiet road into Wollemi National Park, popular with cyclists.
- Wildwood Garden: water gardens and birdlife, open in spring and autumn.
A simple one-day Bilpin itinerary
- Morning: Leave Sydney early, stop for coffee at Kurrajong Heights, and reach Bilpin mid-morning. Pick fruit or visit a roadside stall while it’s cool.
- Late morning: Drive on to Mount Tomah for the Botanic Garden.
- Lunch: Head back to Bilpin for lunch and a pie.
- Afternoon: Finish at The Old Shed Distillery for a tasting paddle and a bottle to take home. Drivers can have a free small sample of each spirit except whisky.
Can you visit Bilpin if you’re driving?
Yes. Most cellar doors on the Bells Line of Road offer non-alcoholic options or small samples for drivers. At The Old Shed, designated drivers get a free small sample of each spirit except whisky, and there are tonics and sodas from Sodasmith if you’d rather skip the spirit altogether.
Are there wineries in Bilpin?
Bilpin has cideries and a distillery. The nearest wineries are in the Hawkesbury, at Ebenezer and East Kurrajong, an easy drive down the hill.
Is Bilpin dog-friendly?
Yes. Bilpin is a dog-friendly day out, and dogs are welcome at The Old Shed Distillery. The one exception nearby is the Botanic Garden at Mount Tomah, which only allows assistance dogs.
When is the best time to visit Bilpin?
Any time. Spring brings blossom and gardens, summer brings cherries and stone fruit, autumn is peak apple season, and winter means citrus, fireside tastings and quiet roads. The cellar doors are open year-round.
Plan your visit
The Old Shed Distillery is at 2419 Bells Line of Road, Bilpin NSW 2758. Our hours change with the NSW school holidays, so check our current opening hours before you set off. Can’t make the trip? Our spirits, including Gin Part 2 with its Bilpin-grown botanicals, ship Australia-wide from the online shop, and you can try them at home with our 3 easy cocktail recipes.