The Mountain. Australia's most iconic racing venue climbs Mount Panorama on public roads with 570 feet of elevation change. The Bathurst 1000 is the nation's greatest race, with the Conrod Straight hitting 186+ mph.
Mount Panorama is a public road for most of the year and a race circuit for a handful of weekends, and it climbs and descends an actual mountain — around 174 metres of elevation change across a lap. The run up through Griffins Bend and The Cutting is steep and narrow; the top section across Skyline and down through The Dipper is fast, blind and lined with concrete; and Conrod Straight, at 1.9 kilometres, sends Supercars towards 300 km/h before The Chase.
Because it is a road, you can drive the circuit yourself outside event weekends at the posted speed limit, which is worth doing to understand how narrow and steep it genuinely is. On race weekends the campsites on the mountain are the heart of the atmosphere, and the shuttle from Harris Park at the bottom to Reid Park at the top saves a serious walk.
The circuit exists because of a piece of Depression-era opportunism. Bathurst's mayor, Martin Griffin, secured federal unemployment-relief funding to build what was presented as a scenic tourist road over Mount Panorama. The Scenic Drive opened on 17 March 1938, and racing followed almost immediately — before the surface had fully cured, the Easter programme ran two days of motorcycle racing followed by two days of cars.
The race the mountain is known for started elsewhere. The Armstrong 500 was first run at Phillip Island in 1960, moved to Bathurst in 1963 over the same 500-mile distance, and became a 1,000-kilometre race in 1973. As the Bathurst 1000 it grew into one of the largest events on the Australian sporting calendar, spoken about in the same terms as the Melbourne Cup.
6 curated properties, sorted by distance from the circuit
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Hotel · 1.1 km from circuit · 3 min drive · 4.3 (1,338) on Google · $$$
1 Conrod Straight, Bathurst NSW 2795, Australia
The only hotel on the Mount Panorama circuit, overlooking the famous Conrod Straight. Mount Panorama Circuit is right on the doorstep. Facilities include restaurant, bar, and pool.
Check pricesHotel websiteBoutique Hotel · 3.9 km from circuit · 6 min drive · 4.4 (684) on Google · $$
16 Busby St, Bathurst NSW 2795, Australia
Heritage pub-hotel in central Bathurst, a character-filled base for the Bathurst 1000. Mount Panorama Circuit is a 6-minute drive away. Facilities include restaurant and bar.
Check pricesHotel websiteHotel · 5.0 km from circuit · 10 min drive · 4 (682) on Google
51 Durham St, Bathurst NSW 2795, Australia
Check pricesHotel websiteHotel · 5.3 km from circuit · 9 min drive · 4.3 (309) on Google
19 Charlotte St, Bathurst NSW 2795, Australia
Modern quarters with cooking facilities in an informal hotel offering a gym, as well as a terrace. — via Google
Check pricesHotel websiteHotel · 5.6 km from circuit · 9 min drive · 4.6 (348) on Google
102 Stewart St, Bathurst NSW 2795, Australia
Informal motel offering basic rooms with free buffet breakfast, plus cottages with full kitchens. — via Google
Check pricesHotel websiteHotel · 25.9 km from circuit · 25 min drive · 4.3 (312) on Google
2408 O'Connell Rd, O'Connell NSW 2795, Australia
Check pricesHotel websiteNearest Airport: Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) — approximately 200 km from the circuit
Bathurst is about 200 km north-west of Sydney, roughly 2.5 hours by road, with NSW TrainLink services to Lithgow and coach connections onward. Bathurst Buslines runs a continual shuttle from Harris Park at the foot of the mountain to Reid Park at the top. Outside event weekends the circuit is a public road you can drive yourself.
Visiting Mount Panorama Circuit for a race weekend? Here are essential tips to make the most of your trip to Bathurst, New South Wales. The circuit holds up to 57,939 spectators, so plan for large crowds on race day.
Mount Panorama Circuit is in Bathurst, New South Wales. The nearest airport, Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD), is about 200 km from the circuit.
6 properties are listed near Mount Panorama Circuit, the closest 1.1 km from the circuit. Each one is listed with its measured distance from the circuit, and every entry links to the property's own site.