We’re thrilled to share some exciting news. Orange has just been recognised as one of NSW’s finest tourism destinations at the 2026 NSW Top Tourism Town Awards, taking home not one, but two honours:

• Silver in the Top Tourism Town category (population over 5,000)
• NRMA People’s Choice Award in the same category, voted by travellers from across the state

The awards were announced at the Local Government NSW Destination and Visitor Economy Conference in Maitland, and the double result is worth pausing on. Silver in a judged category is a genuine mark of quality, assessed against towns from across the entire state. But the People’s Choice? That one is different. It wasn’t decided by a panel. Real visitors, people who have actually walked our streets, sipped our wines and sat down to long lunches in our restaurants, cast their votes for Orange. You can’t manufacture that kind of endorsement.

It’s official recognition of what our guests already know: Orange is one of the most rewarding places to visit in New South Wales.

For a town of around 42,000 people nestled in the Central West, this is no small achievement. Orange competed against some of the state’s most well-known regional destinations and came away with two of the most coveted awards on offer. If you’ve been thinking about making the trip, consider this your sign.

Ask anyone who has visited and they’ll give you a different answer. That’s the thing about Orange: it doesn’t have one drawcard, it has dozens. Perched on the slopes of an ancient dormant volcano at around 860 metres above sea level, the town enjoys a genuine four-season climate that shapes everything from the food on your plate to the landscape outside your window.

Orange is home to over 30 cellar doors, and the cool-climate growing conditions here produce wines that are genuinely distinctive. Sitting at around 860 metres above sea level on the slopes of an ancient extinct volcano, the altitude means slower ripening, which translates to more complex flavours, better natural acidity and a freshness you don’t find in warmer growing regions. The Orange wine region is now firmly on the national map, drawing serious wine lovers from Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra year-round.

The varieties that thrive here, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon among them, have put Orange firmly on the national wine map. Whether you’re doing a tasting at Ross Hill Wines (Australia’s first certified carbon-neutral winery), exploring the stunning vineyard views at Swinging Bridge, or discovering smaller producers like Philip Shaw or Heifer Station, you could spend an entire weekend just on the wine trail and barely scratch the surface. Our guide to the best wineries near Orange NSW covers the top cellar doors in detail if you want to start planning your route.

The Orange Wine Festival and FOOD Week events draw visitors from Sydney and beyond every year, and for good reason. There’s a genuine sense of community among the producers here, and that translates into cellar door experiences that feel personal rather than transactional. If a long winery lunch is on your agenda, our guide to the art of a long lunch at Orange wineries is worth a read before you go.

The restaurant and café culture in Orange has grown into something genuinely impressive. Produce-driven menus, local ingredients, and a community of passionate chefs have made this a serious food destination. The town’s café strip on Summer Street serves up excellent coffee and some of the best pastries in regional NSW, and the Orange Farmers Market is a great spot to stock up on local produce. For a full rundown of where to eat, our Orange NSW food guide covers everything from fine dining to local favourites.

But it goes well beyond breakfast. Orange has a handful of restaurants that would hold their own in any major city. Think wood-fired menus, inventive small plates built around seasonal produce, and wine lists that champion local makers. Byng Street Local Store and Racine Bakery are just two of the names that keep food lovers coming back. And because the town is compact and walkable, you can move from a morning coffee to a long lunch to an evening glass of Shiraz without ever needing to get in a car.

The broader food culture here is also worth noting. Orange has a strong farmers market scene, a thriving artisan producer community, and a genuine farm-to-table ethos that isn’t just marketing. When a restaurant says the produce is local, it usually means it came from within a 30-minute drive.

Beyond the food and wine, there’s a natural landscape around Orange that’s worth the trip on its own. Lake Canobolas Reserve offers walking and cycling trails, birdwatching and picnic spots set against a backdrop that feels a world away from the city. The Pinnacle Lookout delivers sweeping 360-degree views across the Central West that genuinely stop you in your tracks. And Cook Park, right in the middle of town, is one of those rare urban green spaces that actually earns its reputation. We’ve put together a full guide to hikes, tracks and waterholes around Orange NSW if you want to get out and explore.

Then there’s the seasonal beauty that Orange is quietly famous for. In autumn, the deciduous trees across the town and surrounding countryside turn spectacular shades of gold, amber and red. It’s the kind of foliage display you’d expect to travel to Japan or New England for, and it happens right here in regional NSW. Visitors come from Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne specifically for it.

Winter brings its own appeal. There’s a genuine crispness in the air that makes a warm fire, a long lunch and a glass of bold local red feel like exactly the right plan. It’s a slower, cosier version of Orange, and plenty of travellers prefer it that way. And come spring, the blossoms across the region are something to see, with cherry trees, ornamental pears and flowering plums putting on a show across the countryside.

With two awards in hand, there’s never been a better time to plan a visit. And when you do, where you stay matters. If you’re still putting together your itinerary, our weekend escape guide to Orange is a great place to start.

At de Russie Boutique Hotel, we’re right in the heart of Orange’s CBD, which means you’re a short stroll from the town’s best restaurants, cafés and shops, and an easy drive to the wine region. Our 25 self-contained luxury suites and apartments come with full kitchen or kitchenette facilities, so you can pick up local produce from one of Orange’s excellent farmers markets and make yourself at home. We also offer continental breakfast, EV charging, and the kind of personalised service that a boutique property can deliver in a way that larger hotels simply can’t.

Our location is genuinely hard to beat. You can walk to dinner, walk back, and wake up the next morning to a continental breakfast before heading out to the cellar doors. If you’re driving in from Sydney (about three and a half hours), you can be checked in, unpacked and at a wine tasting before the afternoon is over. For those flying in, Orange Airport connects directly to Sydney with multiple flights daily.