The Best Shops in Bowral You Can't Miss

Discover the best shops in Bowral and surrounds with this complete guide to shopping in the vibrant Southern Highlands village.

The best shops in Bowral range from giant emporiums for antiques and collectables to shoe stores and shops dedicated to showcasing sheepskin. The village is a veritable bowerbird’s nest with Bowral shops selling everything from coins to jewellery, toys, Art Deco furniture, books, glassware and textiles sourced from around the world. If you’re a serious shopper and looking for something to do in the region, you’ll know that you can hit the high street here for hours.

Put together an itinerary based on our guide to the best shops in Bowral.

In short

If you only visit one shop in Bowral make it Bespoke Letterpress, where you can stock up on beautiful stationery and buy all your Christmas gifts in one hit.

Bowral antique shops

Those with an abiding fascination for everything from vintage furniture to unconventional art should follow our guide to some of the best antique shops in Bowral and beyond.

Dirty Janes Bowral

Expect objets d’art, antiques, collectables and curios for the curious that span the past century at Dirty Janes , a destination for collectors with limited time. Dirty Janes is such a good hunting ground for treasures that you could just visit this one-stop vintage shop in the Highlands and be happy with your finds. All up, there are more than 80 independent dealers, decorators and upcyclers at Dirty Janes, Bowral.

Address: 13 Banyette St, Bowral

The Bronte Tram

Visit one of the best cafes in Bowral for coffee and start plotting your plan of attack. You will find everything from brass candlesticks, chandeliers, wedding chests, leather suitcases, vintage furniture and stunning silverware at The Bronte Tram , which sources its collectables from around the globe.

Address: Shop 2/379 Bong Bong St, Bowral

Grandpa’s Shed, Fitzroy Falls

Remember what it was like to get lost in Grandpa’s Shed? Well, Grandpa called and he wants his stuff back. Grandpa’s Shed in Fitzroy Falls is an essential stop for road-trippers who like to fossick. The eclectic and luxuriant mix of junk and ephemera and carefully curated clutter is not for your Marie Kondo kinds. It’s perfectly imperfect and worth the 20-minute drive from Bowral.
Address: 1353 Nowra Road, Fitzroy Falls

Bookshops in Bowral

The number of bookshops in and around Bowral says something about the denizens of the village, which once served as a rural retreat for Sydney’s landed gentry.  Plan your visit to coincide with the annual Southern Highlands Writers’ Festival .

Berkelouw Book Barn

Although it’s technically in Berrima, 11 minutes from Bowral, Berkelouw Book Barn has to be top of the list of best bookshops in Bowral. As well as a stunning collection of secondhand, rare, antiquarian and contemporary books, the storied Berkelouw Book Barn is a destination in its own right for its adjacent restaurant and accommodation.

The Bookshop Bowral

The Bookshop Bowral is an institution for its carefully curated selection of books written by culturally diverse authors from around the world. Check the calendar of events hosted by the book shop, which schedules in-store signings and talks by authors during the annual Southern Highlands Writers’ Festival.

Address: 309 Bong Bong Street, Bowral

The Phoenix Bookstore

So named after a fire destroyed its original premises, The Phoenix Bookstore has started a new chapter selling new and old books from its new location tucked in behind Bowral Post Office. Join the steady stream of shoppers browsing and chatting with the staff at this cosy bookstore who, as dedicated bookworms, will help you find something that takes your fancy.

Address: Lamond Lane, Bowral

Books Ever After

Everything from fairy porn to romance novels has been blowing up on BookTok. At the forefront of the trend is Books Ever After , run by bestselling romance author and Books by the Bridge Author Events founder, Kat T. Masen. Find one-of-a-kind bookish merchandise, limited editions, book events, and personally signed paperbacks to add some spice to your next book club.
Address: Shop 4, The Grand Arcade. 291-297 Bong Bong Street.

Boutique shops in Bowral

Shopping is one of the best things to do in Bowral thanks in part to the creative community who call the Southern Highlands home. There are fabulous one-of-a-kind boutiques, hipped-up homeware stores and quirky op shops dotted around the main street’s jumble of Bowral shops.

Wilson & Dorset

It’s a much more pleasing experience to run your hands over the woolly wares at Wilson & Dorset in Bowral than to shop online. The NZ brand with the cult following chose Bowral as its flagship Australian store because of its proximity to the countryside. Head here for everything from designer floor rugs to laptop covers, cushions and accessories.

Address: 363 Bong Bong Street

Burnt Co

Delight your olfactory senses with a visit to Burnt Co . This local gem creates sustainable home fragrances delivered via a range of candles, diffusers and room sprays. The Bowral shop has the market cornered for sustainable candles complete with a return and burn system for refill options. Or take a candle-making class to create something unique for your home.
Address: 5 Bong Bong St, Bowral

SoHi

Step into SoHi and be dazzled. Is it a boutique, a tasting room, a jewellery store? Well, the main product is alcohol, but this isn’t like any bottle-o you’ve set foot in. Sample local gins, vodkas. Buy some Red Pony Negroni. Or choose from martinis straight from the freezer. You can also get uber bougie and use the refill fountain. Private tastings are also on offer for small groups.
Address: Shop 3b/391-397 Bong Bong St, Bowral

Bespoke Letterpress

This couture letterpress stationery store was once part of The Press Shop, now housing one of the best cafes in Bowral. But Bespoke Letterpress became so popular it had to move to larger premises on Bowral’s main street. Bespoke Letterpress is paradise for lovers of pretty and practical stationery such as diaries, planners, calendars and more.

Address: Shop 2B, 310-312 Bong Bong St, Bowral

HEM

fashion finds at HEM, Bowral — Shop up-and-coming designer goods and contemporary homewares.

Looking for something funky or flouncy? You’ll find it here at HEM , which has a whimsical mix of local and global brands that make a fashion-forward statement. Forget fast fashion. HEM has managed to lean toward up-and-coming designers and contemporary homewares that are stand-alone standouts.

Address: 1/23 Boolwey St, Bowral

Susie Anderson Home

Sip coffee with your friends so you’re well-fuelled before your foray into the Suzie Anderson Home store. Take the Style Quiz ahead of your visit to help provide tailor-made tips for choosing everything from gift sets to tablecloths, homewares, fashion and furniture.

Address: 409-411 Argyle St, Moss Vale

Bare Body Beauty Co.

Bare Body Beauty Co. is a local favourite, known for its handmade natural skincare, body care, and bath essentials. With two beautiful Bowral locations, both stores invite you to slow down, test the scrubs at the playstation, and find your new skin favourites. Everything is made by hand in the Southern Highlands using pure, plant-based ingredients that feel as good as they look.

High Street location: Shop 21, 310-312 Bong Bong Street, Bowral

Dirty Janes location: 15 Banyette Street, Bowral

The Shoe Merchant

Birkenstocks, Ecco, Emu Slippers, Floresheim, Frankie4, Louenhide and Rollie Nation are just a few of the beautifully designed brands stocked at The Shoe Merchant in Bowral. Fans of designer footwear travel from all over Sydney to Bowral to find shoes designed for everything from dancing to walking.

Bowral markets and op shops

There are plenty of upmarket stores to browse in Bowral. But it’s the affordable op shops and stores with vintage vibes that offer the biggest buzz for treasure hunters in Bowral. The Bowral Market is also a better-than-garden-variety market too. In addition to the quality bric-a-brac and artisan wares, it showcases the State’s bounty of fresh produce.

Bowral Market

Bowral Market , held on the second Saturday of each month, sells food, clothing, jewellery, plants, arts and crafts. The pet-friendly market sources a lot of fresh produce from the Southern Highlands. Hot tip: Stock your eco bag with a kilo of Robertson potatoes, a jar of Chapo’s Raw Honey and relishes from Lame Duck Foods.

Address: Bowral Bowling Club, 40 Shepherd St, Bowral

Timeless Fashion & Furniture

It’s all about the thrill of the hunt at The Southern Highlands Community Hospice Shop where you are likely to find everything from a powder-blue safari suit from the ‘70s to a military-style jacket, pair of cowboy boots, Portico clock or framed print signed by a local artist.

Address: 315 Bong Bong St, Bowral

Father Chris Riley Op Shop

Hard-core antique collectors and up-cyclers will enjoy rummaging for a bargain at this op shop . Father Chris Riley supports young people who are trying to turn their lives around so they can feel even more righteous about forgoing fast fashion while in pursuit of that cricket cardigan or glittering jumpsuit.

Address: 8 Bundaroo St, Bowral

Bowral Crafts Unlimited

Craft skills of yesteryear are still thriving thanks to the charitable nans, aunties of the Southern Highlands. Their wonderful handiwork is on show at Bowral Crafts Unlimited , the collective serving the Wingecarribee community since 1972. More than 60 volunteers work to craft wares that are sold to support community services such as the local hospital and Rural Fire Service.

Address: 22 Wingecarribee St, Corbet Plaza, Bowral

The heavens take centre stage at this Outback NSW glamping lodge.

Crane your neck. Look up. If it’s nighttime in a major Australian city, you might see a faint dusting of stars. Now imagine yourself out in the bush. Here, those stars aren’t just scattered dots – instead, they’re smudged across the sky in endless, glittering streaks. Welcome to Wilderluxe Lake Keepit , a new glamping lodge in one of the most picturesque corners of outback NSW.

Between its eight stargazing tents, Gilay Guest Lounge, and shared tales of the Dreamtime night sky, this retreat is designed to exist in harmony with the breathtaking lake and surrounding landscape. Intrigued? Here’s everything you need to know.

Bathed in warm light, a couple watches the sun dip beyond the horizon. — Watch the sky melt into magic at Wilderluxe.

Getting to Wilderluxe Lake Keepit

Wilderluxe Lake Keepit is in the NSW Northern Tablelands, bordered by the Great Dividing Range. The lake itself is hard to miss: this mammoth body of water is two-thirds the size of Sydney Harbour.

Just 40 minutes from Tamworth and close to Gunnedah, it’s on the inland route between Sydney and Byron Bay. Drive or take one of the daily flights to Tamworth’s airport.

Aerial view of Wilderluxe. — Let vast waters and towering ranges set the scene for your escape.

Wilderluxe Lake Keepit rooms

Don’t settle for a paltry room when you can sleep directly under the cosmos. Wilderluxe offers eight domed ‘Star Tents’ , all named after Aboriginal sky stories – like Djirri Djirri, the sacred messenger bird, Baiame, the Sky Father and great creator, and Dhinawan, the Emu in the Sky constellation.

On a clear night, use your tent’s retractable roof for gazing above or wander to the outdoor bathtub on your private deck to soak under the night sky. No need to go anywhere. You can stay put come evening with a kitchenette inside and a gas barbecue on the deck.

A couple gazes up at a sky ablaze with stars at Wilderluxe. — Sleep beneath the stars.

Style and character

When it comes to aesthetics, Wilderluxe Lake Keepit stays on trend. The encampment blends with its surroundings, building up layers of minimalist visuals that mirror the ever-changing curves of the water.

Earthy tones, natural materials and timber finishes also anchor the retreat in its bushland surrounds. It’s enough to deepen the sense of calm you’ll experience as you drive off-grid, and this is only heightened as you spot kangaroos grazing at dawn or hear the chatter of native birds by the lake.

The dreamy sunset at Wilderluxe. — Go off-grid in style at Wilderluxe Lake Keepit.

Wilderluxe Lake Keepit dining

‘Dinner and a show’ hits differently with the property’s Big Sky dinner experience . Hosted in the Gilay Lounge, enjoy complimentary drinks and a grazing table with the host, followed by a screening of Big Sky Dreaming, a film produced exclusively for Wilderluxe guests in which Kamilaroi storyteller Uncle Len Waters narrates tales of the Dreaming above.

Once your imagination has been fed, it’s time to take a seat fireside for a glass of Australian port and a serving of s’mores.

Keen to explore the wider area? Staff can provide barbecue and picnic hampers, stuffed with regional meats, cheeses and organic local fare.

Wilderluxe Lake Keepit facilities

While you could very well spend all your time in your tent, sometimes it’s time to hit pause on the celestial show. Instead, make your way up to the Gilay Guest Lounge, where you can relax on the deck overlooking the lake or the outdoor fire pits. It’s a great way to unwind and clink glasses with other stargazers.

The Gilay Lounge with the view of the lake. — Unwind by the fire and raise a glass at Gilay Lounge.

Wilderluxe Lake Keepit experiences

No need to turn nocturnal; when the sun rises, there are still plenty of ways to touch the sky.

Lake Keepit hosted the 2020 Women’s World Gliding Championships, and it’s one of the best places in Australia to stretch your wings. The local Soaring Club operates year-round, meaning you can book a gliding experience any day of the year – or opt for a scenic flight to take in the vast beauty from above.

Prefer to keep your feet on solid ground? There are plenty of walking and cycling trails in and around the area. Luckily, bikes are part of the Wilderluxe package. All you have to do is ask a staff member for their favourite route, throw a picnic onto the back and cycle off into the great beyond.

Alternatively, nab a stand-up paddleboard (SUP) or kayak and head out onto the lake. Or, if you’re feeling lucky, borrow a fishing rod and try your chances.

A person kayaking through serene waters. — Paddle into peace.

The details

A two-night minimum twin-share accommodation package includes Big Sky dinner and drinks experience, plus daily continental breakfast. As well as access to leisure equipment including mountain bikes, kayaks, SUPs and fishing gear.

The interiors of the glamping tent. — Let nature restore you, while luxury takes care of the rest.

Start planning your outback glamping adventure at wilderluxe.com.au.

A guide to 19 of the best shops in Bowral and surrounds