Visiting the Blue Mountains
A sandstone plateau cut by canyons, west of Sydney, on the World Heritage list. The blue is no figure of speech: the eucalyptus trees release fine droplets of oil into the air that tint the horizon. A single ridge carries the road and the railway, and the villages follow one another along it like stations, from Springwood to Mount Victoria.
Katoomba has the Three Sisters and most of the visitors. Leura, next door, has its gardens and cafés. Further on, Blackheath opens onto the finest lookouts and the wildest trails. You come to walk along the edge, climb down to the waterfalls and breathe the cool air of the heights, a thousand metres above the city.
You will love it if
- You love hiking, from easy lookouts to wild canyons
- You want a nature escape by train from Sydney
- You like mountain villages, their cafés and their old hotels
Give it a miss if
- You want high mountains: these are cliffs, not peaks
- You turn up on a summer Saturday without booking: Echo Point overflows
- You dread the cold: in winter, nights often freeze
The must-sees
-
Three sandstone pinnacles facing the Jamison Valley, seen from the Echo Point lookout in Katoomba. Come at sunrise, when the rock lights up and the coaches have not yet arrived. The Giant Stairway, nearly nine hundred steps, leads down to the foot of the sisters.
-
2 Blackheath's Grand Canyon Hike
A six-kilometre loop that plunges into a gorge of tree ferns beneath dripping walls, then climbs back up to Evans Lookout. Allow three to four hours and good shoes: the steps are wet, even in summer.
-
Among the oldest known open caves in the world, at the end of a winding road an hour and a half from Katoomba. White limestone chambers and underground rivers are visited in guided groups. Book your tour ahead, especially at weekends.
-
4 Christmas in July Festival
In the southern hemisphere, Christmas falls in high summer. So from June to August, the Blue Mountains celebrate a second Christmas once winter arrives: festive dinners in the old hotels, open fires and, on some mornings, a little frost on the eucalyptus.
-
5 Mount Wilson in autumn Village
A hamlet of gardens planted with European trees in the 19th century, north of the ridge. In April and May, oaks, maples and beeches turn red and gold, a rare sight in Australia. Come midweek: the narrow roads jam on Sundays.
The classic trap
Doing the Blue Mountains as a day trip from Sydney by coach, with a twenty-minute stop at Echo Point. You will see the Three Sisters through a crowd, and nothing else. Take the train, spend a night up there, and walk at least one trail down to the floor of a valley.
Our itineraries in the Blue Mountains
| Length | Itinerary | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| 2 days | Katoomba › Leura | The Three Sisters, Scenic World, the Leura cascades |
| 4 days | Wentworth Falls › Leura › Katoomba › Blackheath | The waterfalls, the villages, the Grand Canyon and Govetts Leap |
| 1 week | From Springwood to Mount Victoria, then Jenolan and Mount Wilson | The whole ridge, the caves, the gardens and the Megalong Valley |
Start at Wentworth Falls and its waterfalls, then settle in Leura or Katoomba for the Three Sisters and Scenic World. The next day, head up to Blackheath for the Grand Canyon and the Govetts Leap lookout. Got a week? Add Jenolan Caves, Mount Wilson and lunch at a farm in the Megalong Valley.
When to visit the Blue Mountains
| Interest | Season | Temperatures | The highlight | Crowds and prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SummerDec. to Feb. | 13 to 25°C | Waterfalls and long days | High | |
| AutumnMar. to May | 7 to 20°C | The colours of Mount Wilson | Medium | |
| WinterJune to Aug. | 1 to 12°C | Christmas in July and open fires | Medium | |
| SpringSept. to Nov. | 6 to 20°C | Gardens and rhododendrons in bloom | Medium |
Our advice
Come in the Australian spring or autumn, from September to November or March to May: walking is pleasant, the gardens bloom or blaze, and the trails stay quiet midweek. Summer is bushfire season: check track closures before you set off. Winter is cold but clear, and often superb.
Getting to the Blue Mountains
-
By plane to Sydney The only way
From London, allow around twenty-two hours of travel with one stop, in Asia or the Middle East. UK travellers need an ETA, applied for through the official app before departure.
-
By train from Sydney The simplest
The Blue Mountains Line leaves Sydney's Central Station and serves every village on the ridge. Katoomba is about two hours away, for the price of a city transport fare. Sit on the left going up for the view.
-
By car on the Great Western Highway For freedom
Allow an hour and a half to two hours from central Sydney. A car becomes useful for Jenolan, Mount Wilson and the Megalong Valley, which the train does not serve.
If you are staying around Katoomba and Leura, the train is enough: the stations are in the heart of the villages, and many trails start on foot. Only hire a car in Sydney if you want to go further. Pack a jumper, even in summer: it is often eight degrees cooler than in the city.
Getting around the Blue Mountains
The train links the ridge villages every hour, and a hop-on hop-off tourist bus loops round the lookouts between Katoomba and Leura. For Jenolan Caves, Mount Wilson or the Megalong Valley, a car is still essential. And you will often reach the next village on foot, along the clifftop trails.
Good to know
You drive on the left in Australia, as at home. A UK licence in English is accepted for visitors in New South Wales. Slow down at dawn and dusk on country roads: kangaroos and wombats cross without warning.
What to eat in the Blue Mountains
- Scones and tea: the tradition of the tea rooms in Leura and Blackheath, with jam and cream.
- Meat pies: from the village bakeries, to take out on the trails.
- Bilpin apples: from the orchards along Bells Line of Road, in juice, cider and tarts in autumn.
- Bush flavours: wattleseed, finger lime and lemon myrtle on the menus of the mountain restaurants.
- Regional wines: from the vineyards in the neighbouring hills, to try in Katoomba's wine bars.
- Winter feasts: roasts and Christmas puddings, served in July in the old hotels.
To eat like the locals, have breakfast in a café on the main street of Leura or Blackheath, where the food is as good as in Sydney. Stop at an apple stall on the Bilpin road in autumn. And keep an evening for dinner by the fire in an old hotel.
Where to stay in the Blue Mountains
| Area | What for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Katoomba | Three Sisters, Scenic World, the station | The most practical |
| Leura | Gardens, cafés, waterfalls | The most charming |
| Blackheath | Grand Canyon, Govetts Leap, good restaurants | The wildest |
| Medlow Bath and Mount Victoria | Grand historic hotels, peace and quiet | The most elegant |
| The lower mountains | Springwood, Wentworth Falls, closer to Sydney | The mildest |
How much does a trip in the Blue Mountains cost?
| Trip | Length | Budget per person |
|---|---|---|
| Budget (hostel, train, picnics) | 5 days | €450 to €700 |
| Comfort (guest house, car, good restaurants) | 5 days | €900 to €1,500 |
| Luxury (historic hotel, spa, fine dining) | 5 days | €2,200 to €4,000 |
- The train: the trip from Sydney costs the price of a city fare, capped per day; it is the clearest saving.
- The trails: they are free, like the lookouts; only Scenic World and Jenolan Caves charge.
- Midweek: from Monday to Thursday, rooms often cost far less than on a Saturday.
- Meals: village bakeries and cafés feed you well for little, at lunch and dinner.
- The national park: you only pay for parking at a few lookouts, and entry is free elsewhere.
Traditions and way of life in the Blue Mountains
These mountains are the country of the Darug and Gundungurra peoples, who have lived here for tens of thousands of years. For them the Three Sisters carry a legend, of three sisters turned to stone, and the park holds rock shelters decorated with paintings and engravings.
For twenty-five years the cliffs blocked Sydney's settlers. In 1813, three explorers finally found the way along the ridge, and the road and then the railway followed. At the end of the 19th century, wealthy Sydneysiders came up for the air to grand hotels, like the one at Medlow Bath, clinging above the valley. Passing through Katoomba? Look up at its Art Deco facades: the town has kept the look of its heyday.