If you’ve been to Sydney, there’s a good chance you’ve gone (or been told to go) to the Blue Mountains. And for a good reason! The Blue Mountains are only an hour or two from Sydney, depending on how you travel, and have many incredible things to offer. We’re going to share with you some of our favourite things to do in the Blue Mountains. You can easily spend a few nights in the Blue Mountains, but it’s also more than possible in a day. You can see what other day trips we recommend from Sydney here.
Fun fact: The Blue Mountains got their name from the blue tinge that you can see from a distance. This occurs due to the eucalyptus oil that is released from the trees.
Getting to the Blue Mountains
Some parts of the Blue Mountains are easily accessible by train from Sydney, you’ll need to drive to other places. If you’re able to, we would definitely recommend driving. It means you can see more of what the Blue Mountains has to offer, and gives you flexibility.
By Car
If you choose to drive, there are two main roads that cross the Blue Mountains. The Great Western Highway travels from Penrith on the outskirts of Sydney up through Blaxland and Katoomba. Bells Line of Road leaves Sydney in Richmond, and heads up through Bilpin and Mount Tomah.
Make sure you plan ahead, as you can’t travel easily from one road to the other without heading back out to Sydney, or most of the way through the mountains. It’s also not uncommon for sections of road to be closed when there’s been bad weather. Keep an eye on google maps to make sure you’re able to use the roads you’re planning. If you’ve got the time, it would be best to head up one way and do a loop around to come home down the other road.
By Train
If you don’t have access to a car, or would prefer not to drive, the other option is to make use of Sydney’s train network. The best towns to head to are Katoomba and Leura as both are easily accessible by train. Trains leave from Central every 15 minutes or so on the weekend and in peak hour, and roughly every 30-60 minutes during the day on weekdays.
The train journey takes almost 2 hours per way and costs $7.23 outside peak hour or $10.33 during peak hour (as of July 2024). For intercity trains peak hour times are 6am – 10am and 3pm – 7pm. You can use the TripView app to check the train times and plan your journey.
The Best Things to do in the Blue Mountains
Scenic World
Scenic World is located in Katoomba, and is definitely one of the main attractions of the Blue Mountains. It is home to the world’s steepest railway (which is much steeper than you’d think – believe us!), as well as a cable car, both of which take you down to the valley floor. At the bottom, there is a raised walkway through the natural rainforest that sits at the base of the cliffs.
There is also a skyway which travels about 700m across the valley to the other side, providing wonderful views of the valley 270m below, and the Three Sisters. Scenic World has various events throughout the year. Be sure to check the Scenic World Website to find out if there’s anything on when you’re planning to visit.
Getting to Scenic World is super easy by car or public transport. There is free parking available in the Scenic World car park, which is right next to the entrance. Alternatively, there is a bus from Katoomba train station that stops around a 10 minute walk from the entrance.
We would recommend booking online for Scenic World to reduce the time you have to wait in line. Don’t book too far in advance, though, as you’ll want to make sure the weather is nice so you can really soak in the beautiful views!
Echo Point and the Three Sisters Walk
The Three Sisters is an incredible rock formation near Katoomba. It’s probably the most well-known attraction in the Blue Mountains. Echo Point is the lookout over the formation and is the starting point for the Three Sisters Walk.
The walk isn’t long (less than 1km return), and is an easy walk for much of the way. There is a lookout just above the sisters, which is easy to reach. From there, there is a steep staircase that takes you down to Honeymoon Bridge, where you can walk across to the first sister. The staircase is steep and uneven, and is usually quite busy. Make sure you’re comfortable to make the slow journey back up before you head down.
There’s plenty of parking around Echo Point, but much of it is paid. If you’re able to walk, the best option is to park several streets away, and walk down to the Lookout. Otherwise, there’s a bus that runs from Katoomba station to Echo Point, which is a great option as well!
It’s important to remember on your visit to the Three Sisters that the site is culturally significant to Indigenous Australians. There is a traditional story as to how the formation came to be. Be respectful while you’re visiting the Sisters, and don’t leave behind any rubbish.
Visit the Towns
The towns in the Blue Mountains have so much character, and they’re definitely worth exploring. There are many things to see and do in a number of the towns. You could take a walk along Glenbrook Lagoon walking track in Glenbrook at the base of the Blue Mountains. Leura has some charming cafes and boutique stores. If you’d like to get into nature, you could see the waterfalls along the South Lawson Waterfall track.
Some of our personal favourite places to visit are the Bakehouse on Wentworth and the Candy Store in Leura to fill up on pies and lollies. There’s also some great antique stores in Leura and Blackheath. And there’s always a good bush walk or two in most of the towns in the Blue Mountains, ranging from short circuits to full day (or longer) hikes.
Along the other road through the Mountains, Mount Wilson is a great place to stop in for some incredible gardens and beautiful views. There are several gardens in Mount Wilson that are open to the public for a small donation. They all offer stunning foliage, particularly in Autumn when the leaves begin to turn. Some great ones to check out are Breenhold Gardens, Bebeah Gardens, or Nooroo Garden. Not all the Mount Wilson gardens are open all year round, so if you’re visiting in Summer or Winter, make sure you check out the Mount Wilson website for more info on what you can see when you visit.
If you’re driving through the Blue Mountains, there’s no reason not to stop in at the various towns along the way – you never know what you’ll find!
Campbell Rhododendron Garden
In Blackheath, (a couple of train stations or a 15 minute drive past Katoomba), there is a stunning Rhododendron Garden, where beautiful exotic flowers have been planted alongside the native plant life. Try to visit the Campbell Garden in either spring or autumn to get the best views.
From March to August the gardens are open from 9am to 4pm. However from September to February they’re open from 9am to 6pm and there is parking on site all year round. They ask for a $5 donation for adults so make sure you’ve got cash on hand, but children are free.
Blue Mountains Botanic Garden
The Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens are on the north side of the Blue Mountains, in Mount Tomah. The garden is enormous, and has so many different sections, based on the kinds of plant life that grow together. It’s easy to spend a few hours wandering around the garden and taking in the incredible view. The best part is, entry is completely free!
Unfortunately, a big chunk of the Garden was affected by the bushfires at the end of 2019, but a lot of the Garden was unharmed, and they are working hard to restore the areas that were damaged. It’s definitely worth checking out the Botanic Garden, and having a snack or a meal at the beautiful cafe that overlooks the garden and the incredible mountains in the distance.
There’s no public transport option for the Botanic Garden, or really anything in the Mountains that’s located along Bells Line of Road. If you’re planning to head up this way, you’ll need to take a car.
Apple Picking in Bilpin
Bilpin is known for its incredible apple orchards, many of which offer apple picking at certain times of year. Some of the best orchards for picking are the Bilpin Springs Orchard, Pine Crest Orchard, Shields Orchard, Bilpin Fruit Bowl, and TNT Produce.
Similar to Mount Tomah, Bilpin is located along Bells Line of Road, so there isn’t a public transport option for getting there easily. It would be well worth it to hire a car for the day to travel up to Bilpin and Mount Tomah, before continuing on to Mount Wilson before heading back into Sydney.
Glenbernie Family Farms
This is a family run farm accessible by car only about 1 hours drive North of Sydney. The farm is off Bells Line of Road which means it’s a great stop on the way to Bilpin or Mount Tomah. It’s open Saturdays and Sundays from 9am-3pm throughout all of winter. Before visiting it’s important to check their Facebook or Instagram pages in case the farm has to close for weather reasons.
Parking is free in front of the farm and there are bathrooms on site. If you want to cut some flowers, bring your own bucket and clippers (or you can hire some) and it’s $5 a stem. If you don’t want to cut any and just want to take some cute photos, the entry fee is just $5. They mostly have sunflowers but there are lots of other colourful flowers as well.
There is also a paddock with some cows, which you are able to go into. When we visited, there were a few calves that were still quite young, and it was so fun getting to play with them! Lastly, they also have some fun events such as a twilight sunflower picking with a fire pit and food trucks on site as well as a wedding expo.
The Blue Mountains has so much to offer whether you’re visiting with a car or just using public transport. It can make for a great day trip, weekend away, or a longer escape from the city. Let us know if you visit any of these places – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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