The famous Blue Mountains: breathtaking views, surrounding nature, it seems to be the ideal destination for a one-day experience. Only 2 hours from the city, the place is far enough to escape the busy Sydney CBD and dive into a complete different atmosphere.
This is an absolutely must-do trip for all working holiday visa holders that comes to Sydney, and you probably agree with that, but I know people who have been living there for years and have never visited this magical place! So for all of you who are still not sure if it’s worth it or not, let me introduce you to one of the best destinations in New South Wales!
To get there just catch the train in Central station, and get off in Katoomba, the starting point of most tours. After a 2-hour trip, you’ll be surprised by the temperature difference, especially if you decide to go there in fall or winter. After all, the town is located at more than 1000 metres, so it can be really cooler than Sydney! Don’t forget to bring warm clothes, just in case…
Of course you can start with the popular attractions of Scenic World, which will give you a good overview of the hugeness of the Blue Mountains. Allow 2-3 hours to complete the tour, and then, after you’ve lunched admiring the mountains, you can start a walk towards Leura Falls, and if you feel like walking a few kilometers more, you can even reach Wentworth falls. You’ll enjoy a fresh and peaceful environment all along the way and will be stunned by the various lookouts.
How to organize your day?
I went to the Blue Mountains three times, and it was always a great experience and an amazingly relaxing day (even though it was exhausting, it felt incredibly good to leave the busy city and beaches for a few hours). I suggest here an itinerary that combines each of my trips, and I’m sure you will enjoy it as much as I did, if not more!
Laura’s 5 steps to make it happen
Step 1: Getting there
Leave from Central Station around 8am and you’ll arrive 2 hours later in Katoomba.
Step 2: Buying all your tickets
You can then buy your tickets for Scenic World attractions in the shop “Trolley Tours”, just across the station, and I recommend you buy a hop-on hop-off ticket, which will be very helpful to go down to the Three Sisters, and then from Scenic Cableway back to Echo Point.
Step 3: Morning tours
Start with Scenic Skyway, for stunning 360° views over the cliffs and the Three Sisters. Head to Scenic Railway, and enjoy a ride with an incline of 52°. The railway will drive you to the heart of the rainforest, where you can take a 2.4 km walk on the Scenic Walkway. Finally, you can make it back to the top aboard Scenic Cableway.
Step 4: Relaxing
When you’ve done all this, well, it should be lunchtime! So take it easy, relax, and refill your tummy before you go for an amazing walk!
Step 5: Afternoon walk
Start from Echo Point, and follow the track towards Leura Cascades. You can keep on walking to Wentworth falls, and finish with Charles Darwin walk, which will lead you to Wentworth falls train Station. Don’t forget to follow the path to all the different lookouts to make you day complete! Altogether, it’s an approximately 10 km hike, but this is not a hard one. And it‘s really worth the effort! If such a long walk is not what you’re looking for, catch the “Discovery Trolley” and get off Gordon Falls (stop 10). Then, walk back to Leura Cascades and get on the bus again on stop 13. The walk is about 1.5 hour, and will offer beautiful views all along the way!
Price info
Train: around $15 for the return, but you can probably get a cheaper ticket if you avoid peak hours!
Hop-on Hop-off: $25 with Trolley Tours
Scenic World: $35
Package trolley+Scenic World: $60 with Trolley Tours
When you get home after this beautiful day, you’ll feel tired, but you’ll be relaxed and your head full of wonderful images! I hope you now want to go (or go back) to the Blue Mountains, and even if you’re not a real hiker, there’s plenty of shorter walks, from 500m to 2km. In the Blue Mountains, there’s something for absolutely everyone! Follow these steps or find a travel experience that you meets your budget and time frame.