Discover the Blue Mountains (Visitor Guide)

In this Blue Mountains visitor guide you will find essential information to help you make the most of your visit to Sydney’s most popular national park.

Find insider tips on how best to get to the Blue Mountains, where to find the best walks, lookout points and waterfalls, where to stay overnight, and the best things to do on a day trip.

The Blue Mountains are a mountainous region in New South Wales, Australia, approximately 60km west of the Sydney CBD.

The highest point is Mount Boyce near Blackheath, which has its peak at more than 1,000 meters above sea level.

The most popular regions in the Blue Mountains are (from east to west):

• Wentworth Falls:
  A town that is home to one of the largest waterfalls in the Blue Mountains that goes by the same name. You will find lots of bushwalking tracks and lookout points in the Wentworth Falls area.
• Leura:
  One of the most popular tourist towns in the Blue Mountains, with lots of cafes and little shops. Leura is also home to Leura Cascades and various scenic lookout points.
• Katoomba:
  Katoomba is considered the epicentre of the Blue Mountains. Here is where you will find major tourist attractions, such as the Three Sisters, Scenic World, and Katoomba Falls.
• Blackheath:
  A bit further away along the Great Western Highway is Blackheath, a quieter version of Leura and Katoomba. Blackheath is home to some of the best bushwalks and lookouts in the Blue Mountains region.

Other interesting areas to visit in the Blue Mountains that are a bit further away are the Lithgow area, the Mount Victoria area, and the Bells Line of Road area, which is home to the beautiful Blue Mountains Botanic Garden.

The Blue Mountains region is popular not just because it’s so pretty, but also because the area is so easily accessible by car and by train. It takes around 90 minutes from Sydney to get to Katoomba by car, and less than two hours by train.

Check out our comprehensive guide to getting to the Blue Mountains to read more about how to travel to the different areas, and the best ways to get around.

With so many things to see and do, such as hikes, lookouts, waterfalls and trendy townships, it’s challenging to work out where to go and what to do.

To help you decide where to go and how best to spend your time in this beautiful national park, we have come up with an extensive list of best things to do in the Blue Mountains.

If you’d like to explore the beautiful Leura area in the Blue Mountains, we’ve got you covered.

We have written a guide to the best things to do in Leura, from scenic lookouts to exciting walking trails and unique sights.

The Blue Mountains is a true paradise for passionate bushwalkers as well as for casual hikers, with literally hundreds of beautiful walks to choose from.

To help you pick a great walk for your next adventure, we have selected the best walks in the Blue Mountains, from short and easy trails to full-day hikes.

Three top rated walking tracks:

• Grand Canyon walk
• Valley of the Waters
• Lockleys Pylon walking track

If you love chasing waterfalls, Sydney’s most popular national park will not disappoint. The Blue Mountains is in fact home to several beautiful waterfalls, some easy to access and others a bit harder to find.

We have listed the most scenic waterfalls in the Blue Mountains that you can get very close to with a bit of bushwalking involved.

Three top rated waterfalls:

• Empress Falls
• Katoomba Falls
• Wentworth Falls

Perhaps the best way to discover the unique beauty of the Blue Mountains is by visiting lookout points that provide scenic views of deep valleys and high sandstone cliff walls.

We have shortlisted the best lookout points in the Blue Mountains, some very easy to get to, others a bit more challenging to find.

Three top rated lookout points:

• Govetts Leap lookout
• Lincoln’s Rock lookout
• Echo Point at the Three Sisters

There is nothing quite like swimming in a natural waterhole, ideally with a pretty waterfall dropping into the pool.

But going for a dip certainly is not the only reason to visit these wild swimming holes. The beautiful scenery and the exciting bush walking trails to get to these spots are just as enjoyable.

We have listed the most scenic swimming holes in the Blue Mountains, including details on how best to find them.

The Blue Mountains isn’t just for hiking or sightseeing, it’s also a fantastic day trip destination to have a picnic in the great outdoors.

We have shortlisted the most scenic picnic spots in the Blue Mountains, some easy to find with great facilities, and others a bit harder to get to but with fantastic views.

Lots of visitors to the Blue Mountains typically don’t see much more than the Three Sisters, Katoomba, Leura Cascades and Scenic World. Whilst these are certainly great destinations, there is so much more to see and do.

We have created a guide with different Blue Mountains day trip itineraries that you can do by car and by train. Some of these day trips are focussed on bushwalking, and others are more geared towards sightseeing.

If you don’t have access to a car, or if you simply don’t know where to go and prefer to have a guide taking you to the best places, an organised day tour to the Blue Mountains is a great option.

We have listed six of the best Blue Mountains day tours from Sydney, tours that will bring you to the most iconic destinations in comfort and style.

Whilst you can see and do so many things in the Blue Mountains in one day, it’s definitely worth spending a night or two in one of the various townships.

If you’re looking for a good place to stay, check out our Blue Mountains hotel guide with great hotel ideas in different locations.