The Blue Mountains are an hour and a half outside of Sydney, Australia. This proximity makes them a popular day trip, but in my opinion they deserve a couple of days of exploration. Here are some ideas for a Blue Mountains itinerary – why not use this weekend guide to make the most of your time in this striking highland landscape!
Australia has around 650 national parks, and New South Wales has over 225 alone. The Blue Mountains is approximately 2,690 square kms (1,040 square miles) in size. It is a part of the larger Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, known for its stunning landscapes, rich biodiversity, and cultural significance to the Aboriginal people, particularly the Darkinjung, Dharawal, Dharug, Gundungurra, Wonnarua and Wiradjuri nations.
How to spend 2-3 Days in the Blue Mountains, NSW
Getting to the Blue Mountains
By Car
The Blue Mountains are only 1.5 hours drive along the Great Western Highway from downtown Sydney. The drive really couldn’t be any simpler. We found the most time consuming part was getting out of the traffic in Sydney itself!
There were no parking issues during our visit, although we visited mid-week in early November, so not exactly high season.
By Public Transport
The train out to the Blue Mountains is just as easy. The Blue Mountains Line runs from Sydney Central to Mount Victoria in a little over 2 hours. This terribly scenic train ride is a great way to visit the area for the weekend. Once there, you can either hop from train station to train station to explore the villages, or take local buses.
Being without a car does limit you a little as far as the locations you can reach easily, but for a weekend visit it is ideal.
By Tour
The other way to visit the Blue Mountains is by tour. There are day trip tours from Sydney, including tours that include other fun stops. And there is the Explorer Hop-on-hop-off bus that takes you from Katoomba to various popular spots around the canyons.
Where to Stay in the Blue Mountains
Katoomba is our favourite base for exploring the Blue Mountains. It has an array of accommodation options, from hostels to self-catering, mid-range motels and luxury hotels with views out over the canyons. We stayed at the Kurrara Historic Guest House and it was lovely. For a budget option, try the Flying Fox Backpackers by the station; and for amazing views near Three Sisters, try Echoes Boutique Hotel Blue Mountains.
Leura is a super cute town, with a main street full of shops and cafes. Period homes are plentiful here, like the beautiful Leura House, built in 1880.
If you’re looking for a period property with seclusion and style, the Hydro Majestic Hotel Blue Mountains is a gorgeous hotel!
Blue Mountains Itinerary : 1-3 Days
1 day in the Blue Mountains
If you’ve only got 1 day in the Blue Mountains, here are my suggestions. You don’t need to pack it all in or spend a lot, there are plenty of beautiful lookouts, hikes and cheap things to do without spending loads on attractions. Nature is the drawcard here!
Three Sisters
The Three Sisters rock formation in Katoomba is the most photographed site in the Blue Mountains. The three pinnacles are easy to see from a well designed double lookout overlooking the plateau and ancient forests. It is a view that you can enjoy over and over, as it changes with the light.
Legend has it that there were once three sisters, Meehni, Wimlah, and Gunnedoo, who fell in love with 3 boys from the neighbouring tribe. Alas this was against tribal law, so the boys kidnapped the girls. A war ensued. To protect the girls, a tribal elder used powerful magic to turn the girls to stone, but the elder died in battle, and the spell could not be reversed. The girls are forever frozen.
Giant Stairway Or Lady Darley’s Lookout
Choose one of the hikes near to the Three Sisters. Take a wander out to Lady Darley’s Lookout, an easy and well-maintained trail to more canyon views. Or take the 800 steps at the Giant Stairway – this one is more strenuous, but absolutely beautiful.
Cheese & Wine at The Hydro
The Hydro Majestic is a beautiful art deco-style hotel in Medlow Bath, between Katoomba and Blackheath. Opening in 1904 as an Edwardian style health spa, it suffered fire damage in the 1940s and so is now a great mix of architectures.
A glass of bubbly and a cheese board at the Hydro is a brilliant pitstop on your weekend in the Blue Mountains. Enjoy the views out over the plateau from the huge windows, and revel in the grandeur of this historic hotel.
Cahill’s Lookout for Sunset
The sunset from Cahill’s Lookout is dreamy. There are lots of different lookout points, and the golden light as the sun hastens towards the horizon is just magical. When we were there, there were lots of people out on the cliffs near the Boars Head rocks, but I really wouldn’t recommend being out beyond the marked lookouts!
Dinner at Station Bar
The Station Bar in Katoomba is a lively spot with casual dining. The drawcard is the exceptional wood-fired pizzas. Only available to eat in, the pizzas come in fabulous flavours like ‘Zig Zag’, which is tandoori chicken, red onion, cashews, topped with fresh coriander & minted yoghurt – so yummy!
2 Days in the Blue Mountains
On your second day in the Blue Mountains, you can mix in some tourist activities with hikes and more amazing views.
Govertts Leap Lookout For Sunrise
If you’re an early bird and fancy a great spot for sunrise, then Govertts Leap is perfection. Located 15 minutes north of Katoomba in Blackheath, this lookout has the ideal layers of mountainous terrain in the foreground, with the sunrise illuminating the captivating scene. The joy of the Blue Mountains is that so many of these lookouts have been created and are maintained very well.
Leura Mall For Breakfast & Shopping
If you haven’t already enjoyed the shops of Leura, use this opportunity to explore the Mall and cafes. Grab a coffee or breakfast before heading out for your day of fun.
Scenic World
Scenic World is legacy turned tourist attraction. What was once a mining site with a train that took coal and shale up from the Jamison Valley, now attracts tourists from around the world. When mining ceased in the early 1940s, the railway was repurposed to transport visitors down into the valley, marking the beginning of this site as a tourist attraction. It was extensively renovated in recent years.
Note: you can’t buy separate tickets for each attraction, only a combination price – which does make it quite an expensive attraction.
- Scenic Railway – the steepest passenger railway in the world
- Scenic Skyway – a glass-bottomed cable car providing panoramic views of the Jamison Valley and Katoomba Falls
- Scenic Cableway – offers a smooth ride over the valley
- Scenic Walkway – a serene boardwalk through the ancient rainforest on the forest floor
Lunch with cockatoos
Before taking a walk down to Katoomba Falls, make a pitstop at the picnic area on Cliff Drive, Maple Park, or Prince Henry Picnic Area, to have a picnic lunch with the sulphur-crested cockatoos. They are the crazy clowns of Australian wildlife, and will keep you amused as they vie for crumbs and comb the grass for seeds.
While they will be attracted by your meal, don’t feed them as this can be harmful to their natural feeding habits.
Katoomba Falls
The Prince Henry Cliff Walk and Katoomba Falls is a lovely, not too strenuous wander through forest, punctuated by amazing lookouts over the falls and canyons. You gently weave along the valley on boardwalks until you reach a little dell with some cascading falls further upriver from the main big waterfall.
We saw a funnel web spider burrow on this walk… but don’t worry, they won’t bother you – just stick to the paths!
Cocktails at The Carrington
The Carrington is a heritage hotel, built in 1883 as the ‘Great Western Hotel’. It was renamed in 1886 after Lord Carrington, the Governor of New South Wales at the time. The Carrington has 65 rooms, and has recent upgrades (it was under partial renovation when we visited in November 2023). There was a lot of effort keeping the grandeur of the past alive.
We had pre-dinner cocktails at the bar, and they had a fantastic selection. My gin fizz was zingy and delicious. If you’re looking for drinks in a heritage setting, the Carrington is an elegant and interesting place for it.
Dinner at Boss Noodles
We were on a budget during our visit to the Blue Mountains, so we were always on the hunt for reasonably priced meals, and Boss Noodles ticked all the boxes. An unassuming noodle joint on Katoomba’s main street, it delivered some of the most delicious dishes I have ever had. The Laksa, Pad Thai and Massaman curry were all fantastic.
3 Days in the Blue Mountains
If you’re lucky enough to be spending 3 days in the Blue Mountains, here are my suggestions:
Wentworth Falls
The trail to Wentworth Falls has access to three different tiers of the falls, so you can choose to a short or a longer, more intense walk. The Blue Mountains really are set up for hikers and nature enthusiasts, so if you aren’t into that, or the many photography / relaxation opportunities, then a third day might not be necessary. If you’re over the hiking, then book yourself into a spa and enjoy a relaxing massage instead.
Brunch at the Yellow Deli
The Yellow Deli in Katoomba is a cute casual spot for brunch or lunch. Fill yourself up between fun outings from this cute cafe on the corner of Katoomba and Waratah Streets.
Hiking at Minnehaha Falls, Grand Canyon oR Zigzag Railway
If hiking is your jam, we enjoyed the easy walk to Minnehaha Falls, in an area called Yosemite. We found it amusing to visit the NSW version of Yosemite, as we had just been to the Yosemite Valley in California a few weeks prior!
If you’re visiting with railway enthusiasts, then visit the Zigzag Railway north of Mount Victoria, in the greater Blue Mountains and Seven Valleys region. This steam train only runs every 2 weeks, and only on the weekends, so if your schedule aligns it is a fun activity to do (30-minute drive north of Katoomba). Trains run at 10:30am, 12:30pm and 2:30pm on Saturday and Sundays, and 12:30pm on Fridays.
Lincoln Rock
On our final day in the Blue Mountains, we visited the stunning Lincoln Rock. This huge slab of rock is like a natural viewpoint overlooking the Jamison and Kedumba Valleys.
As you can see from the pictures below, my sister was brave enough to crawl to the edge, but I was not! It’s beautiful at anytime, but sunset would be a treat too.
Fine Dining at Darley’s Restaurant at Lilianfels
If you’re looking for a fine dining experience, for that romantic weekend in the mountains, consider Darley’s Restaurant at the grand Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort & Spa. This beautiful dining room has fabulous mountain views and refined cuisine. It would be good for a romantic meal with your loved one.
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All photos & content © Hannah Henderson and may not be used without permission (sharing this blog post is fine, though!). Images shot with a Canon DSLR T3i Rebel + Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM; and an iPhone.
