Subscribe

Pete Seaward

Blue Mountains

With stunning natural beauty, the World Heritage region of the Blue Mountains is an Australian highlight. The slate-coloured haze that gives the mountains their name comes from a fine mist of oil exuded by the huge eucalypts that form a dense canopy across the landscape of deep, often inaccessible valleys and chiselled sandstone outcrops.

The foothills begin 65km inland from Sydney, rising to an 1100m-high sandstone plateau riddled with valleys eroded into the stone. There are eight connected conservation areas in the region offering truly fantastic scenery, excellent bushwalks (hikes) and Aboriginal heritage: this is the country of the Darug and Gundungurra peoples.

Although it’s possible to day trip from Sydney, consider staying a night (or longer) so you can explore the towns, do at least one bushwalk and eat at some of the excellent restaurants. The hills can be surprisingly cool throughout the year, so bring warm clothes.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Blue Mountains.

  • Landmark

    Three Sisters

    The Blue Mountains' essential sight is a rocky trio called the Three Sisters. Just an hour outside of Sydney, they stand at over 2953ft (900m) and a 1640ft (500m) trail from the main Echo Point lookout platform leads to more lookouts and a bridge across to the first Sister. They were formed over 200 million years ago when volcanic lava pushed through sedimentary rock and transformed it into stone towers. However, the local legend of their formation is much more intriguing. Legend of the Three Sisters According to Aboriginal legend the sisters, Meehni, Wimlah and Gunnedoo, were members of the Katoomba tribe and lived in the Jamison Valley. All three sisters fell in love with three brothers from a neighboring tribe and wanted to marry them...something that was strictly forbidden by tribal law. The brothers were so determined to wed their beloveds that they started a war with the other tribe to overturn the ban on intermarriage. Fighting became so intense that a witch doctor in the sisters' tribe turned them to stone in order to protect them from the violence. His plan to turn them back into women when it was safe was thwarted when he himself was killed in battle. The sisters stayed immortalized in stone forever, never to be reunited with their lost loves.

  • Cave

    Jenolan Caves

    Far from other Blue Mountains attractions, the limestone Jenolan Caves is one of the most extensive, accessible and complex systems in the world – a vast network that’s still being explored. The numerous caverns are a spectacular sight with vast subterranean spaces, otherworldly limestone formations and an underground river. Cave visits run throughout the day but book up fast, so it's worth reserving in advance online. If you don't, you may face a substantial wait at busy periods, especially if you're a group.

  • Viewpoint

    Echo Point

    Echo Point's clifftop viewing platform offers a magical prospect of the area's most essential sight, a rocky trio called the Three Sisters, sacred to the Gundungurra people. Warning: the point draws vast, serenity-spoiling tourist gaggles, their idling buses farting fumes into the mountain air. Arrive early or late to avoid them, or skip the scene by heading along the escarpment-hugging Prince Henry Cliff walk; you'll soon leave the crowds behind. Parking is pricey in nearby streets. There's a tourist office here.

  • National Park

    Blue Mountains National Park

    Part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, this vast national park has over 140km of walking trails.

  • Nature Reserve

    Wentworth Falls Reserve

    The falls that lend the town its name launch a plume of spray over a 300m drop. This is the starting point of several walking tracks that delve into the sublime Valley of the Waters, with waterfalls, gorges, woodlands and rainforests. Be sure to stretch your legs along the 1km return to Princes Rock, which offers excellent views of Wentworth Falls and the Jamison Valley. The reserve is 2.5km from Wentworth Falls Station on the other side of the highway.

  • Viewpoint

    Evans Lookout

    Signposted 4km from the highway in Blackheath, this lookout presents a magnificent perspective of sandstone cliffs dropping to the valley and canyon below. It's one of the most scenic of the Blue Mountains lookouts, and is also a trailhead for the majestic Grand Canyon Walk, perhaps the area's best half-day excursion.

  • Viewpoint

    Sublime Point

    Southeast of Leura, this sharp, triangular outcrop narrows to a dramatic lookout with sheer cliffs on each side. It's much, much quieter than Katoomba's more famous Echo Point, and on sunny days cloud shadows dance across the vast blue valley below. You can spot the backside of the Three Sisters from here too.

  • Village

    Leura

    Leura, 3km east of Katoomba, is a gracious, affluent town, fashioned around undulating streets, unparalleled gardens and sweeping Victorian verandahs. The Mall, the tree-lined main street, offers rows of country craft stores and cafes for the daily tourist influx.

  • Cable Car

    Scenic World

    This long-time favourite, the Blue Mountains' most touristy attraction, offers spectacular views. Ride the glass-floored Skyway gondola across the gorge and then take the vertiginously steep Scenic Railway, billed as the steepest railway in the world, down the 52-degree incline to the Jamison Valley floor. From here you can wander a 2.4km forest boardwalk before catching a cable car back up the slope.

Featured videos

New South Wales, Australia: from Sydney to the Blue Mountains

3:58