The Blue Mountains are a beautiful natural region just hours from Sydney, Australia. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is also one of the most popular day trips from Sydney. Whether you want to do hiking, rock climbing, visit waterfalls, see wild critters, or just escape Sydney for the Australian landscape, the Blue Mountains are the perfect place to go. This mountainous region in New South Wales is a truly unique experience the we think you’ll love.
Because this is such a popular day trip from Sydney, we were left wondering how best to visit. Should we take a tour? Take a train? Drive ourselves? After much deliberation, we decided a self-drive tour of the Blue Mountains was best for us. We were able to see the exact sights we were most interested in, like the Three Sisters, Wentworth Falls and a tour of Jenolan Caves. Keep reading to find out all about how we spent our day and how you can plan your own visit to the Blue Mountains in Australia.
When To Visit The Blue Mountains
The Blue Mountains are a popular weekend destination year round. So if you would like to beat the crowds, it is always best to visit on a weekday.
Due to all the hiking trails, winter is actually the high season for tourism (June-August). We visited in the summer (December-February) and we’re also comfortable as the canyon winds and canyon shade kept us cool.
Getting There and Around
There are plenty of guided tours to the Blue Mountains that start in Sydney. If you are interested in one, check out a few from the list below.
However, we love a good nature hike. So we were not interested in a day tour, which tend to have a set pace that you need to stick to. Instead, we wanted the freedom of exploring the Blue Mountains on our own. We think the best way to do this Blue Mountains day trip is via a self-drive tour. To do this, you will need your own car. We say a lot of Utes/SUV type vehicles in the Blue Mountains, but honestly we didn’t think that was necessary. There are some small and windy roads, so we preferred a small compact car to drive those. We rented our car in Sydney and took the approximately 1.5 hour drive to the Blue Mountains. This route is along toll roads so make sure your rental car agreement includes payment of tolls.
Looking for a cheaper way to visit the Blue Mountains? Consider taking the scenic train. The train winds its way into the Blue Mountains with stops at popular tourist towns like Blackheath and Wentworth Falls. A ticket to Blackheath from Sydney starts at just 6.51 AUD. However, the train journey does take about a half hour longer than the drive due to the frequent stops but it is way cheaper. However, if you do take the train, you will need to navigate the local buses to see the natural sights once you arrive.
More Touristy Transportation Options
We say that with all the love. Sometimes, when you’re a tourist, the touristy options are just right for you. Scenic World and the Blue Mountain Explorer operate out of Katoomba and is a great way to get around for people who don’t have a car or who are looking for a more organized, yet still flexible day. It’s a good in-between option for people who don’t want to take a tour but also want more of a structured experience.
The Scenic World Discovery Pass gets you a ride on the Railway which will take you into Jamison Valley. Additionally, you’ll get a ride in a cablecar over the valley to see the treetops, with views of the cliffs from a different perspective. These tickets start at $50/person and are good for a full day with unlimited rides, which you can use as a way to get to a second viewpoint and get a view of Katoomba Falls.
The Blue Mountain Explorer pass gets you one day of hop-on-hop-off bus access. Adults pay $49 for a day of riding that takes you to all the top tourist stops with audio commentary along the way. Children ride the bus for free.
You can also purchase a combination pass that includes both of these tickets.
What To Budget For the Blue Mountains
Except for the touristy options listed above and a tour of Jenolan Cave, everything you do in the Blue Mountains is FREE. Its a great place to visit for travelers on a budget. We spent about $200/night on accommodations with a kitchen, $60 on groceries, and $30 on one breakfast out (prices all in AUD). We also spent $60/person on the Jenolan Cave tour.
So our total cost of two adults visiting the Blue Mountains for 2 days and one night was $415.
Top Things To Do
Blue Mountains Two Day Itinerary
First, I should warn you all that we are very active vacationers. We like to hike, we like to drive about, and we like to go from breakfast to dinner without stopping. So if that type of adventure is for you, keep reading and you’ll love our Blue Mountains itinerary. However, if that is not your style, you’re going to need to cut out a few stops.
Also, for all the hikes, we’ve linked the official park page, so check those before heading out as the park posts updates if anything is closed due to fire or rockslides. Additionally, if you aren’t much of a hiker, that’s okay, but still try to walk a little bit away from the main viewpoints. This is the same advice we give all National Park visitors. The viewpoints are often crowded and walking just a few minutes along a trail will give you equally good views without the crowds.
Day 1 – Blue Mountains Viewpoints
Morning – Blackheath Area
First, we drove to the to the Pulpit Rock Lookout. Unfortunately, this lookout has been closed for a few years due to fire damage. If it does open back up, it is one of the best lookouts in the area because it isn’t as crowded as the res, as it is far from other lookouts.
Next, head to Govetts Leap Lookout. This is one of the most expansive views of the Blue Mountains. It’s like looking into the Grand Canyon from this lookout. From here you can hike to Bridal Veil Falls. We visited in January (the middle of summer) and the falls were barely a trickle. However, the hike was along the top of the cliff edge so it was still a nice 1-ish hour hike along the Cliff Top walking track. We didn’t complete the full hike, just enough of it to take in the views.
Have a picnic lunch in the park, which has a nice parking lot, a visitor center and bathrooms.
Afternoon – Katoomba Area
Next, visit the National Pass hiking trail. This trail takes about 3 hours. We started this loop at the Jamison Lookout. This loop takes you to several stunning viewpoints including Wentworth Falls, Empress Falls, Princes Rock, Rocket Point and Weeping Rock.
Distance: 4.5 km | Elevation Gain: Steep | Time: 2.5 hours | Difficulty: Moderate
Next, visit Lincoln’s Rock. This is a very windy area and there aren’t barriers on the lookouts but the views are once again sweeping.
Lastly, end your day in the most popular area of the park, The Three Sisters. We started at the Prince Henry Picnic Area and then hiked about a half hour to the Three Sisters Viewpoint. We also hiked the Giant Stairway so we could get up close to the rock structures that make up the Three Sisters and past Katoomba Falls. The giant staircase is giant and we were definitely winded at the top. However, most people of average fitness level should be able to do it as the stairs are well maintained. Then, hike back to your car along the valley floor via the Federal Pass trail.
Distance: 1 km out and back | Elevation Gain: 998 stairs | Time: 1 hour | Difficulty: Moderate
Lastly, if you still have energy left in your day, consider a few most scenic viewpoints that you can walk or drive to. Narrow Neck Lookout, Landslide Lookout, Malaita Lookout and Eagle Hawk Lookout are all near Scenic World and worth and extra stop if you have time.
Alternatively, there also are several linking walking tracks in this area that will take you to additional viewpoints.
Day 2 – Jenolan Caves
One of the most exciting things for us to try was a cave tour in Jenolan caves, so our entire day’s itinerary did revolve around our tour time at 3 PM. If you have a different tour time, you may need to adjust the itinerary.
Morning – Hiking
Start your day with the second of two amazing hikes that you’ll be doing in the Blue Mountains. First, hike the Grand Canyon Walking track. This hike takes you into the canyon floor and it is steep. However, you will enjoy hiking along cliff sides and creek features. This hike takes about 3 hours total and includes two amazing viewpoints before plunging into the canyon.
Distance: 6.5km | Elevation Gain: moderate | Time: 3.5 hours | Difficulty: moderate
Have lunch after you’ve worked up an appetite hiking back to the car park.
Afternoon – Caving
Next, head to Jenolan Caves. The road here was windy and wildly narrow. You have to wait for an escort vehicle to take you down into the valley. You also should plan to arrive at least 1 hour early for checking in and parking (their website says an hour but we think we could have gotten there a half hour early).
Cave tours do require advance bookings. So make sure to book your tour tickets ahead of time and adjust this itinerary accordingly. Tours of the caves vary in time and cave location. We chose to tour the Orient Cave. While we weren’t able to see the other caves, I have a hard time imagining a better cave. The rock structures in the cave were beautiful, unique, and sparkly! The cave tour took 2 hours and then the drive back to town took a few more hours.
Want To Adjust the Itinerary?
This is a full two days of visiting the Blue Mountains. Sure, you can drive yourself back to Sydney late at night but you can also stay overnight in the area. This two day trip to the Blue Mountains is packed with things to do and doesn’t even scratch the surface on all the hiking you could do.
If you have extra time, you could easily pack in a few longer hikes with an extra day in the Blue Mountains. Also, this itinerary doesn’t include time spent riding the railway or the cablecar, but if that appeals to you, you could also spend a second day, doing the more touristy things in Katoomba.
Admittedly, the trip to Jenolan Caves was a long side trip. It would be great to have had even more time there to explore the amazing outdoor hiking options. We think that four days in the Blue Mountains would have been the perfect amount of time for people who like hiking.
Where To Stay Overnight
Most people who visit the Blue Mountains stay in the town of Katoomba. This town has everything you need, from great places to eat, to cute shops, to grocery stores. Plus with this being a super popular Sydney road trip, there are plenty of overnight accommodations. Additionally, Katoomba is very close to many of the top Blue Mountain sights, so you may even be able to walk to a few the next morning from your accommodations.
However, we chose to stay in the nearby town of Blackheath, where we had an amazing vacation rental with a whole heap of Australian birds in our backyard (FYI, we’re bird nerds). While we did have to drive a bit to stuff, we didn’t mind.
What To Pack For The Blue Mountains
First, make sure to pack clothing for all of the active hiking you’ll be doing. Most of these trails were well groomed and easy for us (we’re decently fit and we walk a lot). So we just wore our normal shorts and t-shirts that also suited us when we went into town. However, with all the stairs you’ll be walking, good athletic shoes are a good idea. We don’t think hiking boots were necessary.
Next, make sure to pack sun protection. We got so sunburned here! Don’t be us – Slip, slop, slap like Australia taught us. Slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen and slap on a hat .
Safety In Blue Mountains National Park
Each year, people fall off the cliffs or get smushed by rock slides in the park. Respect nature and be aware of your surroundings when you are here. Also, its always a good idea to have a paper map of the hiking trails. You can buy them at the visitor centers in the area or you can download the maps onto your phone. Just make sure you have something that you can use without service as service is non-existent in the canyon.
We hope that all of this information has helped to get you pumped for your own Blue Mountains getaway. It was a beautiful and unique place in Australia that definitely fit our adventurous travel style. We hope that this two day Blue Mountain itinerary has inspired you. But if you have any questions about your own visit you’re planning, please leave any comments or questions in the section below.
