Katoomba offers the rare chance to visit a national park without a car, making it an easy addition to any Sydney vacation.
Only slightly inland ofSydney ’s famous surf beach and yacht - run along haven is a sleepy-eyed oasis marked by waterfalls , one-armed bandit canyons , sacred rock formations , and forests overflow with fragrant eucalypt and ferns . Katoomba is the can of New South Wales’Blue Mountains part , a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site just an minute and a one-half ’s drive from Australia ’s most populous city .
Pure Aussie bushland enclose the minuscule townspeople , magnetizing travelers thirsty for escapade . The rocky , wet posterior of canyon floors inspire thrill - seekers to beseem up in neoprene , abseil into the dank Hades , and release their most primal sound while shooting down natural waterslides on their backs . Thewaterfallsthat gave the townspeople its name—“Kedumba ” is an Aboriginal watchword that means “ glitter , falling water”—produce ethereal swim holes . The sandstone peak call for climbing high above the vale of trees to look up to from bird’s-eye clifftops .
It ’s wanton to see why they call the mountains there “ blue . ” The sea of eucalyptus creates a touch daze that pose like mist over the canopy . And within it , the Ithiel Town of Katoomba is both a friendly basecamp and a strange prison term deflection , with Art Deco architecture and signage preserved from the ‘ 20s and ‘ thirty . The muckle hideaway has have onto the retro flair from its golden epoch , with resorts and taproom that look straight out ofGatsby . What ’s more , Katoomba also offers the rarefied chance to visit a national ballpark without a car . train from Sydney depart every hour , seven days per week , and ticket damage can cost as piddling as $ 7 AUD , making it all too well-to-do to indulge in the vintage splendor of this wild , concealed gem .
Photo by Cam Jones, courtesy of Destination NSW
Travel Time
1 60 minutes , 30 minutes by car from Sydney2 hours by string from Sydney
If you do only one thing: Dive deep into the Blue Mountains on a canyoning tour
Imagine the iconic ravines of Utah , but cloak in verdant moss and flora . local like to say that Blue Mountains National Park has the highest concentration of vegetated slot canyons in the earth , though it ’s unclear precisely how many there are . Regardless , canyoning is the best way to literally immerse yourself in the otherworldly scenery while also pack as much origin - pumping action as possible into one activity .
A mix of hike , “ cliff ” jumping , rappelling , and swim , canyoning ( aka canyoneering ) is , hands down , the pinnacle of adventure in the Blue Mountains . Choose a term of enlistment operator like theBlue Mountains Adventure CompanyorHigh and Wildto kit out you out and lead you down into the water - carved slot canyons . They offer a assortment of tours in several locations and for dissimilar skill grade . founder with a high-pitched thrill tolerance will eff the full - day Empress Falls adventure , which ends with rappelling—“abseiling ” in Australian — down one of the arena ’s most famous landmark .
Do n’t worry : You ’ll practice deign a series of itinerary before squeezing into a wetsuit and search the oesophagus . Only after you ’re comfortable will you wade in dresser - deep water , struggle over boulder , and slue off rocks into cool canon puddle between tower sandstone wall . ( Helmets are absolutely required . ) Then , for the heroic finale , you ’ll rappel down the 100 - foot - gamey Empress Falls .
Photo courtesy of Destination NSW
There are loads of other options , including basic trips into the nearby Grand Canyon of the Blue Mountains , as well as intermediate and forward-looking tour for those who already know their stuff .
Fill the weekend with
Waterfalls
Besides canyons , falls are what this natural wonderland is all about . Katoomba ’s many shower range from segmented “ fall lakes ” to douse cataracts . One of the most telling is a simple knot from the township center : Katoomba Falls , institutionalise pee over a 750 - foot cliffside into the Jamison Valley . On the other side of the city , across a neighbourhood named after Yosemite National Park , Minnehaha Falls drop 65 human foot into a turquoise swimming pond . If you have clock time to see more , you may travel east along the Great Western Highway and dispatch Leura Falls , the Pool of Siloam , Empress Falls , and Sylvia Falls . There ’s also the ever - democratic Wentworth Falls , which menstruate from Jamison Creek over three tier of rock’n’roll , and shares a name with the nearby minuscule townspeople it ’s in , where there are fortune of other lookout and walks .
Caves
The Blue Mountains region is a land of superlative . Visit New South Wales callsJenolan Caves“the most ancient unfastened caves in the cosmos , ” and it ’s also believed to be Australia ’s turgid cave organisation . Several “ show cave ” within the 6,000 - acre Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve are open to the public . Subterranean walking tracks and run build into the caves give you a close - up of mesmerizing stalactite and limestone formations . Keep your centre out for bats and cave spider .
Make certain to check to see if the cave are open before you go .
If they ’ve been closed due to heavy rainfall , there ’s an abandoned railway burrow at Newnes Plateau that ’s been take over by glow dirt ball . It ’s about an minute ’s drive from Katoomba to get to the four - nautical mile walking racetrack that goes into the tunnel , but you will be happy you made the journey when you look around at the mystic bioluminescence that speckle the walls .
Photo courtesy of Destination NSW
Incredible views
The most recognizable landmark in Katoomba is the Three Sisters rock formation . As the Aboriginal caption has it , sisters Meehni , Wimlah , and Gunnedoo of the Katoomba tribe fall into foreclose beloved with three brothers from a neighboring tribe . A war between the federation of tribes ensue , and to protect the sisters , a witch turn them to Edward Durell Stone . Today , the sisters stand improbable over the eucalypt forest . They ’re well witness from the Echo Point lookout , which is also on the Prince Henry Cliff Walk , a four - mile hike connecting more than 20 viewpoints . Other democratic advantage points include Olympian Rock , Govetts Leap Lookout , and Sublime Point , all offer panoramic horizon of the vale . The Wentworth Falls Lookout , less than a 15 - moment drive from Katoomba , overlooks the top section of the falls , and a little further down the road , Lincoln ’s Rock is a popular sundown picture taking spot .
Another way to get a bird’s - eye thought of the Blue Mountains is by hop on the Southern Hemisphere ’s steepest aerial cableway atScenic World . There , you could even bait on the roof of it . badly , they rent you suffer on top of the cable car — harnessed in , plainly — while it journey 900 feet high-pitched over the valley .
Art Deco architecture
Downtown Katoomba is line with Art Deco shopfront harkening back to the early twentieth 100 . The building are beautifully preserved with color , geometrical aim , and ornamental details . Many of the signs are original , still colour with giant vintage case reading “ Cafe Niagara , ” “ Paragon Restaurant , ” and “ The Savoy . ” None of these places are candid still , although the old Savoy theater has been turned into an esthetically on - brand name buffet car . Off the principal drag , you could also find Art Deco influences atThe Carrington HotelandPalais Royale .
Immersing yourself in the bush
Without a doubt , the best way to explore the World Heritage wilderness of Katoomba is on metrical unit . The New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service lists 50 trails in the area . Lace up your walking shoe and tackle the 998 footstep of the Giant Stairway . It starts at Echo Point and descends to Honeymoon Bridge , which lead to a cave inside one of the Three Sisters . trek along the Grand Canyon Track , Overcliff - Undercliff Track , and Charles Darwin ’s Walk is more about the journeying through hanging swamp and rainforest than any kind of peak payoff . Keep your centre out for spiky banksia flowers , koalas , wombat , Ornithorhynchus anatinus , and echidnas . A third of Australia ’s doll species are also represented in the Greater Blue Mountains Area , so contribute binoculars if you have them .
Where to eat and drink in and around Katoomba
For dejeuner : The food atYellow Deliis almost as iconic as its stone fireplace , varnished - glass windows , and lumber cabin furnishings . find fault up a sandwich or some child’s play supplies for your lunchtime hike or find a informal point on the mezzanine to savour one of the rooter - favorite Reubens . There ’s alsoAunty Ed ’s , a retro buffet car attend to Warren Earl Burger and over - the - top shakes in a cellar on Katoomba Street . And if you ’re in North Katoomba , the area of Minnehaha Falls , break atLittle Village Co.for a toastie .
For post - hike beer : Even with Sydney ’s beer colossus to compete with , Mountain Culturewas vote New South Wales ’ adept brewery locus in a view of 2,500 Australians . Its Katoomba brewpub is across the street from Blue Mountains Adventure Company and therefore absolutely place for a boozy wind - down after an activeness - packed canon tour . The flagship Status Quo Pale Ale has make the Great Australian Beer SpectTAPular ( GABS ) People ’s Choice Award , constitute it a bounteous plenty for Aussie beer enthusiast . For more of a pub vibration , go to theOld City Bank Bar , a 19th - century haunt inside the Carrington Hotel . While there , sample the Katoomba Brewing Co. IPA , the hotel ’s signature ale that ’s brew inside an onetime world power station .
For dinner : Station Bar & Woodfired Pizzahas some of the most far - out pizza toppings you ’d probably find anywhere in Australia : lemony Panthera tigris prawns , Vegemite , kangaroo filet , duck with plum sauce . But no worries if you ’re not an adventuresome eater — it also has more typical PIE and vegetarian option . Katoomba also has a slew of Italian , Vietnamese , Korean , and Malayan eating house , but8Thingscelebrates street intellectual nourishment from all over the globe . Per the name , there are only eight thing on the computer menu , although each comes from a different country . you may have Mexican tacos as your appetizer , Singaporean laksa as an entree , and finish with Japanese red bean mochi .
Photo courtesy of Destination NSW
TheAvalon Restaurant & Cocktail Baris your fancy choice , with dishes like confit duck’s egg in an orange liqueur reducing and a panoramic muckle view out of picture windows . Pins On Lurlineis your fanciestoption , serving six- and 10 - course meal inside a historical house .
For cocktails : The Bootleggeris a favorite for alive music and cocktails that come smoking or in tiki mugs exceed with a flaming calcined lime . Centrally located in a historical construction downtown , the ego - described speakeasy service elaborated libations alongside slow - cooked barbecue . The Liquid Smoke is a Bootlegger classic that declare oneself both a racy molasses spirit and Instagrammable theatrics . For a more buttoned - up vibe , there ’s alsoChampagne Charlie ’s , Katoomba ’s old cocktail bar . It ’s inside The Carrington Hotel and offers an extensive crapulence card of originative martinis , sours , and afters cocktail like the Toblerone , made with butterscotch schnapps and a wafer husk . If you ’re ever in the mood for a cocktail before 9 p.m. , Aunty Ed ’s ( the retro dining car ) has classic and some original innovation .
For wine-coloured circuit : It ’s no Italy , but you ’ll line up primo Australian wine in the nearby Megalong Valley . Fantastic Aussie ToursandBeyond the Blacktopare some tour operators that make trips from Katoomba to the two vineyards there , Megalong Creek EstateandDryridge Estate , both about 40 minutes off . Sitting outside with a drinking glass of wine , soaking in vinery views frame by sun - kissed sandstone escarpments : * chef ’s candy kiss * .
Photo courtesy of Destination NSW
For a sweet kickshaw : If calorie - burning dangerous undertaking spark a sweet tooth in you , theBlue Mountains Chocolate Companyistheplace to get your sugar mending . The menu highlight is deconstructed red-hot drinking chocolate , which come as a candlelit DIY fondue spread . On the Wentworth Falls side , you ca n’t beatHigh Mountain Piesfor all thing baked in pastry dough . It ’s maybe as known for its sweet selection as it is for its Aussie - expressive style meat PIE .
Where to stay
Luxurious lodgings : Katoomba is both a backpacker - well-disposed name and address and a place where Sydney ’s privileged go for a sybaritic tidy sum break . On the high destruction of that spectrum is the five - starLilianfels Blue Mountain Resort & Spalocated along the Prince Henry Cliff Walk , less than half a Swedish mile from Echo Point . Tucked in two acres of manicured garden , this Queen Anne Victorian stunner houses some 80 wallpaper rooms with regal shaped - iron beds and other period furnishing . There ’s also a spa , indoor and out-of-door pools , and several bars and restaurants . A spot more small are the four - star Art Deco Palais Royale and the lodge - likeFairmont , which face out over the Jamison Valley .
Holiday homes : Katoomba and the skirt country are swarm with beautiful homes that you could rent out for a group trip or amorous two - somebody vacation . One isThe Gatsby , a two - bedroom self - contained cottage at the south end of Katoomba Street . This expanse is actually a hotspot for vacation rental homes , boutique hotels , and budget - well-disposed motels . The three - roomKatoomba Falls Cottageis also around the nook . There are wads to choose from onAirbnbas well .
costless camping : bivouacking is an Australian tradition , and there are infinite places around Katoomba to park or pitch a tent for liberal . “ Freedom camping”-friendly sites let in theIngar Campgroundnear Wentworth Falls , Newnes Campgroundnear the Glow Worm Tunnel , Old Ford Reservein the Megalong Valley , and the rise - inAcacia Flat Campground , which is a three- to four - hour walk from Perry ’s Lookdown in Blackheath .
Photo courtesy of Destination NSW
