Blue Mountains

Just 90 minutes from Sydney by car, two hours by train, the Blue Mountains has some of the country’s most dazzling natural attractions. With dramatic views over the deep valley troughs gouged out over millions of years, the lookouts at Wentworth Falls, Govetts Leap and Echo Point are among the most popular while the views from Sublime Point, Narrow Neck and Cahills Lookout are no less spectacular.

Experience wonders at Scenic World, where the glass-topped carriages of the Scenic Railway take you on a heart-stopping ride into the depths of the Jamison Valley. Or jump aboard the Scenic Skyline and journey high over the canyon for superb views of the Three Sisters and beyond. 

The Blue Mountains' many bush walks include easy strolls around lookouts to longer walks such as the Grand Canyon Track, which unspools from the clifftops into the depths of the valleys. The Six Foot Track is a more challenging three-day walk along the old coach road between Katoomba and Jenolan Caves. Local adventure operators offer guided tours.

Near Lithgow, the Glow Worm Tunnel is a disused railway tunnel where larvae of the fungus gnat cover the walls and ceiling with a bioluminescent glow, like stars blossoming in the night sky. Jenolan Caves is a world-class wonderland, a labyrinth of stalactite-lined limestone caves sculpted by underground rivers.

In the late 1800s many Blue Mountains villagers established English-style cool climate gardens of rhododendron, azalea and deciduous trees. The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, an annex of Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden, is an open book of botanical wonders.

The Blue Mountains delivers outstanding accommodation, from cottages and cabins to luxury resorts. Among the finest, Lilianfels Resort & Spa is a smart, glamorous boutique hotel built around a century-old stone mansion near spectacular Echo Point. Spread out on a valley floor, Emirates One & Only Wolgan Valley brings a generous serving of style and sophistication to a classic Australian bush setting.

There are many fabulous events, from a long weekend of folk, roots and blues Blue Mountains Music Festival to the delicious Summer Harvest Festival.