How to Visit the Blue Mountains Outside of Sydney

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The Blue Mountains are a mountain range located 50 kilometers outside of Sydney. The area is full of dramatic landscapes, trees, waterfalls, cliffs, and valleys that can be explored through hikes or at different viewpoints. The mountains got their name due to the blue haze from the oil that is emitted by the abundant eucalyptus trees. The area can be explored independently (with public transportation or by renting a car) or with a tour group where you will get more information about the region.

Here are the other things to do in and around Sydney

Visiting the Blue Mountains With a Tour Group

Visiting the Blue Mountains with a tour group is a convenient way to explore this unique mountain range. We recommend using Coast Warriors for your tour in this region. Their itinerary is comprehensive, visiting some of the most popular sites in the park while also guiding you through a hike and explaining this unique ecosystem.

On this tour, designed and led by a local of the Blue Mountains, you will get picked up from the Central Business District of Sydney. Your first stop will be at the local town of Glenbrook, one of the unique and quaint towns within the Blue Mountains. Next, you will get to go to a lookout where you will overlook the Jamison Valley.

Then, the tour goes to a nature hike to Wentworth Falls, which takes 2 hours with a relatively challenging set of stairs. You will get beautiful views of different cliffs as you make your way to and from the waterfall. The guide will point out unique flora and fauna of the region throughout the hike. After the hike, you will get a picnic lunch of sandwiches that caters to dietary restrictions.

Ultimately, you will stop at the town of Katoomba further up in the mountains where the famous Three Sisters rock formations are located. You will get some time to visit these formations and explore the town. Overall, the tour is comprehensive and gives a great overview of the culture and environment of the Blue Mountains.

Visiting the Blue Mountains on Your Own

If you want more independence to visit the Blue Mountains, there are ways to explore the area without a tour group. Having a car allows you to drive to the different hikes of the region and visit the towns throughout the mountains that have so much character. And consider spending a long weekend in one of these towns to get the most out of the Blue Mountains lifestyle and absorb the culture.

If you do not have a car, you can also get to the Blue Mountains by taking a train from the central train station to Katoomba. Katoomba is where the famous Three Sisters rock formation is located and is considered the heart of tourism within the Blue Mountains. From just this town, there are a number of different hikes that you can do that allow you to see rock formations, waterfalls, cliffs, etc. You can explore some of the different hikes on AllTrails, a website that documents different hiking trails around the world.

If you want to see more of the region and focus on seeing some of the different viewpoints, then you can consider using the Blue Mountains Explorer Bus, which includes a hop on-hop off service. Their website has some different itineraries that can help you plan your day in the park based on your interests.