3 days in the Blue Mountains, NSW: The perfect winter weekend itinerary

This itinerary covers two nights and three days, arriving Friday evening and leaving Sunday, and includes all the must-see places and attractions. Better still, the towns of Katoomba, Leura and Blackheath sit just a few minutes apart by train or local bus, so you can hop between them through the day without a car. 

So pack a bag and some walking shoes, and buckle up for an action-packed getaway in NSW's nature playground!

Day 1 - Into the Mountains

Afternoon

The vibe: Tonight is about slowing right down with nothing to do except relax. Drop your bags, warm yourself up by the fire, and let your weekend start properly tomorrow.

Finish work and jump on a train from Sydney's Central station. Watch the city landscapes give way to bush from your window seat, and about two hours later you're stepping off in Katoomba, right in the heart of the Blue Mountains. Driving takes a similar time, but the train sets you down a 10 minute walk from town with no traffic to deal with.

Drop your bags at YHA Blue Mountains, a beautifully restored art deco building in the centre of town. It began life as a guesthouse and cabaret hall over a century ago, and it's the ideal place to base yourself for the weekend.

The old ballroom is now a massive lounge with a toasty fireplace. There's also a courtyard with a giant chess set, a pool table and a book library. Cook yourself something simple, keep warm by the fire, and have an easy first night.

Image credit: Station bar + Woodfire Pizza

Best bites:

• Cook in the YHA guest kitchen. Buy supplies at one of the nearby supermarkets and eat by the fire. Sharing a meal is also the easiest way to make some new travel buddies.
• Station Bar and Woodfired Pizza does woodfired pizza (from $22), local beers and regular live music, a short walk from YHA Blue Mountains. 
• Mountain Culture Beer Co is one of Australia's most awarded breweries, and the Katoomba brewpub has a range of beers on tap, plus great bites to go with it. 

Best nights:

• The Bootlegger Bar is a small speakeasy-style cocktail bar just off Katoomba Street, Come for a negroni (or two). There’s also a food menu including steak and burgers.
• Feel like a proper night out? Avalon Restaurant and Cocktail Bar serves dinner and cocktails inside a beautifully restored Art Deco theatre.
• The Carrington Hotel is a grand 1880s hotel on Katoomba Street, and its basement bar Champagne Charlie's is a moody spot for a quiet nightcap.
• The Katoomba Family Hotel is a no-frills, easy and cheap pub option close to the YHA.

Can’t miss: Claim a spot on the couch by the fire at YHA Blue Mountains and settle in for a movie night or get lost in a good book. 

DAY 2 - A DAY OF ADVENTURES 

The vibe: There's lots to choose from today, but it’s not a race. See the iconic lookouts in the morning before the tour buses arrive, plan for a gentle cliff walk after lunch, then explore nearby Leura with a coffee.

Morning

Without your alarm, sleep in and let the sounds of the magpies and kookaburras wake you up. Head into Katoomba’s main strip for a pastry and a flat white before the adventures begin. Echo Point should be your first priority – the iconic lookout over the Three Sisters is 20 minutes on foot from the YHA and the centre of Katoomba, and makes for a fantastic introduction to the stunning landscapes and dizzying valleys of the Blue Mountains.

While you'll run into plenty of daytrippers and tour buses trying to cram the sights into a few hours, you’ve got the whole day ahead of you, so take your time. Walk down the Giant Stairway, past the Three Sisters, then walk across the valley floor and head back to the top via the Scenic Railway. This theme park-esque attraction is the steepest passenger train in the world with a 52-degree incline. If you’re trying to tone your calves, you can tackle the staircase’s 800 steps on the way back up from the valley instead. A lot of tracks across the park are closed for repairs and upgrades over winter, so check the NSW National Parks alerts before you set out.

Best bites:

• Hominy Bakery (3 min from YHA Blue Mountains) is popular with locals for its fresh sourdough, pies and pastries. 
• Black Cockatoo Bakery (also 3 min away) has coffee and pastries, and is definitely worth the short weekend queue.
• Common Ground Cafe is a cosy spot with coffee and hearty, well-priced meals.
• Basil Nut Cafe for Asian-inspired breakfast or lunch options.

Best sites:

• The Three Sisters Walk (0.8km return) is a short, mostly paved loop from Echo Point right up to the rock and onto Honeymoon Bridge. 
• Cahill's Lookout is a quieter clifftop on the western edge of town with views over the Megalong Valley. It’s a great option to see when Echo Point starts to get busy.
• Katoomba street art at Beverly Place is a free laneway of murals just off the main drag, worth a quick photo stop on the way through town.
• Katoomba Library, inside the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre on Parke Street, is a quiet and free spot to warm up with a book on a rainy day. The viewing platform adjoining the library looks straight out over the valley.

Afternoon – Exploring Leura

Either head back to your accommodation for lunch, or grab a bite in Katoomba village – there are a number of quaint and scrumptious offerings along Katoomba St. Once you've fuelled up, return to the cliff’s edge to wander along the Prince Henry Cliff walk, which links Katoomba Falls to Gordon Falls via the Leura Cascades and Bridal Veil Falls. This is a short and leisurely route, with burbling creeks, luscious flora and stunning glimpses over the valley. 

Spend the rest of the arvo taking in the tree-lined streets of Leura, the charming sister town of Katoomba, flush with boutique cafes, book shops, antique emporiums and handicraft stores. 

One of the prettiest hamlets in the Blue Mountains, Leura is full of heritage buildings and rose gardens and has a remarkable vintage charm.  It's also easy to reach from Katoomba, either 3 minutes on the #695 bus or a 30 minute walk, so there's no need for a car.

Best sites:

• Everglades House and Gardens is a 1930s house with heritage-listed gardens and tea rooms. 
• The Leura Cascades Fern Bower is a short loop through ferny gullies with small waterfalls off Cliff Drive.
• For vintage lovers, check out Birdy Vintage or Memento Vintage and Antiques in Leura, and you’ll discover a treasure trove of pre-loved items and clothing.

Best bites:

• Visit Leura Gourmet Cafe and Deli for lunch, coffee and deli snacks to take on a walk.
• With a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern inspired menu, the Polar Bear of Leura is a cosy cafe for a coffee between the shops.

Evening

Take the opportunity to get dinner in Leura or Katoomba (there are plenty of options within a few minutes' walk of YHA Blue Mountains), or if you're feeling thrifty, you can always grab supplies at the local supermarket and cook up a storm in the YHA's guest kitchen.

If you've still got some energy, consider a night-time adventure at the nearby Katoomba Falls Night-lit Walk. This paved 1.5km path and its surrounds are illuminated with floodlights until 11:00pm nightly, making for a unique experience. Be sure to bring a jumper, though – evenings are chilly in the Blue Mountains.

Whether you're up for the night walk or not, there's a nice comfy bed and a roaring fireplace waiting for you back at your accommodation, so you can keep exploring to your heart’s content well into the evening – or until your legs give out!

Best bites:

• The Alexandra Hotel is a classic Leura pub for a pint and a tasty pub meal.
• Or grab supplies from Carrington Cellars and Deli and cook back at the YHA.

Best nights:

• Free to visit, the  Katoomba Falls Night-lit Walk opens late every evening.
• Govetts Leap in Blackheath is one of the best spots for stargazing, with little light pollution. Drive or take the train, and remember to dress warmly.
• The Blue Mountains Sauna (from $45) is Australia’s first dedicated European-style public sauna. Located in Leura, it’s a perfect way to end a long day of exploring. 
• Open late on weekends, the Blue Mountains Gin Company runs tastings of mountain-made gin.

Can’t miss: Explore the Prince Henry Cliff Walk, stopping at the lookouts as you go. Allow around 3 to 4 hours if you want to do the whole route, which is mostly flat and easy. You can also turn around and head back whenever you want.

DAY 3: EXPLORING CLIFFS, CANYONS AND CAVES

The vibe: Your last day to keep relaxing. Decide what kind of day you’ll like. Go big with a guided canyoning adventure, or keep things slow with a gentle valley wander, a gallery and one more bakery stop before the train home.

Morning

After fuelling up with a continental breakfast at YHA Blue Mountains (and caffeinating as needed), saddle up for an adrenaline-pumping day of canyoning with High and Wild. This long-running Blue Mountains staple offers abseiling, canyoning, rock climbing and more, and offers YHA members a 10% discount.

Check out from the property before you head off, then leave your bags at YHA Blue Mountains (for free) so you're not carrying them around all day. If you're game, set off early on a canyoning adventure. High and Wild have been taking visitors on hair-raising journeys through the Blue Mountains since 1989, including thrilling tours down canyons as tall as 30 metres. Lunch is provided, but bring your own swimwear, shoes that can get wet, and nerves of steel.

For a totally different cave experience, if you allow enough time you can also check out Glow Worm Tunnel in Wollemi National Park, encrusted with the soft bioluminescent light of thousands of glow worms.

Afternoon – Choose your own adventure

If you went with either of the two options above, you'll most likely be occupied well into the late afternoon, but there are plenty of other things to do in Katoomba and surrounds if you opted for a less ambitious morning activity. 

Head back to Scenic World to check out the Scenic Skyway – a 270m-high cable car boasting stunning views, or for more bushwalking, look slightly further afield in Wentworth Falls (just past Leura) to experience one of the most impressive cascades in the Blue Mountains. Some of the tracks here are closed in winter, so check access first.

Want to take it easy? Visit the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre to check out local art exhibitions and a museum section about the history of the region, or peruse the quirky boutiques and coffee shops on Katoomba's main street.

Best bites:

• Bakehouse on Wentworth is a reliable local stop for pies, pastries and coffee.
• Mountain High Pies in Wentworth Falls is a good post-walk pie if you’re in that area.
• Blackheath Bakery Patisserie is worth a stop for fresh bread and pastries if you head up to Blackheath.

Best sites:

• The Grand Canyon Walk near Blackheath is a roughly 6km loop from Evans Lookout down into a cool, fern-filled canyon and back up. This is a great option for a proper walk, and Blackheath is a short train or taxi ride from Katoomba. Check for track closures first.
• Adventure seekers can book canyoning, abseiling and climbing with High and Wild.
• Blue Mountains Cultural Centre (from $5.50) is a great wet weather option, as is the local cinema, United Cinemas The Edge.
• Blue Mountains Chocolate Company is a small chocolate shop and cafe in Leura, good for a hot chocolate after a cold walk.
• Bygone Beautys in Leura is full of antiques and has a teapot museum with thousands on display. Worth a look even if you're just browsing.
• The Victory Theatre Antique Centre in Blackheath has around 50 dealers in a 1915 picture palace, with a cafe inside.

Evening – Saying goodbye (for now)

After enjoying two or three adventurous days of cascades, cliffs, caves and canyons in the Blue Mountains, it’s time to depart. Trains at Katoomba station go straight back to Sydney in just 2 hours, and the drive is even shorter. As you settle in for your journey home, pat yourself on the back for having done this spectacular place justice across the weekend.

*prices can vary based on season and event / holiday periods

Words: Troy Nankervis