Walker on the Grand Canyon track near Blackheath
Walker on the Grand Canyon track near Blackheath
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Blue Mountains Self-Guided Walk

5 days / 4 nights

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Five days on the Blue Mountains cliff edge from two villages on the Sydney train line, every walk starting at the door or a station.

Starting Point

Blackheath

Finish Point

Katoomba

Fitness Level

3/5

Technical Level

3/5

Season

From January to December

Accommodation Level

Comfort

Tour Type

Center-Based

Daily Distance

7 – 9 mi

Highlights

  • Drop into the Grand Canyon, a fern gully cut by Greaves Creek
  • Stand at Govetts Leap above the Grose Valley
  • Ride the Scenic Railway down to the rainforest of the Jamison Valley
  • Scramble onto Ruined Castle for a view of Mount Solitary
  • Follow the Grand Cliff Top Walk past Wentworth Falls, Gordon Falls and Leura Cascades
  • Go down the Giant Stairway beside the Three Sisters
PricePrice on request
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What’s included in the price?

Accommodation levelComfort

Carefully chosen guesthouses and heritage hotels in Blackheath and Katoomba, every room with its own bathroom. Breakfast is included, and both villages have cafés and restaurants within a short walk for dinner.

These are examples of the type and standard you can expect. Actual properties may vary depending on availability.

What to bring to the tour

  • Hiking shoes/boots
  • 25 to 45-liter backpack
  • Base layer
  • Sports T-shirts
  • Hiking shorts
  • Hiking water-repellent pants
  • Waterproof jacket
  • Midlayer
  • Sports socks and underwear
  • Leisurewear for evenings
  • Down jacket
  • Gloves
  • Shade hat/cap
  • Warm headwear
  • Sunscreen
  • Sunglasses
  • Headlamp
  • Hiking poles
  • ID card or passport
  • Snacks
  • Cash
  • Water bottles or hydration pack
  • Sleeping liner
  • Toiletries
  • Toilet paper
  • Small first aid kit

The Blue Mountains rise straight out of Sydney's western suburbs, and the train runs right through them. This walk is built on that: two mountain villages two hours from Central, a guesthouse in Blackheath and a heritage hotel in Katoomba, and every walk starts at the door or a station. You never need a car.

Blackheath stands at the edge of the Grose Valley, the wilder side of the park. Govetts Leap and Pulpit Rock look straight down its cliffs, and the Grand Canyon track drops into a gully of tree ferns that walkers have followed since 1907.

Katoomba looks south over the Jamison Valley, and the days there go down as well as along: the Scenic Railway to the valley floor, Federal Pass to Ruined Castle, and the Giant Stairway beside the Three Sisters. In between, the Grand Cliff Top Walk links Wentworth Falls, Leura and Katoomba along the escarpment, past waterfalls, fern grottoes and a lookout every few hundred metres.

Expect steps, and a lot of them. The paths are well built and signposted, but every day goes down into a valley or a canyon and comes back up, 11 to 15 km and four to seven hours. Tracks can close after heavy rain or a rockfall: your guidebook gives a second route for every day, and NSW National Parks keeps the current closures online.

It is a walk for any month. May to August is cool and often clear, with frosty mornings and short days; spring brings wildflowers; January and February are the wettest months. Distances on this page are approximate.

We book the rooms and your day at Scenic World and send the routes to your phone. Bring a day pack, good grip on your shoes and a contactless card for the Sydney trains.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you walk four to six hours comfortably, it is fine. Fitness 3 of 5, technical 3 of 5: the paths are good, but there are long stone stairways every day, down and up. Every day also has a shorter option.

No. You arrive and leave by train, and every walk starts at the hotel or a station.

Take the airport train to Central and change to the Blue Mountains line; Blackheath is a little over two hours from Central. Pay by tapping a contactless card at the gates; the airport stations add a fee of about AUD 19. If you prefer, we can arrange a private car on request.

No. You walk with a day pack. Your bags move once, on day 3, on a 12-minute train from Blackheath to Katoomba, and the Katoomba hotel is a short walk from the station.

Yes, and many people prefer it. Winter days are cool, around 10 °C, and often clear, with few rain days. Mornings can be frosty, so bring warm layers and shoes with good grip for icy steps. Snow is rare.

It happens in the Blue Mountains after heavy rain or a rockfall, and closures can come at short notice. Your guidebook gives a second route for every day, and we tell you before you travel if anything on your plan has closed.

Yes, on request, instead of day 3: the first section from Katoomba down Nellies Glen into the Megalong Valley, about 8 km, with a taxi back to your hotel. The full track to Jenolan Caves is closed and needs camping, so we do not sell it.

Breakfast is included every day. Lunch and dinner are not: Blackheath, Katoomba and Leura all have cafés, bakeries and restaurants, and there are cafés at the Conservation Hut, Scenic World and Echo Point along the way.

HASSLE-FREE

We handle itineraries, accommodations, and anything else you prefer not to deal with, so you can enjoy a carefree hike.

BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE

We are a financially protected company, fully bonded and insured, keeping your money safe and allowing you to travel with confidence.

TRIED & TESTED ADVENTURES

We chose these walks for the scenery, then made sure each has a roof every night and needs no hire car.

HELP ON THE WALK

Plans changed, or something not as booked? Ring the support number in your guidebook. For police, fire or ambulance, call 000, even without credit.

Price on request