Escape the city crush amongst forest-filled valleys and rugged mountain scenery on a spectacular Blue Mountains day trip with kids.
Your 1.5-2 hour drive from Sydney will be rewarded with cliff top views for days, easy walks in stunning scenery, thrilling rides and plenty of fabulous cafes and shops in quaint villages.
5 best things to do on a Blue Mountains day trip with kids
1. Gaze in wonder at the breathtaking views
The stars of the show are The Three Sisters. The shapes and colours of the ancient rock are stunning and a snug blanket of green covers the undulating slopes of the escarpment.
When you catch the Skyway across the valley (more info below) you can do a short walk to this lookout.
It can be up to 5 degrees cooler than Sydney, so make sure you rug up! It was certainly chilly when we were there in July. Find out What to wear in the Blue Mountains here.
2. Three ways to ride at Scenic World
Get in amongst all that natural beauty at Scenic World. Ride through it on the Skyway, Cableway or Scenic Railway (preferably all of them!), or take a wander along a boardwalk trail.
That Three Sisters magnificence draws a crowd though, so you may choose to set off from home early and beat the masses. Or book a night or two in a cosy hotel to take your time and enjoy the peace and quiet after the day-trippers go home.
Skip the queues by buying your entry tickets online at home. Your ticket gives you unlimited use of the Scenic Railway, Skyway, Cableway and Boardwalk. In reality your use is limited by the crowds. We waited about half an hour to get on each one, but we didn’t arrive until the middle of the day.
We still had plenty of time to go on everything, with three turns on the railway.
Scenic Skyway
The Skyway is an aerial cablecar which takes you from one cliff top to the other across the valley, affording spectacular views of the whole area.
Scenic Cableway
The Cableway is an aerial cablecar which takes you down into the valley to the Scenic Walkway.
Scenic Railway
The Scenic Railway was far and away the kids’ favourite. And despite the crowds we still managed to have three rides on it.
Of all the rides at Scenic World this is the most similar to a theme park thrill ride. Although it moves quite slowly, the 52 degree incline feels extremely steep. In fact it is the steepest passenger railway in the world.
3. Wander through tranquil rainforest
Take the Scenic Cablecar or Railway down to the forest floor to the 2.4km Scenic Walkway. This elevated boardwalk has options for various walks taking from ten minutes to an hour.
4. Eat your fill of scones
Leura
The Wayzgoose Cafe was a great choice. A cute 50s style diner with booths. And don’t the kids love a booth!
Delicious hot chocolates, cupcakes and their signature flowerpot scones were devoured here very happily.
Leura Garage is apparently where the cool kids hang out. Sadly I didn’t check the opening hours first, so it was still closed. But it looked cool from the outside!
Katoomba
The Paragon Cafe’s scones were not quite up to the standard set by the Wayzgoose Cafe, but the Art Deco design was amazing!
There is a handmade chocolate shop inside too. I’m sure one or two would be ok after all that walking.
5. Shop in stylish Leura
Explore Leura’s eclectic shopping, from luxe homewares to handknitted tea cosies.
If you don’t fancy driving out there, then you can catch the train from Sydney to Katoomba. There is a Hop On Hop Off Bus that will take you to all the key attractions.
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