Blue Mountains National Park Tours 2026: Compared & Booking

Tours

Choose your Blue Mountains tour

In the centre, the day built around a waterfall walk inside the national park. Either side, the Scenic World day with wildlife and a ferry home, and a late-start small group that stays for sunset. Every card opens a full tour page.

Scenic World day ★ 4.810 hoursFree cancellation

Scenic World, Wildlife Park & River Cruise

Max 20 guestsThree ridesFerry back

The everything day: Scenic World's three rides and rainforest walk, the Three Sisters, Featherdale or Sydney Zoo, then a river ferry back to Circular Quay.

What's included

Scenic World Railway, Skyway and Cableway
Three Sisters and Jamison Valley lookouts
Featherdale Wildlife Park or Sydney Zoo
Parramatta River ferry to Circular Quay
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before

Full tour details

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Built around a walk ★ 4.810.5 hoursFree cancellation

Waterfall Walk & Three Sisters Day Tour

Wentworth Falls walkLunch rollAges 14+

A day spent in the national park itself: a 90-minute walk past Wentworth Falls, the Three Sisters and valley lookouts. No Scenic World, no zoo, no ferry.

What's included

Minibus from Haymarket, back around 5:30 p.m.
Guided 90-minute waterfall walk
Three Sisters and valley lookouts
Continental roll for lunch
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before

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Max 10, sunset ★ 4.9About 10 hoursFree cancellation

Wild Kangaroos & Sunset, Late Start

Max 10 guestsBushwalksSunset picnic

A late start, quieter lookouts and bushwalks, a chance of wild kangaroos in the Megalong Valley, then wine and cheese at a sunset lookout. Back after dark in summer.

What's included

Van pickup at Circular Quay, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. by season
Guided bushwalks with easier options
Pie lunch from Mountain High Pies
Sunset wine, cheese and snacks
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before

Full tour details

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Compare

Which tour suits which traveller

Three questions sort it out. Do you want to walk or ride? Do you want kangaroos in a park, or a chance of wild ones? And how many people do you want in the van?

Tour	Starts from	Paid stops	Best for	Trip
Waterfall Walk & Three Sisters Day Tour	Meet near Central station, Haymarket	None: lookouts and a falls walk	A real walk inside the park	10.5 hours	Book this
Scenic World, Wildlife Park & River Cruise	Pickup at four central Sydney points	Scenic World, wildlife park, ferry	Rides, wildlife and a ferry home	10 hours	Book this
Wild Kangaroos & Sunset, Late Start	Pickup at Circular Quay, late morning	None: bushwalks and a picnic	Quiet lookouts and a sunset	About 10 hours	Book this
Blue Mountains Full-Day Trip with Scenic World Rides	Pickup at central Sydney hotels	Featherdale, Scenic World, ferry	Featherdale, Leura, three rides and a ferry home	10 hours	Book this
Scenic World, Sydney Zoo & a Koala Photo	Pickup at four Sydney CBD hotels	Scenic World, Sydney Zoo, ferry	Katoomba Cascades, Cahill's Lookout and a koala photo	10.5 to 11 hours	Book this
Secluded Lookouts Tour with a River Cruise Home	Pickup at 10 Sydney points from 6:45 a.m.	Scenic World and zoo are optional extras	Govetts Leap, Evans Lookout and more, Scenic World optional	10.5 hours	Book this
Aboriginal Experience Day with a Wiradjuri Guide	Pickup in the Sydney CBD	A wildlife park	An acknowledgement ceremony, stories of Country and bush food, max 14	9 hours	Book this
Luxury Small-Group Day with Wentworth Falls	Pickup at five central Sydney hotels	Featherdale	A 1.5-hour Wentworth Falls bushwalk plus Featherdale	9 hours	Book this
Short Day: Scenic World & Lookouts	Pickup at 20 Sydney hotels	Scenic World	Three Sisters, Scenic World and Leura in seven hours	7 hours	Book this
Private Blue Mountains Day, Your Own Stops	Pickup in Sydney	Optional, your choice	Your own guide and van, with Featherdale or Scenic World if you want them	9 hours	Book this

Every tour above cancels free up to 24 hours before. Lunch is at your own cost on most of them, even where a listing's included list says otherwise; each tour page says what the listing's own description states.

Before you book

The park is free. The day is what you buy.

Echo Point, the Three Sisters walk, the Prince Henry Cliff Walk and the lookouts at Leura, Wentworth Falls and Blackheath charge no entry. NSW National Parks asks for a vehicle fee only in the Glenbrook area, at the Sydney end of the park. Parking at Echo Point is a paid council car park.

What a tour sells is the road, about two hours each way from Sydney, plus a guide and whichever paid stops it bundles. The big one is Scenic World, a private, family-run attraction in Katoomba since 1945, with its steep railway and cable cars. Many days add Featherdale Wildlife Park or Sydney Zoo, which sit in western Sydney on the way home, and a river ferry back to Circular Quay. A few skip all of that and spend the day walking.

2

Hours each way between Sydney and Katoomba, by train or by road. On a 10-hour tour, about four of those hours are the journey.

Three SistersWentworth FallsScenic WorldLeura

Layered blue ridgelines of eucalypt forest fading into haze below a sandstone cliff edge — The blue haze over the Jamison Valley. The lookouts that show it cost nothing to visit.

01

Do I need a tour?

No. Trains from Sydney Central reach Katoomba in about 2 hours, and local buses run to Echo Point.

02

Rides or a walk?

Scenic World is rides and a boardwalk. A falls walk is steps and sandstone. Few tours do both well.

03

Will I see kangaroos?

In a wildlife park, yes. Wild ones are possible on the bushwalk days but never promised.

04

Who should skip a walk?

The walking days set limits: one starts at age 14, another rules out guests over 70. Check each tour page.

Your day

How a Blue Mountains day runs

Seven to eleven hours from central Sydney, depending on the tour. This is the usual shape.

01

Pickup and the road west

An early start from a central Sydney hotel or meeting point, then the motorway and the Great Western Highway up into the mountains.

About 1.5 to 2 hours

02

Echo Point and the Sisters

The classic view over the Jamison Valley. Most tours give it half an hour; the walking days come back to it later or skip the crowd.

About 30 minutes

03

Rides or a walk

Scenic World's railway, Skyway and Cableway, or a guided walk past Wentworth Falls and along the cliffs.

1 to 2 hours

04

Leura, wildlife and home

Lunch in Leura, then a wildlife park or a last lookout, and a coach or river ferry back into Sydney.

Back around 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Plan your trip

Plan your mountains day

Season, what is included, who can go and what to pack: one tab each.

March to May: autumn, the cool, clear weather NSW National Parks recommends for bushwalking.
September to November: spring wildflowers and birdlife, and the Leura Gardens Festival in October.
June to August: the cold months; July is the coldest in Katoomba, with misty mornings and the Winter Magic Festival on the solstice.
October to March: the bush fire danger period. A park fire ban runs from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.

Always: transport from Sydney, a guide or driver-guide, and the free lookouts.
Often: Scenic World rides, a wildlife park ticket and a river ferry back to Circular Quay.
Sometimes: lunch. Several tours stop in Leura and leave lunch to you; check the tour page.
Not in 2026: Jenolan Caves, which NSW National Parks lists as closed until 31 December 2026.

Walking days set age limits: the waterfall walk is not suitable for under-14s or over-75s, the sunset tour for under-12s or over-70s.
Wheelchair users: most listings rule it out. The secluded lookouts tour welcomes collapsible wheelchairs and walkers.
Prams and strollers: not allowed on several coaches, and not on Scenic World's railway.
Fitness: the Scenic World days ask for little; the falls and bushwalk days involve hundreds of steps.

Layers. Katoomba sits about 1,000 m up and averages about 5 degrees cooler than Sydney.
Closed walking shoes with grip; sandstone steps get wet and slippery.
A rain jacket, a hat, sunscreen and a refillable water bottle.
Going on your own? An Opal card or a contactless bank card for the train. More in the train guide.

KatoombaAbout 1,000 mUp in the clouds: expect cooler air and sudden mist.

From SydneyAbout 2 hoursCentral to Katoomba by train, or about 102 km by road.

Echo PointFree entryThe Three Sisters lookout charges nothing; the car park does.

Scenic WorldPrivate ticketFamily-run since 1945, with its own pass and opening hours.

Wentworth Falls100 m dropThe main fall, by the NSW National Parks figure.

Refund24 hoursFree cancellation up to a day before, on every tour here.

Where it happens

Where the tours go

From Sydney to Echo Point

Pickups: central Sydney hotels, Haymarket or Circular Quay. Main stops: Echo Point and Scenic World in Katoomba, Leura, Wentworth Falls

The tours leave central Sydney early, head west on the M4 and climb the Great Western Highway to the upper mountains. Katoomba is the hub: Echo Point and the Three Sisters are on its southern edge, Scenic World a few minutes along Cliff Drive. Wildlife parks and the river ferry are on the Sydney side, so they come at the start or the end of the day.

Sydney Central to Katoomba: about 2 hours by train
By road: about 102 km, 1.5 to 2 hours
Featherdale Wildlife Park: Doonside, in western Sydney

Go by train instead

Around your trip

Everything else worth knowing

Timing, what guests wish they had known, the haze and the wildlife, and the fine print.

Weekdays: Echo Point parking can be limited at weekends, and Scenic World opens an hour later on weekdays.
Autumn and spring: the best walking weather. Our pick for the falls and bushwalk days.
Late afternoon: NSW National Parks points to Evans Lookout at Blackheath for sunset, when the sandstone glows orange.
Early in your Sydney stay: leave a spare day in case mist hides the valley on your first date.

Honeymoon Bridge, the footbridge to the first Sister, is closed for rockfall. Older guides that promise you can touch the first Sister are out of date.
Several famous tracks are partly closed, including the descent from Govetts Leap and part of the National Pass. Tours adjust their routes.
"Lunch included" on a listing often means a lunch stop. Read the tour page before you skip breakfast.
A wildlife park on the itinerary means western Sydney, not the mountains. If you want more time in the park itself, pick a walking day.
Jenolan Caves is closed in 2026, so ignore any day plan that adds it.

CSIRO puts the blue haze down to a reaction in the air driven by isoprene from the eucalypt forest. The popular eucalyptus-oil story was revived in a 1955 letter whose author called it a guess, and the idea is older still.
NSW National Parks mentions kangaroos at Euroka campground in the Glenbrook area, at the eastern end of the park.
The Greater Blue Mountains became a UNESCO World Heritage Area in 2000, for its eucalypt forests and the life in them.
The Gundungurra and Darug peoples are the traditional custodians of the Three Sisters, a declared Aboriginal Place.

Every tour on this page cancels free up to 24 hours before.
Most run in all weather. Mist can fill the valley in minutes and clear just as fast.
On a total fire ban day, or in bad weather, parts of the park can close. Tours then swap lookouts.
Mobile reception is patchy below the cliffs. Stay with your group on the walks.

Guest reviews

What day-trippers say

4.8 ★★★★★
3,055 reviews · Waterfall walk & Three Sisters day tour
GetYourGuide rating

★★★★★
Wow! What a day!! I feel like we did so much more that we could have done on our own.
Sarah · Waterfall walk day tour, Aug 2026

★★★★★
Craig’s tour is the best way to see the Blue Mountains. He took us to incredible viewpoints that are off the beaten path.
Beth · Wild kangaroos & sunset, Oct 2026

★★★★★
Joan was the perfect guide for this trip and made sure we saw the best and had the best time in the blue mountains!
Shara · Scenic World, wildlife park & cruise, Aug 2026

★★★★★
Great combination of an active hike and shorter lookout walks.
Adrienne · Waterfall walk day tour, Aug 2026

★★★★★
Personal approach of the guide and driver, two fascinating and experienced people who made the day special.
Jesse · Aboriginal experience day, Jul 2025

★★★★★
Fantastic trip, I would highly recommend. I loved the hiking, the views and the sunset.
Elizabeth · Wild kangaroos & sunset, Sep 2026

★★★★★
This trip was amazing. Our guide Les was fantastic and very knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend it.
Tracy · Secluded lookouts tour, Oct 2025

★★★★★
Our guide Nabil was amazing and so knowledgeable! Highly recommend this tour to see the Blue Mountains!
Kelly · Short day: Scenic World & lookouts, Aug 2026

★★★★★
Guide was knowledgeable and well informed providing useful and helpful information throughout the day.
Julian · Scenic World, Sydney Zoo & koala photo, Sep 2026

Going on your own

Or skip the tour

Happy to take the train? The ticket most tours are built around is sold on its own, and you choose how long to stay.

Scenic World Unlimited Discovery Pass

★ 4.5 · Valid all day

Coming up by train or car? This is the ticket most tours are built around, on its own: unlimited rides on the Railway, Skyway and Cableway plus the rainforest boardwalk, at your own pace. No transport, no guide.

Unlimited ridesRainforest boardwalkNo transport

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The guide

The Blue Mountains, explained

Most Blue Mountains tours look alike in the photos: the Three Sisters, a cable car, a kangaroo. They differ in how much of the day you actually spend in the national park.

A free national park with a private ride in the middle

Blue Mountains National Park is one of eight protected areas in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, listed by UNESCO in 2000 for its eucalypt forests and the plants and animals that evolved in them. The lookouts along the cliff edge at Katoomba, Leura, Wentworth Falls and Blackheath are public land and free to visit.

Scenic World is something else: a private attraction started by the Hammon family in 1945, when the coal skips of the closed Katoomba Colliery became a passenger ride. Its railway, billed as the steepest passenger train in the world at 52 degrees, its Skyway and its Cableway are what most coach tours sell. They are fun, and the rainforest boardwalk at the bottom is lovely. They are not the park.

Ridge after ridge of forest fading into blue haze under a clear sky — The haze that gives the mountains their name, strongest on warm days.

Why the mountains look blue

The story you will hear from most guides is eucalyptus oil in the air. It was revived in a 1955 letter by the physicist Harry Messel, who called it "merely a guess", and a letter from 1900 already dismissed it, according to a Blue Mountains City Library paper. CSIRO describes a bluish haze caused by a chemical reaction in the air, driven by isoprene from the trees, and notes that the mountains themselves are not blue. Hot summer days show it best.

The Three Sisters and the story told about them

The three sandstone pinnacles at Echo Point sit in a declared Aboriginal Place; NSW National Parks names the Gundungurra and Darug peoples as its traditional custodians and says simply that there are different versions of the Aboriginal story. The tale of three sisters turned to stone, told on most coaches, first appeared in a Sydney newspaper in 1931. The Three Sisters walk from Echo Point is short and easy, and the 998 steps of the Giant Stairway lead down from it. Honeymoon Bridge, across to the first Sister, is closed for rockfall.

A narrow walking track along the edge of sandstone cliffs above a forested valley — Cliff-top tracks link the lookouts from Katoomba to Leura.

The honest small print: on a Scenic World day with a wildlife park and a ferry, about four hours go on the road, an hour on the wildlife park in western Sydney and an hour on the river. If you want more of the day on sandstone and among the gums, pick a walking tour, or take the train and stay as long as you like.

Wentworth Falls, by the numbers

Wentworth Falls drops about 100 m to the valley floor by the NSW National Parks count; the 187 m you will see quoted adds up all three tiers. The short Wentworth Falls track to the lookouts is 1.4 km return with about 200 steps. The longer National Pass below the cliffs is currently closed between Valley of the Waters and Slacks Stairs after rockfalls, so check the park alerts before you plan a long walk.

A double-deck commuter train running through eucalypt bushland on a mountain line — The Blue Mountains Line: about two hours from Sydney Central to Katoomba.

Compare the tours

FAQ

Questions before you book

Straight answers to what people ask most about Blue Mountains National Park tours.

How much does a Blue Mountains National Park tour cost?

It depends on the format. Big-coach and minibus day trips from Sydney cost the least, small-group, Aboriginal-led and sunset days cost more, and a private guide costs the most. Each tour shows its current price on GetYourGuide. The park itself charges no entry fee at Echo Point and the Three Sisters; see which tour is best for what each price buys.

What is the best Blue Mountains tour?

The one that matches how you want to spend the day. For a real walk inside the national park, pick the waterfall walk day. For rides, wildlife and a ferry home, pick a Scenic World day. For quiet lookouts and a sunset, pick the late-start small group.

Can you do the Blue Mountains in one day?

Yes. The tours here run 7 to 11 hours from Sydney, and Katoomba is about 2 hours away by train or road. One day covers Echo Point, a walk or Scenic World and Leura. Stay a night if you want sunset, sunrise or the longer walks. Our one-day itinerary has the timings.

Can you get to the Blue Mountains without a car or a tour?

Yes. Trains run from Sydney Central to Wentworth Falls, Leura and Katoomba in about 2 hours, and you tap on with an Opal card or a contactless bank card. Local buses and the hop-on hop-off Explorer Bus link Katoomba station with Echo Point and Scenic World. Details in Sydney to the Blue Mountains by train.

Do you have to pay to enter Blue Mountains National Park?

Not at Echo Point, the Three Sisters or the Katoomba, Leura, Wentworth Falls and Blackheath lookouts. NSW National Parks charges a vehicle fee only in the Glenbrook area. Parking at Echo Point is a paid council car park, and Scenic World is a private attraction with its own ticket.

Which month is best to visit the Blue Mountains?

Autumn (March to May) for cool, clear walking weather, and spring (September to November) for wildflowers and the Leura Gardens Festival in October. July is the coldest month in Katoomba. October to March is the bush fire danger period. See the best time to visit.

What is the prettiest town in the Blue Mountains?

Leura is often called the prettiest, with its National Trust-classified village centre, cherry trees and gardens, five minutes from Katoomba. Blackheath is quieter and higher, close to Govetts Leap and Evans Lookout. Compare them in where to stay.

Should I stay overnight in the Blue Mountains?

If you can, yes. A night lets you see sunset at a lookout, walk the night-lit Katoomba Falls track and start the busy walks before the tour buses arrive. NSW National Parks even designs its Grand Cliff Top Walk as a two-day trip.

How long is the Katoomba Falls walk?

The council’s Katoomba Falls Reserve night-lit walk is 1.3 km and is lit after dusk. The national park’s Furber Steps walk from Katoomba Falls down into the Jamison Valley is 2.2 km return, takes 1 to 2 hours and has steep steps.

Will I see kangaroos on a Blue Mountains tour?

In a wildlife park, yes: most Scenic World days stop at Featherdale or Sydney Zoo, both in western Sydney rather than in the mountains. Wild kangaroos are possible on the small-group bushwalk days, but no tour can promise them.

Can I visit Jenolan Caves on a Blue Mountains day tour?

Not in 2026. NSW National Parks lists the Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve as closed until 31 December 2026 while the road is repaired, so none of the tours here goes there.

Can I cancel a Blue Mountains tour?

Every tour on this site cancels for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start. Most of these tours run in all weather, so mist or rain on the day is not a reason for a refund inside those 24 hours.

Blue Mountains Tours

Choose your Blue Mountains tour

Scenic World, Wildlife Park & River Cruise

Waterfall Walk & Three Sisters Day Tour

Wild Kangaroos & Sunset, Late Start

More ways to see the mountains

Blue Mountains Full-Day Trip with Scenic World Rides

Scenic World, Sydney Zoo & a Koala Photo

Secluded Lookouts Tour with a River Cruise Home

Aboriginal Experience Day with a Wiradjuri Guide

Luxury Small-Group Day with Wentworth Falls

Short Day: Scenic World & Lookouts

Private Blue Mountains Day, Your Own Stops

Which tour suits which traveller

The park is free. The day is what you buy.

Do I need a tour?

Rides or a walk?

Will I see kangaroos?

Who should skip a walk?

How a Blue Mountains day runs

Pickup and the road west

Echo Point and the Sisters

Rides or a walk

Leura, wildlife and home

Plan your mountains day

Where the tours go

From Sydney to Echo Point

Everything else worth knowing

Sandstone, eucalypt and a valley full of blue.

What day-trippers say

Or skip the tour

Scenic World Unlimited Discovery Pass

The Blue Mountains, explained

A free national park with a private ride in the middle

Why the mountains look blue

The Three Sisters and the story told about them

Wentworth Falls, by the numbers

Plan it properly

This season in the mountains

Questions before you book

Pick your pace, pick your lookout.