Scenic World, explained

What is Scenic World?

A private, family-run attraction in Katoomba, started by the Hammon family in 1945 on the site of an old coal mine.

Scenic World began when Harry Hammon turned the coal skips and rail track of the Katoomba Colliery, which closed in 1945, into a passenger ride (Scenic World). Three generations of the Hammon family have run it since, and it says it now welcomes over a million visitors a year.

It sits on the cliff edge at the corner of Violet Street and Cliff Drive, above the Jamison Valley. The views take in the Three Sisters and the valley; the rides are what you pay for. Blue Mountains National Park around it is public land with no entry fee.

What are the rides at Scenic World?

The Scenic Railway down, the Cableway up, the Skyway across the gorge, and the Walkway boardwalks in between.

The four attractions, with the figures Scenic World and Destination NSW give (Destination NSW):

What are Scenic World's opening hours?

Every day of the year: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends, NSW school holidays and public holidays.

From Scenic World's visitor page:

• It is open every day, including Christmas Day.
• In busy periods it may open from 8:45 a.m. or close as late as 6 p.m. Check your date on its site.
• Last rides usually leave the top station 20 minutes before closing and leave the valley 10 minutes before closing. The longer boardwalks start closing an hour before.
• Allow two to three hours to ride everything and walk the boardwalks.
• The café opens from 8 a.m.

Rides depart roughly every ten minutes and take about five minutes. On busy days Scenic World warns of 40 to 60-minute waits, and you exit and queue again at each station.

Do you need to book Scenic World in advance?

Yes, in practice. Scenic World recommends booking online, and in school and public holidays tickets are often sold online only.

Tickets are sold for a session time with a 30-minute arrival window to check in at the ticket box (Scenic World). Its ticket page also tells visitors to “book online as sessions are selling out in advance” (Scenic World). Walk-up tickets are sometimes available outside peak periods, but that is a gamble on a weekend.

Once you have checked in, you can leave and come back as often as you like that day. That makes it easy to combine with a walk: ride down in the morning, walk the cliffs, return for the Skyway in the afternoon.

On a tour, the operator handles the booking and the session time for you.

The ticket most tours are built around, on its own: Railway, Skyway, Cableway and Walkway, all day.

★ 4.5 · Valid all day

Book this → Tour details

Which Blue Mountains tours include Scenic World?

Four tours on this site include the rides; two offer them as optional extras; three skip Scenic World altogether.

What each listing states:

Can you buy a Scenic World ticket on its own?

Yes. The Unlimited Discovery Pass covers all four attractions for a day. You get yourself to Katoomba.

The Unlimited Discovery Pass gives one day of unlimited rides on the Railway, Skyway and Cableway plus the Walkway. It is a ticket, not a tour: no transport and no guide. Children aged 3 to 15 pay a child price and under-3s go free. Scenic World sets its own prices, which change by date, so check its ticket page for yours.

Getting there without a tour:

• Train: Central to Katoomba in about two hours. See the train guide.
• Bus: route 686 runs from Katoomba via Echo Point to Scenic World.
• Walk: from Echo Point along the cliff path, or down the Giant Stairway and along the valley floor to the bottom of the Railway.
• Car: parking in the multi-storey car park is free for guests, with a 2 m height limit.

Is Scenic World worth it compared with the free lookouts?

Yes, once. The Railway is a genuine thrill and the Walkway gets you into the rainforest easily. The cliff views themselves are free at Echo Point.

Here is the honest trade. The view of the Three Sisters from Echo Point costs nothing. The Prince Henry Cliff Walk gives you the same valley from a dozen angles, free. What Scenic World adds is access: the steep ride down, the boardwalk through rainforest on the valley floor, and the Skyway hanging over the gorge. Without it, the valley floor means hundreds of steps each way.

Worth it for families, anyone who cannot manage steep stairs, and first-time visitors who want the classic day. Less so for keen walkers, who can reach the valley on the Furber Steps or Giant Stairway and might prefer the waterfall walk day.

On a busy day the queues eat time; if you book, take the earliest session.

Is Scenic World accessible for wheelchairs and prams?

Partly. The Cableway and Skyway cabins and the shortest boardwalk are wheelchair accessible. Prams cannot go on the Railway.

• Wheelchairs: the Cableway and Skyway cabins are wheelchair accessible, and the shortest boardwalk, about 500 m, suits wheelchairs and limited mobility (Scenic World).
• Prams: allowed on the Cableway, Skyway and some boardwalk sections; not on the Railway, though a small folding stroller on your lap is fine. Pram parking is in the main building.
• Food: the Terrace Cafe and the EATS270 restaurant, with halal, gluten-free and vegan options. Picnics go at the tables in Skyway Park.

Most tours that include Scenic World do not take wheelchairs. The secluded lookouts tour welcomes collapsible wheelchairs and walkers, with Scenic World as an option.

Frequently asked questions