What is the best Blue Mountains walk in Katoomba?

The best Blue Mountains walk in Katoomba, New South Wales, takes in Echo Point, the Three Sisters, the Giant Stairway, the Jamison Valley and the Furber Steps next to the Scenic Railway.

Katoomba is the largest town in the Blue Mountains and it is definitely the most visited. It’s easy to get to Katoomba by train or the Great Western Highway from Sydney, and it hosts several of the top attractions in the Blue Mountains region.

The best Katoomba accommodation options include the surprisingly affordable Blue Mountains Heritage Hotel, the pool-equipped Skyrider Motor Inn and the rather grand Carrington Hotel.

Most tourists come to admire the views of the Jamison Valley. This is with good reason, as said views are utterly spectacular. Mt Solitary sits in the middle and Mt Gibraltar – the highest point in the Southern Highlands – is in the distance. The frame is completed by a rugged sandstone escarpment to the right and the Three Sisters to the left.

7 Blue Mountains experiences you should pre-book

The Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains.

Scenic World tickets – combine dramatic train rides, cable cars & forest walks.
The Blue Mountains hop-on, hop-off bus – get around Katoomba and Leura’s top sites hassle-free.
Guided stargazing with an astrophysicist – learn how to read the clear night skies.
Give canyoning a try – jumping, climbing and sliding through Empress Canyon.
Take a half day abseiling adventure – in the Blue Mountains National Park.
Indulge in a local produce tasting experience – with beers, wines & meats.
Get adventurous – on a 4WD tour to the world’s second largest canyon.

Best Blue Mountains Walk in Katoomba? The Three Sisters Walk

The Three Sisters is a much loved and much photographed rock formation. The titular three rocky outcrop towers standing proud over the valley. If you want to get closer, the Three Sisters walk from Echo Point takes a half hour there and back.

There are, however, better walks to undertake in Katoomba. For sheer views, the Prince Henry Cliff Walk between Katoomba and Leura is a favourite.

The Prince Henry Cliff Walk in Katoomba follows the clifftops looking down into the Jamison Valley for 7km, and takes three to four hours one way.

Best Blue Mountains walk in Katoomba - Jamison Valley via Giant Stairway — The Echo Point to Scenic World walk via the Three Sisters, Giant Stairway and Jamison Valley is the best Blue Mountains walk in Katoomba, NSW. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions

The best Blue Mountains walk in Katoomba is more exciting and taxing, however, and heads into the valley. The Echo Point to Scenic World walk is rated as a Grade 4 challenge, and stretches for around 4.7km. It’s the single most popular walk in the Blue Mountains, partly due to location, and partly due to what’s included in a small area.

6 top Katoomba experiences to book in advance

Connect the key sights in Katoomba and Leura the easy way – on the hop-on, hop-off bus.
Discover your adventurous side – while canyoning at Twister and Rocky Creek.
Indulge in NSW-sourced wines, beers and tasting platters at Echo Point, while overlooking the Jamison Valley.
Combine canyoning and abseiling on a full day adventure.
Explore the Jamison Valley from all angles – with the trains and cable cars of Scenic World.
See ancient Aboriginal rock art – and the views other people miss – on a 4WD adventure.

The Giant Stairway in Katoomba

At the back of the Three Sisters is the aptly-named Giant Stairway. It descends around 300 metres down into the valley, via over 800 unnervingly steep steps. The state of the puffing, ruddy-cheeked people coming up the Giant Stairway should give a big clue about just how steep.

It’s a pretty spectacular piece of cliff-carving. The staircase plummets downwards, below the canopy and eventually on to the forest floor. By the end of it, the thigh muscles are likely to be pleading for mercy.

Once in the bushfire-prone eucalypt forest on the valley floor, the sounds take over from the sights. Amongst the tall eucalyptus trees are thousands of birds, all chirruping away with their own song.

As the walk continues, the path crosses over a waterfall, where mossy green rocks add a lusciousness to the scene. There are also huge turpentine trees and big ferns nearby. It feels more Jurassic Park than urban park. Just don’t expect kangaroos amongst the bird life.

5 fab ways to explore: Which Blue Mountains tour should I book?

There are dozens of Blue Mountains day tours leaving Sydney every day. The best choice will come down to personal preference and what’s included. Almost all include Echo Point and the Three Sisters – it’s just the rest of the itinerary that varies. These tours are the best bets.

Good value tour including Featherdale Wildlife Park, Scenic World & Parramatta River cruise.
Similar itinerary, but with small group and lunch included.
Wildlife-focused tour including Calmsley Hill City Farm, Govetts Leap lookout & Blue Mountains Botanic Garden.
Small group tour including bushwalks, Featherdale, Glenbrook lookouts and Govetts Leap.
Crowd-avoiding sunset tour including Euroka campground kangaroos & Wentworth Falls bushwalk.

Best Blue Mountains walk in Katoomba: The Furber Steps

Towards the end of the walk, there is a crucial decision to make: Get back to the clifftop by ascending the Furber Steps, or go the cheat’s method on the Scenic Railway? It’s just 1.2km along the Furber Steps, but it’s all steeply uphill.

The Scenic Railway is much easier on the thighs, and also has tremendous novelty value. Part of the Scenic World complex, the Scenic Railway is just 415m long. But it is recognised as the steepest passenger railway on earth by Guinness World Records. There’s a 206 metre vertical drop, with a 52 degree incline at one point. If you adjust the seats to the lean-back ‘cliffhanger’ position, that makes the degree 64 degrees, and unsurprisingly it offers a genuinely thrilling rollercoaster-esque experience as it ascends back towards Katoomba. This is particularly the case when it passes through a stretch of natural rock tunnel 80 metres long.

Should you wish to extend the best Blue Mountains walk in Katoomba further, after Scenic World, a stretch of the Prince Henry Clifftop Track returns to Echo Point.