Empress Falls, Blue Mountains: Canyoning and walking trail

Empress Falls in Wentworth Falls, NSW, is one of the finest canyoning sites in the Blue Mountains. For the less adventurous, there’s a steep walk to the falls lookout from the Old Conservation Hut.

What is Empress Falls?

Empress Falls is a waterfall in the Blue Mountains region of New South Wales. It is part of Empress Canyon, one of the best canyoning spots in Australia.

If you want to try your hand at canyoning, full day tours to Empress Canyon leave from the Blue Mountains town of Katoomba.

Where is Empress Falls?

Empress Falls is in the Blue Mountains National Park, on the outskirts of the village of Wentworth Falls. This Blue Mountains waterfall is on Valley of the Waters Creek, and there’s a 37 metre drop in total.

Empress Falls is not the tallest waterfall in Australia by any stretch, but it is still impressive, falling into a tight canyon with a gorgeously tempting pool at the bottom.

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.

Empress Falls walk

The Empress Falls walk starts at the Old Conservation Hut in Wentworth Falls. It’s a relatively short walk – about 1.4km return in total. But it is thigh-sappingly steep.

You can catch a glimpse of Syliva Falls and Lodore Falls along the way.

Blue Mountains canyoning at Empress Falls

The most enjoyable way to see Empress Falls, however, is on a canyoning trip. High and Wild runs full day tours which culminate in a 30 metre abseiling descent down Empress Falls.

The day starts with progressively bigger abseils, but there are plenty of rock slides and jumps into pools along the way to the big waterfall climax.

At the time of writing, these Blue Mountains canyoning tours cost $265 and should be booked online.

Prices are subject to change in future.

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.

Empress Falls in the Blue Mountains National Park. Photo courtesy of Destination NSW.

Other Blue Mountains attractions include the Hassans Walls Lookout in Lithgow, the Three Sisters and Scenic World in Katoomba and the Evans Lookout to Govetts Leap clifftop walk in Blackheath.

You can also try Jellybean Pool, the Mount Portal Lookout and kangaroo hotspot, the Euroka Campground.