Katoomba to Lithgow drive: Distance, time & best stops

The Katoomba to Lithgow drive through the Blue Mountains covers a 41km distance in a driving time of around 41 minutes. The best stops along the way are Pulpit Hill, Govetts Leap and Hassans Walls.

The drive from Katoomba to Lithgow connects two of the main tourist hubs in the Blue Mountains region of New South Wales.

Katoomba is where you’ll find the Blue Mountains hop-on, hop-off bus that links the Three Sisters lookout at Echo Point to the record-breaking novelty transport of Scenic World. To find your ideal Katoomba accommodation, head this way.

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.

For Lithgow accommodation options, look here.

You will also pass this way if coming through the Blue Mountains on a longer road trip – say from Sydney to Mudgee or Sydney to Orange.

Katoomba to Lithgow distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Katoomba to Lithgow is 41km. That makes for a 41 minute drive, providing traffic on the Great Western Highway isn’t too bad.

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.

Katoomba is unquestionably the tourism hub of the Blue Mountains. Highlights include riding the Scenic Railway at Scenic World and tackling the Prince Henry Cliff Walk.

The town is also the base for canyoning and abseiling adventures, tasting platters with prime views at Echo Point and 4WD tours into areas of the Blue Mountains most visitors don’t see.

Katoomba to Lithgow drive: Katoomba to Blackheath

On the way out of Katoomba, the Great Western Highway passes the trailhead for the Six Foot Track at Pulpit Hill on one side and the Upper Cascade Creek Dam on the other.

Next up is the town of Medlow Bath, which hosts the Hydro Majestic Hotel – one of the most revered spa hotels in Australia.

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.

Coming into Blackheath, you’ll go near the Mermaids Cave Walk. But the main reason to visit Blackheath is the Blackheath section of the Blue Mountains National Park.

Top spots here include include Pulpit Rock, the Evans Lookout, Govetts Leap, Victoria Falls, the Mount Hay summit walk and the Grand Canyon.

But the top activity in Blackheath is arguably hiring an e-bike then mountain biking the Burramoko Trail along the ridgeline to Hanging Rock.

Katoomba to Lithgow road trip: Blackheath to Lithgow

At Mount Victoria, there’s the Pulpit Rock Lookout, Bushrangers Cave and Sunset Rock Lookout. The Katoomba to Lithgow drive then crosses the Pass of Victoria into Hartley, past Hassans Walls and into the western end of Lithgow.