It’s just a two hour train ride away from Sydney, but the Blue Mountains feel like a world away. Known for the incredible views and sky high hiking trails, we really loved it out here in the wilderness. Instead of doing a day trip (which most people do), we stayed in this area for 4 days and went past the Blue Mountains to visit some of the small country town on the other side of the mountains.
Here is a fun bit of info for ya: the Blue Mountains look blue, because of all the eucalyptus trees emitting oil droplets in the air which scatter short wave lengths that are mostly blue. So no, it’s not just an Instagram edit that makes them blue 😉
Katoomba
This is the main town to visit when in the Blue Mountains, with one main road that is about a mile long running through the center of it. It has a bunch of restaurants, cafes, antique shops, and souvenir stores to wander when not looking out over the spectacular views of the Blue Mt’s. After exploring and hiking during the day, we would come here to wind down and have dinner.
One of evenings we went out and watched the sunset over the mountains and were just blown away by how incredibly beautiful this area is.
Here are some of our favorite spots in the Blue Mountains:
- Echo Point: beautiful lookout over the blue mountains. Not a far walk off the road. This was our favorite lookout point. Also not very touristy.
2. Three Sisters: these are 3 rock points that are pretty popular, so you won’t be alone trying to get a picture of them.
3. Gordon Falls Lookout: during dry season you can’t really see the falls but the views from here are beautiful anyways.
If you make it to Sydney do yourself a favor and get out here for a couple of days!
Where to stay in Katoomba:
Palais Royale: this hotel is on the main road and is within walking distance to everything you would want to see or do. The history of this place is pretty cute too. Originally purchased by a romantic from Croatia as a gift for his wife, this hotel was renovated and made to look very European. When you come to Katoomba, you will see it stands out from the rest of the hotels. If you decide to stay here ask for a Mt. View suite.
Leura
Another town in this area that we love is Leura. It’s less touristy than Katoomba and a lot more charming. If we lived in this area, Leura would be the town for us.
We loved riding our bikes around the town and stopping by the cute cafes and restaurants in the center. The streets are lined with fragrant flowers and have the cutest craftsman houses. We had dinner at the Leura Garage which was delicious so make sure to stop by here.
Where to stay in Leura
Wren and Whippet: this is an Airbnb and not hotel but is probably one of the nicest Airbnb’s we’ve ever stayed at. This house has been featured in magazines and rightfully so! The property and house are beautiful and no detail is looked over. The owners, Cas and Simon, are so genuinely kind and wonderful, we are blessed to have met them. If you’re in this area, make sure to stay here! You won’t be disappointed!
Millthorpe
This town isn’t in the Blue Mountains but it’s just a 2 hour drive from it. We rented a car in Katoomba and headed west. Along the way to Millthorpe, there are lots of stops you can make that have incredible view points.
This is such a charming little town with some really nice people. When we got here, it was a warm summer evening so we just walked around and enjoyed the slow paced life of Millthrope. Sure this may not be a bustling metropolis, in fact you may even see a real cowboy here. But its this slow pace we really fell in love with.
We especially loved stopping by Tomolly Millthorpe, which is one of the cutest stores I’ve seen. The owner, Belinda, has an impeccable eye for design which can be seen in her store and her amazing Airbnb. Belinda is a beautiful soul and if you have the pleasure of meeting and chatting with her you will fall in love with her just like we did!
Where to stay in Millthorpe:
Speckled Nest: this is Belinda’s Airbnb that was also featured in Country Style magazine. It is sooo cute! It even has its own plum tree out front that we definitely ate from. It’s a special place on a super cute property!
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