Best Things to Do in Katoomba, Australia

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Waterfalls

Besides canyons, waterfalls are what this natural wonderland is all about. Katoomba’s many cascades range from segmented “falling lakes” to plunging cataracts. One of the most impressive is a mere mile from the town center: Katoomba Falls, sending water over a 750-foot cliffside into the Jamison Valley. On the other side of the city, across a neighborhood named after Yosemite National Park, Minnehaha Falls drops 65 feet into a turquoise swimming pool. If you have time to see more, you can travel east along the Great Western Highway and hit Leura Falls, the Pool of Siloam, Empress Falls, and Sylvia Falls. There’s also the ever-popular Wentworth Falls, which flows from Jamison Creek over three tiers of rock, and shares a name with the nearby small town it’s in, where there are lots of other lookouts and walks.

Caves

The Blue Mountains region is a land of superlatives. Visit New South Wales calls Jenolan Caves “the most ancient open caves in the world,” and it’s also believed to be Australia’s largest cave system. Several “show caves” within the 6,000-acre Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve are open to the public. Subterranean walking tracks and ladders built into the caves give you a close-up of mesmerizing stalactites and limestone formations. Keep your eye out for bats and cave spiders.

Make sure to check to see if the caves are open before you go.

If they’ve been closed due to heavy rainfall, there’s an abandoned railroad tunnel at Newnes Plateau that’s been taken over by glow worms. It’s about an hour’s drive from Katoomba to get to the four-mile walking track that goes into the tunnel, but you will be glad you made the journey when you look around at the mystical bioluminescence that speckles the walls.

Incredible views

The most recognizable landmark in Katoomba is the Three Sisters rock formation. As the Aboriginal legend has it, sisters Meehni, Wimlah, and Gunnedoo of the Katoomba tribe fell into forbidden love with three brothers from a neighboring tribe. A war between the tribes ensued, and to protect the sisters, a witch turned them to stone. Today, the sisters stand tall over the eucalypt forest. They’re best witnessed from the Echo Point lookout, which is also on the Prince Henry Cliff Walk, a four-mile hike connecting more than 20 viewpoints. Other popular vantage points include Olympian Rock, Govetts Leap Lookout, and Sublime Point, all offering panoramic views of the valley. The Wentworth Falls Lookout, less than a 15-minute drive from Katoomba, overlooks the top section of the falls, and a little further down the road, Lincoln’s Rock is a popular sunset photography spot.

Another way to get a bird’s-eye view of the Blue Mountains is by hopping on the Southern Hemisphere’s steepest aerial cableway at Scenic World. There, you can even ride on the roof of it. Seriously, they let you stand on top of the cable car—harnessed in, obviously—while it travels 900 feet high over the valley.

Art Deco architecture

Downtown Katoomba is lined with Art Deco storefronts harkening back to the early 20th century. The buildings are beautifully preserved with color, geometric designs, and ornamental details. Many of the signs are original, still emblazoned with giant vintage typefaces reading “Cafe Niagara,” “Paragon Restaurant,” and “The Savoy.” None of these places are open still, although the old Savoy theater has been turned into an aesthetically on-brand diner. Off the main drag, you can also find Art Deco influences at The Carrington Hotel and Palais Royale.

Immersing yourself in the bush

Without a doubt, the best way to explore the World Heritage wilderness of Katoomba is on foot. The New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service lists 50 trails in the area. Lace up your walking shoes and tackle the 998 steps of the Giant Stairway. It starts at Echo Point and descends to Honeymoon Bridge, which leads to a cave inside one of the Three Sisters. Trekking along the Grand Canyon Track, Overcliff-Undercliff Track, and Charles Darwin’s Walk is more about the journey through hanging swamps and rainforest than any kind of summit payoff. Keep your eye out for spiky banksia flowers, koalas, wombats, platypuses, and echidnas. A third of Australia’s bird species are also represented in the Greater Blue Mountains Area, so bring binoculars if you have them.