Blue Mountains
Experience · New South Wales, Australia
Ninety minutes west of Sydney: sandstone escarpments, eucalypt forests turning blue with oil haze, and a string of heritage hill-station villages. Katoomba and Leura are the bases; the Three Sisters, Wentworth Falls, and the Grand Canyon track are the headline walks.
Walks
Wentworth Falls (Charles Darwin Walk down to the Valley of the Waters) is the best half-day. The Grand Canyon at Blackheath is the dramatic one — 6km loop through a slot canyon and rainforest.
Where to stay
Lilianfels and Echoes for cliff-edge views over the Jamison Valley. Spicers Sangoma at Bilpin is the boutique alternative on the quieter northern side.
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