- Duration
- ~105 km from Sydney, about 2 hours each way by train, 9–10 hours (≈ 5 h 36 min: moving and stop time only)
- Who it suits
- With kids
- Transport
- walk, train
- Start
- Gordon Falls Reserve playground
- Finish
- Hominy Bakery
- Pace
- moderate pace
- Best time
- Tuesday–Saturday: Hominy Bakery is closed on Sunday and Monday. Spring (October–November) and autumn. Take a train around 7:30 to reach Leura by 9:30. It is several degrees colder up top than in Sydney, so pack jackets. On total fire ban or very windy days, check NPWS alerts first.
- Budget per adult
- Every stop is free: the playground, the cliff-top track and the Into the Blue exhibition (checked October 2026). You only pay for the train on Opal (a lower daily cap applies on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays) and for food: café lunch, bakery treats, and a book or board game if you like.Prices as of: July 2026; transport and zoo prices October 2026
Getting there
Train: Blue Mountains Line (NSW TrainLink) from Central to Leura station, about 2 hours, pay with Opal or tap a contactless bank card. Off-peak trains run roughly hourly, so check Trip Planner. Return from Katoomba. Car: ~105 km via the M4 and Great Western Highway, 1.5-2 hours (the WestConnex section of the M4 near the city is tolled). Park at Gordon Falls Reserve off Lone Pine Avenue; Katoomba is then 5 km on, park in the town centre and watch the time-limit signs.
Stops in order
The text version of the route: stops, time at each and the legs between them. Times are estimates, without queues, traffic or swims.
- For kids
1. Gordon Falls Reserve playground~45 min at the stop
A quiet council park on the edge of Leura with a playground under the gums, a lawn and a picnic shelter. Its 2025 upgrade added a new amenities block, level paths and drinking fountains.
Worth knowing: The reserve's A$2.4 million upgrade was funded by the NSW Government.
Tip: Open 24/7, free. About 25 minutes on foot from Leura station via Leura Mall and Olympian Parade. This is the last proper toilet before lunch: Leura Cascades currently has no parking or facilities.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 5 min · 0.2 km
2. Gordon Falls Lookout~15 min at the stop
A fenced platform a couple of minutes from the park, facing Gordon Falls with the forested Jamison Valley rolling away below. The first big view of the day, and only a short stroll for small legs.
Tip: Free, always open. Skip the steps down to the Pool of Siloam this time: the climb back is long. A park fire ban is in force from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 50 min · 2 km
3. Prince Henry Cliff Walk to Leura Cascades~30 min at the stop
A stretch of the famous cliff-edge track runs past rocky lookouts to Leura Cascades, where a creek tumbles down stone steps in a shady fern gully. For kids it is a proper adventure with footbridges and rushing water.
Worth knowing: The full Prince Henry Cliff Walk runs 7 km from Katoomba to Gordon Falls, with more than 20 lookouts along the way.
Tip: About 2 km with steps, allow an hour. Some edges are unfenced, so hold little hands. The Fern Bower track is closed for repairs until 30 October 2026, so do not head down into the valley. There is currently no parking at the cascades; drivers should stay parked at Gordon Falls.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 25 min · 1.6 km
- Lunch
4. The Wayzgoose Diner~1 h at the stop
A homely café in a weatherboard house on Leura Mall: burgers, fried pickles, fish and chips and the signature scones baked in flowerpots. There is a kids' menu, little chalkboards for drawing and a small library.
Worth knowing: The café is in Leura's oldest commercial building, built in 1901. In the 1957 fire a local saved it by chopping out the burning wall with an axe.
Tip: Open daily 9am–5pm (as of October 2026). Order the flowerpot scones for the table as dessert. There is a back courtyard you can wheel a pram into. Leura station is 300 metres away.
Open on the map ↗↓ train · 10 min · 2.5 km
5. Into the Blue at Blue Mountains Cultural Centre~45 min at the stop
An interactive exhibition on the nature and people of the Blue Mountains, in the cultural centre right by Katoomba station. The immersive Into the Blue film runs 15 minutes, just right for kids' attention spans; an art gallery shares the building.
Tip: Free entry. Open Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat–Sun 9am–4pm, closed Anzac Day, Good Friday and Christmas Day. Into the Blue starts at quarter to each hour; the 45-minute Ngurra Bayala programme runs before it from the top of the hour (until December 2026).
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 5 min · 0.35 km
- Shops
6. The Little Lost Bookshop~25 min at the stop
A small bookshop tucked into Ha'penny Lane off Katoomba Street: children's books, board games, puzzles and cards by local artists. A good spot for kids to choose their own souvenir of the trip.
Tip: Mon–Thu and Sat 8.30am–4pm, Fri 8.30am–6pm, Sun 10am–3pm (October 2026). The lane entrance is at 181 Katoomba Street.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 1 min · 0.05 km
- Snack
7. Hominy Bakery~20 min at the stop
Katoomba's beloved bakery: sourdough (the famous potato loaf sells out fast), chocolate croissants, pies and pork and fennel sausage rolls. Grab a bag for the train, it is two hours back to Sydney.
Worth knowing: Jenny Ingall and Brent Hersee opened the bakery in 1998, and it still trades on the same stretch of Katoomba Street.
Tip: Tue–Sat 6am–4pm, closed Sunday and Monday (October 2026). The shelves thin out after lunch, so do not leave it late. Katoomba station is 500 metres down the street.
Open on the map ↗
Before you go
- Route times are estimates: walking, driving and a sensible pause at each stop. Add queues, traffic and swims yourself.
- Prices, timetables and trail status change. Check the venue's official site and the state transport app before you go.
- On beaches, swim only between the red and yellow flags. Use sun protection even when it is cloudy.