Balancing adrenaline highs with cortisol lows, we’ve found the perfect recipe for a Blue Mountains weekend escape.
An easy 90-minute drive from Sydney, the Blue Mountains has long lured day trippers with its dramatic mountain vistas and quaint country-town charms. But beyond the classic spots, a new wave of design-led hospitality venues and feel-good wellness experiences is breathing fresh energy into this nostalgic destination. Meaning? There’s all the more reason to linger after the tour buses go home.
From adorable cafes serving artisanal pastries to vibey record stores and afternoons spent soaking in a bathhouse, here’s how to spend a well-balanced weekend in the Blue Mountains.
Day one
Active adventures
Chase waterfalls on the Blue Mountains’ Cliff Top Track. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Get your blood flowing again after the drive and begin your Blue Mountains weekend with some time in nature. Hikes such as the 6.3-kilometre Grand Canyon Track take you deep into fern-slung valleys where gushing waterfalls showcase the eco-certified region’s natural beauty.
We’ve chosen to walk the Cliff Top Track near Blackheath, a six-kilometre ramble studded with blazing-yellow Golden Wattle and trickling streams. The track starts at Govetts Leap Lookout, a panoramic viewpoint you can drive right up to, making it one of the best easy hikes in the Blue Mountains.
For a unique perspective, ride the world’s steepest railway at Katoomba’s Scenic World, which overlooks dramatic escarpments, or pump up the adrenaline on one of the region’s MTB trails.
A bathhouse session at Aqua Ignis
Aqua Ignis is a Japanese-inspired space featuring a stone sauna.
The bathhouse facility opened in 2025.
Soothe sore muscles in the heated mineral pool.
After getting your heart rate up, there’s no better way to slow it right back down than a soothing sauna session at Aqua Ignis bathhouse. The new two-storey facility in Blackheath opened last year as the first of its kind in the region, with the concept inspired by co-founder Taku Hjelgaard’s memories of visiting Japanese onsens as a child. Expect a luxe yet laid-back energy.
We arrive slightly damp and with cramping calves after a misty walk, all too eager to drift between the magnesium mineral pool, hot-stone sauna, eucalypt-scented steam room and tranquil rest areas.
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AI Prompt
Check into a stylish cabin stay
Cosy up by the fireplace come evening. (Credit: Eleanor Edström)
Enjoy a glass of red as you soak in the bathtub. (Credit: Eleanor Edström)
Watch the sun set over the valley during a game of chess. (Credit: Eleanor Edström)
Shadows stretch long across folds of grey-green scrub in the Kanimbla Valley. My partner and I are enjoying a wine on the deck of our cabin when we realise we’re being watched: a whole mob of wallabies is gathered on a nearby hill, eyeing us with curiosity. Perked up on hind legs, they’re only metres away. The waning sun catches in the honey-coloured grass, and we hold our breath, afraid even the slightest movement might send the marsupials bounding away.
This sort of natural splendour is all part and parcel of stay at Mt Kanimbla Retreats, a set of three design-led lodges scattered along the Blue Mountains’ secluded western edge. We’re staying in the Hilltop Cabin, a timber-clad couples’ haven where Southwestern aesthetics meet raw Australian bushland. Despite being just 2.5 hours from Sydney, it feels a world away.
Along with a crackling fireplace, stunning freestanding stone tub overlooking the valley and outdoor plunge pool, the property is home to three rescue ponies – Peaches, Fuji and Taffy – that roam freely through the paddocks. Read our full Hilltop Cabin review for all the details.
Day two
Pastries at Butter cafe
Find a quaint nook to cosy up in at Butter cafe in Blackheath.
Come for barista coffee and baked goods.
The larger Wentworth Falls cafe has a boutique shop, too.
The adorable entry to Butter Shop & Cafe at Wentworth Falls.
After an indulgent sleep in, start your morning at Butter, the piccolo-sized sibling to Butter Store & Cafe in Wentworth Falls (also a worthy visit for boutique shopping enthusiasts). Here we struggle to choose between flaky pastries, toasties and prosciutto-topped focaccia creations.
But why stop there? A roll call of cute Blue Mountains cafes is waiting to indulge all your baked-good fantasies. Try Black Cockatoo Bakery’s rotating artisanal pastry schedule, where you’ll find the likes of double choc cookie sandwiches and ham and gruyere croissants. Then there’s Cassiopeia Coffee in Katoomba, a lovely spot to catch the morning sun while enjoying a cinnamon scroll. And while the setting verges on the old-school side of things, Hounslow serves up unbeatable brekkie staples, making it a popular spot among locals.
For perhaps the most unique experience of all, follow your nose to House of Suns Micro Bakery, a tiny, bright-yellow Chilean bakery hiding in the bushland, open Saturdays.
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Records, antiques and bookshops
While away the hours at Hat Hill Records in Blackheath. (Credit: Eleanor Edstrom)
Quaint, long-loved shops continue to give the Blue Mountains its creative edge. I could spend hours sifting through glassware at Victory Theatre Antique Centre and flicking through vinyl inside the effortlessly cool Hat Hill Records. This hi-fi store boasts a sizeable collection of new and second-hand records spanning Japanese pressings to and soul to modern classical.
Bespoke furnishings bring a fresh feel to guestrooms at Ardour Lilianfels Blue Mountains.
The newly refurbed Ardour Lilianfels hotel is also bringing a fresh squeeze of colour to the region with its playful English manour aesthetic. Beyond being a design lover’s dream, the hotel makes an excellent place to recharge with its contemporary Èliva Blue Mountains spa (open to day visitors), sauna and outdoor pool.
When you’re stomach starts rumbling, head to the recently relaunched Blaq restaurant at the Kyah for seasonal, soul-warming plates or try the new Fairways Restaurant & Bar, which offers a contemporary global menu in a lush garden setting.
From steamy wellness spaces to adorable accommodation, a restorative weekend in these picturesque ranges prove there are ever-increasing reasons to plan a weekend escape.
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Eleanor Edström is Australian Traveller’s Associate Editor. Previously a staff writer at Signature Luxury Travel & Style and Vacations & Travel magazines, she's a curious wordsmith with a penchant for conservation, adventure, the arts and design. She discovered her knack for storytelling much earlier, however – penning mermaid sagas in glitter ink at age seven. Proof that her spelling has since improved, she holds an honours degree in English and philosophy, and a French diploma from the University of Sydney. Off duty, you’ll find her pirouetting between Pilates and ballet classes, or hunting down Sydney's cosiest cafes.
With more than 60 nationalities calling it home and a century of Italian influence shaping its paddocks and plates, Griffith is a regional Australian town with serious culinary cred.
It might feel surprising to learn that Griffith is one of Australia’s leading food destinations. In-the-know Italians have understood this for generations, drawn to the Riverina region’s fertile soils that reminded them of the terrain they’d left behind more than a century ago. These days, Griffith supplies much of the nation’s pantry: 95 per cent of Australia’s prunes come from the region, it’s the country’s largest citrus-growing area, and it’s a leading producer of almonds and walnuts. Even the pickles in every McDonald’s burger nationwide are produced in Griffith. This is not just a farming town; the Griffith food scene is leading the way.
Here, culinary confidence is rooted in migration. Italian families began arriving from 1913, with a second wave settling after the Second World War. Today, Griffith has the highest proportion of Italian ancestry of any Local Government Area in Australia. Add to that more than 60 nationalities represented across the community and you have a town where food is driven not by trends, but by tradition. Griffith’s motto, ‘Taste our culture’, isn’t marketing spin; it’s the reality.
Where the vines tell a story
Uncover the stories behind every glass. (Image: Destination NSW)
The Riverina has long been dubbed the food bowl of Australia, but it’s also a wine region that remains largely under the radar. What sets Griffith apart is that every one of its wineries is family-owned, many spanning generations.
Calabria Family Wines is one of the region’s standard-bearers. The Calabria story began in 1945 when Francesco Calabria planted his first vines; today, the family continues to shape the region’s identity while also stewarding the historic McWilliam’s Wines brand. McWilliam’s was the first winery to plant vines in the area, and its barrel-shaped cellar door – complete with a soaring stained-glass window – remains one of the most distinctive in regional NSW.
Yarran Wines, run by the Brewer family, showcases estate-grown fruit across Mediterranean varietals that thrive in the warm climate. Expect bold reds and textured whites that reflect both heritage and innovation.
Set inside the old ambulance station, Harvest HQ is owned and operated by the Riverina Winemakers Association and pours a rotating selection of local wines under one roof. It also features spirits from The Aisling Distillery, reinforcing the region’s collaborative approach to craft.
At the table
Dine where tradition meets a bold new generation. (Image: Visit Griffith)
If the vineyards tell one story, the dining rooms tell another. Griffith’s restaurants are where tradition and next-gen confidence meet.
Zecca Handmade Italian occupies the former Rural Bank building, an imposing Art Deco landmark from the late 1930s. ‘Zecca’ means money print, and the name is a nod to the Zecca di Venezia in Venice. Here, find the Riverina’s only producer of dried artisan pasta and traditional Italian recipes. Importantly, the growers and producers supplying the kitchen are listed on the menu as a transparent expression of the region’s farm-to-table ethos.
Established in 1977 and still run by the Vico family, La Scala puts authentic Italian cuisine on centre stage. Expect handmade pasta, traditional wood-fired pizzas, slow-cooked sauces and dishes that follow recipes guarded like family heirlooms. For something more contemporary, Bull & Bell in Gem Hotelis a shrine to the Euro-style steakhouse that works closely with local farmers and artisans to showcase Riverina produce.
And then there are the institutions. Bertoldo’s Pasticceria, now in its third generation, draws locals daily for cannoli, biscotti, crostoli and house-made gelato, alongside classic sausage rolls and potato pies. La Piccola Grosseria feels like stepping into an Italian alimentari, its shelves lined with continental goods that wouldn’t feel out of place in Puglia.
Meanwhile, Limone celebrates local and seasonal produce across breakfast and lunch menus, enriched by the produce and stories of Piccolo Family Farm. Find pastries and sourdough baked daily, and pop into the onsite retail pantry for products from regional producers – including the Piccolo family’s own wine range, Caro Piccolo.
From the source
Taste world-renowned Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod, straight from its source. (Image: Visit Griffith)
Behind every menu is a producer. Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod is perhaps Griffith’s most high-profile export; the brand’s Murray cod and Aquna Gold Murray Cod Caviar have achieved global recognition. In October 2024, Aquna presented its products to King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the NSW Premier’s Community BBQ in Parramatta. Impressed by the producer’s sustainable farming practices, the King requested the cod be sent to Buckingham Palace – not bad for a fish farm in regional NSW.
Mandolé Orchard champions almonds grown on a family-run farm, transforming them into almond milk and value-added products. At Morella Grove, olives are pressed into premium olive oil and pantry staples that speak to Griffith’s Mediterranean heart. These producers are not peripheral; they are central to the town’s culinary ecosystem. Learn about local sustainable farming practices during a farm tour.
Mark your calendar
Plan your visit around A Taste of Italy Griffith. (Image: Visit Griffith)
For a town that helps stock Australia’s supermarkets, Griffith has remained curiously absent from the national dining conversation. That’s beginning to change. If you’ve been searching for a regional food destination with substance, heritage and a clear sense of identity, you’ll find it here in the Riverina, right under your nose.
Time your visit to the Riverina region to coincide with A Taste of Italy Griffith, held every August. This week-long celebration of Italian heritage and culture offers a wide range of Italian-inspired events and experiences to enjoy. Expect long-table lunches, wine tasting experiences, cooking classes and a Makers in the Piazza market. The headline event is a ticketed long lunch – Festa delle Salsicce (Salami Festival) – where winners of the best salami are announced.
