Top 16 Things to Do in Katoomba | Australian Traveller

The historic Blue Mountains town of Katoomba is a vibrant, creative enclave filled with attractions from outdoor excitement to cosy places to sit and sip.

The lofty town of Katoomba is at the heart of the Blue Mountains. Set on the fringe of the heritage-listed national park, this heritage centre is usually the first stop on any excursion into the high-country and is a great place to base oneself. While there’s plenty of natural attractions a stone’s throw from town, you certainly won’t be left wanting for things to do in Katoomba once you unlace your walking shoes. Here’s our pick of the must-do and see experiences from the streets to bush.

1. Visit the Three Sisters

Perhaps the most iconic Katoomba sight, the Three Sisters rise almost one kilometre above sea level from the north escarpment of the Jamison Valley.

Family enjoying views across Blue Mountains National Park to the Three Sisters and Mount Solitary from Echo Point Lookout

Prepare to be awe-struck at the majestic Three Sisters. (Image: Destination NSW)

Steeped deeply in lore and of great significance to the Traditional Owners, these monolithic pillars are awe-inspiring for anyone who glimpses their majestic beauty. The sisters can be easily discovered on a gentle 800-metre walk in Katoomba, making them a must-see on any Blue Mountains jaunt.

sunrise over the Jamison Valley and the Three Sisters, Blue Mountains, Katoomba

Witness incredible sunrise views over the Jamison Valley and Three Sisters. (Image: Destination NSW)

2. Try a beer at Mountain Culture

This Blue Mountains-born craft brewery barrels out interesting and high-quality beer that’s adored around Australia, but you’ll only find the Brewpub in Katoomba.

a bartender holding beer at Mountain Culture Beer Co

Try the award-winning brews at Mountain Culture Beer Co. (Image: Destination NSW)

Located in a restored historic 1912 building, which once housed the local paper, a video store and a home for ‘lost or belated drunks’, the Mountain Culture brewery is a convivial place to sink a cold one after a day hiking. Stop by for a fortifying burger and beer, such as the award-winning Status Quo Pale Ale or the Scenic Route Session.

craft beers from Mountain Culture Beer Co.

It’s a great place to sink a cold one back in town after a day of exploring. (Image: Destination NSW)

3. Discover Scenic World

A veritable theme park with nature as the star attraction, Scenic World is a collection of jaw-dropping rides that show the magnitude of beauty in the Blue Mountains National Park. There’s the 2.2-kilometre Scenic Walkway for those who prefer to stay on the ground, but the real showstoppers are the eight-minute Scenic Cableway some 216 metres above ground; the Scenic Skyway that’s elevated 270 metres; and the historic 1878 Scenic Railway, which travels at a thrilling gradient of 52-degrees to take out the gong for the steepest railway in the world.

riding a cable car at Scenic World, Katoomba

Take in the sights on a cable car ride at Scenic World. (Image: Destination NSW)

4. Check out Katoomba Falls

Thundering 150 metres from the Kedumba River to the Jamison Valley below, Katoomba Falls is one of the Blue Mountain’s most captivating waterfalls. Starting from Scenic World, you can take the short, two-kilometre circuit to take in the beauty of the falls with a photo op along the way at Juliet’s Balcony, which overlooks the dramatic Witches Leap.

bushwalking past a waterfall in Katoomba

Make your way to one of the most captivating waterfalls in the Blue Mountains. (Image: Destination NSW)

5. Descend the Giant Stairway and take in the view at Echo Point Lookout

For those keen to tackle a physical challenge, make for the Echo Point to Scenic World walking track via the Giant Stairway. Absorb the vistas from Echo Point before making your way to the Jamison Valley below.

Take in the beauty of this icon from Echo Point Lookout. (Image: Destination NSW)

Forged from steel and stone in 1909, the 998 stairs lead to Honeymoon Bridge, which connects to the first of the Three Sisters. Once at the base, you can take the Scenic Railway back to the top, should you not feel inclined to tackle the stairs in reverse.

a couple enjoying views from Honeymoon Bridge overlooking the Jamison Valley along the Three Sisters Walking Trail, Katoomba

Hike to Honeymoon Bridge for rewarding views of the Jamison Valley. (Image: Destination NSW)

6. Wild swim at Katoomba Cascades and Minnehaha Falls

There’s nothing like a dip in a cool mountain pool come summer. There are a few spots to wash away the heat in Katoomba, but our top picks are the layered Katoomba Cascades, where, after rain, the gentle falls plunge with force and kids can splash in the lower level, while adults enjoy a spa-like experience higher up. Also head to the deeper waterhole at Minnehaha Falls, where you can frolic under the gentle cascade and loll about in the water or sun yourself on the bank.

7. Enjoy a luxe stay at Lilianfels

A graceful place to relish the mountain air, this five-star resort is set amid deftly tended, cool-climate gardens and sprawls out across 89 guest rooms and suites styled with a luxe settler aesthetic. Lilianfel’s onsite fine-dining restaurant, Darley’s, is housed in a heritage-listed homestead and offers up splendid vistas of the Jamison Valley. It’s special occasion territory for escapes that require a little indulgence.

Lilianfels Resort & Spa, Katoomba in the Blue Mountains

Breathe in the fresh mountain air during your luxe stay at Lilianfels. (Image: Destination NSW)

8. Sip high tea at the Hydro Majestic

Scones and the Blue Mountains go hand-in-hand and one of the most stylish ways to take tea in the region is with a high tea experience at the grand Hydro Majestic. With dramatic views overlooking the Megalong Valley, tea is served daily between 11am and 3pm in the elegant Wintergarden room and consists of three tiers of finger sandwiches and petit pastries.

an aerial view of the Hydro Majestic Hotel, Medlow Bath in the Blue Mountains

The Hydro Majestic Hotel pairs their high tea with incredible views. (Image: Destination NSW)

9. Find clifftop thrills with Blue Mountains Adventure Company

With cliffs to climb and valleys to traverse, Katoomba and the Blue Mountains region is an adventurer’s playground. If your idea of a good time sees you dangling from a canyon tethered by a rope, you’ll love to slip into a harness for a guided experience canyoning, abseiling and climbing. Blue Mountains Adventure Company offers all these activities for beginner to advanced thrill-seekers, plus gentler walks to multi-day hikes.

a woman abseiling at Cahills Lookout, Katoomba in the Blue Mountains

Book with Blue Mountains Adventure Company for memorable thrills. (Image: Destination NSW)

10. Ride an e-bike in the Blue Mountains National Park

Not all exploration of the UNESCO World Heritage Blue Mountains National Park need be done by foot. For an energetic but less taxing experience, taking a guided e-bike tour ticks all the boxes for most fitness levels aged 12 to 70-plus.

You’ll head off the beaten track on the latest e-mountain bikes that assist your pedalling with a little motorised push, so you can spend your time admiring the bush surrounds rather than working up a sweat. Blue Mountain Biking Adventures offers tours that include a helmet, bike, snack and guide through Katoomba’s Narrowneck Plateau and other locations.

a family mountain biking in the Blue Mountains National Park

Explore the Blue Mountains National Park on a mountain bike. (Image: Destination NSW)

11. Join Gundungurra Indigenous Tours at Scenic World

Long before the area was named the Blue Mountains, it had been given the name Gundungurra Country. Learn about local lore with a first nations guide as you explore the endemic flora and fauna and hear stories from the Dreamtime. Leaving from Scenic World, you’ll take the Cableway and Skyway as you learn about the rich culture of the region.

12. Hike the Six Foot Track

Serious walkers will be keen to follow the trail from Katoomba to Jenolan Caves on this three-day hike that follows an 1884 horse track.

Join a three-day hike to witness the beauty of Kanangra-Boyd National Park. (Image: Destination NSW)

Weaving through Kanangra-Boyd National Park and state forests, enthusiastic nature-lovers will relish camping under the stars as they meander through the Megalong Valley to arrive at the caves. If the full Six Foot Track requires too much commitment, you can also tackle it in shorter sections.

The trek ends at Jenolan Caves, an impressive limestone attraction in the Blue Mountains. (Image: Jenolan Caves)

13. Indulge in some Blue Mountains spa time

When wintry, snow-dusted days suggest a little pampering, book in for a massage or treatment at one of Katoomba’s day spas. Spa Sublime and Aspara Day Spa both offer a window into wellness on a weekend away in the mountains, where you can work out any tension from daily life or soothe limbs after a bush hike.

Pamper yourself at Spa Sublime. (Image: Darren Edwards; Destination NSW)

14. Follow the Katoomba Night-Lit Walk

While the Blue Mountains is undeniably spectacular by day, it also has an ethereal beauty by night. The Katoomba Night-Lit Walk is illuminated from dusk to 11pm, giving walkers a chance to safely experience the sights and nocturnal sounds of the bush come dark. Follow the forest path on the 2.4-kilometre return route that passes Katoomba Cascades, Katoomba Falls, Orphan Rock and Witches Leap, at some parts you can also see the Three Sisters all aglow.

15. Take in the sunset at Boars Head

It would be remiss of anyone to visit the Blue Mountains and not find a position to admire the nightly light show at sunset. With vibrant orange and pink hues bathing the ancient rock cliffs and swathing the bush in a spectrum of colours, this is a free spectacle not to be missed. For prime viewing, make your way to Boars Head Lookout and join the audience for a picnic and a show. Be sure to rug up, though, it can get windy and chilly.

16. Tour Katoomba’s street art

The energy of the mountains imbues its residents with an abundance of creativity, which can be seen through the many galleries and bespoke craft boutiques, but also on the streets of Katoomba.

friends taking a selfie along the Street Art Walk, Katoomba

Get a group selfie along the Street Art Walk, Katoomba. (Image: Destination NSW)

A joint venture between Blue Mountains Cultural Centre, University of Western Sydney and Street Art Murals Australia, the Beverly Place precinct has been decorated with large-scale murals that showcase the talent of street artists from the region and around Australia. Have your camera at-the-ready to snap a few selfies along the walk.

The street art here is truly striking. (Image: Destination NSW)

Keep reading our Blue Mountains travel guide for more insider tips and hidden gems to discover in this unforgettable part of Australia.

Memories of a childhood in Japan were the inspiration behind Aqua Ignis, a new Blue Mountains bathhouse.

A new revolutionary bathhouse in the Blue Mountains is redefining wellness by drawing on ancient bathing traditions from around the world. Aqua Ignis co-founder Taku Hjelgaard says it was the experience of visiting an onsen near his grandparents’ home in Osaka that first inspired this contemporary take on a bathhouse.

“I remember riding on a bike around the narrow winding streets of Osaka, immersing myself in these giant baths and then lying on my back in the tatami room feeling relaxed and rejuvenated,” says Taku, who was born in Japan, but raised in the UK and Australia.

“I would ride home with the wind in my hair at night through these beautiful Japanese streets. These memories are etched in my mind and ultimately inspired the creation of Aqua Ignis,” says Taku.

the front of Aqua Ignis bathhouse, Blue Mountains

Aqua Ignis is the newest bathhouse to open in the Blue Mountains.

The name Aqua Ignis draws from the Latin: Aqua (water), which represents the bath and steam room elements; and Ignis (fire), which represents the sauna. Taku says the two words capture the core experience of visiting the Blackheath bathhouse.

“It’s that interplay between hot and cold, water and heat. One of the things I really love about Japanese bathhouses is that it’s therapy for both the mind and the body. It’s engaging in a hot and cold treatment, soaking up the magnesium, and then having a really restorative rest in our beautiful spaces,” says Taku, who also works part-time as a counsellor.

Taku’s brother-in-law, Korean-German architect Siki Im was behind the transformation of the old Art Deco property that houses Aqua Ignis. Taku’s business partner, carpenter Lee Nias, was also involved in the transformation of the heritage structure. The building was reimagined as a ‘room within a room’ concept that allows for fluid transitions between spaces.

inside Aqua Ignis bathhouse, Blue Mountains

Not only does the bathhouse feature onsen-like baths, but it also has steam rooms and saunas.

Taku says Aqua Ignis also nods to Turkish hammams with its herbal-infused steam rooms.

“My business partner Lee’s heritage is a real mix. He’s part Chinese, part Indian, part Irish, part English. Our architect is Korean but lives in Germany. And my heritage is Japanese so it makes sense that we blend a lot of different global traditions together,” he says.

Both Lee and Taku grew up in the Blue Mountains and say Aqua Ignis is a way of giving back to the community. Taku says the ultimate goal is for visitors to experience a uniquely Australian form of wellness. “It’s wellness that respects diverse cultural practices while creating something entirely new,” Taku says.

“We are eternally grateful to the Blue Mountains, the people, the landscape, the trees, the water that has shaped us. Our way of giving back to community is by creating this bathhouse, which reflects the country’s rich, complex cultural landscape,” he says.

Taku says he and Lee have been consulting with a local Gundungurra woman to incorporate Indigenous Australian elements through a eucalyptus cleansing ceremony.

the sauna at Aqua Ignis bathhouse, Blue Mountains

The hot rock sauna is a nod to the European tradition.

Aqua Ignis has a hot rock sauna, herbal steam room, magnesium mineral bath, cold plunge and rest areas. Together, Taku says the treatments provide visitors with a space to reset.

You can find Aqua Ignis at 239 Great Western Highway, Blackheath, NSW

Stretch your legs on one of these hikes in the Blue Mountains. Next, enjoy a restorative session at Aqua Ignis, followed by a stay at one of these cosy Blue Mountains cabins?

16 memorable things to do in Katoomba