Which Towns are Best to Visit in the Upper Blue Mountains?
The Blue Mountains sit just beyond Sydney, but they feel a world away. Famous for their World Heritage–listed cliffs and blue-veiled valleys, this is a place where the air cools, the pace slows, and misty mornings invite you to linger a little longer. Each township has its own quiet charm — gardens to wander, cafés with views, and that unmistakable mountain calm.
In this Guide, we’ll share some of the best places to visit across the Blue Mountains and help you find the perfect base for your own slow escape to the high country.
The view from The Elysian at the top of Leura Mall, with many sweet little cottages available to stay in off in the distance. Image by Don Moon
Find the Village that Feels Like You
The Upper Blue Mountains are a string of little villages, each with their own rhythm and charm. They stretch out along the ridgeline and are linked by a single road (and a train line running straight alongside). They are close enough that you can wander between them, or stay in one place and still explore it all.
Over the years, we’ve spent time in them all. Every village holds something unique — a lookout that steals your breath, a cosy nook by the fire, or even a moment that feels like it could only happen here.
Below, we share the personality and pleasures of each village to help you find the base that feels just right for your own slow mountain escape.
Katoomba
The Beating Heart of the Upper Blue Mountains
Lively, creative and full of eccentric character. If the smaller villages are whispered secrets, Katoomba is the story you hear first. It’s where the Mountains open up in front of you: vast lookouts, iconic walks, heritage buildings, cosy cafés, great food, and that unmistakable sense of being somewhere with a little history and soul.
People choose Katoomba because everything is close. The Three Sisters, Echo Point, and the clifftop walks are minutes away. And of course for Scenic World, where you can ride the steepest railway on the world (fun!) or enjoy epic views of the valley from their aerial cable car (that’s a hard “no thankyou” from scared-of-heights little me!).
The town centre is bustling in the best possible way — bookshops, vintage stores, galleries, bakeries, live music, and a food scene that keeps getting better. It’s also the most practical base if you’re arriving by train or wanting to explore without too much driving.
But what we love most is the atmosphere: a little bohemian, a little old-world, and very proudly “mountains”. On misty days it feels like a storybook village; on clear days, the views will stop you in your tracks.
If you want convenience, character, and that classic Blue Mountains experience, Katoomba is where you’ll find it.
The sandstone escarpment glows golden at sunrise and sunset. Here it is looking spectacular, protruding out of the fog coating the floor of the Jamieson Valley. Image copyright Bec Willox @bec_willox
Leura
The Postcard-Perfect Garden Beauty
Leura is the Blue Mountains at its dreamiest — elegant, leafy, and a little bit enchanted. Where Katoomba brings the energy, Leura brings the charm. This is the village of cherry blossoms in spring, slow wanders past grand old homes, secret gardens tucked behind hedges, and cafés that seem made for long breakfasts.
People choose Leura for its beauty and ease. Leura Mall is a gentle stroll of boutique shops, sweet treat stops, and places to linger with a coffee and a good book. A trip to Megalong Books is always on the cards for me, as well as the delightful Cabinet of Curiosities! From the centre, you’re moments from peaceful clifftop walks, tumbling waterfalls, and lookouts where the valley feels close enough to touch. Everglades House & Gardens and Leura Cascades are local favourites — serene, lush, and quintessentially “Leura”.
There’s a certain romance here too. It’s the perfect base for couples, garden lovers, and anyone wanting to slow right down. Even the air feels softer — especially in autumn when the trees turn every shade of gold, or in winter when the fireplaces crackle and the fog rolls through the streets.
If your ideal escape is wandering pretty village streets, discovering hidden gems, and returning to somewhere cosy at the end of the day, Leura will feel like it was made just for you.
Leura is known for its beautiful gardens and street plantings. The cherry blossom trees running down the centre of the Leura Mall are no exception and really celebrate the Seasons. Photo courtesy of AJ @ajny
Blackheath
The Rugged Nature-Lover’s Base
Blackheath is where the Blue Mountains feels wild and wonderfully untamed. Perched high on the plateau, it’s a village for those who love crisp air, big views, and that feeling of being right on the edge of the wilderness. It’s quieter than Katoomba and less polished than Leura — and that’s exactly why people are drawn here.
From the town centre, it’s just minutes to some of the most breathtaking lookouts in the Mountains: Govetts Leap, Evans Lookout, and the Grand Canyon Track — dramatic sandstone cliffs, plunging valleys, and endless bushland stretching to the horizon. It’s a place that invites adventure, whether that’s a long bushwalk, a scenic picnic, or simply watching the afternoon light shift across the escarpment.
Blackheath has its own personality — a bit arty, a bit rugged, with a friendly local feel. There’s a weekend growers market, the incredible Victory Theatre Antique Centre, cosy cafés, and a handful of small restaurants and pubs that make you feel like you’ve stumbled upon a favourite hideout. Make sure to try the Sunday Roast at the New Ivanhoe Hotel, it’s so incredible you will be planning your trip around this lunch alone!
If you’re seeking fresh air, inspiring landscapes, and a slower, more nature-focused base with all the essentials close by, Blackheath is the village that will capture your heart.
The Grose Valley near Anvil Rock Lookout, Blackheath. Rugged beauty is what Blackheath is all about. Some wildflowers in the foreground and looking down over the Grose Valley from near the Anvil Rock Lookout. Image courtesy of Katoomba Slow
Wentworth Falls
Peaceful and Picturesque with Local Vibes
Wentworth Falls is a breath of fresh, quiet air — graceful, relaxed, and deeply connected to the landscape. It feels a little more residential, a little more local — the kind of place where mornings begin with birdsong and end with stars you can actually see.
The village takes its name from one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the Blue Mountains, and the walking tracks here are some of the best: the Charles Darwin Walk, the National Pass, and lookouts that offer sweeping, cinematic views over the Jamison Valley. Bushwalkers adore it — you can lace up your boots and be on the trail within minutes.
In town, the pace is calm and unhurried. A few lovely cafés (try the pretzels at Schwartz Patisserie, sublime!), a beautiful park, and leafy streets lined with charming old homes and cool-climate gardens. Spring and autumn are especially magical — blossoms and bold colours turning every stroll into something special.
People choose Wentworth Falls for its serenity and space. It’s perfect for families, nature lovers, and anyone craving a quiet retreat without giving up easy access to the rest of the Mountains.
If your ideal stay involves long walks, peaceful evenings, and that feeling of truly escaping the everyday, Wentworth Falls welcomes you with open arms.
The base of Wentworth Falls. Image courtesy of Dalal @dilson
Medlow Bath
Panoramic Grandeur & Quiet Retreat
Medlow Bath is small, serene, and steeped in history — a tiny village with a grand old soul. It’s best known as the home of the iconic Hydro Majestic, a mountainside hotel with sweeping valley views and a glamorous past that still lingers in every detail.
This is a place to slow down completely. There’s no busy high street here, just quiet residential streets, crisp mountain air, and the mountainscape unfolding below the escarpment. Short walks lead to lookouts that feel almost secret, and on clear days the horizon seems to go on forever.
What Medlow Bath offers is a different kind of magic — a sense of privacy and perspective. Stay here if you want to be close to everything (Katoomba is only minutes away) while retreating somewhere peaceful and refined at the end of the day.
With heritage, tranquillity, and that incredible view, Medlow Bath is for travellers who seek calm, romance, and a touch of old-world elegance in their mountain escape.
Medlow Bath is perched high on the ridgeline with sweeping views into the Megalong Valley. Image courtesy of April Pethybridge @apriiil
Mount Victoria
The Nostalgic Edge of the Mountains
Mount Victoria is the Upper Mountains at its most timeless — quiet, charming, and rich with history. It’s the last village along the ridgeline, and it feels delightfully unhurried, as though it has paused in its favourite era and sees no rush to modernise.
Heritage buildings line the streets, including one of the oldest still-operating cinemas in Australia, Mount Vic Flicks. The old railway surrounds and grand guesthouses hint at Mount Victoria’s days as a glamorous mountain retreat — and that nostalgic spirit still lingers in the air.
Nature here feels close and expansive. Bushwalkers love the lesser-known tracks: dramatic escarpments, hidden lookouts, and spaces where you might not see another person for hours. It’s a dream for those who like their adventures peaceful and personal.
Travelers choose Mount Victoria for its slower pace, its authenticity, and its proximity to both the wild Grose Valley to one side and the rolling farmland beyond the Mountains to the other. It’s also a great base if you’re heading further west on a road trip.
If you’re drawn to stories of the past, quiet evenings, and the feeling of discovering a place before everyone else, Mount Victoria will speak to you in its own gentle, enduring way.
The Mount Victoria Railway Platform with a dusting of snow from a recent shower. Image courtesy of Wes Warren, @wcwarren
