Romantic Getaways in the Blue Mountains

3 Sisters in Echo Point, Katoomba

Being situated so close to Sydney, and easily accessible by both car and train, the Blue Mountains present the ideal opportunity for a romantic weekend getaway. And, as they’re so easy to get to it’s no surprise that the Blue Mountains are popular with both Sydneysiders and visitors to Sydney who want to get out of the city for a few days.

If you have a car, the drive from Sydney to the largest town in the Blue Mountains, called Katoomba, takes around 2 hours, though if you’re planning on travelling at the weekend, allow yourself a bit more time to cope with the additional weekend traffic. It’s a nice drive though, and to be honest you’ll find the car is very useful for exploring the area once you arrive.

For visitors to the Blue Mountains who don’t have a car, there is a good train service which runs from Sydney Central. The services are quite frequent, and although not express there are a limited number of stops along the way so the journey isn’t too long. For visitors coming for a romantic getaway in the Blue Mountains, the train may be a really good idea provided you book your accommodation not too far from the train station!

Although popular for weekend romantic getaways, the Blue Mountains have many attractions and beautiful scenery to enjoy, so you could easily spend longer here! But if you’re visiting for just a few days, here are some of the highlights that we recommend you shouldn’t miss…

Hiking – There are countless hiking trails within the Blue Mountains and these range in difficulty so all levels of capability should be catered for here. Some of the most popular trails include Govett’s Leap, the Giant Staircase and the National Pass.

Scenic World – Located in the town of Katoomba, Scenic World has two of the Blue Mountains most popular visitor attractions: the Scenic Railway and the Scenic Skyway. Both these attractions offer an amazing opportunity to see the stunning natural beauty of the Blue Mountains, though visitors can also enjoy the Scenic Walkway and the Scenic Cableway too!

Jenolan Caves – Beneath the earth and rocks of the Blue Mountains you’ll find another world in the Jenolan Caves. There are an impressive ten caves which are open to visitors and you’ll see some great limestone formations. Two of our favourite formations were the Minaret and the Grand Column.

The Zig Zag Railway – Whether or not you enjoyed the railway at Scenic World, you should also try out the Zig Zag Railway as the experience is quite different! Situated near Lithgow, Zig Zag is a heritage railway and was built in the 1860’s. The railway now provides a wonderful attraction for couples on romantic getaways in the Blue Mountains, as you can experience the romance of travelling by steam train on a 1.5 hour journey!

The Edge IMAX Cinema – No trip to the Blue Mountains would be complete without a visit to the Edge IMAX Cinema in Katoomba where you can watch an amazing widescreen movie featuring the Blue Mountains. The movie, titled ‘The Edge’, is well worth the visit though do check the schedules before making a special trip as other movies are also shown here.

For a fantastic range of great places to stay from bed and breakfasts, romantic cottages with fireplaces to 5 star hotels, Book it Now has a comprehensive list of Blue Mountains Accommodation.

“Romantic Getaways in the Blue Mountains” by Claire Bolgil