Scenic World Blue Mountains Tours

Scenic World Blue Mountains is an enchanting destination that showcases the natural wonders of Australia’s iconic Blue Mountains region. Nestled in Katoomba, New South Wales, Scenic World is rated a top “things to do” while staying in Sydney and offers visitors an unforgettable experience surrounded by breathtaking landscapes, thrilling attractions, and unparalleled beauty. In this article, we’ll take you on a virtual journey to explore the wonders of Scenic World Blue Mountains and provide essential information for planning your visit.

When planning your trip, make sure to get there early. Scenic World is a popular destination for tour companies out of Sydney and progressively becomes more crowded as the day goes on. It should take about 1.5 hours to get to Scenic World from downtown Sydney, but make sure someone didn’t accidentally change your Google Maps settings to “avoid freeways.” Doing that will take you on a 2.5-hour route. Yes, that’s what happened to us, so we arrived much later than we had planned and could not avoid the crowds. The train is another option from Sydney to Scenic World.

Planning Your Day at Scenic World

When you arrive at Scenic World, there are two lines: ticket purchases and pre-purchased tickets. Unless you like waiting in lines, it is wise to pre-purchase your tickets online to stay in the shorter queue. At the counter, a friendly employee will talk you through options for your self-guided tour and help you map out your day. Itinerary suggestions are as follows; family fun, nature lover, great round walk, photography fiend, waterfall walk, couples escape, or adventure.

nsw scenic world map — Map of Scenic World given to us with recommendations for exploring the “adventure” itinerary.

You can take the trams as often as you want, but the crowds can add hours to the queues, so plan accordingly.

Scenic Skyway

Opening in 1958, the Scenic Skyway glides between two cliffs of the Blue Mountains, over Jamison Valley. From the Skyway you will get spectacular views of Katoomba Falls, the Three Sisters, and Mount Solitary. Journey for about a half-mile, 886 feet above the valley floor. It is the largest aerial cable car in the southern hemisphere.

nsw scenic world skyway station — The Skyway cables stretch across two peaks of The Blue Mountains.

If heights are a thrill, there is an electro-glass floor in the center of the cable car. The rainforest canopy is revealed under your feet once the car is in motion. You will get dramatic glimpses from every direction while taking this journey.

nsw scenic world skyway inside — Inside the Skyway cable car, there is a platform down the center to stand on. Once the cable car is in motion, the glass clears, showing breathtaking views below.

nsw scenic world skyway below — Clear platform for viewing below the Skyway cable car.

This Swiss-made, 2017 Skyway cable car carries around 84 passengers every 10 minutes.

nsw scenic world skyway view — Views from inside the Skyway cable car.

Once you cross over on the Skyway, you can take a path down to view two portions of Katoomba Falls.

nsw scenic world waterfall walk — While exploring at the Skyway’s East Station, you can take stairs down the the top portion of Katoomba Falls.

nsw scenic world waterfall top — The top portion of Katoomba Falls is a perfect spot to take pictures and explore.

Prince Henry Cliff Walking paths take you from Skyway’s East Station to Echo Point and the Three Sisters. Enjoy sounds of the nearby trickling freshwater streams and birds singing their songs from the trees. This walk stretches between Katoomba Cascades to Gordon Falls and is considered one of NSW’s best scenic walks. Taking 3-4 hours to complete this walk, stick to the lookouts close to Scenic World.

nsw scenic world waterfall boardwalk — The boardwalk paths are garnished with lush trees and plants. Walk along this path for stunning views of the Blue Mountains after viewing Katoomba Falls.

The Scenic Railway: A Thrilling Descent into Nature’s Wonderland

At Scenic World, you can embark on an unforgettable adventure aboard the Scenic Railway, the steepest passenger railway in the world. Originally built to serve the Katoomba coal mines, this railway has been operating for tourists since 1945. As you descend into the lush rainforest, hold on tight for an adrenaline-filled journey through breathtaking scenery. Plunge over 1000 feet, with a 128% incline, through a cliff tunnel from the Scenic Railway.

nsw scenic world train station — The world record holder for steepest passenger train rail is located at Scenic World for all to enjoy. Once boarding, you customize the position of your seats for the experience.

Choose your level of adventure by adjusting your seated position up to 20°. Choose the “original” at 52°, cliffhanger’s” 64° incline, or “laidback” for a more relaxed journey.

nsw scenic world steep train — Take a ride on the Guinness Book of World Records ‘steepest passenger railway’ while visiting Scenic World. With the train’s adjustable seating, the standard 52° incline becomes 64° for a more adventurous journey to the Jamison Valley floor.

Our family loves to experience unique and original adventures. As soon as we found out this is the “steepest” track, we were game to take a ride. Inside the car, we had to adjust our long legs and head height by crunching down. Be prepared. Once the railway is in motion, it starts descending quickly. There is a padded bar in front of your knees. Make sure you place your knees against this bar to stabilize yourself, so you don’t fall forward.

nsw scenic world train space — Inside the train car, space is limited. So whether you squeeze in or slide around, hang on for an unexpected adventure.

nsw scenic world train view — Views from inside the train, through the cliff tunnel, while descending down to the valley floor.

Speakers projecting the theme song from Indiana Jones added an extra touch to our thrilling ride. Once correctly positioned with my knees against the padded bar, I immensely enjoyed the experience. If you are tall, make sure you pick a seat that has a clear window above and behind your head. Once descending and the incline changes, so do your view. Our sons had a metal beam right in front of their faces and had to lean over even more to catch a glimpse.

nsw scenic world train three sisters — You can see the “three sisters” rock formation as you descend to the Jamison valley rain forest

nsw scenic world train tracks — The Scenic Railway was originally built to service the Katoomba mines. Here is a view of the tracks from the boardwalk.

This thrilling experience allows you to appreciate the natural beauty of the Blue Mountains from a unique perspective.

The Scenic Walkway: Immerse Yourself in Nature’s Wonderland

This 1.5 miles elevated board walkway along the cliffs to the Jamison Valley floor. Expect different pathways and stairs to climb up and down. Wear good walking shoes. There are signs posted to direct your adventure as you wander under the canopies of a lush rainforest. If you choose to skip the Scenic Walkway, it is a short 10-minute walk between the Railway and Cableway Stations.

nsw scenic world expolore mines — Along the boardwalk near the valley floor, you will explore and learn about the early history of Katoomba and it’s working mines.

nsw scenic world mines — Preserved coal mines located at Scenic World.

nsw scenic world boardwalk mines — Get a history lesson while enjoying the Scenic Walkway. Or hop on to the scale bronze horse and miner statue.

Picnic tables are located along the route if you need to rest or eat a snack.

nsw scenic world steep paths — The Scenic Walkway is built on the side of the mountain near the valley floor. Be prepared and plan to navigate the steep paths as you venture down or up.

nsw scenic world view from below — Rich and vibrant colors embedded in nature surround you while strolling through the valley floor.

The native birdlife can be heard chirping throughout the rainforest walkway. These colorful birds add beauty to the natural surroundings.

nsw scenic world bird — Enjoy the songs and calls of wildlife as they soar above or hop on branches near by.

Scenic Cableway

From the bottom of the valley floor you can take the Scenic Cableway back up to the Top Station. This 1/3 of a mile cable ride is pretty smooth until you crossed over a tower with a slight bump. We had the best views of Orphan Rock from the car.

nsw scenic world cableway station — View of the Scenic Cableway cable path. This journey from bottom to top is less extreme than the Railway.

nsw scenic world cableway interior space — Inside the cableway car are floor to ceiling windows. With so much to view, the boys helped point things out.

scenic world cableway car — Enclosed cableway car at Scenic World.

nsw scenic world cableway view — More views from Scenic World Cableway car.

The Cableway ride was our least favorite at Scenic World. Next time, we will take the railway back up to the top. At the Top Station, you can enjoy restaurants, shopping, or use refreshment rooms. Free parking is located near the Scenic World Top Station. Public access vehicles are also available there.

nsw scenic world sign — Scenic World, located in NSW’s Blue Mountains, takes viewing nature to a new level of adventurous ways.

Tips:

Purchase tickets in advance online.
Arrive early to get ahead of the large bus tours.
Bring sunblock, wear good walking shoes, and be prepared for walking boardwalks and climbing stairs.
Bring a high-quality digital camera to capture breathtaking views of the Blue Mountains.
If you are nervous about heights, ask the employees questions to calm your worries. They were willing to help me and were very patient.