Things to do in the Blue Mountains

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Curated selection of points

Village towns, waterfalls and swimming holes, boutique shopping and connoisseur coffee – the Blue Mountains has something for everyone

Next time you go, your visit can include more than the Three Sisters and Scenic Railway, with this guide to the Blue Mountains in your arsenal...
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1
Empress Falls

One of the most popular waterfalls in the Blue Mountains, Empress Falls, sits at the base of Conservation Hut in Wentworth Falls.

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New South Wales, Australia
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With a one-hour round trip, this is one of the Mountains’ most popular and scenic treks. But be sure to come prepared with food and water, you will need a rest at the base before the steep trip back to Conservation Hut.
2
Minnehaha Falls

If you’re looking for a lesser-known spot to pack a picnic lunch then Minnehaha Falls, a waterfall situated in North Katoomba

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Medlow Bath, New South Wales, Australia
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Very well known to everybody, Katoomba is one of the major tourist attractions in the Blue Mountains
3
Terrace Falls

Terrace Falls, off Terrace Falls Road in Hazelbrook, is almost perfect

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Hazelbrook, New South Wales, Australia
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With an easy to medium difficulty and very little foot traffic, this is a swimming spots where the locals go
4
The Bilpin Fruit Bowl

Bilpin is a tiny hamlet renowned for its fruit picking (and cider)

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New South Wales, Australia
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The Bilpin Fruit Bowl opens its farm on weekends, and during harvest time you can go and pick seasonal fruit straight from the source. Fruits include nectarines, peaches and apples of many varieties.
5
Mount Tomah - the Blue Mountains Botanic GardenMount Tomah

Mount Tomah Botanic Gardens is one of the Blue Mountains' most loved attractions

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New South Wales, Australia
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Mount Tomah is known as the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, and home to an exquisite array of mature plants that are a nature lover’s dream
6
The Red Door Cafe

The Red Door Café is a gem of the mountains, and a local secret that deserves to be shared.

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Leura, New South Wales, Australia
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Trendy and eccentric, the Red Door has some of the best coffee in the Mountains, as well as the best lunch options.
7
Wisteria Place Cafe

Dine in the mountains

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Megalong Street, Leura, New South Wales, Australia, 2780
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Great coffee, with a fireplace and relaxing atmosphere, this is the best spot to get creative.
8
Rust and Timber Chocolate Bar

Best cappuccino in the Blue Mountains, and a built-in chocolate shop – what more could you ask for?

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Lawson, New South Wales, Australia
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A chocolate bar, conveniently situated off the highway at Lawson shops, is the perfect stop in on your way up the Mountain. With a large collection of handmade chocolates and desserts, there is no shortage of snacking options to complement your coffee.
9
DBL Ristretto212 Macquarie Road

All about health, Dbl has not only great coffee, but virtuous food options to enjoy on the side.

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212, Macquarie Road, Springwood, New South Wales, Australia, 2777
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Dbl Ristretto also offers an alternative to the often hearty and heavy Mountains food, with healthy options throughout their food and drink menu.
10
The Turning Page Bookshop

The Turning Page Bookshop in Springwood is a local institution

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Macquarie Road, Springwood, New South Wales, Australia, 2777
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From the casual reader to the serious bookworm,four proprietors and 3 locations in the town have been focussed on meeting the needs of the book-loving community in the lower Blue Mountains for 35 years
11
Megalong Books

No book lovers visit to The Blue Mountains is complete without a trip to Megalong books

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Leura, New South Wales, Australia
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As well as a large selection of fiction and non-fiction books on all subjects, and a popular children's book section, Megalong carries a wide variety of books about the Blue Mountains, including titles on its history, guides to bushwalks and local flora and fauna and photographic books, among others.
12
Mountain High Pies

The great Aussie pie-tasting quest will never truly be satisfied until you stop at Mountain High Pies.

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Wentworth Falls, New South Wales, Australia
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With beef, cheese and bacon; lamb and rosemary; and the big breakfast pie on the menu, this is one of the best pie shops in Greater Sydney. All pies are made daily on site, and the owner Damian is always up for a chat as he makes you a coffee.
13
Red Hands Cave

It’s no secret that the Blue Mountains are a rich source of Indigenous culture, history and sacred sites.

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New South Wales, Australia
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These sites include Glenbrook’s Red Hands Cave which hosts a collection of hand paintings on sandstone that were meant to represent the ‘Bora’, the transition of boys to men. Centuries-old, these hand prints represent the importance of the Blue Mountains to Indigenous people.
Along the same walking track you can see the carving site for hunting tools, with grooves still in the stone. This walk takes approximately 1.5 to two hours.
14
Waradah Aboriginal CenterWaradah Aboriginal Centre

Another significant Indigenous site is the Waradah centre in Katoomba

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Katoomba, New South Wales, Australia
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Waradahis a cultural centre that holds daily performances to teach visitors, and locals, about the tribes native to the Blue Mountains.
15
Glenbrook Cinema

This old-fashioned gem of a cinema, with its worn red chairs and velvet curtains, takes you back in time.

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Glenbrook, New South Wales, Australia
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Initially the School of Arts during the early 20th century, the former auditorium has been converted into an independent cinema, where you can see all the new releases for $11.50 with a choc top and popcorn to boot.
16
Mr Pickwick's84 Katoomba Street

As far as quaint Blue Mountains gems go, Mr Pickwick's is high on the list

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84, Katoomba Street, Katoomba, New South Wales, Australia, 2780
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Mr Pickwick has a total stock and storage offering of over 100,000 books, one of the largest in Australia. It occupies all three levels of the former Westpac Bank building which houses some 60,000 books, as well as a huge collection of fine Australian art, and many cabinets of exotic collectables and antiques.
17
Maison Montage162-164 Leura Mall

Maison Montage is well established as Leura's leading homewares store offering a gorgeous and eclectic range of fine quality products

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162-164, Leura Mall, Leura, New South Wales, Australia, 2780
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Maison Montage is well established as one of Leura's leading homewares store, offering a gorgeous and eclectic range of fine quality products
18
Trumps Boutique143 Leura Mall

Trumps Boutique is a women's clothing shop in the centre of Leura village

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143, Leura Mall, Leura, New South Wales, Australia, 2780
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There is shopping in the Mountains for everyone, particularly if you head to Trumps, who places a strong mantra of ‘shop local’ throughout.
19
Lyttleton Stores

For the ultimate shopping experience, head to Lyttleton Stores at Lawson.

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Lawson, New South Wales, Australia
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This historic collection of buildings, established in 1884, has morphed into a sustainable living nook, with organic produce grown on site as well as a range of locally sourced items, including art and pottery. Lyttleton also run workshops for sustainable living, including indigo dyeing and cheese making workshops.
20
Olympian Rock LookoutPrince Henry Cliff Walk

There's something special about Olympian Rock

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Prince Henry Cliff Walk, New South Wales, Australia
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150-metre walk from Olympian Parade off Leura Mall, this is one of the most beautiful lookouts, with views of Sublime Point to the left and the back-side of the Three Sisters to the right.
21
Flat Rock LookoutLincolns Rock

Off Tablelands road, this is a local hang out, and the perfect picnic dinner spot and great for photos at sunrise and sunset

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Wentworth Falls, New South Wales, Australia
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Flat Rock lookout offers scenic views over the Coxcomb, Goonook and Killabakh nature reserves, as well as great picnicking and birdwatching opportunities.
22
Narrow Neck Lookout

As the name suggests, this lookout has views to the Narrow Neck peninsula, with sweeping views of the valleys below.

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Katoomba, New South Wales, Australia
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If you time it right, you can see the silhouette of trees as the sun sets over the mountains in the distance. Top tip: grab a pizza from Papadino’s in town and eat it with a plus one as you watch the sun set.

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