Situated just over an hour away from Sydney’s city centre is the beautiful Blue Mountains. This World Heritage Site consists of seven National Parks bursting with walking tracks, charming mountain towns, delicious local produce and incredible vistas.
Most people who have lived in Sydney have holidayed in the Blue Mountains at least once in their lives and it is becoming more and more popular for local and overseas visitors because of its reputation of stunning beauty and growing action adventure scene.
I recently spent a lux-adventure weekend revisiting some of the places I remember visiting on family holidays as a kid. It brought back so many great memories and gave me a new appreciation for this part of the world.
One of the highlights for me was visiting some of the most stunning lookouts with views over the blue hued valleys. So let me share some of those incredible views I loved so much and that this region is famous for with 7 stunning lookouts in Australia’s Blue Mountains.
Echo Point
The first place most visitors to the Blue Mountains visit is Echo Point to see the Three Sisters and get that iconic Blue Mountains shot. The lookout at Echo Point not only looks out on the Three Sisters but also the impressive Jamison Valley and is surrounded by sandstone cliff faces and plateaus.
It’s also the starting point to some of the mountains best walks and home to the Tourist Information Centre where you can get info and maps on walks and the Blue Mountains region. If you are looking at where to stay in the Blue Mountains, somewhere around Echo Point would be a great choice because of all the amenities and attractions nearby.
If you come in the middle of the day expect to be swarmed by others trying to get the best view. Try visiting early, before 9.30am and you will have the place virtually to yourself.
Sublime Point Lookout
Located on the outskirts of the town of Leura, this lookout is probably the hardest to get to out of the seven but is still an easy walk from the carpark which takes about 15 minutes return with a few steps. From Sublime Point you get a great view of the back of the Three Sisters and it looks out over the Jamison Valley. What I loved about this lookout is that it’s not on the usual tourist trail meaning it’s much quieter than Echo Point but with equally stunning views.
Katoomba Cascades Lookout
The trail to Katoomba Cascades is located just off the road that runs between Echo Point and Scenic World. It’s an easy walk to see the falls and get to the lookout but there are also some more challenging walks that leave from here, taking you down into the Jamison Valley and rainforest below. From here you get another glimpse of the Three Sisters as well as being able to watch the Skyway cable car journey between the cliffs on each side of the lookout.
Cahills Lookout
This was probably me favourite lookout of them all. We visited Cahills twice, first during the day and second in the late afternoon to watch the sunset over Narrow Neck Plateau and the Megalong Valley. This is a popular place for rock climbers during the day but other than that, it doesn’t get a lot of visitors. For our sunset visit, we got there at about 4.30pm and had the place to ourselves until we left after sunset. It is the perfect spot to enjoy some peace and quiet, listening to the birds in the forest below settle in for the night and watching the ever changing colours of the landscape.
Narrow Neck Lookout
This lookout barely has a carpark and is basically just a pull-over spot on the side of the road. The view is looking out over the Narrow Neck Plateau that separates the Jamison Valley from the Megalong Valley. While it doesn’t have the wow factor that some of the others do, if your driving past, it is definitely worth a stop.
Evans Lookout
If you head west along the highway from Katoomba, two towns away is the town of Blackheath and two of the Blue Mountain’s most stunning lookouts. Evans Lookout turn off is just before you get to the main town and looks out over both the Grose Valley and Govetts Leap. From here there are a number of walks you can take including the Cliff Top Track to Govetts Leap Lookout and the Grand Canyon Walk.
Govetts Leap Lookout
Known as one of the most spectacular lookouts in all of Australia, Govetts Leap is sure to take your breath away. The view is out through the blue hued valley of Govetts Leap surrounded by the sheer sandstone cliffs. From here you can see Bridal Veil Falls to the right and take off on the Cliff Top and Grand Canyon walks.
Click on the maps to see a larger view.
Over to you!
Where are some of your favourite lookouts in the world?
Let me know using the comments section below or join me on social media to start a conversation.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post.
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The view from the gondola and the one of the wispy waterfalls are my favourites!
Thanks Caroline. I wish it had a rained leading up to our visit so the waterfalls could have been gushing rather than wispy but they are still beautiful.
Worlds’ End lookout in Sri Lanka is pretty awesome – about a 1000m + drop and it’s not roped off. Not so much a lookout, but the views from the top of My Kinabalu are spectacular.
Just looked up World’s End, OMG! Slightly scary but it looks awesome!
Jen, thanks for sharing your great photos of the views around the Blue Mountains. I have visited most of them and agree that the views are nothing short of spectacular!
Thanks Anne! It’s just an amazing part of the world.
Another awesome list, Jen! Your posts always give me major wanderlust. 😀
Thanks Jessica! That is my aim and happy to be of service :D!
The photo of early morning three disters view with the linger cloud took my breath away! I feel like doing some hiking now!
That cloud hangs about until about the middle of the day. It’s pretty spectacular. The Blue Mountains is the perfect place for hiking. Any plans to visit Agness?
Amazing post ! The Katoomba Cascades look absolutely stunning 🙂 makes me want to visit Australia even more
Thanks Joao! It’s such a beautiful part of the world that I hope you get to visit when you come to Australia someday.
This really is stunning! I loved the photos, my favourite it the one with a violet sunrise and a fog in a valley.
Thank you Urska. It’s such an easy place to photograph.
These mountains look so stunning. I am not sure about the cable car though. Wow, that is high!
And it has a glass floor! It really is very calm and stable.
What breathtaking photos … and such a different and unique view of Australia you don’t see very often! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Alli! It’s should be in everyone’s Aussie itinerary is think.
Great photos! I love the sunset pictures. That cable car is just a little scary looking!
Thanks Amy. It was a little scary at first but after a few seconds you realise how stable it is.
These are some look-outs, wow! I’m always amazed how little most of us, Europeans, know about Australia apart from Sydney, Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, … thanks for making me a bit wiser every week, Jen! 🙂
My pleasure Els. Glad you enjoyed this post.
Great post! My husband is Australian and his hometown is near the Blue Mountains. I don’t like going to Oz much (too expensive!) but now, with this post, we have a reason to look forward to the next trip!
Thanks Margherita! You absolutely do, its a really beautiful part of the world.
What a comprehensive post! I love it! I’ve been to the Blue Mountains twice, but on guided trips where I had no choice of which lookout points we visited. We went to Wentworth Falls and Echo Point both times! I wasn’t disappointed about that though – the first time, Echo Point was completely shrouded in mist, so I was glad to have the chance to see it properly.
Thanks Arianwen! Hopefully you can head back there someday and check out some of the other lookouts.
Wow, the Blue Mountains look amazing! The view from Govetts Leap is absolutely breathtaking. I would love the chance to visit Australia and experience these lookouts for myself!
It is a pretty amazing corner of the world. Hope you get the chance to visit soon.
I love your pictures. I went to the Blue Mountains too and loved them, although I was too scared to go in the cable car…
But these mountains were so beautiful… I wasn’t too crazy about the Town of Katoomba there, but Leura was very cute.
Thanks Alice. It is a beautiful part of Australia. Glad you enjoyed it too!
Brilliant post Jen, really enjoyed reading your post and is super informative. Will surely check the lookouts that I have not done on my next trip to the Blue Mountains.
Thanks Sam.