Katoomba is in New South Wales, Australia. It is on the Great Western Highway 110 kilometres west of Sydney.
Coal mining brought settlers to the region in the 1800s, and in 1878 the once ramshackle collection of dwellings known as Crushers became the town of Katoomba.
Before World War I, Katoomba started to attract holidaymakers, who were drawn to the area by the mountain air. The town blossomed into a tourist centre that boasted a number of guesthouses and retreats.
Katoomba is the main tourist centre in the Blue Mountains with a variety of things to do. You can get great views of the famous Three Sisters from Echo Point. Just west of this is the Scenic Railway, an old coalmining train built on an angle of 45 degrees, and the Scenic Skyway which travels 200m above the valley.
From the bottom of the valley you can take a wonderful mountain walk. It is beautiful just to see part of it, although it is worth walking for the full 6 hours to the Ruined Castle rock formation.
South West of Katoomba is the Kanangra-Boyd National Park where you will find the Jenolan Caves. Although parts of the limestone caves are yet unexplored, you can visit parts of them.
Katoomba has manyy hotels, hostels and guest-houses, the oldest and most prominent of which is the Carrington Hotel, established in 1882 and occupying the highest point in town.
The nearby village of Leura also features numerous well-appointed hotels and health spas.
Featured Katoomba Activities
TOUR NAME
LOCATION
RATES (AUD) from
Jenolan Cave Adventure (Plug Hole) ex Katoomba(EX567) (Bushwalking, Nature & Wildlife) This tour is a great day out at the Jenolan Cave. You commence your tour from Katoomba - resort capital of the Blue Mountains. Your underworld exploration will draw on senses that you may not have exp...
Scenic Blue Mountains Joy Flight in a Light Aircraft(EX1926) (Light Aircraft) Enjoy an amazing scenic joy flight to the spectacular Blue Mountains in a light aircraft, travelling over picturesque Australian bushland. This flight gives you the opportunity to view some of Austral...
Birrabang Creek Canyon Adventure(EX2290) (Caving & Canyoning) Birraband Creek Canyon is a real gem amongst Blue Mountains canyons. With relatively easy access, it provides excellent canyoning that can fit into a half day trip for experienced abseilers. Join a to...
Purchase this DVD that captures the sweeping contrasts of New South Wales. Includes footage of the Great Dividing Range to Bathurst, Goulburn and Albury, through the rich grazing lands.
Marvel at Dubbo's Western Plain Zoo and discover the rare opal at Lightning Ridge. Explore the Ghost Towns and outback city of Broken Hill and admire the splendour of the Menindee Lakes in the Kinchega National Park.
Investigate the Minnamurra Rainforest and enjoy the waterfalls of the Illawarra Plateau. Explore the snowfields of the Snowy Mountains, Mt Kosciusko and traverse the Murray River from the Alpine headwaters to Lake Hume. Moving on to the Southern Coast of New South Wales and the panoramic vistas's of Jervis Bay, the famous Blow Hole at Kiama and north to Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay.
PLEASE NOTE: The New South Wales travel destinations outlined above are only a small selection from the tens of thousands of Australian travel information pages available on Australian Explorer. A comprehensive list of destinations for New South Wales Holidays can be found on the main New South Wales Holidays location guide.
