Where to Stay in the Blue Mountains: Best Towns, Hotels and Hostels

Figuring out where to stay in the Blue Mountains can feel overwhelming. Spanning roughly 4,400 square miles, this is no small mountain range, and it takes around two hours to drive from end to end.

Choosing the right base can make all the difference, and the good news is that the main tourist area is much more compact.

Most of the best hotels in the Blue Mountains are based between the mountain towns of Katoomba, Leura, Wentworth Falls, Mount Victoria and Blackheath.

They’re home to many of the region’s top hikes and viewpoints. Most are also located directly on the Blue Mountains train line from Sydney’s Central Station, making them easy to reach even without a car.

In this guide, I’ll share the best places to stay in the Blue Mountains with or without a car, plus my favourite hostels and hotels for all budgets. After all, knowing where to stay in the Blue Mountains can make or break your Blue Mountains itinerary.

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Quick Guide to the Best Places to Stay in the Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains are huge. Therefore, the most helpful thing you can do is think of Katoomba as the centre point and best-connected hub.

From there, you can easily reach most major hikes, viewpoints and adjacent towns.

The Three Sisters in Katoomba

Here’s a quick, convenient overview of the best places to stay in the Blue Mountains:

1. Katoomba: Best for first-time visitors
   • It’s the most popular place to stay in the Blue Mountains.
   • It’s home to the Three Sisters, Scenic World, Katoomba Falls and the Giant Stairway.
   • There are great public transport links, including direct trains to Sydney’s Central Station (around two hours).
   • It has a wide range of accommodation, including hostels and heritage hotels.
   • Downside: it can feel crowded with day-trippers, especially on weekends.
2. Wentworth Falls: A quieter alternative to Katoomba.
   • It’s a quiet town next-door to Katoomba, best known for the Wentworth Falls hiking path.
   • It also has direct trains to Sydney.
   • It’s less crowded than Katoomba, making it a great alternative.
   • Downside: It doesn’t have major supermarkets.
3. Leura: Best for couples and families.
   • It’s handily located between Katoomba and Wentworth Falls.
   • Leura’s best-known for its boutique and luxury hotels.
   • It’s well-connected by bus.
   • It feels a bit more upscale and urbanised than other mountains towns.
4. Mount Victoria: Incredible for getting off the beaten track.
   • It’s a small, pretty village with easy access to Victoria Falls and Hanging Rock.
   • It’s on the Blue Mountains train line, but has fewer amenities.
   • There are limited accommodation options and shops.
5. Blackheath: Best for good amenities and laidback vibes
   • This well-equipped town has an authentic feel, with antique shops and good views.
   • It’s next to the Grand Canyon Walking Track and Govetts Leap Lookout.
   • It also has direct trains to Sydney.

Where to Stay in the Blue Mountains With a Car

With a car, the Blue Mountains are incredibly easy to navigate. You can afford to stay off the beaten track. Plus, many of the hiking trails aren’t well-served by bus, so you don’t need to worry about how to reach them.

In fact, it’s actually a good move, because parking can be tricky in towns like Katoomba if your hotel doesn’t have its own car park.

Mount Victoria and Wentworth Falls are both good options. There are many self-catering cottages located outside of the main towns and villages, if you really want to get off the beaten track.

You’re also free to reach mountain hotels with epic views of the mountain range. The Chalets at Blackheath, Eagle View Escape and Hydro Majestic are the first that come to mind.

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Where to Stay in the Blue Mountains Without A Car

If you are going to the Blue Mountains without a car, the best places to stay are towns along the Blue Mountain train line: Katoomba, Wentworth Falls, Blackheath and Mount Victoria. They all have access to trains to Sydney.

There are a few other practical considerations:

• Distance from the train station: How far will you need to walk? Is there a direct bus or shuttle to your hotel?
• Self-catering: If you plan to cook your own meals, where is the nearest supermarket?
• Other handy amenities: Are there coffee shops and restaurants nearby? Can you walk to the local attractions or hiking trails?

Katoomba is the most popular choice. It has the most accommodation options, and it’s well-connected by bus. Even if you stay closer to the Three Sisters than the train station, you can still depend upon the public transport.

The Finer Details: Where to Stay in the Blue Mountains

1. Katoomba

Best for: Direct trains to Sydney, a lively atmosphere, and access to major attractions.

Staying in Katoomba makes your life just one step easier. It’s home to what’s arguably the most famous attraction in the Blue Mountains, the Three Sisters, a three-rock formation surrounded by hiking trails and the Scenic World cable car.

It’s also a popular base because it has a train station with direct connections to Sydney.

I picked Katoomba as my base for several reasons:

1. The train station made arriving and exploring convenient.
2. It has a large supermarket and plenty of coffee shops.
3. It allowed me to walk or catch a bus to several nearby hiking trails, including Leura Falls, Minnehaha Falls and the Grand Canyon Walking Track.

Minnehaha Falls

Pick Katoomba if you’re after a well-equipped, lively and well-connected base. However, if you want to avoid tourist crowds, it’s not the ideal choice.

Many people do a Blue Mountains day trip by train, so from around 9am during peak season (December to February), it’s flooded with tourists.

Where to Stay in Katoomba

Katoomba is a walkable town with good inter-town bus connections, so it doesn’t really matter which area you choose to stay in.

The centre of the action is at Echo Point, a famous lookout over the Three Sisters. This is where the Giant Stairway begins, and the Scenic World cable car is nearby.

However, Echo Point is at the very south of Katoomba. From my hostel, Flying Fox Backpackers near the train station, it was a 40-minute walk. If I had really wanted to save time, I could have taken a bus and been there in 15 minutes.

If you’re taking the train from Sydney, you need to consider how to reach your accommodation. I walked with a backpack from the train station to my hostel, but wheeling a suitcase would have been more strenuous.

If you’re travelling with a suitcase, you may prefer to choose a hotel with a direct bus connection or book a short taxi ride.

For a more luxurious stay, Carrington Hotel is the oldest hotel in Katoomba; it has been open since 1882.

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2. Wentworth Falls

Best for: A quieter alternative to Katoomba.

Wentworth Falls may not be within walking distance of the Three Sisters, but it’s still one of the best places to stay in the Blue Mountains.

The town is around six kilometres east of Katoomba. From Wentworth Falls station, there are direct trains to Sydney and Katoomba, making it easily accessible even if you don’t have a car.

Wentworth Falls

It also has a sophisticated bus transport system, with direct routes to Katoomba, Empress Falls and local walking paths.

You can walk directly from the town centre to Wentworth Falls, where Fletcher’s Lookout has views down over the 100-metre waterfall.

From there, it’s possible to continue along several classic trails, including the National Pass, the Weeping Rock circuit, the Undercliff Track or to the Princes Rock Lookout Track.

Empress Falls

Nearby Empress Falls is another highlight. It’s popular for wild swimming, or, for the more adventurous, an abseiling and canyoning tour – an experience I personally tried and recommend (as long as you can handle the 30-metre abseil down the waterfall).

Wentworth Falls is quieter than Katoomba. It doesn’t have a large supermarket, but it has coffee shops and small but well-stocked convenience stores.

Where to Stay in Wentworth Falls

It’s a 35-minute walk from Wentworth Falls station to the Wentworth Falls hiking path. There are no direct buses to the trail, so if you want to minimise the walk there, it helps to base yourself in the southern part of the town.

If you’re relying on the train or bus, the best connections are in the centre of town.

Grand View Hotel is just a five-minute walk from the station, making it great for an easy arrival.

Falls Mountain Retreat, on the other hand, sits right next to the Wentworth Falls hike, ideal if you want to be able to walk right out on the trails first thing in the morning.

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3. Leura

Best for: Families and couples

Leura is a quiet destination that’s sandwiched between Katoomba and Wentworth Falls. It doesn’t have a train station, but it does benefit from the excellent bus network connecting Katoomba and Wentworth Falls.

It’s known for being slightly more upscale and modern than its neighbours. There are more holiday rentals and luxury hotels; one standout is the Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains MGallery Collection.

For hiking, you can get directly out onto the Leura Falls bushwalk, which was one of the first hikes I did in the Blue Mountains. The hike is really nice one, with views over the Jamison Valley and several lookouts over waterfalls surrounded by bushy, green trees.

If you’re up for a longer hike, it connects all the way to Echo Point in Katoomba.

Like Katoomba, Leura has a good selection of shops and supermarkets, making self-catering easy. If you’re a family or couple wondering where to stay, this is a good spot for you.

Where to Stay in Leura

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4. Mount Victoria

Best for: Getting off the beaten track

If you want to stay away from the busier Blue Mountain hubs, Mount Victoria is a great choice.

Surprisingly for such a small mountain town, it’s still on the main Blue Mountains train line from Sydney’s Central station. That means it has direct trains to Katoomba and Wentworth Falls too.

The town doesn’t have quite as many buses as Katoomba or Leura, but it still has decent local connections, and the train link means you can easily hop over to adjacent towns.

Several bushwalks can be accessed nearby, including the Victoria Falls hike from Victoria Falls Road (a five-minute drive) and the Hanging Rock.

Accommodation options are more limited than in Katoomba or Leura, but this is part why most people visit.

Where to Stay in Mount Victoria

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5. Blackheath

Best for: Laidback vibes but good amenities

Blackheath has the ultimate small-town vibe. It’s not as busy or large as Katoomba or Wentworth Falls, but it’s still packed with good amenities, including shops, restaurants and coffee shops.

Govetts Leap

Bus services aren’t as frequent, so you’ll definitely benefit from visiting with a car. If that’s not possible, you’re still nicely set up, with a train station on the Blue Mountains line and a good number of bus routes.

Blackheath is next to the Grose Valley, where there are several popular lookouts, including Govetts Leap and Evans Lookout.

Grand Canyon Walking Track

Perhaps most conveniently, it’s within walking distance (around an hour) of the Grand Canyon Walking Track, or you can connect in Medlow Bath to reach it by bus.

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The Best Hostels in the Blue Mountains

There are a good number of hostels to choose from in the Blue Mountains. Most of them are located in Katoomba, which makes sense, as it has a major supermarket and excellent pub transport links.

Both of these factors make it easy to stay on a budget, as long as your hostel has a kitchen and is centrally positioned in the town.

I stayed at Flying Fox Backpackers, which came to me as a recommendation from a friend I met in Noosa Heads. I loved it.

It was by far the most family-like hostel I stayed at on my east coast road trip, with board games, an outdoor firepit, and food nights to bring everyone together.

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I hope you found my guide to where to stay in the Blue Mountains useful. Leave a comment below to let me know your trip plans and whether you have any recommendations for other people who are visiting the Blue Mountains for the first time.