A day in the Blue Mountains - Echo Point, Wentworth Falls & Empress Falls

From Echo Point jump back on the bus to Katoomba train station to head back towards Sydney for a 10 minute journey to Wentworth Falls. Be sure to plan the timing ahead and don’t do as we did and find yourself having to wait at the station for 45 minutes. The trains leave hourly so try to have a train time in mind and stick to it. Once you jump off the train at Wentworth Falls, turn left on the main road and then right at the traffic lights at the end. It’s easy to do as you simply need to follow the brown signs leading you to ‘Wentworth Falls/Charles Darwin Walk’. When you’re at the point when you’re not sure if it feels right as you’ve walked down a main road and past a children’s playground, keep going as believe it or not, you’re heading the right way. If it would help to see this, then check out our vlog as you can see the whole journey.

The start of the Charles Darwin walk is clearly signposted and it should take around 1 hour for the 2.4km hike to Wentworth Falls. The hike is largely shaded by trees, fairly flat and signage is clear and frequent. In short, it is a really enjoyable hike that feels like a million miles away from the crowds of Echo Point and the Three Sisters.

As you approach Wentworth Falls you’ll pass Fletchers lookout before reaching Wentworth Falls lookout. The views from up here are absolutely incredible and surprisingly quiet. We only had a couple of other people up there with us as opposed to the crowds at Echo Point and the views are just as breathtaking. If like us, you’d love to see the falls but not get into hardcore workout territory then head down towards the falls but don’t go all the way. You’ll know when you’ll want to turn around simply by the number of stairs that you’ll be tackling. These stairs are pretty steep but the views from here are something that you have to see in person. They are truly unforgettable.

By this point if you’re anything like us, you’ll be more than ready for a lunch break. Luckily, Wentworth Falls has its own picnic area which is easily found by following the many signs on the trail. It’s the perfect place to dig in to a packed lunch and rest the legs before the last few kilometres of the afternoon. Be sure to take all of your rubbish with you as there are no rubbish bins for the sake of the wildlife. 

The picnic area also has bathrooms and plenty of large signage with trail maps of the area which come in handy (it’s also a parking area so there’s naturally more people in the area). Personally I’d recommend taking a photo on your phone of the trail map just for ease and so if you forget the name of the trail (which I know I would) then there’s no need to panic (see below my pretty terrible quick snap of said map – excuse my head).

Once you’re all refuelled it’s time to get back on the trail and head out of the picnic area towards the Overcliff Track to head towards the last stop of the day, Empress Falls. The trail goes up and down in elevation, is largely tree covered and is fairly uneven. There also happens to be some of the most incredible viewpoints along here with even fewer people (in our experience) than the Wentworth Falls track. One in particular made us stop and take a few just to enjoy the view and take some photos. I have to say it was probably our favourite viewpoint of the entire day – and that’s saying something.

Continuing on the Overcliff Track you will soon come across signage to Empress Falls. There is a lookout at the top that we couldn’t actually see the falls from but perhaps at a different time of year you would (we were there in August). Following the steep stairs all the way down to the waterfall you will soon find yourself being plunged into darkness compared to the sunny, open viewpoint at the top. The falls are beautiful, the setting unique and getting all the way down to the very bottom is quite the adventure. Be careful on the stairs as they can be very wet and slippery – for obvious reasons!

We were lucky enough to have the whole place to ourselves for a good 20 minutes before another couple started to make their way down. With all of our travels we know just how rare a moment like that can be where you’re not fighting for a glimpse or a photo. If you’re as lucky as us then be sure to take all the time you can whilst allowing yourself around 30-60 minutes to get back up to the top.

When climbing back up, rather than going back the way you came stay on the lookout for signs to the Conservation Hut Cafe and take that trail. By now you may be feeling pretty knackered so if you’ve somehow made it in time before closing (9am – 4pm, daily), then pop in for a drink, a snack and a rest. From here getting back to the train station is pretty easy although it does mean walking along the roads. For ease we simply took Fletcher street then turned left at Falls road which took us right back to the station ready for a 2 hour train journey back to the city.

You may be thinking that this all sounds like a lot for one day and you may be right. However, we personally love to jam pack our days especially if we only have one day in a place that has so much to offer. We found that we had enough time to enjoy the hikes, stop for photo opportunities and have a proper lunch break, it just meant we got back to the city quite late at around 8pm – well worth it I say!

All in all the Blue Mountains is a truly incredible place that we will never forget. We hope that we will return one day to get back on the trails, hunt down more waterfalls and remember why we fell in love with it at first sight. Whatever you do, if you only have one day like us, then squeeze everything out of it that you possibly can. Isn’t that the only way to do it after all?   

Have you been to the Blue Mountains? Let us know in the comments!

Happy adventuring,
Lorna