Disclosure: We were guests of Blue Mountains Tourism and Scenic World.
No visit to the Blue Mountains would be complete without a visit to
Scenic World.
Since 1945, guests have been visiting Scenic World, a former coal mine turned tourist attraction, for not only the most amazing scenic views in the area, but also to experience the world's steepest passenger train, the Southern hemisphere's steepest aerial cable car, and to see some of the most popular sights in the Blue Mountains.
We arrived just after opening, so lines were non-existent. We first went on the Scenic Skyway, which took us 720 meters across to the East Jamison Valley.
You can stand in the center, where a glass bottom will reveal the depths below (we were 270 meters up high).
You get great views of the Blue Mountains, the sandstone cliffs, and even Katoomba Falls.
We did a short walk down a path to the Katoomba Cascades, which was so pretty!
We walked down a bit more to the Duchess of York Lookout, before we went back on the Scenic Skyway.
We then went onto the Scenic Railway.
From the outside, it looks like a tame, fun ride. You can ride it up and / or down. It is the world's steepest passenger train at a 52-degree incline.
From the inside, especially if you are at the front row like we were, and selected the "Cliffhanger" position like we did (a 64-degree incline), it was pretty terrifying!
As slow as it was moving down 310 meters, the decline made the ride feel as if I was going to fall through the window. It was both exciting and scary at the same time, as I took video while hanging on for dear life, screaming and laughing simultaneously.
After riding the passenger train, we walked along the boardwalk, where we saw some coal mining displays, and my youngest son had fun reading all the informational signs (there are Scenic Walks all throughout Scenic World).
It was neat to see all the different formations in nature!
We then went on the 510 meter journey back to the top on the Scenic Cableway, where we had even more stunning views of the Blue Mountains, and well as the iconic Three Sisters.
Don't forget to look for the Gruffalo while you're at Scenic World!
Lunch was included in our visit, so after a morning of exploring, we worked up quite the appetite. We headed to Eats270 for some really yummy eats, including burgers, fish and chips, and chicken sandwiches.
I was quite impressed with the food!
We indulged in some ice cream from the Terrace Cafe after lunch.
Since we visited during the winter, it was indeed quite chilly, but we lucked out with gorgeous, clear blue skies.
Entry is timed, so I would recommend booking as early as possible, because the later it gets, the longer the wait in line gets (especially during peak summer season). We had an early entry booking, so our wait times were very minimal.
You can easily spend an entire day at Scenic World, traversing all of the paths and gazing at all the stunning vistas.
Scenic World is a must visit in the Blue Mountains!
Scenic WorldViolet St & Cliff Dr
Katoomba NSW 2780, Australia
