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The Blue Mountains is one of the must-visit places while you’re in Sydney and taking a tour means you can cover all the highlights easily in a day.
Since we frequently visit Sydney, we love taking tours out here because it takes all the stress out of the trip. We don’t have to worry about driving and just sit back and enjoy the gorgeous scenery.
But not all tours are created equal, which is why we’ve rounded up the best Blue Mountains tours from Sydney that we can personally vouch for.
Quick Pick: Our Favorite Tour
Don’t have time to read the full article?
Our FAVORITE experience is this all-inclusive small-group tour that visits all the best attractions like Scenic World to ride the cable car and includes a chef-prepared lunch and boat cruise back to Sydney!
Check out the 7,000+ reviews and book it here!
Tip: This tour is VERY popular and often sells out, so make sure to reserve in advance to guarantee your spot!
Best Tours to the Blue Mountains from Sydney
1. All Inclusive Small-Group Blue Mountains Day Trip from Sydney
- Duration: 10 hours
- Time: Around 7 am
- Highlights: Visit the Three Sisters, ride the steepest railway in the world & Skyway cable car at Scenic World, see native Australian wildlife species, cruise along the Sydney Harbour
- Inclusions: Professional guide, all entry fees, lunch, river cruise
- Rating: 4.9 stars (check 7,000+ reviews here)
- Free cancellation: Yes
- Price: Check price here!
We think this all-inclusive tour is the ultimate way to enjoy a Blue Mountains trip from Sydney! All of the epic stops paired with the fact that it’s all-inclusive and a small group tour easily make it our favorite of all the Blue Mountains tours we’ve taken.
This tour includes entry to Scenic World, where we rode a cable car up for aerial views of the valleys below. Then, you’ll either visit Featherdale Wildlife Park or Sydney Zoo. Your guide will decide which is the best option for the day, but we assure you that both are worth visiting!
Because it’s a small group tour (max 20 people), it didn’t feel too crowded. It also meant we got to visit some secret viewpoints that overlook the Three Sisters and the Jamison Valley. Some of them are pretty hidden and narrow, meaning that the bigger tours can’t visit. We think this is a big advantage of doing this tour!
Other highlights we loved were the chef-prepared lunch in a local restaurant and the fact that we got to cruise back to Sydney. Yup, this tour includes a scenic cruise along the Parramatta River. It was such a relaxing way to end the day in the Blue Mountains and so much better than traveling by bus – just check out the THOUSANDS of raving reviews!
This tour does sell out, so reserve your spot well in advance and you’ll get FREE cancellation!
2. Blue Mountains Day Trip from Sydney
- Duration: 10 hours
- Time: 7 am
- Highlights: See koalas at Featherdale Wildlife Park, view the Three Sisters at Echo Point, and enjoy the rides at Scenic World
- Inclusions: Professional guide, Scenic World & Featherdale entry, select hotel pick-up
- Rating: 4.6 stars (check 2,300+ reviews here)
- Free cancellation: Yes
- Price: Check price here!
This top-rated tour ensures you get the complete Blue Mountains experience, with epic views, wildlife, and scenic rides.
You’ll be picked up from your Sydney hotel and then head to Featherdale Wildlife Park. Here, you can get up close with native Australian animals, including kangaroos and koalas.
Then, you’ll head to Echo Point for an amazing view of the Three Sisters before enjoying a visit to Scenic World. You’ll get insane aerial views of the Jamison Valley and Katoomba Falls from the rides – we honestly felt like we were flying! Then, the day ends with a boat cruise back to Sydney.
We think that this is a great tour because it allows you to experience the sights from land, up high, and on the water. It’s also a great tour for families because kids especially love Featherdale Wildlife Park!
Check availability and book tickets for this top-rated tour right here!
Related Read: Need a step-by-step guide for your trip? We have the ultimate 3-day Sydney itinerary you can easily follow!
3. Budget-friendly Blue Mountains Day Trip
- Duration: 10 hours
- Time: 6:30 am
- Highlights: Enjoy views of the Blue Mountains from Kings Tableland, walk to Wentworth Falls, cruise down the Parramatta River, option to add on Scenic World or the Zoo
- Inclusions: Professional guide, Harbour Cruise, pick-up from select hotels
- Rating: 4.7 stars (check 1,500+ reviews here)
- Free cancellation: Yes
- Price: Check price here!
Do you want to take a Blue Mountains day trip from Sydney but are traveling on a budget? Then this full-day tour is a great choice! You get to see stunning sights and cruise down the Parramatta River.
While it doesn’t include tickets to Sydney Zoo or Scenic World, you can still visit them on this tour if you pay admission on the day. However, you can also skip them to save money. We love having that flexibility, especially if we’re on a tight budget or have already visited these places.
Overall, the tour still has a great itinerary, and you’ll still be able to soak in the Blue Mountains’ amazing scenery. You’ll also visit the impressive Kings Tableland Lookout, where you’ll get sweeping views of the entire area, and you can also enjoy a guided walk to a waterfall.
Plus, despite its low price of $89 AUD, the tour still includes a scenic Parramatta River cruise back to Sydney. This is a huge bonus!
All in all, we think that this tour is a fantastic budget option in Sydney. Even without the optional extras, you still get a comprehensive overview of the area.
Want to save money and still see all the top sights? Book this Blue Mountains tour right here!
4. PRIVATE Blue Mountains and Scenic World Tour in a Luxury Car
- Duration: 9 to 11 hours
- Time: 9 am
- Highlights: Personalized & custom experience, visit Wentworth Falls, enjoy multiple private lookout points such as Sublime Point Lookout & Cahill’s Lookout, ride the cableway at Scenic World
- Inclusions: Private driver/guide, hotel pick-up/dropoff, all entry fees, bottled water
- Rating: 4.9 stars (check the great reviews here)
- Free cancellation: Yes
- Price: Check price here!
When it comes to private tours of the Blue Mountains, this luxury tour is our top choice!
What’s great about private tours is that you can tailor them to your interests. Our guide, Joseph, even helped us avoid the large group tours, which made for a much more relaxed experience and gave us better photos too!
This tour includes all of the area’s top attractions, including Wentworth Falls and Leura, where you’ll see dramatic rock formations and beautiful waterfalls. You’ll also go to places most tours won’t stop at, like Sublime Point Lookout – which we can assure you definitely lives up to its name.
This experience also includes entry to Scenic World, where you can enjoy yet more stunning views from its rides and walkway. This spot also boasts the world’s steepest railway. We felt like we were flying down the side of the mountain!
Taking a private tour means you get to see much more because traveling in a small group saves a lot of time. Plus, you never feel rushed. We think it’s worth it if you’ve got the budget!
This tour costs $350 AUD each (for a group of 4 people), or $625 AUD per person for two. This includes all transportation in a luxury vehicle, entry fees, and snacks, but expect to pay extra for meals.
For the ultimate luxury, book your private tour online and you can pay later!
Why We Book Tours with Viator
Viator is a trusted online booking system for tours around the world! We almost always book our tours using Viator for a couple of reasons:
- Free cancellation on most tours – Most of the tours on Viator allow you to cancel and get a full refund up to 24 hours in advance. This is handy in case plans change, or if booking an outdoor activity, the weather forecast is looking grim.
- Reserve now and pay later – You can secure your spot on some of the most popular tours well in advance and not pay until closer to the day of the tour.
- Lowest price guarantee – If you happen to find the same tour at a lower price elsewhere, Viator will refund you the price difference.
- Pay in your chosen currency – Avoid costly international transaction fees by choosing to pay in your home currency.
- Peace of mind – When booking with tour operators you find in person on the street or in small booking offices, you are often promised one thing and given another. This online platform holds tour operators accountable with a written description of inclusions as well as the opportunity for customers to leave reviews.
Check out the Viator website here! Or, for more info, read our detailed review about Viator here.
5. All-Inclusive Blue Mountains Tour
- Duration: 9.5 hours
- Time: 6:40 am
- Highlights: Enjoy breakfast in the Blue Mountains, then visit a wildlife park to see koalas & kangaroos, take in the views on the rides at Scenic World
- Inclusions: Driver/guide, all entry fees, lunch, breakfast, select hotel pick-up
- Rating: 4.9 stars (check the 1,400+ reviews here)
- Free cancellation: Yes
- Price: Check price here!
One thing we love about this all-inclusive tour is that you get to start with breakfast in one of the Blue Mountains’ cute little villages! It’s such a nice way to kick off a fun-filled day.
Then, you’ll head to Featherdale Wildlife Park to check out some of Australia’s most famous wildlife, including koalas, crocs, and kangaroos.
You’ll also get to enjoy the rides at Scenic World, which come with awesome vantage points. Plus, you’ll visit plenty of lookouts to admire the dramatic canyons, waterfalls, and of course, the Three Sisters rock formation that the Blue Mountains is famous for.
We like that this is a small group tour, and it’s also super informative. We learned so much about the history of the Blue Mountains! The guides really know their stuff.
This tour costs $285 AUD, which includes breakfast, lunch, and all admission fees.
Easily book this all-inclusive Blue Mountains tour here!
Why do a tour to the Blue Mountains from Sydney?
A tour is a fantastic way to explore the Blue Mountains because it allows you to see so much of the area in just a single day. You don’t need to worry about driving yourself or trying to navigate this wilderness region, which can be intimidating for first-timers!
A tour is just so much easier and more convenient.
You’ll also learn more about the area when you go with a guide. They’ll teach you all about the area’s unique geology and wildlife, as well as its Aboriginal heritage. Plus, an experienced guide will also be able to take you to secret spots and viewpoints that you probably wouldn’t be able to find on your own.
Related Read: Looking for more amazing things to do in Sydney? Check out our top 10 favorite things to do here!
Other Things to do While You’re in Sydney
Sydney is a city full of exciting things to do and see, so you’re going to want to fill your schedule while visiting this iconic city. Below are a few of our favorite activities:
- Helicopter Ride – Sydney is a beautiful city; there is just no doubt about it! And one way to take in all the sighs is on a helicopter tour! We did this helicopter ride the last time we were in the city, and it was incredible! We got the most amazing views of the bridge and Opera House, not to mention the beautiful coastline. And to top it off, we even saw whales!
- Visit Manly Beach and/or Bondi Beach – There are some pretty amazing beaches right in Sydney, so you should definitely plan for a beach day (or three!). Manly Beach is one of our favorites, and you can easily get there via the public ferry. Or, head to the famous Bondi Beach! Once there, you can do the walk to Bronte or Coogee Beaches – they are both also stunning!
- Take a Sydney Harbour Cruise – In the city, you absolutely must take a Sydney Harbour Cruise! It’s a great way to take in the sights while leisurely sailing down the water. On this dinner cruise, we had a fabulous time watching the skyline and enjoying a gourmet meal with bubbly in hand.
- Explore Darling Harbour – One of our favorite areas in Sydney is Darling Harbour, which features more restaurants, bars, and cafes than I can count! Plus, almost everything is waterfront! You can also visit popular attractions like Madame Tussauds, the Sea Life Aquarium, and Wild Life Sydney Zoo (which are all included on this Sydney Attractions Pass!).
- Tour the Sydney Opera House – Did you even visit Sydney if you didn’t go to the Opera House?! You can walk around for free, but if you want to see the inside, then you’ll have to join a guided tour or buy tickets to a show. We did this guided tour which took us to all of the different theatres, and we learned all about the history of the building – all for only $45 AUD!
Where to Stay in Sydney
Sydney makes a great base for exploring the Blue Mountains. So if you’re planning on staying here, you’ll need to book a place in advance. If you’re overwhelmed with where to start, check out our top picks for accommodations, from luxury rooms to budget-friendly hostels. We’ve got you covered!
Four Seasons Hotel Sydney – $$$
For stunning views of Sydney Harbour and the iconic Opera House, book a room at the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney. You’ll have unobstructed views of the city from the comfort of your room. The hotel is located in the city center within the historic Rocks neighborhood – nice and close to lots of activities and restaurants.
Rooms here start at $400-$500 AUD per night and can be reserved with Booking.com.
Meriton Suites Kent Street Sydney – $$
Stay right in the heart of Sydney in a modern luxury apartment at Meriton Suites Kent Street. The suites are air-conditioned and have laundry facilities, and either a kitchenette or full kitchen to make longer stays more comfortable. You’ll also have access to an indoor swimming pool, fitness center, and hot tub.
These full apartments are $230 AUD nightly when booked in advance with Booking.com.
Sydney Harbour YHA – $
For a hostel with a view, head to the rooftop terrace at the Sydney Harbour YHA. Located in the historic Rocks district, you’ll have amazing views of the harbor and be within walking distance of all the major sights. You can opt for a shared dorm room or a private room. There’s a communal kitchen, TV lounge, billiards, and a 24/7 reception desk.
Dorm rooms are around $70 AUD nightly and private rooms are more around the $180 AUD mark. You can check for the best rates and book on either Booking.com or Hostelworld.com.
Related Read: For help choosing the best area to base yourself, check out our complete guide on where to stay in Sydney here. It breaks down the top neighborhoods and hotels for every budget.
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Thanks for reading!
When in Sydney, I highly recommend visiting the Blue Mountains. It’s one of my favorite national parks and has stunning views and such unique rock formations. Plus, with so many tour options, it makes for the perfect day trip from the city. We hope this guide has helped you find a tour so you can enjoy this gorgeous area just as much as we did!
Want to learn more about Australia? This is my home country, and Bailey and I have written loads of blogs about our travels here. To check out some of our articles, just click on one of the links below!
How to Spend a Weekend in Sydney!
10 Things to Know BEFORE Booking a Walking Tour in Sydney, Australia