Private chauffeur in the Blue Mountains

A World Heritage area, west of Sydney

The Greater Blue Mountains Area has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2000. According to the New South Wales Government, it covers more than a million hectares spread across eight adjoining reserves, including Blue Mountains National Park, and is home to 96 species of eucalypt.

The Darug and Gundungurra peoples are the Aboriginal traditional owners of the national park’s land. According to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, the park is always open, but some areas may close in bad weather, for maintenance or when there is a fire risk. The weather can be very different from Sydney’s: be ready for cooler temperatures, as conditions can change quickly.

Katoomba and the Three Sisters

At Katoomba, Echo Point lookout faces the Three Sisters, three sandstone peaks shaped by erosion above the Jamison Valley. The place is recognised as being of special cultural significance to Aboriginal people. The easy Three Sisters walk is 800 metres return and takes 25 to 45 minutes; the visitor information centre at Echo Point has maps and local advice.

Several tracks in the park are closed after rockfalls or storm damage, including Honeymoon Bridge, visible from Echo Point. Check the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service alerts before choosing your stops.

Also in Katoomba, Scenic World looks out over the same valley. Your chauffeur drops you as close as possible to the lookouts and collects you at the agreed spot, with no parking space to hunt for.

Leura, Wentworth Falls and Blackheath

Leura is known, according to Destination NSW, for its heritage homes and cool-climate gardens: a natural stop for lunch. About ten minutes’ drive away, the Wentworth Falls picnic area gives walking access to the falls.

Further north, at Blackheath, Govetts Leap lookout opens onto the Grose Valley. It makes a fine end to the day, before the drive back to Sydney.

Planning a day in the Blue Mountains

According to Destination NSW, Katoomba is about an hour and a half’s drive from central Sydney on the M4 motorway, longer depending on traffic. Two or three stops leave time to walk, have lunch and head back without hurrying. A few combinations that work:

• Katoomba: Echo Point and the Three Sisters walk in the morning, then lunch in Leura.
• The falls: Wentworth Falls, then Leura late in the day.
• Further north: Govetts Leap at Blackheath, for the Grose Valley.
• Arrival day: a transfer from Sydney Airport can take you straight to a hotel in the Blue Mountains.

Your chauffeur collects you from your hotel in Sydney and stays with you all day; the duration is set in the quote, depending on your departure time, your stops and your pace. Vehicles are provided by the Federation’s members according to their availability.

Let’s talk about your visit: tell us the date, the place and time of departure, the stops you have in mind (or simply what you would like to see, and we will suggest an order), the number of passengers and when you want to be back. For another day out, see the Hunter Valley or Sydney Harbour.