Suggested Itineraries

 

These itineraries assume that you are coming from Sydney in a 2wd for the first time (or the first time in many years) and that you wish to visit the major tourist attractions in the mountains. There are numerous other 2wd and 4wd outings that can be done up here but they will require more specific information - see the Local Attractions tab for lots of ideas.

These itineraries are very full weekends and you will get to see so much more than the average tourist to the mountains because the location of JVV is in the middle of the best there is to see up here.

2 night / 2day visit - leave Friday afternoon - return Sunday afternoon

Friday afternoon - Drive up over the mountains either along the M4 and Great Western Highway or Bells Line of Road to JVV. There are some nice pubs and Cafes in Katoomba, Blackheath, Mt Victoria and in Hartley Valley on the way to have dinner at if you wish. The trip is about 1.5 hrs from western Sydney and 2hrs from most other parts of the city.

Saturday - leave JVV for caves at about 9.30 and arrive at caves 10.00 (the tourists from the mountains will not arrive for about another hour) . Purchase a ticket to do one of the guided caves and get a free ticket to do a self guided cave afterwards. Each cave tour is about 1.5 - 2 hrs. There is a reasonable cafe or a proper restaurant down there for lunch if you desire, otherwise ample picnic tables if you take your own. Leave Caves at about 2.30pm and travel to the most amazing Kanangra Walls about 30 mins on from the caves - arrive 3.00. Spend about 1.5 hours going to the lookouts and out to the Walls themselves. This is a spot you can get a photo you will have on your wall for life. Leave Kanangra about 4.30pm traveling via Oberon and arrive back at JVV about 6.00pm  in time for a glass of wine by the pool and a beautiful sunset.

Sunday - Leave JVV after breakfast (10am) and travel 20 mins to Govetts Leap lookout and Pulpit rock Lookout in Blackheath (arrive 10.30am). Leave Blackheath at about 11.30am and drive to Katoomba, (arrive 12.00pm) where you will visit the 3 sisters and do the Scenic World rides. This will take several hours. Leave about 3.00pm for Sydney.

or if you have been to the 3 Sisters and Scenic World recently then you might prefer to do the following

Sunday - leave JVV and head back to Sydney along the other road that comes across the mountains called Bells Line of Road. On the way down this road you can visit Mt Wilson where there is a beautiful walk through a fern tree forest attached to an expansive picnic area and some glorious private gardens that you drive through with some that can be entered for a small fee if this was desired. The most spectacular  garden is at Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens that has free entry and are a little further along Bells Line of Road. It is a great spot for lunch in one of the picnic areas or in the amazingly scenic restaurant. There are some very nice lookouts, quite well marked along this road, and some special spots to stop for lunch. There is a hotel at the top of the escarpment before dropping down off the mountains into the Sydney basin that has a magnificent 180 degree view across to Sydney - very family friendly spot. This road takes you back through Richmond to the motorway system for Sydney.

 

2 night / 3 day visit - leave Friday morning return Sunday afternoon or leave after work Friday and return Monday afternoon - all 3 places in a more relaxed time frame

Day 1 - leave Sydney early (8am) and head along the M4 and Great Western Highway to Katoomba (arrive 10.00am) where you will visit the 3 sisters and do the Scenic World rides. This will take several hours. Leave about 1.00pm from Katoomba travel 20 mins to Govetts Leap lookout and Pulpit rock Lookout in Blackheath. Leave these 2 lookouts at about 3pm and travel 20 mins to Jenolan Valley view (arrive 3.30 - 4.00pm). You can get grocery supplies in the large supermarkets in Katoomba or in the small one in Blackheath, otherwise there are supermarkets about 10 mins away from JVV in the local town called Lithgow.

Day 2 - leave JVV for caves at about 9.30 and arrive at caves 10.00 (the tourists from the mountains will not arrive for about another hour) . Purchase a ticket to do one of the guided caves and get a free ticket to do a self guided cave afterwards. Each cave tour is about 1.5 - 2 hrs. There is a nice little cafe or a proper restaurant down there for lunch if you desire, otherwise ample picnic tables if you take your own. Leave Caves at about 2.30pm and travel to Kanangra Walls about 30 mins on from the caves - arrive 3.00. Spend about 1.5 hours going to the lookouts and out to the Walls themselves. This is a spot you can get a photo you will have on your wall for life. Leave Kanangra about 4.30pm traveling via Oberon and arrive back at JVV about 6pm in time for a glass of wine by the pool and a beautiful sunset.

Day 3 - leave JVV and head back to Sydney along the other road that comes across the mountains called Bells Line of Road. On the way down this road you can visit Mt Wilson where there is a beautiful walk through a fern tree forest attached to an expansive picnic area and some glorious private gardens that you drive through with some that can be entered for a small fee if this was desired. The most spectacular  garden is at Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens that has free entry and are a little further along Bells Line of Road. It is a great spot for lunch in one of the picnic areas or in the amazingly scenic restaurant. There are some very nice lookouts, quite well marked along this road, and some special spots to stop for lunch. There is a hotel at the top of the escarpment before dropping down off the mountains into the Sydney basin that has a magnificent 180 degree view across to Sydney - very family friendly spot. This road takes you back through Richmond to the motorway system for Sydney.

 

Obviously if you are able to come up midweek then these days can be done using any of the days during the week - all venues are open 7 days a week.