The Prince Henry Cliff Walk 30-12-2025
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Route: Scenic World, Reid's Plateau, Katoomba Cascades, Lady Darley Lookout, Echo Point, Three Sisters, Bridal Veil Lookout, Leura Cascades, Tarpeian Rock, Olympian Rock, Elysian Rock, Gordon Falls, Lone Pine Avenue
Date: 30/12/2025
From: Scenic World
Parking: Leura
Start Point: Scenic World
Finish Point: Leura
Region: Blue Mountains National Park
Route length: 8.2 km
Time taken: 03:25
Average speed:
Ascent: 357m
Descent: 366m
Points of Interest: Scenic World, Echo Point, Honeymoon Bridge, Bridal Veil Falls
Katoomba is the unofficial hub of the Blue Mountains, packed with classic walks and some of the region’s most popular viewpoints. Sitting high on a plateau above the Kedumba and Jamison valleys, the town gives you two choices on most hikes: wander along the clifftops or drop sharply into the valley on a maze of beautifully built staircases. With the regional train line running right through the area, planning one‑way walks is a breeze—and one of the best options is the Prince Henry Cliff Walk.
This trail, finished in 1936 and named after the third son of King George V and Queen Mary, links Katoomba with Gordon Falls in nearby Leura. It’s an easygoing, scenic route and one of the rare Blue Mountains walks that doesn’t demand a big descent and climb. Along the way, you’re treated to some of the region’s most impressive lookouts—Olympian Rock, Elysian Rock and Gordon Falls among them—and you pass right by icons like Echo Point and the Three Sisters. It’s a perfect way to soak up the mountains without the leg‑burning effort.
We parked in Leura at the end of the route and walked uphill to the nearby station before hopping on a train to Katoomba. Once in Katoomba, we walked the mile or so through the town to the beginning of the Prince Henry Walk at Scenic World (alternatively you can catch a bus from Katoomba station to Scenic World).
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| A greeting from one of the locals |
Scenic World, located to the southwest of the town centre, is a curious place, a sort of outdoors theme park which is home to a cable car (the Scenic Skyway) and the world's steepest railway - the 52-degree Scenic Railway. The Prince Henry Cliff Walk starts at Scenic World, along a well-signed path next to the main entrance building.
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| Scenic World |
Scenic World sits just southwest of Katoomba’s town centre, and it’s a bit of a quirky spot—part outdoor attraction, part mini theme park. It’s home to the Scenic Skyway cable car and the famously steep Scenic Railway, which drops at a dramatic 52 degrees. The Prince Henry Cliff Walk begins right here, following a clearly marked path beside the main entrance building. |
| The beginning of the Prince Henry Cliff Walk |
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| The Scenic Skyway over the Kedumba valley |
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| The Scenic Skyway cable car |
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| The eastern cliffs - Kedumba Walls |
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| Katoomba Falls |
From the Reids Plateau area, we followed the small Kedumba River north through the bush, until we reached the Katoomba Cascades.
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| Kedumba River |
The falls are a popular spot, a picturesque set cascades on the Kedumba River which sits just below a road and park. The river can be crossed by a set of stepping stones or a small footbridge (presumably for times when the flow is high.
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| Katoomba Cascades |
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| Katoomba Cascades |
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| Katoomba Cascades |
The Cliff Walk does a loop under the cascades to the Eastern Skyway station where the Scenic World cable car terminates. The track heads eastwards along the top of the valley, passing several lookouts, all of which have much the same view of the Kedumba River and Mount Solitary, one, in particular, drawing the crowds. Our next major port of call would be Echo Point but Lady Darley lookout is a highlight along this section.
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| One of the many Cockatoos that roam the area |
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| Kedumba Valley from Cliff View |
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| The western cliffs from the eastern Skyway station |
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| The view of the Jamison Valley from Little Milou Lookout |
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| Heading along the Prince Henry path |
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| The Three Sisters from Allamble Lookout |
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| Mount Solitary |
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| Blue Gum trees line the path |
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| Blue Gum trees are common in the area |
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| Lady Darley Lookout |
Echo Point is the Blue Mountains’ most famous and popular lookout, home to one of the best views of the Three Sisters, the iconic trio of sandstone towers that overlook the valley below. The lookout at Echo Point is officially called the Queen Elizabeth Lookout.
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| The Three Sisters and Mount Solitary |
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| The Three Sisters |
Echo Point is a very busy place, most (if not all) of the tours from Sydney coincide at this location and disgorge hundreds of daily passengers. Some 2 million people (including us) visit this location every year but most simply wander to the lookout, take a selfie and then return to their allocated bus. Therefore, once you get away from Echo Point, the crowds diminish rapidly.
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| Echo Point |
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| Queen Elizabeth Lookout |
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| Mount Solitary |
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| Narrow Neck Plateau |
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| The visitor centre at Echo Point |
The clifftop walk leaves Echo Point along the Three Sisters Track which led us to the top of the Giant Stairway, one of several carved or constructed stairways that link the valley rim to the rainforest below. For the adventurous, a short but hair-raising steep climb takes you down to Honeymoon Bridge, across a chasm and into a hollow under the first tower. Further climbing on the towers is prohibited due to their cultural significance with the Aboriginal traditional owners, the Gundungurra.
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| Leaving Echo Point |
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| More Blue Gums along the route |
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| Stop of the Giant Stairway |
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| Meehni - at 922m the highest of the Three Sisters |
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| The Giant Stairway |
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| Honeymoon Bridge |
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| The Kedumba Valley |
The commonly told legend of the Three Sisters is that three sisters, Meehni, Wimlah and Gunnedoo, lived in the Jamison Valley as members of the Katoomba tribe. They fell in love with three men from the neighbouring Nepean tribe, but the marriage was forbidden by tribal law. The brothers were not happy to accept this law and so decided to capture the three sisters. A major tribal battle ensued, and the sisters were turned to stone by an elder to protect them, but he was killed in the fighting and no one else could turn them back.
A steep climb back up the steel steps of the Giant Stairway took us back up to the clifftop track where we started along the second half of the walk. This stretch (between Echo Point and Gordon Falls) is notably different to the previous half; it is more forested, has fewer lookouts and is much quieter. But that's not to say it's any less enjoyable.
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| The Giant Stairway |
We strode through the forest passing a few more lookouts that peer down to the valley below until we reached the lookout for Bridal Veil. The lookout here has a peerless view of the Bridal Veil waterfall and we were lucky to arrive at a time when the afternoon sun was creating a shimmering rainbow in the spray.
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| Lady Carrington Lookout |
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| Leura Forest |
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| Banksia Streamlet |
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| Copelands Lookout |
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| Bridal Veil Falls |
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| Rainbows form in the spray |
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| The cliffs east of Bridal Veil Falls |
We ducked back into the woods again, heading for the Leura Cascades, a delicate set of waterfalls that tumble through the woods. The official route of the Prince Henry was closed due to path works so, instead, we ended up on the 'Round Walk' track and ultimately, the Cascades Walking Track which climbs up alongside the waterfalls.
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| Descending towards the Leura Cascades |
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| Leura Forest from the Amphitheatre Track |
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| Leura Cascades |
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| Below Cliff Drive |
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| Mount Solitary |
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| The brand new picnic area for Leura Cascades |
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| Leura Cascades picnic area |
For a relatively short hike, this one really delivers. You get big views, dramatic cliffs, and a real sense of what makes the Blue Mountains so special—all without needing to commit to a full‑day trek or a punishing climb. It’s the kind of walk that immediately shows off the region’s best features. A perfect introduction to the mountains.
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