Grand Cliff Top Walk hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Grand Cliff Top Walk follows the rim of the Jamison Valley in the Blue Mountains National Park, west of Sydney, on Gundungurra Country. It links three mountain villages: it starts in Wentworth Falls, passes through Leura and finishes at Scenic World in Katoomba. The official length is 19 km and NPWS suggests 2 days, with 1 or 2 nights in the villages. It joins older tracks such as the Charles Darwin Walk and the Prince Henry Cliff Walk into one route, waymarked with the yellow-tailed black cockatoo (Wumbarrung). There are no huts or campgrounds on the walk: you sleep in a hotel, B&B or hostel and walk with a day pack.

The route

From Wentworth Falls station you cross the Great Western Highway to Wilson Park and follow the Charles Darwin Walk down Jamison Creek to the top of Wentworth Falls, which plunges about 100 m into the valley. The track then runs below and along the cliffs past Weeping Rock and the Undercliff and Overcliff tracks to Conservation Hut, a café with toilets and water. It continues past Fletchers Lookout, over Den Fenella Creek and Lilians Bridge to Golf Links Lookout. In Leura it passes the Fairmont Resort and follows Sublime Point Road for about 1 km before it drops to Gordon Falls Reserve.

On the second day the track leaves Gordon Falls Lookout, where the falls drop about 200 m, and passes Elysian, Olympian and Tarpeian Rocks to Leura Cascades. It then climbs to Tallawalla and Bridal Veil lookouts and reaches Echo Point, the viewpoint for the Three Sisters, Mount Solitary and the Ruined Castle. The last part follows the cliff to Lady Darleys and Cliff View lookouts, crosses Katoomba Falls Reserve and ends at Scenic World.

This guide follows the route mapped on OpenStreetMap and splits it into 2 stages, about 8.6 km each, ending at Gordon Falls (for Leura) and Scenic World (for Katoomba). The mapped line is about 17 km; the official 19 km includes the walk from the station and some lookout detours. The highest point is Echo Point, at about 970 m.

Highlights

• Wentworth Falls: the falls from the Jamison and Wentworth Falls lookouts at the end of the Charles Darwin Walk
• Conservation Hut: a café on the cliff edge, halfway through day 1
• Gordon Falls and the Pool of Siloam: a 200 m waterfall, and a short return loop to a fern-lined pool
• Leura Cascades: two streams that join in a "bridal veil" when the creek is running well
• Echo Point and the Three Sisters: the best-known view in the Blue Mountains; the Three Sisters is a declared Aboriginal Place
• Katoomba Falls and Scenic World: the finish, with the Scenic Railway and cable cars into the valley

When to go

The walk is open all year, but NPWS asks you to check alerts first. Spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) are the most comfortable. Summer brings hot days, storms and bushfire risk; on Total Fire Ban days and in severe weather parts of the park can close. Winter days are short and cold, with frost, fog and the odd snowfall; fog can hide the views for hours. The villages are busy on weekends and in school holidays, so book rooms early.

How hard is it?

NPWS rates the walk grade 3: some bushwalking experience and a moderate level of fitness are needed. The path is well made, but it is a long chain of stone stairs and short climbs in and out of every creek gully, especially around Wentworth Falls, Gordon Falls and Leura Cascades. NPWS gives 5 to 7 hours for day 1 and 3 to 5 hours for day 2, with lookout stops. The track is not wheelchair accessible. Fit walkers can do it in one long day, but you lose time to enjoy the lookouts.

Permits, fees and booking

The walk is free: there is no permit, booking or park entry fee. You only pay for parking in Wentworth Falls, Leura and Katoomba, where some streets have free all-day parking. The only bookings you need are your rooms. NPWS also lists guided options: a 3-hour ranger walk from Wentworth Falls picnic area (usually Saturdays), a full-day guided walk, and overnight trips run by licensed operators.

2026 closures and fire ban

Check the NPWS alerts page before you start. In October 2026 the cliff-top route is open, but several tracks below the cliffs are closed: Wentworth Pass and the Slack Stairs (boardwalk repairs), parts of National Pass and Lindeman Pass, the Valley of the Waters below Sylvia Falls, and Honeymoon Bridge on the Three Sisters (rockfall). The Fern Bower track from Leura Cascades to the Federal Pass is closed until 30 October 2026. Do not use these as shortcuts. A park fire ban applies from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027: no campfires or solid-fuel stoves.

Getting there and away

The train is the easiest option. Blue Mountains Line trains run from Sydney Central to Wentworth Falls, Leura and Katoomba; express trains reach Katoomba in about 90 minutes, all-stops trains in up to 2 hours. Pay with an Opal card or a contactless bank card. Wentworth Falls station is about 250 m from the start. From Gordon Falls it is about 1.5 km to Leura village and station. From Scenic World it is about 2 km to Katoomba station, or take bus 686, the Blue Mountains Explorer Bus or a taxi. By car, Katoomba is about 90 minutes from Sydney on the M4 and Great Western Highway; you can leave the car at your hotel and use the train between villages.

Water, food, money and phone

There are toilets at Wentworth Falls picnic area, Conservation Hut, Gordon Falls, Leura Cascades, Echo Point, Katoomba Falls and Scenic World. You can refill water only at Conservation Hut and the Echo Point visitor centre, so carry at least 1.5 litres. Cafés are in all three villages, at Conservation Hut and at Scenic World. Cards are accepted almost everywhere and the villages have ATMs. NPWS says mobile reception is limited in the park, so download the Emergency+ app before you set out.

What to pack

Sturdy walking shoes with good grip for wet stone steps, a rain jacket and a warm layer in any season, a sun hat and sunscreen, snacks, water, a small first aid kit and a fully charged phone. In winter add gloves and a beanie. Walking poles help on the stairs.

Safety

In an emergency call 000 (112 from a mobile). The cliffs are vertical and often unfenced away from the lookouts: stay on the track and behind barriers, and take extra care on wet rock. On Sublime Point Road, keep off the road and watch for cars. Tell someone your plan or leave a trip intention, and check the fire danger and NPWS alerts on the day. The nearest 24-hour emergency department is Blue Mountains Hospital in Katoomba, a few minutes by road from any point on the walk.