The Three Sisters and Echo Point

The Three Sisters are three sandstone spires on the cliff edge at Katoomba, and you see them from Echo Point, a free lookout about 2.5 km from Katoomba station. From the lookout, the Three Sisters walk is 0.8 km return and takes 25 to 45 minutes, on a gently sloping path to Oreades lookout and a few steps on to Lady Game lookout, closer to the rocks (NSW National Parks). The rocks rise nearly a kilometre above sea level over the Jamison Valley, and the view from Echo Point, out to Mount Solitary, is the picture on every Blue Mountains postcard.

Seeing them costs nothing; the only question is how you get there, and when. Every full-day tour from Sydney stops at Echo Point. If you want the rocks in the late-afternoon light, when the sandstone turns gold, a late-start sunset tour is the way to do it without staying the night. This one is rated 4.9 from 181 reviews and costs from US$141 (checked October 2026); it takes no children under 12.

How long is the walk to the Three Sisters?

0.8 km return, 25 to 45 minutes, graded easy (Grade 1) by NSW National Parks. You start through the archway next to the Echo Point Visitor Centre. Oreades lookout is about 400 m along a gently sloping path, accessible with assistance; Lady Game lookout is 50 m further down some steps, and on the way back a short signposted detour leads to Spooners Lookout.

Beyond the lookouts, the Giant Stairway goes down 998 steps from Echo Point into the Jamison Valley. Honeymoon Bridge, the footbridge to the first Sister at the top of the stairway, is closed because of rockfall hazards (NSW National Parks alert, updated 20 October 2026). Check the alert before you go; NSW National Parks reviews its closures regularly.

How do you get to the Three Sisters?

• By train and bus: trains from Central reach Katoomba in about two hours. Echo Point is about 2.5 km from the station, downhill on the way there and uphill on the way back; local buses and the hop-on hop-off Explorer Bus run from the station. Blue Mountains by train.
• On foot along the cliffs: the Prince Henry Cliff Walk runs along the cliff top from Scenic World past Echo Point towards Leura, so you can walk between the lookouts instead of going back through town.
• On a tour: every full-day tour stops at Echo Point, usually for 20 to 40 minutes according to their itineraries.
• By car: about 100 km from the Sydney CBD; we measured 100 km along the road from Town Hall to Echo Point.

Why are the Three Sisters famous?

Partly for the shape, three free-standing pillars left behind as the cliff around them eroded, and partly for the story. The version most often told says three sisters were turned to stone by an elder to protect them, and that he died before he could turn them back. That popular story is not the traditional owners’ account, and its origin is disputed; the Gundungurra people, traditional custodians of the area, tell their own story of the rocks. NSW National Parks recognises the Three Sisters Aboriginal Place as a place of special cultural significance to Aboriginal people. The guides on most tours tell one version or another; the indigenous-led tours at Scenic World (from A$79, scenicworld.com.au, October 2026) are the place to hear it from an Aboriginal guide.

When to go for photos

Early morning is the quietest time at Echo Point; by late morning the tour coaches arrive and the platforms are busy until mid-afternoon, especially in summer. The late afternoon is when the sandstone turns gold. On a cloudy day the valley can fill completely; it often clears within the hour, so it is worth waiting before giving up.

Which visit suits you?

Prices, ratings and review counts as listed on GetYourGuide, checked October 2026. Operators price by date and season, so treat them as the shape of the market, not a quote.