Leura Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

Leura is a small picturesque town in the Blue Mountains region of the Australian state of New South Wales, some 100 km west of Sydney CBD and situated at an elevation of 985 m above sea level. The village you see today is bustling with a constant parade of visitors. They arrive by car, by Sydney tour buses and by the Blue Mountains train. While known for maintaining its unique heritage village, Leura is a shopper's paradise with charming boutiques, casual cafes and sophisticated restaurants. You'll never be hungry in Leura. Leura is framed upon a background of stunning natural wonders, bare sandstone landscapes and a rough terrain of dense eucalypt forests.

33°42′58″S 150°19′59″E

Map of Leura

All of the Blue Mountains trains from Sydney (Central Station, Strathfield Station, etc) will stop at Leura. -33.711877150.3304611 Leura Station is 1 stop before Katoomba. It is about a 2-hour train trip, depending on delays. A PDF copy of the timetable can be found on TfNSW's website.

If you are driving, you exit the Great Western Highway at either of the 2 signposted Leura exits. There is parking behind the shops, accessed via Megalong Street, or if you're lucky, along the main strip, but note that this is now paid parking.

Blue Mountains Transit runs bus routes 685, 690K and 695 from Katoomba station to Leura.

Trains operate up and down the Blue Mountains, usually hourly. Leura is 1 stop before (heading up) Katoomba. No bookings are required or possible.

Blue Mountains Trolley Tours operates an hourly hop on and hop off service 7 days a week (except Christmas Day) that takes you to 29 sights located around Katoomba and Leura. You can purchase your $25 Hop On and Hop Off All Day Pass from the Trolley Shoppe at 76 Main St, Katoomba (opposite pedestrian crossing at Katoomba Railway Station) or from the trolley driver.

• -33.7258150.32821 Olympian Rock, Olympian Place (follow Leura Mall to the very end of the road, turn left into Olympian Parade, then go down the dirt lane on your right marked Olympian Lookout). An incredible lookout that isn't visited by as many tourists as the other lookouts. Gives you an amazing view across the valleys and up towards Katoomba. The track down is an upgraded dirt track, so it's best to wear sturdy shoes and walk carefully. There are also some nice bushwalks leaving from this area too, including a short walk east to Elysian Lookout, equally superb and with a track back to Olympian Parade. The track on to Gordon Falls lookout is closed due to landslides (as of 2024). (updated Jun 2024)
• -33.7375150.33852 Sublime Point Lookout, Sublime Point Rd. Stunning panoramic view of the Jamison Valley, try the short and not too difficult walk to Sublime Point Lookout. This is not a walk for small children. Walking shoes with a good grip are strongly recommended. The walk is approximately 10 minutes from the car park on Sublime Point Road and is paved until you reach the steps. The steps are steep and rocky, so caution is advised. The best view is quite literally on the rock's edge. This is the setting that humans have seen for thousands of years, for the view out to Mt. Solitary is too powerful and too beautiful to have been overlooked by the Aboriginal people in the Blue Mountains. 
• Discover historic Leura. Get out for an hour in sensible shoes and a broad-brimmed hat and see how Leura developed in the 19th century. At Megalong Books and several of the cafes, you'll find "Leura Blue Mountains Walking Tour & Guidebook" which includes a leisurely paced self-guided tour designed to open the senses to sights, sounds and scents you may have missed before in Leura. There's a bit of history and architectural facts and a bit of local residents' cheekiness throughout. The tour is time for small details. However, it ends on The Mall, just in time for tea and a sweet at one of the many cafes.

• Bloom Park (On the western side of Leura Mall, two blocks down from the shops). A pretty little park with children's playground, picnic tables and attractive plantings. A good location for an impromptu picnic. 

Leura is renowned for its shops, and you could easily spend your whole day browsing and buying in this charming village. Specialty shops, restaurants and stores selling necessities line up, side by side, on the street fronts, up a flight of stairs, tucked away in an arcade or clustered around the car park behind Leura Mall, the main street. Long term shops include Leura Cellars, Chelsea Cake Shop, Leura Chinese, Leura Health Foods and Megalong Books on the western side of the Mall, and The Candy Store in an arcade on the eastern side.

• -33.7128150.33131 Red Door Cafe, 134 Leura Mall, ☏ +61 2 4784 1328. A cosy cafe that is incredibly popular due to them serving some of the best food in the mountains. An experienced chef-run place with very friendly staff, excellent coffee (including bowl-sized serves), and delicious food. From light breakfasts to full meals. 
• -33.713150.33092 Leura Gourmet, 159 Leura Mall, ☏ +61 2 4784 1438. Great food and a great view over the adjacent valley from large windows. Friendly staff and a home-baked yet sophisticated decor make this a great place for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Consistently packed, especially on weekends (worth waiting in the queue!) Mains $16-20. Great value portions. Front of house retails a great selection of gourmet foods and ingredients. 

• -33.7112150.331 Alexandra Hotel, Great Western Highway (up the hill behind the train station), ☏ +61 2 4782 4422. A traditional pub from 1903. There are pokies and a TAB which does nothing for the ambiance, but the front bar hosts a roaring fire all winter, and the back dining room offers cafe meals of good quality. 
• -33.7133150.33082 Leura Cellars, 169-171 Leura Mall, ☏ +61 2 4784 1122. Su-Th 10AM-8PM, F Sa 10AM-9PM. More that a local bottle shop, the cellars have a magnificent cellar of their own, offering a large range of vintage wines in the downstairs area. 

• -33.7084150.32721 Bethany Manor, 8 East View Ave, ☏ +61 2 4782 5673. The period-style grand house looks out to an acre of private park-like grounds and gardens 800 m from the village. All rooms include a spa bath, TV and DVD. Has a Tesla EV charger. Rooms from $160 a night. 

• Katoomba – bigger town to the west that Leura merges with
• Wentworth Falls – a town immediately to the east