Scenic World Review – Is it Worth it!? Full Guide (2025)

Scenic World Review – Is it Worth it?! Full Guide

Scenic World is one of the top places to visit in the Blue Mountains. Only 90 minutes from Sydney CBD, it makes for a fantastic day trip out of the city. Fun for all the family, there’s numerous activities on offer, including the world’s steepest railway. For those wanting to explore the Blue Mountains, Scenic World is a must!

In this guide, we’ll cover everything there is to know about visiting Scenic World, as well as our honest review of our experience.

Read on to discover our Scenic World Review.

Scenic World Review

What is Scenic World?

Scenic World is a family-owned business dating back to 1945. Harry Hammond covered the railway that was once used for mining, into a scenic railway for tourists. The Hammond family still operate the business to this day.

The parks location allows for visitors to enjoy the spectacular beauty of the Blue Mountains, all while enjoying a fun day out on the various rides.

The main attractions include the Scenic Skyway, Scenic Railway, Scenic Cableway, and Scenic Walkway. In addition to the 60 dinosaurs to be found in Dinosaur Alley!

Visitors are able to use the cableways and railway to explore the valley and hike the trails, making it one of the most unique experiences to be found within the Blue Mountains.

Where is Scenic World?

Scenic World is located in Katoomba, in Australia’s World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains. The closest major city is Sydney, approximately 100km by road.

How to get to Scenic World

There are several ways to reach Scenic World, we’ll cover the main options from Sydney.

• Car: the drive should take around 90 minutes, but we recommend allowing up to 2 hours to account for potential traffic.

• Train: allow at least 2 hours+ for this journey. You can take the train from Sydney Central Station straight to the Blue Mountains (Katoomba) though you will need to make your way to Scenic World from there. There is a bus service within Katoomba that takes 12 minutes to reach Scenic World. Otherwise, it’s a 3km scenic walk.

• Bus: a cheaper alternative to the train. Bus lines 686 and 686G stop at Scenic World and Katoomba train station. You can also use the Explorer Bus to Leurua train station.

• Tour: if you don’t have access to a car or don’t want to use public transport, join a tour! There are multiple tours running out of Sydney to the Blue Mountains everyday, with many including a Scenic World pass.

We’d highly recommend booking Scenic World tickets in advance, especially during the high season.

What can you do at Scenic World?

There are numerous experiences to enjoy at Scenic World, for all ages and abilities! Here are the 4 main actives on offer.

1. Scenic Skyway

The Scenic Skyway is a cable car that runs from the Scenic World top station to the Skyway east station. It is the largest aerial cable car in the Southern Hemisphere and travels 270 meters above the forest floor.

The Skway offers views of Katoomba Falls, Three Sisters and Jamison Valley. The 360 degree view is incredible and the small section of glass bottom floor really adds to the experience.

If you’re travelling from the Scenic World top section, we’d recommend standing on the left hand side to get an unobstructed view of Katoomba Falls.

2. Scenic Railway

Now this ride isn’t for the faint-hearted! At 52 degrees the Scenic Railway is the steepest passenger railway in the world – and it sure felt like it!

Originally built to transport coal from the valley floor to the cliff top, the railway was converted into a tourist attraction in 1945. Nowadays, extra safety precautions have been put in place and crowds flock to experience this unique railway experience.

The railway operates in both directions, though we’d recommend travelling down to the valley floor if you have time to experience just one direction on the railway.

3. Scenic Cableway

Another one for the records books – the Scenic Cableway is the steepest cable car in the Southern Hemisphere! This ‘ride’ operates between the valley floor to the Scenic World top station. Most visitors choose to ride the railway down to the valley floor and then catch the cableway back up to the top station.

At a 36 degree incline, the cableway is a thrilling experience, though to some it may seem tame after travelling on the gravity-defying railway. It covers 5 meters per second and offers views of the iconic Three Sisters.

4. Scenic Walkway

The Scenic Walkway is one of Australia’s longest elevated rainforest boardwalks, stretching 2.4kms. There are 3 different walking loops to choose from, all of which take you along the valley floor.

Next to the Scenic Railway station you can find information on the coal mining history of the area.

You will also find Dinosaur Valley on the walkway, a great activity for young children. There are over 60 life-sized dinosaurs to be found and 29 different species. Guides on the walk allow for this to be a fun, interactive experience. Asking children questions and inviting them to ‘feed’ the dinosaurs.

Access to Dinosaur Valley is included in the ticket price.

How to plan your visit

If you’re travelling with a tour, it’s likely you will have an itinerary laid out for you. Otherwise it’s best to visit Scenic World during the morning, as close to opening time as possible. Arriving early means you’ll likely avoid the queues for the Skyway and Railway.

Below is the recommend itinerary that we followed during our visit:

• Scenic Skyway: ride the Skyway out and back again from the Scenic World top station. (You have the option to add on walks from the Skyway east station)

• Scenic Railway: ride the Railway from the top station down to the valley floor.

• Scenic Walkway: walk your preferred route around the walkway, finishing at the cable car station.

• Scenic Cableway: ride the cableway back to the Scenic World top station.

Generally, tours tend to arrive around mid-morning. If you visit the majority of the attractions before lunch then you are free to roam at your own pace, or exit Scenic World to explore more of the Blue Mountains.

Is there food available at Scenic World?

Yes, Scenic World has both a cafe with an outdoor seating area, as well as an indoor restaurant. You can find food such as burgers, sandwiches, ice cream etc. but we’d recommend eating lunch in one of the nearby towns.

When is Scenic World open?

Scenic World is open 7 days a week, year round. Including Christmas and Easter!

Outside of school and public holidays: 10am – 4pm

Weekends: 9am – 5pm

During NSW school holidays and public holidays: 9am – 5pm

How much does Scenic World cost?

The Unlimited Park Discovery Pass starts at $54 AUD and includes all the experiences mentioned above. Tickets are valid all day and multiple entries throughout the day are allowed.

We highly recommend booking tickers in advance, especially during the summer season.

Scenic World Review

Overall, we had a great day out at Scenic World! The natural landscape of the area was truly beautiful and it was amazing to experience different views of the Blue Mountains. Having arrived early, we were able to enjoy the Skyway with few crowds.

However, after exiting the east station and spending a good 1 hour walking the nearby trails we arrived back to the top station to find it much busier than we had left.

If we were to visit again we would have saved all the walking trails until the end of our visit and would have headed to the railway before the queues formed. Though, the wait time wasn’t more than 10-15 minutes, yet I can image this would be much longer on weekends and school holidays.

The Dinosaur Valley was the only area that seemed catered specifically for children. We chose to only walk a small section of the path because of that.

In summary, we had a positive experience and really enjoyed the ‘rides’ on offer at Scenic World. Just remember to visit early and outside of the busy periods if possible!

Thank You

Hi adventurers, thanks for reading this guide!

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