Short Hiking Tours (1 to 3 hours)

Nature Trail offers a selection of Short Hiking Tours from/return Katoomba, each tour with duration varying from just 1 hour to 3 hours.  This includes the duration of the road transport from/return from central Katoomba to the hiking start/finish, which varies with each tour.

Our hiking is at an easy-relaxed pace, allowing for pausing for vistas, photo taking, some  commentary and a few questions.  We’re on holidays after all.

Our Top 4 Short Hiking Tours:

1. Waterfalls Rainforest and Vistas
2. Cascades Ancient Forest and Cliff Stairway Vistas
3. Wentworth Falls Vistas
4. Grose Valley Clifftop and Waterfalls

Our other tours are just as great, but few know about them. But of course we do, so just ask us.

The magnificent Jamison Valley – accessible vistas from Katoomba’s escarpment

Our Short Hiking Tour List:

Private Group Charters Only

Nature Trail offers all its tours on an exclusive private group charter basis only.

Numbers may vary from just 1 solo tour guest to a maximum of six tour guests.  Since our tour vehicle seats only 4 tour guests, a 5th and 6th tour guest will need to make their own transport arrangements (which we can help facilitate).  We do not offer public tours (i.e. to individual strangers).

Pricing

Each of our Short Hiking Tours is charged at AUD $100 per tour group, prepaid in full.  We charge by group, not by individual.  For explanation of our pricing and inclusions  please refer to our Our Pricing webpage on this website:

Transfers (allow additional time)

Whilst the durations shown in the table below include the transport to/from the hiking start/finish, the transfer durations from a tour guest’s pickup drop off location(s) are not included since these will vary by tour guest.

This means extra transfer time needs to be allowed for before and after the trip.  Transfers are included in our tours at no extra cost.   Pickup and return is by luxury Range Rover door-to-door (maximum 4 pax) in the upper Blue Mountains locations only [Wentworth Falls, Leura, Katoomba, Medlow Bath, Blackheath, Mount Victoria].

These Short Hiking Tours suit visitors wishing to experience a quality guided hiking tour to sample some of the best of what the Blue Mountains landscape has to offer, and for those with limited time available.

Tour Benefits & Inclusions: 

(What you get for no extra charge)

• A Professional Guide:  Your friendly Tour Leader and Guide is Steve, Tour Director and the business owner of Nature Trail, locally qualified and experienced in hiking tours.  Steve designs, plans, arranges everything and delivers the tour and drives the tour vehicle;
• A Katoomba Local: Steve is a Blue Mountains local of 20 years, based conveniently in Katoomba in the heart of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area;
• Quality Tour Delivery: Each tour is fully researched and then recently reconnoitred and interpretative commentary updated by Steve before each tour offered;
• A Professional Driver:  Steve is experienced in off-road 4×4, double decker coach captain, commercial helicopter pilot, commercial coxswain, etc, so you’re in safe hands;
• Luxury Transport:  Upper Mountains transfers (Wentworth Falls to Mount Victoria) in the comfort of our classic Range Rover, complete mod-cons at no extra charge;
• Tour Guest Guidance: Ahead of every booked tour, Nature Trail’s operational policy that for maximum safety we email you our professional guidances about what to expect – the currenty Environmental Conditions/Limitations, What to Wear, What to Carry, and any relevant information about the forthcoming trip;
• Tailored Commentary:  Our interpretative knowledge to suit special interests;
• First Aid Qualified:  On every tour we responsibly carry a Remote Area First Aid Kit (fully maintained) with Remote Area First Aid qualifications and training;
• Trip Notification:  For each remote area trip we lodge a detailed route/schedule/kit/guest manifest information with the appropriate authorities in case of emergency
• Emergency Communications:  On every tour we responsibly carry a smartphone, satphone (Telstra/Iridium network), a personal locator beacon, and remote patient survival kit
• Up-to-date Local Information: on local eateries, attractions, special activities, shopping, what’s on, entertainment, hire car/quality Uber drivers, day spas, travel guidance, etc.
• Alternative Tour Options:  In case of bad weather or unforeseen access  closurers, we have the knowledge and flexibility to quickly switch to safe and exciting tour options to suit
• Appropriate Licensing and Accreditations
• Public Liability Insurance
• Best Pricing – we challenge you to find a better priced commercial tour in the Blue Mountains [Check out our Tour Pricing]

Tour Duration:

From our base in the township of Katoomba in the heart of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area we have ready access to a variety of hiking tracks in both the Jamison Valley area adjacent as well as to the Grose Valley area, just 20 minutes drive away.

The duration of each of our Short Hiking Tours vary by tour of around about 3 hours and necessarily include our complementary luxury transport from our tour start location in central Katoomba and return.  Tour guests requiring transfers from their Upper Blue Mountains accommodation and return will need to make pre-arrangements with us at the time of booking.

Our more extensive hiking tours are either about Half-Day or Full-Day in duration.

Transport

We provide transport for our tour guests at no extra charge on all our Hiking Tours from our nominated Tour Meetup Point situated in central Katoomba and return to our Hiking Start Point.  We inform you of our nominated Tour Meetup Point exact location in advance upon confirmation of your booking with our receipt once you have paid your tour booking in full.

Our transport of choice is our dedicated tour vehicle is our luxury 4×4 classic Range Rover which has seating capacity for up to four tour guests, plus our driver (who is also your Tour Leader).   This specific transport service is included in our tour pricing.

Additional numbers (that is any 5^th and 6^th tour guests) will require contacting us well in advance so we can advise about your group making prior arrangements for a second vehicle to enable a vehicle tag-along convoy arrangement – either by utilising the group’s nominated vehicle or else hiring a car locally in Katoomba.  In such circumstances, we waive the tour fee for the group’s nominated driver of the second vehicle, and we discount the tour price by $50 for the 5^th, 6^th tour guests transported in the second vehicle.  This effectively reimburses your group for any car hire, expenses, inconvenience.  We think this is fair, and unlike our competition we choose not to travel by mini-bus.

Transfers from your Upper Mountains Stay

Our Tour Guests requesting vehicle transfers from either your Blue Mountains Stay or your chosen pick up and drop off points in the Upper Blue Mountains will need to make pre-arrangements with us, so that we can allow extra transport time before and after the tour for this service.

Nature Trail extends this service to the Upper Blue Mountains area – being generously from Wentworth Falls to Mount Victoria.  We cannot extend this transfer service beyond this range due to both time and cost restraints.   We do not travel to Sydney.   Instead, we always recommend visitors to the Blue Mountains take the train Katoomba Railway Station, where we will be happy to collect you, by special prior arrangement.

Tiny Group Sizes:

Tour Route Availability:

Each tour is subject to the route availability as provided by government, which can change like the wind at times.  We have to monitor the government notiifications of track closures regularly.

Provided the route is fully open and we have the time available, we shall be happy to accept bookings up until 12 hours before the requested start time.

Tour Bookings:

Bookings for tours are best made ASAP in order to secure your preferred dates and time.  Ideally this should be months in advance and made at the same time that you secure your acccomodatiion booking in the Blue Mountains.

Our operations policy requires that each participant must individually first agree to and sign our Tour Agreement before being included on any tour.

Tour booking confirmation is only secure after we have received cleared funds prepayment in full.

Track Grades:

Please refer to our Track Grades webpage on this website.

Further Information:

We also recognise that some prefer to just have a taste of what the Blue Mountains has to offer, else are not as fit as some and so prefer to just sample a few local sights and experiences without undue exertion.  We are happy to suggest a suitable tour accordingly.

We are Blue Mountains locals and know the special features and experiences enjoyed by visitors.  Further, we will go out of our way to design, plan a deliver a tour to best suit your expressed interests, preferences, abilities and timeframe – we relish such challenges, get’s us out and about to showcase the best of our Blue Mountains.

Yes, we continue to operate despite the government rolling lockdowns, so please phone us to enquire about our tours.

Within Australia phone us toll-free on  1300 355 133

Outside Australia, please fill in the following form, so that we may reply to you by email.

[contact-form-7 id=”5560″ title=”Tour Enquiry”]

Thanks for taking an interest in the Blue Mountains and for visiting our website.

And if we can’t offer what you want, we can recommend a local that likely can.

Enjoy your stay in the Blue Mountains to the full.

Steve, Tour Director & Business Owner

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This webpage updated 7^th January 2023.