The foothills of the Blue Mountains are a distant beacon as you progress west along the M4, the promise of adventure beyond the Nepean River. The metamorphosis as you depart the concrete lowlands is palpable: the winding highway is shaded with green, and there are glimpses of wilderness as you make your way through the villages of Blaxland, Springwood and Faulconbridge on your approach to the Upper Mountains.

Make your first view of the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park a dramatic one, with an unfettered 180-degree scope across Jamison Valley from the flat-topped Lincoln’s Rock, accessed via a dirt track off Kings Tableland Road.

Jumping back in the car, drive another 4.6kms to Wentworth Falls, declared by Charles Darwin in 1836 as “exceedingly well worth visiting”. Its enchanting terrace of fern-lined rock pools and tinkling cascades lead to a precipitous plummet into the “immense gulf”.

After making the calf-burning ascent back to the carpark, head to the pretty hamlet of Leura, a pocket of sophistication with homeware stores, boutiques and cafes on a cherry tree-lined mall that creates an Instagram frenzy during blossom season. Grab a seat at Leura Garage, an eco-friendly restaurant in a former mechanic’s workshop with an innovative, share-plate menu showcasing locally-sourced produce. Or indulge your sweet cravings with delectable hand-crafted chocolates at Josophan’s.

Originally a coal-mining town called The Crushers, Katoomba (“water tumbling over hill” in Gundungurra dialect) first developed as a tourist centre in the early 20th century. Its misty microclimate and incredible vistas lured socialites seeking respite from the city. Vestiges of its glamorous heyday can still be found in grand edifices like the Carrington Hotel and art deco shopfronts that line the steep main street.

No visit to the Blue Mountains is complete without paying tribute to the iconic Three Sisters, a trio of sandstone pillars jutting over Jamison Valley. Legend has it that Meenhi, Wimlah and Gunnedoo were turned to stone by their overprotective father, who was killed before he could reverse the spell; the three hapless girls remain silent sentinels, illuminated by afternoon sun and beloved by selfie-snapping crowds gathered at Echo Point.

Another Blue Mountains icon is Scenic World, a third generation family-run business incorporating four attractions in one: the glass-bottomed Scenic Skyway gondola that dangles over the valley, the scream-inducing Scenic Railway (the steepest passenger railway in the world), a cable car to the valley floor and a rainforest boardwalk.

From thrill to chill: it’s time to cosy up before a log fire, with a myriad of guest houses, historic hotels and self-contained cottages offering the perfect night in. For those who prefer to kick on, Katoomba’s nightlife is undergoing somewhat of a renaissance. Check out new venues Bootlegger Bar and Aunty Ed’s for cocktails, hearty slow-cooked meals and live music.

When flamboyant retailer Mark Foy opened Australia’s first health retreat clinging to a ridge overlooking Megalong Valley in 1904, he started a tourism revolution. His vision of the Blue Mountains as a place of relaxation resonated with Sydneysiders for generations to come. Today, the Hydro Majestic Hotel – restored to its former over-the-top glory in 2014 – remains one of the mountain’s major attractions. Its indulgent High Tea served in a period dining room overlooking bucolic farmland is an experience not to be missed.

After tea and scones, head into the valley below via the same route Foy took 115 years ago: follow the Great Western Highway to Blackheath, cross the railway, then tackle the switchbacks through temperate rainforest to the valley floor. Take a break at tranquil Megalong Valley Tea Rooms; or continue to the Six Foot Track (a walking trail to Jenolan Caves) and the cellar door at Dryridge Estate to taste outstanding local wines accompanied by 180-degree escarpment views.

For a different and exhilarating perspective on the valley, join a horseback tour with one of several local riding outfitters or drive to the neighbouring (and equally alluring) Kanimbla Valley to ride through bushland to the Megalong Tea Rooms, a full-day excursion offered by Centennial Glen Stables.

Famed for its oak-lined streets ablaze with autumn colour and springtime rhododendron displays, charming Blackheath puts a funky, artsy spin on mountain village life. After taking a stroll along its main drag with its eclectic collection of hip cafes, innovative restaurants and antique concessions in the mural-strewn Victory Theatre, continue down Govetts Leap Rd to the Blue Mountains Heritage Centre, headquarters of the Blue Mountains National Park & Wildlife Service and a great introduction to the history, ecology and Aboriginal heritage of the area.

From here, drive to the lookout at Govetts Leap for jawdropping views of the imposing Grose Valley. Or, if you want to expend some energy, embark on a bushwalk, ranging from the easy Clifftop Walk to Evan’s Lookout, to the more challenging Grand Canyon track – a three-hour circuit through a cool, fern-lined gully cut by deep, mysterious fissures carved by gushing waterfalls and bubbling creeks.

Passing sandstone inns – such as Ambermere Rose, a former Cobb & Co staging post that has returned to its roots as a country pub – and the picture-perfect historic village of Hartley, you’ll reach Lithgow, which proudly wears the mantle of NSW’s quirkiest town with its vibrant Halloween celebrations and the annual Ironfest steampunk festival.

Take a wander through the recently rejuvenated Blast Furnace Park to learn about the town’s industrial past; or to view an incredible artistic representation of the region’s heritage, continue onto the town of Portland and its silos at The Foundations, painted with the images of former cement workers by renowned artist Guido van Helten.

Lithgow also boasts the highest lookout in the Greater Blue Mountains, the craggy Hassan’s Walls, 1,100m above sea level. From a vantage point at the end of a new boardwalk, soak up incredible vistas of the Blue Mountains escarpment, Hartley Valley and beyond to Jenolan Caves.

Backtracking slightly, travel along Jenolan Caves Road through the gorgeous rural backcountry, continuing on the increasingly narrow, winding and treacherous route to Jenolan Caves (not suitable for caravans).

Nestled deep in a shaded valley, the limestone caves are not only the largest and most spectacular show caves in Australia, but also the oldest in the world, dating back 340 million years. A significant site for the Gundungurra people – who believed the pure subterranean water held curative properties – Jenolan Caves first came under European notice in the mid-19th century, developing as a tourist centre in the 1880s.

Today, the caves continue to be a place of wonder, with guided cave tours taking you into an underworld labyrinth of illuminated caverns sculpted with stalactites and stalagmites, crystal shawls and a translucent pool called the River Styx. There are also adventure caving tours, children’s geological tours and evening ghost tours – yes, the caves are haunted, as is historic Caves House, a rambling tudor-style Victorian hotel built in 1897.

After taking a stroll along the turquoise Blue Lake outside Jenolan Caves where frolicking platypus are frequently spotted, continue onto Oberon via the picturesque, forest-clad Edith Road.

The highlight of this cool climate rural community is the privately-owned Mayfield Garden (13.5km drive from town), a glorious 65-hectare estate divided into two sections: the 16-hectare main garden, open 363 days a year; and the Hawkins’ Family Garden, the 49-hectare private garden of the owners which is open on special occasions and during four seasonal festivals.

Artistically planted with maples, oaks, camellias, rhododendrons and an array of bulbs, the garden is always a riot of colour, with pathways leading over dry-stone bridges to hidden grottos, past cascading waterfalls, and down an avenue of plane trees leading to an imposing obelisk. You can also grab a rowboat and have a 'Notebook' moment on the ornamental lake; while overnight glamping packages, including luxury tent accommodation, dinner for two and private garden tours are also available on a pop-up basis.

Rather than returning to Sydney via the Great Western Highway, take the road less travelled and follow the Bells Line of Road via Bilpin and the northwestern suburbs. Badly impacted by the late-2019 bushfires, this stunning drive through rugged canyonlands reveals the regenerative prowess of the Australian bush, with charred stumps sprouting new growth within months of the devastating inferno.

To see the Blue Mountains in its most spectacular glory, a visit to the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden at Mount Tomah is essential. The highest botanic garden in Australia, the terraced 28 hectares of cultivated land flanked by 244 hectares of wilderness features more than 6,000 species, with a focus on cool climate plants. Stroll through formal gardens of blooming dahlias and along dappled rainforest paths, or spread your picnic rug alongside dreamy meadows of irises and daffodils.

Verdant Bilpin is known as Sydney’s fruit bowl, its cluster of apple and stone-fruit orchards luring families on weekend jaunts to pluck fruit straight from tree to belly. Grab a homemade apple pie to take home from one of the roadside apple stores; or pull up a bar stool at either Bilpin Cider’s cellar door or the new Hillbilly Cider Shed, serving up woodfire pizzas and local tunes alongside its award-winning cider brews.