As part of a stay in Sydney, my husband and I are planning 2-3 days in the Blue Mountains. We were not planning on renting a car. Getting to the Katoomba area seems easy enough by public, but is there any way to get to Jenolan Caves for a day? Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Hi Thistlewhite,
Yes, several operators do day trips to Jenolan Caves. This is your only option if you don't want to drive.

This link might help: www.jenolancaves.org.au

Thistlewhite, in my opinion, it is a neat thing to actually stay at Jenolan Caves. We did that in 2004 and loved it. The lodge is old fashioned and well updated, and you can go on the early tours to the cave(s) that you want. You have to get tickets and they sometimes fill up and the bus tours don't always go to the cave that you would prefer--check your operator if you decide to go with a tour. I think that there are buses that go to Jenolan Caves but they left Katoomba area before we would have arrived, so we didn't take one. We drove up from Sydney (actually from the airport the first day) and did a bit of sightseeing in the Katoomba area, then headed down to the Caves. We also took a day to go out to Kanangra Walls and it was one of the most memorable days of our trip. Hiking around the area with absolutely no one around, with a glimpse of wallabys on the way back to the Lodge. If you do decide to drive, plan your arrival time so that it doesn't coincide with the bus tours leaving the caves area. The road down is one way and very steep. I think they leave around 4, it's in the literature on the website, I believe. We cut it very close and I was petrified we'd meet a bus on the way down and have to back up off the edge of the road!! We didn't and lived to tell the tale. The entrance to the caves area is very very cool, you go under this huge overhang. By the way, it does snow in the Blue Mtns in the winter, so check the weather. I think it was in the Bill Bryson book about Australia that he went there and the lookouts were all whiteouts! We had fabulous weather-cool and crisp with sunshine, but other travellers we met up later in our trip had been there and it had snowed a couple of inches. The road down to the caves could well be slippery because it is quite windy and steep. Worth it, though, it's lovely.
Sally in Seattle
p.s. if you go, be sure to make dinner reservations when you check in (or call ahead) because we were starving and could only get in to dinner at 8--and there are no other choices!

Just had a look at the link provided by Bokhara - I haven't been to Jenolan for thirty years, - prices have certainly gone up! As a child, we always took a tent and camped, and it is certainly a lovely area. The road in was always thrilling, and was two way traffic then.
Sally, I enjoyed reading about your trip, and glad you enjoyed it so much. It has made me want to go back again, not camping this time though! I've always thought that the Blue Mountains area compares with the best anywhere, in that the diversity of plant life is prolific and beautiful. They say that it hasn't changed much since the Grand Canyon in USA was just a small stream. Amazing.

We had a similar concern when we went to the Blue Mountains. However, there is at least 1 bus company that makes day trips to Jenolan Caves in Katoomba. The office was right near the train station, I think you will see it as you exit. I don't remember the price. We were there is May and the tours were not full so we didn't have any trouble getting the day we wanted.