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The Blue Mountains just outside of Sydney are extremely popular for weekend getaways for the locals and also a common stop for travelers who are spending more than just a few days in the capital. Katoomba is the largest city in the Blue Mountain resort area and it’s extremely easy to reach since it’s only about a 90-minute drive from the Sydney city center, and only a bit longer by train, which stops right in the Katoomba town center. There are only a couple of hostels in Katoomba, but there are others in other parts of the Blue Mountains.

Hotel prices in Katoomba are quite expensive, especially during peak season, but the Katoomba hostel prices are fairly reasonable. By the way, in Australia, hostels are usually known as “backpackers” so the Katoomba hostels are likely to be known under that name. As long as the weather is good, the main sites near Katoomba are within walking distance of the small village at its center.

The famous Three Sisters group of peaks is visible from Echo Point on the opposite side of town as the train station, which is also where the hostels in Katoomba are located, but even if the weather isn’t the best there is a trolley running through town that connects Echo Point with all the other local sights and lookout points.

The main strip in Katoomba has very much of a small-town feel, but there are plenty of cafes and restaurants and bars to keep the many visitors entertained. This is, after all, a resort area, so most everyone is on holiday and the feeling around town reflects that. Neither of the hostels in Katoomba are directly on the main strip, but both are close enough to walk to it within only a few minutes.

The Katoomba Mountain Lodge is much closer to the center of the village than the other Katoomba Hostel, but they are only a few blocks apart so don’t let that be the only deciding factor. They have dorm rooms with between 2 and 5 beds, with their cheapest beds starting around $AUD21 per night, but the smaller rooms are only a bit more so if you want to roll the dice on getting a room to yourself it’s probably worth an extra dollar or two. They also have private rooms for 1 to 3 people, some with their own bathrooms. The private triples and doubles without bathrooms go for around $AUD29 per night per person, and the private singles with bathroom goes for around $AUD65 per night, with all the others falling in between.

Central Blue Mountain Backpackers is located just next to the train station so it’s extra convenient if you’re coming on the 2-hour train ride from the center of Sydney, but again, the town is small so it’s not a huge deal unless you’ve packed way too much. They opened in 2005 so all the facilities are still almost new. They have dorm rooms with 4, 6, 8, and 10 beds in each, with prices starting around $AUD22 per person. They’ve also got private rooms for 1, 2, and 4 people, with the twin and double rooms going for around $AUD35 per night per person.

Hostels in Katoomba