the blue mountains botanic garden, mount tomah

432brittanyt

I often come here just to relax and look at all the new flowers that are blooming. Such a nice area with plenty of room if you wanted to come in a big group. I can spend all day here.

KarenB958

We rocked up here on our way back to Canberra, after being blown away by some spectacular views both at our accommodation and as part of a number of scenic visits to Blackheath hot spots. The gardens are, in a word, extraordinary. They are incredibly well designed and maintained, ever interesting and chock full of easily accessible, informative meandering paths of beautiful plants. A most fitting end to an amazing weekend to this Australian jewel of a place.

222heatherh

We spent a wonderful morning exploring these gardens, having driven from Leura. the drive itself was spectacular and the gardens equally so. They were so unpretentious and really represented the nature of the Blue Mountains. A highlight was the Woollomi pines and the fabulous panoramic views. They were truly mountain gardens which gave such interesting geographical detail o the formation of Australia etc.. The only disappointing thing was that there was no shop, which was a shame as I wanted to buy a book, cards etc about the gardens. Also the cafe only did full meals or scones - again a missed opportunity and very limited. When we asked the lady on reception to the gardens she said they had been restructured and the previous shop taken away and the cafe was run independently. Well, a real missed opportunity in my view. Other than that very well worth the visit and so glad we made the effort to get there.

Foodies-mm

Saw the fabulous Katie Noonan at the lovely Mt Tomah gardens. Great venue, wonderful relaxed feel while having a picnic. A lovely all ages event that welcomes children. Hillbilly cider is there to enjoy and is a big winner! There is an undercover area for wet weather however in storms Mt Tomah should arrange for the plastic sides to be unrolled for better weather protection. Everyone sitting on the sides got wet. Also entry into the event was delayed and there was some confusion on the entry time as two of mt tomah signs said different times for entry. These negatives were only minor and we will definitely be going back to another great concert.

RosiePoseyLips

I have not been to the restaurant. But the gardens are stunning. Especially in Autumn when all the leaves are turning red. For work purposes, I often drive from Sydney to Lithgow and beyond along the Bells Line of Road. And the gardens are a great place to stop and take a break.

dianeh154

One of the highlights of our 6 week trip to Australia. The scenery is outstanding. We had a free guided tour with a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic volunteer guide which lasted an hour and a half and was terrific . We had lots of questions about Australian plants and trees and he was able to answer them all. I think the guy was called Ken. We ate lunch in the restaurant which has wonderful views and although it is fairly expensive I had some the best pasta of my life.

wanderlusterSussexUK

If you are driving the back road across the Blue Mountains, you'll see a sign for the botanic gardens. Make sure you slam on the brakes!These amazing gardens are unbelievably free of charge and the cafe is outstanding with a view to die for.

Miss-Kenobi

The view was amazing, and from what I could see of it is, the cafe food looks delicious if pricey. But the coffee. YUK. If I were a person who was happy to make a fuss i'd of sent it back. I loaded it full of sugar and knocked it back reluctantly.But, anyway, a great trip on the way to Leura or on the way back. What a view, gardens beautiful. Walking round them takes 1-2hours so bring comfy shoes and make sure you have enough time planned in.

RBuch_DK

We have visited several Botanical Gardens as this is a major interest for us and sofar the UC Botanical Garden in San Francisco has been standing out but with the The Blue Mountain Botanical Garden @ Mount Tomah a qualified rival has been found.The Garden is really impressive and covers a large area - You really need to set a side 3-4 hours to get to see all part of the garden - During summer you should get there early in the morning as it a pretty hilly park and it gets HOT over noon.There are guided tours, a cafe and picnic area on site.This is a MUST see visiting the Sydney / Blue Mountain Area if you are interested in plants, flowers and trees.

Rarking

Part of the Royal Botanic Gardens, the high altitude site of Mount Tomah demonstrates some fantastic flora. The backdrop to the gardens is a fantastic view back towards Sydney. Close to Mt Tomah (10km along Bells Line of Road) is Pierre's Pass and Mount Banks which offer picnic areas and some medium grade bush walking.

physioT

As the title says, there is a hefty surcharge on weekends for restaurant patrons in addition to very expensive meal prices. $18 for kids pasta (lunch). Average mains around $29. Lovely food, but very average and slow service. Not worth the money in my opinion. I would suggest bringing your own picnic lunch or stopping by the other cafes on Bells Line Of Rd before your get there. Admission to the gardens is free and there are beautiful views there. To be honest, I would rather the gardens charge me $5 a head for entry than $5 a head for visiting the restaurant on a weekend!

GrantW321

These amazing gardens are about thirty to forty minutes by car from Katoomba and a visit there is well worth the effort. Entry is free and from enquiries I made the gardens are open 365 days a year except Christmas Day. The variety of trees and shrubs onsite is incredible and the views are quite breathtaking. There are large numbers of birds on the property including kookaburras and red parakeets, and these tend to be found in the area bordering the rainforest. I had lunch in the onsite cafe and both the food and service were excellent. If you want to escape the tourist hotspots in the mountains for a few hours this is the place to go! It is worth taking in the lookouts at Blackheath on the way either to or from Mount Tomah.

sylviam894

Haven't been here for some years. I had forgotten the beautiful setting. Food in cafe was a bit pricy but lovely. We did a tour in the transport buggy, well worth the $5 charge. A walk reviels view after view, framed by wonderfull trees, plants and shrubs. There was a fairy hunt for the children, lots of space to run around, picnic areas, barbecues etc. Great place to visit no matter what age.

madrednige

A nice place to walk round with plenty of information round the gardens, explaining what the trees,bushes etc are.A waterfall and even a fairy trail for the children.Great views especially from the cafe which is a little pricy, but overall a good day out.

Crankyfrankly

We live in the Penrith area and had no idea that such an amazing garden was so close! Fantastic facilities. Free scooter for less mobile people. Free entry and just $5 for a "tour ride". Broad variety of plants designed in a way to show off the magnificent beauty of each one. I loved the bog garden and carnivorous plants - as the other half said "Pitchers were as pretty as pictures!".The backdrop of the blue mountains bush land and hawkesbury region brings a spectacular element to an already great place. I felt a bit disappointed that some of the activities were only for kids - I would have loved some seeds too! We will be coming back throughout the year to experience the seasons.