Ow, my legs!great walk, but you feel each and every one of those 890+ steps on the way back up. Followed by a walk back up Katoomba st, you will have well and truly earned your recovery beer.
Absolutly amazing views, the bushwalks was incredible & the hop on hop off bus service world perfectly! Would recommend this to everyone.
We visited this place but only saw the walkway from a distance and returned. We came with a Blue Mountain tour company and it was bound to a time. This walk would have taken hours and we also had a few old people in the group. All we could do was take a snap. It looked stunning especially in that weather with light mist. Please plan properly in advance.
Last time we were in the Blue Mountains our little lad was only 5 but he desperately wanted to try the Giant Stairway, we said no because it looked like it was ridiculously steep (how right we were). This visit he was 12 and we took him along the Giant Stairway walk and we all loved it. Despite the rubbery legs we all had at the bottom! We started at Scenic World where we parked the car in the undercover carpark (lovely and shady in the 35 degree heat!). We walked via Katoomba Falls and along the clifftop walk to the Three Sisters (awesome views of the valley) and then down the stairway. There were some portions of the rail missing in places and some areas in serious need of work, however the overall experience was incredible. The views are breathtaking and we saw so much wildlife along the way, including lyre birds and bower birds right along the path way. We had a short rest to re-fuel at the base of the stairs - take plenty of water especially in Summer! Then we walked back along the Federal pass to the base of Katoomba Falls - absolutely magnificent from the bottom, one of the best falls I have seen. The scenery was stunning and I could have stayed there happily all day. We returned up to the car with the assistance of the Scenic Railway which is reportedly the steepest passenger rail in the world. It was a very short but very worthwhile ride (especially in the heat!), the views of the valley are amazing and the kids on board were thrilled with the steep journey, highly recommend it, but you definitely need to be reasonably fit to attempt it, it's hard on the knees and takes a lot of energy.
We only had twenty minutes to walk to the sign for the Giant Stairway before we had to turn around. Since I checked out the photos of the stairs ahead of time, I knew we wouldn't have time to do the entire walk. I was sorry about that. I would love to return someday and put this on the list of things done while in the area. Loved the Blue Mountains in general.
It's steep and a bit dangerous because of missing rails but well worth trying if you can - even in the cloud
It was a foggy morning so pointless going to look for views so decided to descend the giant stairway into the forest below. It was spooky with the mist swirling round one of the Three Sisters that we could, nobody else was about and the trail was very steep on well worn steps and broken rails in placesThe forest below was alive with bird song. We climbed down, walked along a brilliant trail in the trail and came back up on the railway, hardly met a soul until we got to the railway.Loved it
Four a walk full of tourists, it was still pretty good. Exhausting, but good. I walked down the stairs and back up the same way (so no comment on the Scenic Railway or the valley walk) in about 2 hours or so, and I was taking it quite slow.I'd recommend going mid-week in order to avoid the crowds. I did it on a Sunday and there were quite a lot of people but still enough space to have some quiet now and then. It is a VERY tight fit if you have to keep going around people walking in the opposite direction of you, or you're faster then the people in front of you. I cannot stress this enough, BRING A BACKPACK (with at least 2L hydration pack inside) otherwise you're pretty much screwed. I watched women with a handbag in one hand, a water bottle in the other and a camera around their neck attempt this walk and although they managed, it was about 10x more difficult for them than those of us with backpacks. A few railings were broken, so some parts of the track were a little more difficult than others but I'm pretty sure those will be fixed in no time since it's the most popular walk in the Blue Mountains. The walk is tough, but I saw elderly people as well as people who were a little on the heavy side complete it. Most of them were going down but a few of them were heading up too. If you're not a fit person, work your way up to it, take lots of breaks on the way down AND on the way up. If you're exhausted by the time you get to the bottom, take the train back up. Bathroom facilities & Information Centre with food and beverage purchase available at Echo Point. Make sure you're prepared before leaving as there is nothing for a couple of hours depending which walk you're on.
The stairway is steep, in places uneven and the handrails are a great help. If you dislike heights - be warned. We are experienced hikers, but were quite happy to reach the bottom. Some great views and a nice track through the rainforest.
On its own this attraction is not that special, just a big stairway. I wouldn't recommend it for those who are afraid of heights as it is rather scary in places. Once you're at the bottom however you have a nice choice of walks to enjoy. You should come prepared though - bring warm clothes and some water with you. The weather can change quickly and people are caught out here all the time. If you intend to do one of the walks from the bottom of the stairway then leave yourself enough time to do it in the daylight - you don't want to be caught in the valley after dark. Pay attention to the information signs at the visitor centre at Echo Point, they give you an idea of times and directions.