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Frequently Asked Questions
Blue Mountains Tours

Whether you are joining Mountains Tales for a private group tour,

or our popular village walking tours, you’ll find your questions answered here

Book Your Tour
Frequently Asked Questions

We understand that not all your questions can be answered on a website.

Please see the FAQ’s below, which may provide direction, otherwise, call Sue on

0410 600 224 or contact Sue at sue@mountainstales.com.au

GROUP COACH TOURS

Please email Sue (sue@mountainstales.com.au) or use the Contact Us Page.

Each tour is written bespoke for your group, based on the interest, time allowed and abilities of your group, your itinerary is written at the time of booking.

Minimum tour is 3 hours.

Mountains Tales can provide as many guides as you need for your group, this is discussed and secured at the time of booking.

Of course, we find most tours are one-way as group travel across the Mountains.

A common itinerary is to meet your coach at the base of the Blue Mountains at Glenbrook Information Centre, with the tour ending at the top of the Mountains at Echo Point, Wentworth Falls, Mt York or your conference hotel.

Mountains Tales pride ourselves on our unique and bespoke itinerary. Whether you are a school group diving into our colonial history, or a seniors’ tour seeking entertainment in stories you have not heard before, each tour commentary is written for your groups interest.

Mountains Tales is a Blue Mountains based local company; your guides are local, showing you their own backyard. You will hear stories that only locals know, as local knowledge makes the best local guides.

The tour is quoted based on coach size and the number of guests for pre-booked activities.  If your passenger numbers change this may change the cost of the tour, please advise Mountains Tales as soon as possible.
An invoice is sent once the tour is confirmed, with a deposit per coach deposit due within a week, plus any required deposit to a third party operator.
Final payment is due a week prior to the tour.

Your paid deposit is non-refundable, with appropriate notice; this deposit can be transferred to a future date.

Once the tour has been paid in full, any decrease in guest numbers will not be refunded.

Third party cancellation policy may vary and will be advised at time of booking.

Mountains Tales has the BMCC Eco Tourism Licence. Each guest is charged for visiting certain Blue Mountains locations like Echo Point. This Eco Pass will be part of the invoice issued by Mountains Tales.

Our coach tour will go ahead in “Mountains Weather” after all that’s part of the Blue Mountains experience. If there is a thunderstorm or similar, your group’s safety will take priority until the storm has passed.
Please encourage your group to come prepared for the weather, hat and sunscreen in summer and warm clothes in winter.

Yes, we can, we understand the variety of needs required by guests. Our seniors’ tours focus on accessibility for guests with walkers; we focus on visiting locations that are accessible to most.

If you have certain needs, please discuss this at the time of booking.

Yes, responsible adults are required.

Mountains Tales guides are engaged to provide content on the Blue Mountains, not to supervise the children.

Schools are responsible for the overall supervision of students.

Yes, all guides hosting educational tours have current Working With Children Checks.

Safety, security and guest comfort is a priority for Mountains Tales.

Mountains Tales tours are conducted in English. We welcome international guests using an interpreter to translate if required.

The Blue Mountains has its own unique weather; the best advice is to come prepared.
In summer you might require a warm jacket, and a rain jacket or umbrella is always a good item to have.
If your tour includes walking, then enclosed shoes and a hat are recommended.

Your tour will include an experienced guide providing commentary from the coach.

Mountains Tales can look after all local bookings, from lunch to a local third party site, this cost will be added to the invoice at the time of booking, and included in your particular tour.

VILLAGE WALKING TOURS

Our village walking turs are offered in Leura, Katoomba and Mount Victoria, all located in the Upper Blue Mountains.

Your guide will meet you at the Tour meeting place dressed in a blue coloured Mountains Tales shirt. Often wearing an Akubra hat, unless it’s a windy day!

You will recognise your guide as they will have a clipboard filled with images for the tour and they will be at the site 10 minutes prior to the start of the tour.

Please wear comfortable walking shoes and weather appropriate clothing, the weather can be cool in the mountains, so bring a jacket even in summer.
Please check the weather in advance and consider if you need to bring an umbrella, or hat and sunscreen. Also, please bring a water bottle and your camera / smartphone!
We walk approximately 1.5km (1 mile) over 2 hours. The tours are at an easy pace, stopping every 50-100 metres.
The routes are on council footpaths; they are relatively flat with a few short inclines.
Tours can be adjusted as required if a short break or stop is required.
The tour is written for a two-hour walk as a story, with a beginning, middle and end.
If you are short of time, a private tour can be designed for you, please call Sue to discuss.
Sue’s contact:  0410 600 224.
Children under 18 are free with paying adults. Please advise at the time of booking that children are attending.
The tours are pram and stroller accessible. Our youngest guest so far was 6 months old; we did not take offence when he fell asleep!
Both the Leura Story Walking Tour and the Katoomba Story Walking Tour are along council footpaths and fully accessible.
The Mt Victoria Walking Tour includes a walk of 20 minutes through the Memorial Park, which is grassed.

Mountains Tales tours are conducted in English. We welcome international guests using an interpreter to translate if required.

Our booking process through Eventbrite closes 3 hours prior to the tour start time. If you wish to book within this time frame, please call Sue on 0410 600 224 to confirm space on the tour.
If space is available payment can be made in cash or EFTPOS at beginning of the tour.
When your walking tour is booked, your ticket contains instructions on the meeting location.
Leura Story Walking Tour – Outside Leura Railway Station entrance. The tour ends at the end of Leura Mall shopping precinct (approx. 400 metres from tour start), giving you the opportunity to visit our wonderful retailers.
Katoomba Story Walking Tour – Outside the old Gearin Hotel, 273 Great Western Highway, north side of Katoomba Railways station. The Hotel is now closed and is a wonderful coffee shop called “On the Soul Side”.  The tour ends at the forecourt of the Carrington Hotel (approx. 500 metres from tour start), giving you an opportunity to explore the great Victorian-era property.
Mt Victoria Walking Tour – Outside Mt Victoria Railway Station.
The tours ends at Rotunda Park, in the middle of the village (approx. 300 metres from tour start) just in time to sample some lunch and shopping!
Please arrive on time for tour, your guide will be at the tour start location 10 minutes prior to the tour beginning.
If you know you are running late, please call Sue on 0410 600 224 to discuss options prior to tour start time.
Once the tour begins, when the tour begins, the phone is switched to voicemail, out of respect for other guests.
If you no-show the tour, there is no refund.
The maximum number of guests on each public tour is 12 adults.
If you wish to book a Private Walking Tour group the maximum is 20 adults.
The walking tour will go ahead in the rain, if however, a storm occurs, we will move to a safe location.
Rain is all a part of the “Mountains Experience” so please come prepared for the weather with a rain jacket and umbrella.
If you need to borrow an umbrella, please reach out to Sue before the beginning of the tour.
If you need to cancel the walking Tour with more than 48 hours’ notice, a full refund less 10% EventBrite booking fee is applied.
If you need to cancel your Walking Tour with less than 48 hours’ notice, there is no refund.
If you need to postpone your tour, please call Sue on 0410 600 224 to discuss a suitable replacement date.