Every spring, the cool-climate village of Leura opens its most beautiful private gardens for the Leura Gardens Festival, a beloved Blue Mountains tradition running since 1965 that raises funds for the local hospital. Masses of rhododendrons, azaleas, tulips and flowering cherries fill the gardens against a world-heritage backdrop, under two hours from Sydney. It is one of the finest group day tours of the year, and a comfortable coach makes the mountain journey a pleasure. Here is how to plan yours.
Leura Gardens Festival: Group Bus Tours
The Blue Mountains’ Beloved Spring Open-Garden Festival, Under Two Hours From Sydney
Each spring, when the azaleas blaze and the flowering cherries come into bloom, the village of Leura opens the garden gates of some of its most beautiful private properties for the Leura Gardens Festival. Set high in the world-heritage Blue Mountains, it is one of the most loved garden events in New South Wales, a tradition running since 1965, and every dollar raised goes to the local hospital. For a garden club, a Probus group or a community outing, it is one of the great days out of the year.
It is also a day made for a coach. The gardens are spread across Leura and neighbouring Wentworth Falls, the mountain roads wind, and parking in the village fills quickly in spring. On a comfortable coach, your group travels together and arrives together, and the climb through the mountains becomes part of the pleasure rather than a chore. Sydney Charter Bus Australia runs group tours to Leura and across the Blue Mountains, so you can leave the driving to us. Request a quote for your garden tour.
🌷 Every Spring in the Blue Mountains | Gardens for Charity | Under Two Hours From Sydney
About the Leura Gardens Festival
The Leura Gardens Festival is a much-loved spring tradition in the Upper Blue Mountains, held each year over several days in early October. A group of dedicated local garden owners open their private gardens to the public, and visitors come from across Australia and overseas to enjoy them. Leura sits about 100 kilometres west of Sydney, high enough for a genuine cool-climate garden, which is what gives the festival its particular magic.
It is one of the country’s longest-running open-garden events. The first festival was held in 1965, when four gardens opened their gates, and it has grown into a beloved annual institution run entirely by local volunteers. The gardens on show change from year to year, so no two festivals are quite the same, and returning each spring is part of the pleasure. For the current year’s dates, gardens, tickets and full details, the festival’s own website is always the best source: visit the Leura Gardens Festival website.
Gardens With a Purpose: Supporting the Local Hospital
What makes the Leura Gardens Festival special is not only its beauty but its heart. The festival is a registered charity, run by around 200 local volunteers, and all funds raised go towards medical equipment and patient care at the Blue Mountains District ANZAC Memorial Hospital and other local health organisations. Since it began, the festival has raised many hundreds of thousands of dollars for the hospital, funding everything from specialist equipment to upgraded patient facilities. When your group visits, the ticket price is a donation to a genuinely good local cause, so a beautiful day out also does real good.
What You Will See
Leura’s cool-climate gardens are famous for their spring display, and the festival captures them at their absolute peak. Depending on the season and the gardens taking part in any given year, visitors can expect a glorious range of colour and style.
| Spring blooms | Masses of azaleas and dazzling rhododendrons, alongside camellias and flowering annuals and perennials, the signature colour of a Blue Mountains spring. |
| Bulbs | Gorgeous spring bulbs including tulips, bluebells and peonies, often in sweeping drifts. |
| Cool-climate trees | Wonderful deciduous trees such as maples, dogwoods and ornamental cherries, coming into their full glory. |
| A range of garden styles | From grand established gardens with a landscaping heritage to intimate cottage plots, in a wide range of sizes and designs. |
| Extra touches | Many festivals also feature pottery, music and other attractions in the gardens, along with plants and refreshments. |
The gardens taking part, and the attractions on offer, change each year, so please check the festival website for the current programme.
A Little History
The Leura Gardens Festival began in 1965, when four local gardens opened to the public and raised a modest sum for the hospital. From those humble beginnings it grew steadily, and over its first two decades it raised more than a quarter of a million dollars for the Blue Mountains District ANZAC Memorial Hospital. Some of Leura’s festival gardens carry a genuine landscaping pedigree, with several shaped over the decades by notable hands in Australian garden design. More than half a century on, the festival remains a cherished community event, sustained each year by hundreds of local volunteers, and it stands as one of the longest-running open-garden festivals in the country.
Why It Is a Perfect Group Bus Tour
An open-garden festival spread across a mountain village is exactly the kind of outing a coach makes better in every way. The gardens are dotted around Leura and neighbouring Wentworth Falls, and the festival itself runs a hop-on, hop-off shuttle between them, so a coach group can arrive at Leura together, then move easily between gardens across the day.
| Leave the mountain driving to us | The climb to Leura is a beautiful but winding mountain drive. Let a professional driver handle it while your group enjoys the scenery. |
| No parking scramble | Leura village fills quickly during the festival. A coach sets your group down and collects you at an agreed time, with no hunt for a space. |
| Everyone together | No convoy, no one lost on the mountain roads. One vehicle, one group, one shared day out. |
| Comfort and warmth | Spring in the mountains can be crisp. An air-conditioned, heated coach is a welcome base between gardens. |
Perfect for Garden Clubs, 📅 Probus Groups and Community Outings
The Leura Gardens Festival is tailor-made for organised groups. Garden clubs, horticultural societies, Probus and seniors groups, retirement village outings and community groups make it one of the highlights of their spring calendar. The relaxed pace suits a group beautifully, the cause is a worthy one, and the shared journey up the mountains is half the fun. Because the festival is so well set up for visitors, with its own shuttle between gardens and refreshments along the way, a coach tour slots in perfectly, we get your group to Leura, and the festival takes care of the rest.
Make a Day of It in the Blue Mountains
The festival pairs beautifully with the wider Blue Mountains, so a garden tour can easily become a full day of mountain highlights. The famous Three Sisters and Echo Point at Katoomba are minutes away, the antique shops and cafes of Leura Mall are a delight in their own right, and the lookouts and waterfalls around Wentworth Falls are close by. We are happy to help plan a full itinerary around the gardens, tailored to your group. See our Day Tours & Sightseeing and Coach & Bus Tours.
Book Well Ahead
The festival falls on the same early-October window each spring, and it is popular, so the earlier you plan, the better. As garden groups know, the best trips are organised well in advance, which suits us perfectly, since we plan our tours ahead too. Let us know your preferred festival dates and group size, and we will help you put together a smooth, memorable day. Garden tickets are arranged directly with the festival, often available online ahead of time, and we take care of getting your group up the mountains and home again in comfort.
The Right Coach for Your Garden Group
| Group Size | Vehicle | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 12 to 24 | Minibus, Coaster or Rosa | Smaller garden clubs and friendship groups. |
| 34 | Midi-Coach | Mid-size clubs and Probus groups. |
| 39 to 57 | Full-Size Coach | Large garden societies and combined outings. |
| Up to 62 | HI-CAP Coach | The largest groups travelling together. |
All coaches are air-conditioned and seatbelted. Add a professional tour guide or arrange coach hire with driver to suit your group. See our full fleet.
Plan Your Leura Gardens Festival Tour
Tell us your group size and preferred festival dates, and we will help you plan a beautiful spring day in the Blue Mountains.
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