You won’t need your hiking boots for this Blue Mountains trail.

Most people head to the Blue Mountains for the bushwalks. My friends and I went for the bookshops.

The Blue Mountains Bookshop Trail links 11 independent bookshops between Glenbrook and Lithgow, swapping water bottles for cups of tea and hiking boots for tote bags. So we packed light (strategically), gave ourselves a girls’ weekend in the region, and made one agreement before we left Sydney: no one judges anyone else’s to-be-read pile.

Whether you’re a well-read bibliophile or a bookish beginner, here’s every stop on the trail.

1. Blue Dragon Books, Glenbrook

The trail begins at the foot of the Blue Mountains in Glenbrook, known for its hip cafes and friendly community. Located in an unassuming arcade, Blue Dragon Books is stacked with second-hand tomes. With more than 18,000 books lining the walls (and sometimes the floor!), it’s truly a book lover’s paradise.

New stock is added almost every day from donations, which the staff may exchange for store credit if you bring something they’re looking for. Everything is priced affordably, so buy as many books as your hands can hold. And before you leave, peruse the handmade bookmarks and trinkets at the front desk.

2. The Turning Page Bookshop, Springwood

Your next stop is Springwood, home to The Turning Page Bookshop. Located on the main drag, The Turning Page is bright and homely, with soft music guiding you through the rows of books.

A shelf full of staff favourites and recs greets visitors upon entry, adding to the air of friendliness and familiarity. Many happily fall into the trap at the door: a collection of bookish paraphernalia including bookmarks, pencil cases, tote bags, socks, stationery, cards and notebooks. They make for the perfect addition to a book-filled purchase.

3. RoseyRavelston Books, Lawson

Stepping into RoseyRavelston Books in Lawson is like visiting your favourite grandma. From the classical carpets to mismatched photo frames and a big leather armchair in the corner, it’s comfort at its finest. With an extensive collection of fiction, non-fiction and rare books, it’s a shop any book lover could spend hours in.

It can even be hired out for private groups, meaning you and your friends can have the whole place to yourselves for up to two hours. RoseyRavelston isn’t just any old bookstore either – it’s making a difference, one book at a time. As a strong advocate for refugees, it gives 50 per cent of its profits to local refugee charities.

4. Good Earth Bookshop, Wentworth Falls

Next on your bookish adventure is Good Earth Bookshop, where owner Mary Coin first dreamt up the Blue Mountains Bookshop Trail. Good Earth is all about making the world a better place with books. The cosy store is brimming with preloved books, with a small selection of new editions as well.

You can also join one of the many groups hosted here, from a variety of book clubs to zine-making sessions and crafty collabs with a side of tea. Make sure to add a few vintage collectibles, games or toys to your cart on the way to the register, too. Located within Renae’s Arcade, this is one you don’t want to miss.

5. Wyrdbooks, Wentworth Falls

As a die-hard fantasy and romantasy girl, this was the stop I’d been counting down to. Just down the road from Good Earth, Wyrdbooks specialises in fantasy, sci-fi and horror. If your reading list doesn’t run to dragons and doomed kingdoms, you might be in and out in five minutes. I was not in and out in five minutes.

Wyrd also prioritises first-edition hardcovers, which is great news for collectors and terrible news for my bank account. And if you can’t fit one more book in your tote, the whole collection is catalogued on its website, with reviews and recommendations alongside each blurb. Consider the browsing officially extended.

6. Megalong Books, Leura

Megalong Books is a favourite among locals and tourists alike, and it’s not hard to see why. Set in a 100-year-old building, it’s the quintessential bookstore: soft music, packed wooden shelves and that bookish smell every reader loves.

Megalong houses almost every genre you can think of. From gardening to cooking, history to politics, poetry to classics and everything in between, all bookworms are catered for here. And if all this book shopping is making you hungry, you’re in luck. There are plenty of cosy cafes in Leura to dine at before you hit the trail again.

7. Mr Pickwick’s Fine Old Books, Katoomba

After fuelling up in Leura, make tracks for Mr Pickwick’s Fine Old Books, just a page-turn away in Katoomba. As the name suggests, this store is a haven for old and rare books. Those visiting the area may be thrown off when they enter, as the ground level is adorned with everything vintage. Think clothes, homewares, toys, jewellery, furniture and art.

But downstairs is where the real magic happens: the bookstore. There are plenty of modern novels, but just like upstairs, there’s a whole lot of vintage, too. Collectors will have a field day here, with books dating back to the early 1800s.

8. The Little Lost Bookshop, Katoomba

Hidden down Hapenny Lane among a selection of small stores perfect for wandering through is The Little Lost Bookshop. The two-storey reader’s haven is a peaceful place promising plenty of books. On the ground floor, visitors will find a range of fiction and non-fiction reads, as well as a good selection of Blue Mountains-based books.

Upstairs, second-hand books await their new home. You can pick up board games, cards, bookmarks and unique gifts, too. Fitting 12 bookshops into one day is a big ask, so with so many great places to stay in Katoomba, spend the night and wake up refreshed and ready to round out the trail the next day.

9. Gleebooks, Blackheath

Popular Sydney bookstore Gleebooks has set up shop in Blackheath. Fans of the Dulwich Hill and Glebe locations will know this one is a must. Sitting between an art gallery and an antique store on the main drag, Gleebooks is another one of those bookshops readers could while away the day in.

Shelves upon shelves of books entice many “just one more" comments from browsing bookworms. Gleebooks Blackheath also hosts community events throughout the year, including author talks, live readings and book launches. All are welcome!

10. A Reader’s Heaven, Lithgow

If the name doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will. Follow the Great Western Highway down the Mt Victoria side of the mountains and you’ll find the cosy town of Lithgow, home to the trail’s last two stops. First up is A Reader’s Heaven, which has been selling new and preloved books for almost 30 years.

Home to a vast collection, visitors here are sure to get lost among the shelves. The couple who own and run A Reader’s Heaven, Paul and Jo, are very friendly, always offering fantastic book recommendations, and they love their bookstore so much that they even got married there.

11. Lost Souls Bookshop, Lithgow

The trail ends a short walk away on Main Street at Lost Souls Bookshop. Its shelves mix second-hand, remainder and new books, and there’s a stash of RPG games and supplies for the tabletop crowd.

It’s more than a bookshop, too. Lost Souls doubles as a community space that promotes local artists – a fitting final chapter for a trail built on bookshops backing each other.