The Easiest Way to Climb Australia’s Highest Mountain

Mt Kosciuszko Summit Walk 

Did you know, there’s a way to climb to the highest point in Australia, without even breaking a sweat?

Nope, not exaggerating!

The Mt Kosciuszko Summit Walk from Thredbo is the easiest way to reach Australia’s highest mountain. In this guide I will walk you through one of the easiest alpine hikes in the world, so you too can tick climbing Australia’s tallest mountain off the bucket list! This guide covers everything you need to know, including distance, difficulty, what to pack, and exactly what to expect every step of the way.

 

What you need to know:

Getting to Mt Kosciuszko:

Thredbo Village is approx 5.5-6hrs south from Sydney, and about 6.5-7hrs north of Melbourne.

Be aware that if you are entering the NP from the south (Melb), you will be driving up some very steep inclines. My lil old van doesn’t handle those continuous, windy and steep roads all too well, so I’m very thankful that I entered the NP from the north and exited from the south, meaning I had a long, slow and easy descent out of the park.

The other thing to take note of, is driving through the Winter months. You may be required to attach snow chains to your vehicles wheels. Check these requirements ahead of time as to be prepared. 

Where to stay:

There are many options for accomodations from hotels in the village, to campgrounds littered all throughout the national park.

I stayed in the town of Jindabyne, about a 30minute drive from Thredbo, at the Jindabyne Holiday Park campground. Situated right along the gorgeous Jindabyne Lake, this spot is perfect for soaking in the beautiful surrounding nature, or for a refreshing dip after summiting Mt Kosciuszko (well deserved and definitely recommended).  

Side note - Luckily for me, the unpowered sites sit right at the back of the campground and come with uninterrupted views of the alpine lake! Easily one of the best campground views I’ve ever stayed at. 

MT KOSCIUSZKO HIKE

The Chairlift:

Now here’s what makes this hike so easily accessible to everyone. A scenic chairlift transports you from Thredbo Village, all the way up the mountain ranges to Eagle Nests Restaurant (Australia's tallest restaurant). I didn’t dine here, but if you finish the hike early, grabbing a drink afterwards would be a rewarding way to end the day. 

The chairlift only takes around 10minutes, but allows you to bypass the steep incline of the mountain ranges.

The price when I visited in Jan 2026 was $70, which yes, is quite extreme for such a short ride.
However if you are short on time as I was, or simply want the walk to be as easy as possible, then this is the best possible way up!

Beginning the walk:

Once you depart the chairlift, head to the left side of Australia’s highest restaurant, and you are immediately at the beginning of the hike, it’s that easy! 

At this point, you are only a 6.5km walk away from standing on top of Australia’s tallest mountain !
The path is extremely well maintained, beginning as paved until you quickly reach a small bridge over some running water. From there the path becomes a raised metal boardwalk, to protect fragile alpine vegetation.

The first leg stretches approx 1.5km to the Mt Kosciuszko lookout point. It is a continuous but veryyyy gradual incline. There are no steep sections, nor stairs to climb. I promise, it’s very gentle and easy going.
As someone who constantly has to stop to catch my breath and give my legs a break while hiking uphill, this was not at all the case here. If I can do it, you can do it !!

Mt Kosciuszko lookout:

Take a moment here and admire the views of the glorious path ahead as well as your very first glimpse of Mt Kosciuszko!

As you can see the path continues at a steady incline, however it’s very easy on the knees and has multiple sections in which you can stop and take a break if needed. 

While strolling through this section, I passed little streams, which are alpine snowmelt creeks that feed the Snowy River catchment. I even spotted some fish swimming around in them! I dipped my fingers into the water and it was refreshingly cold.

Lake Cootapatamba:

Once you scale this next section, you’ll begin towards my absolute favourite part, and what I also consider to be the prettiest view of the hike. Right in front of you you’ll find the strikingly blue water of Cootapatamba Lake. You can view this stunning feature from the designated lookout and as you continue the walk. 

For the particular day and time that I was hiking, the water only appeared more and more blue the further along I walked. My favourite view was from the far right side of the lake, looking back at not only the bright blue water, but the mountainous views which open up behind it. Absolutely stunning.

Tallest Toilets in Aus:

You will now have reached the last stop before you begin the summit up Mt Kosciuszko itself, Rawson Pass! Funnily enough this is also the spot where you’ll find the tallest toilets in Australia. I mean, when will you get the chance to go this high up again..?

Be sure to check out the signs here and ensure you continue following the Mt Kosciuszko Summit Walk as it begins climbing upwards. Be relieved that at this point, there’s only 1.6km left! 

Once ready, set off on the final stretch up the mountain! 

The last leg: 

The path conditions here change to a rocky gravel. It is easy to navigate, and only temporary before returning to the metal boardwalk. Now for my walk in particular, this was one of the only parts of the hike that shielded me from the intense winds. I also realised how hot it actually was in that moment, and I was incredibly thankful that I had been keeping safe from the harsh rays, despite feeling cool from the constant breeze. The views along this last section of the walk are truly unbelievable, as the mountain ranges stretch as far into the distance as your eyes can see. Take your time, soaking in every moment while slithering up the last of the mountain side. It won’t be long at all until you’re taking your final steps to the summit!

The Summit of Mt Kosciuszko: 

As the path begins to curve around the peak, you know you’ve made it. Follow it right up to the Strzelecki Monument, marking the official summit ! 

You are now standing on the tallest point in the entirety of Australia ! Take a moment, a deep breath, soak it all up. What an accomplishment. What a win.
The feeling of standing up on the tallest point is surreal. Take in the 360 degree views, with absolutely nothing around but the mountain tops. (and the flies - I’ll get to this shortly). 

Of course I had to take a number of photos showcasing my success., You simply could not wipe the smile off my face. I felt proud and quite literally, on top of the world. 

The dramatic skyline all around deserved to be marvelled at. I found a spot to sit while admiring the views and settling down to eat lunch. Kinda a cool thing to casually say that you’ve had a meal at the single tallest spot in Aus.

However this is where the nasty flies became a problem. Hidden behind the rocks and sheltering from the strong winds, the flies flourish. I truly was finding it difficult to eat my food, let alone possibly enjoy myself and enjoy the views. I was swatting them away every second, no exaggeration. As mentioned earlier, thankfully a lovely couple noticed me struggling and offered me their fly repellent, something I hadn’t even considered bringing along! Spending some time up on the summit is a must, so don’t make my mistake. Bring some along so you can sit back and relax without being swarmed.

The trek back down: 

I spent about 30 minutes at the summit, simply taking in the views and relaxing in one of the coolest places imaginable. The walk down, while easy, doesn’t offer anything new, as you will be following the trek back the exact way you came until you reach the chairlift. 

However walking the opposite way allows for new perspectives and views. I found that walking back down the first section of the mountain seemed to have significantly better views than while walking up. This had me stopping multiple times to take photos of the vast landscape surrounding me. Most of the trek is gradually downhill, with an uphill section following the lake back up to the first lookout spot.

Be mindful of the fact that there are no railings or anything to hold onto while you make your descent. While it’s never too steep, if you are worried about achy knees, then this is when hiking poles could come in handy. This definitely isn’t a necessity though, more-so for those who may need the assistance or just want to be extra prepared. 

It’s an easy yet rewarding walk back. I made sure to stop at both the lake and lookout point once more, just to take in the astounding scenery, before continuing forth. 

Final descent: 

The chairlift stops operating at around 4pm-ish, so make sure to plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time to not just do the walk to the summit and back, but time also to slow down the pace, and simply enjoy the moment :)

If you have the time and are feeling fancy, why not have a refreshing drink at the the Eagle Nest restaurant before heading back down? You definitely deserve one after the trek and it is Australia’s highest restaurant by elevation, which is cool in itself! 

The ride down takes a quick 10 minutes or so, and then your feet will be back on solid ground. There are a couple little spots to grab a drink or some food back in the Thredbo Village. Unfortunately I had quite the long drive ahead of me that afternoon, so I was unable to pop in anywhere and unwind. However I can’t imagine anything better than a crisp, cold drink and a warm, hearty meal, after that lovely hike through the alpines. 

The Takeaway: 

The Mt Kosciuszko alpine summit trek is incredibly easy, especially considering the massive accomplishment it is!
The entire trek from the top of the chairlift is extremely gradual, and to be honest, it was so much easier than I was ever expecting. You hear ‘highest peak in Australia’ and rightfully so, may assume that would involve a strenuous and steep hike through the mountain ranges. But it was anything but !

If, like me, you want to tick off a huge bucket list goal, in the absolute easiest way possible, then you now know the best way !

All up, it is recommended you put aside 4-6hrs for the hike itself. It took me 4hrs exactly, but keep in mind this included a 30minutes break on the summit, as well as stopping multiple times for photos. 

Ensure to add on the time it takes to ride the chairlift both up and down, making sure you return to the chairlift by at least 4pm (check your ticket for the exact time of the last chairlift for the day) to make sure you don’t get left on the mountain !

I hope I’ve been able to inspire, even just one person, to break out of their comfort zone, to tackle the highest peak in Australia, and achieve a huge accomplishment ! 

I promise you, tackling Australia’s tallest mountain, is entirely possible, and way easier than you could have imagined! 

So what are you waiting for..? You can do it !
Follow my guide, and you too will be conquering standing on top of the world :)