Best Walks in Sydney: Coastal & Harbour Trails

Sydney is one of the world's great walking cities, with an extraordinary combination of harbour foreshore paths, clifftop coastal tracks, national park bushwalks, and inner-city heritage walks that make exploring on foot one of the finest ways to experience the city. The combination of Sydney's dramatic topography (the sandstone headlands, the deep harbour inlets, the bush-covered ridgelines of the national parks) and the extensive network of maintained walking tracks means that world-class walks are accessible within minutes of the CBD.

Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk, the signature Sydney walk (6km, 2 hours, graded easy to moderate) follows the clifftop from Bondi Beach south through Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly, and Gordons Bay to Coogee, with spectacular ocean views, the famous Bondi Icebergs ocean pool, and the remarkable Waverley Cemetery clifftop section. The walk can be extended in both directions (Coogee to Maroubra south, or Bondi north to Tamarama). Best done on a weekday morning to avoid weekend crowds.

Spit Bridge to Manly, the finest harbour walk in Australia (10km, 3 hours, graded easy to moderate) follows the Middle Harbour foreshore from the Spit Bridge at Mosman to Manly, passing through Dobroyd Head and the Manly Scenic Walkway in Sydney Harbour National Park. The walk ends at Manly Beach and the Manly Ferry back to Circular Quay completes a magnificent half-day Sydney experience. The trail passes through bush that is completely invisible from the road, providing a wilderness walking experience within the city.

Coastal Walk (Royal National Park), 90 minutes south of Sydney CBD, the Royal National Park's Coastal Walk (26km, 2 days with overnight camping, or multiple day-trip sections) follows the dramatic sandstone cliff coastline from Bundeena to Otford. The Garie Beach and Era sections are among the finest coastal walking scenery in NSW. The National Park Train from Central Station to Otford or Cronulla provides car-free access.

Blue Mountains day walks, 90 minutes west of Sydney, the Blue Mountains' Grand Canyon (6km loop from Blackheath, graded moderate to hard), the Three Sisters from Echo Point (various lengths, graded easy to moderate), and the Wentworth Falls walk (5km return, graded moderate) provide outstanding escarpment and canyon walking within 90 minutes of the CBD.