The BEST Sydney Coastal Walks, Australia [UPDATED FOR 2026]

Sydney is well known as a large, busy and modern city, but many don’t realise just how many amazing beaches and coastal walks there are around the city. We managed to explore just a small handful of those within range of the cities public transport and discovered some absolutely pristine coastline. It’s that Aussie lifestyle of being able to head down to the beach and the coast on a hot sunny day that many of us fall in love with when we visit and these are some of the most iconic and best Sydney coastal walks and beaches.

One of my biggest travel tips for Australia is to get out of the CBD and explore the areas around each city you go to. Australia and Sydney is all about the beaches and here you’ll find some of the most incredible and easy to access coastline in the whole country.

Head down to the famous Bondi Beach

You can’t visit Sydney without heading down to Bondi! Despite it being the most famous beach in Australia you can still find your own section of perfect white sand on a crisp winters day. Dropping in on a balmy summer afternoon and you might just find it a little more crowded but part of the charm of the place is the atmosphere! Be sure to check out the amazing cafes, fish and chip shops and trendy bars down here before diving in for a surf in the iconic waves. If the sea looks a little rough but you still fancy a swim then check out the sea water swimming pool, Icebergs, that sits just by the side of the sweeping crescent beach.

Getting to Bondi from the city is a bus ride away or a trip to Bondi town on the bus and a few km walk down to the beach.

Subscribe to the Renegades Newsletter

Get all our latest updates, wildest tales, toppest tips, and hottest offers direct to your inbox.

Email

Name (optional)

Company

Sign Up!

Take the magnificent Bondi to Coogee beach walk

After taking in the iconic sight of Bondi beach its time to take on the Bondi to Coogee 6km walk along a stunning cliff edge. This well known walk takes around 2 hours but there are many opportunities to stop off along the way at the stunning vistas, cute coastal towns and beautiful beaches and rock holes. The walk itself is medium grade with only a few small steep sections and many places to rest and refresh along the way. But with such wonderful scenery you will want to take your time as it is one of the best of the Sydney coastal walks.

Hop on the Manly ferry over to one of Sydney’s other famous beaches

Taking the Manly ferry from the Sydney harbour is one of the most magnificent and reasonably priced boat trips in the entire world. For the price of a trip on a bus or train the ferry rounds the famous Sydney Harbour bridge for an unforgettable view of this iconic building before pulling away and sailing along the coast towards Manly. Manly and Shelly beach are two more famous Sydney beaches where you can soak in the sun and watch the local surfers take on the famous waves from the beautiful sand. One of the best Sydney coastal walks also starts from here…

Whilst you’re over there follow the wonderful 10k Manly to The Spit coastal and bush walk

If laying back in the sun or being trashed around in the waves isn’t your thing then taking on one of Sydney’s best walks is worth the trip to Manly itself. This 10k coastal walk is a challenging but rewarding hike that takes in some magnificent and diverse landscape.

Starting on the lively Manly beach it traces its way through tiny seaside villages, secluded beaches, rugged cliff sides, beautiful inlets and stunning viewpoints. The route also heads back into the bush where you can take detours to see some ancient Aboriginal rock art and historical lighthouses. The Manly to Spit hike is the best of the Sydney coastal walks for sure.

Book Your Campervan

Best Place to Book A Campervan

Renting a campervan is a great way to explore the world with your own transport & accommodation all rolled into one!

We love Spaceship Campervans and they offer various different options for different budget too.

Book Your Camervan Here

Others:

There are so many more Sydney walks that we would like to do in the future when we get chance to revisit. The coastal regions around Sydney and the surrounding areas offer an almost endless amount of opportunity for coastal walks and days at the beach. We had chance to visit two of the more well known and popular walks but if you have the time there are plenty more less well know. Having said that these walks are still not over run despite how amazing they are. These two can also be made shorter or be done in sections if you don’t have the time or fitness for the full routes and there are also many closer into the city centre around the harbour area and across the bay.

Book your accommodation here

What is your favourite of the Sydney coastal walks or beaches?