5 one day walks in Sydney

Sydney has been blessed with plenty of walks with either great views of the ocean or with historical significance. The city has coastal walks and the walks that can be done to explore and see the way the city has evolved. In this post, I am listing down the 5 best one day walks in Sydney.

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About Sydney

Known for its Opera house and the Harbour bridge, Sydney is the capital city of New South Wales (NSW) state in Australia. It is also the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) capital and the largest city of Australia. The councils within Sydney are so good that they provide importance to the walks and trails within the city to make them better for fitness seekers.

Public transportation within Sydney

Sydney has four modes of transport within the city:

• Trains.
• Ferries.
• Light rail.
• Buses.

The Central train station is the main train station in Sydney. Up-to-date information on the public transport can be found on the Transport for NSW website. And the fare for public transport can be paid either using credit/ debit cards or Opal transportation card. Note: No cash payments are allowed in the public transport. Cash can be used to recharge Opal transportation card.

5 best one day walks in Sydney

Coastal walks

Bondi to Coogee beach (6 kilometres, Easy)

One of the most famous coastal walks in Sydney is the Bondi to Coogee beach coastal walk. It is so popular that it forms as a bucket list item for travelers who visit Sydney and the walk has also been ranked as one of the best coastal walks in Sydney. The walk starts off at Bondi beach and ends at Coogee beach.

• Starting Point: Bondi beach.
  • Nearest train station: Bondi junction.
  • There is a bus between Bondi junction and Bondi beach. The distance between the two is just 3 kilometres.
• Ending Point: Coogee beach.
  • Nearest bus stop: Coogee beach.
• Total distance: 6 kilometres.
• Time taken: 2 hours.
• Grade: Easy.
• Path and stops: Bondi beach – Tamarama beach – Bronte beach – Clovely beach – Coogee beach. Read Bondi to Coogee coastal walk for detailed information.

La Perouse to Maroubra (13 kilometres, Medium)

The La Perouse to Maroubra is an amazing walk that passes through trails with stunning views of the ocean. It also passes through three golf courses, Henry’s head and Cape banks.

La Perouse is a nice suburb to hang out and it has some of the other interesting things to do.

• Starting Point: La Perouse.
  • Nearest bus stop: Anzac Parade Terminus.
• Ending Point: Maroubra.
  • Nearest bus stop: Maroubra beach.
• Total distance: 13 kilometres.
• Time taken: 4 hours.
• Grade: Easy to Medium.
• Path and stops: La Perouse – Henry’s Head – Cape Banks – Maroubra. Read La Perouse to Maroubra coastal walk for detailed information.

Manly to Mona Vale via Long Reef (16 kilometres, Medium)

The Manly to Mona Vale coastal walk has appealing beaches along the way with very pretty views of the ocean. It also goes through the bush land at times for bush walkers. The walk is a mix of bush walking and costal walk.

• Starting Point: Manly.
  • Nearest ferry station: Manly beach.
• Ending Point: Mona Vale beach.
  • Nearest bus stop: Mona Vale.
• Total distance: 16 kilometres.
• Time taken: 6 hours.
• Grade: Medium.
• Path and stops: Manly – Freshwater beach – Curl Curl beach – Dee Why beach – Collary beach – Mona Vale beach. Read Manly to Mona Vale via Long Reef coastal walk for detailed information.

Historical walks

Colony History walk in the Rocks (4 kilometres, Easy)

The Colony History walk in the Rocks starts off at Customs House and ends at Dawes Point. The walk takes you through some of the hidden gems and the historical points showcasing how Sydney has changed as a city. I did the walk a few months ago and divided the walk into two parts.

Part 1: Customs House to the Big Dig

• Starting Point: Customs House.
  • Nearest train station: Circular Quay.
• Ending Point: The Big Dig.
  • Nearest train station: Circular Quay.
• Total distance: 2.2 kilometres.
• Time taken: 1 to 1.5 hours.
• Grade: Easy.
• Path and stops: Customs House – Site of First Government House – Bridge Street – Grosvenor Place – Church Hill – The Big Dig. Read Colony History Walk (Part 1) for detailed information.

Part 2: The Australian Heritage Hotel to Dawes Point

• Starting Point: The Australian Heritage Hotel.
  • Nearest train station: Circular Quay.
• Ending Point: Dawes Point.
  • Nearest train station: Circular Quay.
• Total distance: 1.8 kilometres.
• Time taken: 1 to 1.5 hours.
• Grade: Easy.
• Path and stops: The Australian Heritage Hotel – Holy Trinity – Observatory – The Lord Nelson Brewery – Hero of Waterloo – The Paddock – Dawes Point. Read Colony History Walk (Part 2) for detailed information.

Harbour Foreshore walk (4.5 kilometres, Easy)

The Harbour Foreshore walk goes through various points in the history of Sydney. The walk starts at Customs House and ends at Darling Harbour and is a flat easy walk.

Darling Harbour has plenty of things to do and is one of the happening places in Sydney.

• Starting Point: Customs House.
  • Nearest train station: Circular Quay.
• Ending Point: Darling Harbour.
  • Nearest train station: Town Hall.
• Total distance: 4.5 kilometres.
• Time taken: 1.5 to 2 hours.
• Grade: Easy.
• Path and stops: Customs House – Bulletin Place – Science House – Susannah Place – The Big Dig – Observatory – The Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel – Argyle Bar – Barangaroo – Darling Harbour. Read Harbour Foreshore walk: Sneak peek into Sydney History for detailed information.

The walk between Barangaroo Reserve and Darling Harbour is another gem of a walk that can be done with views of amazing sunset.

Safety for solo female travelers

Sydney is a very safe city and hence is apt for solo female travelers. I have been living in this amazing city for many years now and have not had any major issues whatsoever. Having said that, I would still suggest being cautious and knowing the surroundings, especially at nights and at suburbs that are isolated.

Closing Notes

Sydney has many more beautiful walks than just specified in this post. It is a city that has historical significance at every corner or has a coastline with breath-taking views of the ocean. Some of these walks are great to spot humpback whales during the whale migratory season. Refer walks in Sydney section of my blog to know more about the walks and hikes.

For a complete guide on whale watching, read whale watching in Sydney.

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