The Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk – Everything You Need To Know

The Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk is one of the most famous walks in Australia. This 6km walk along the coastline of Sydney is simply beautiful and showcases some of the best beaches along the eastern suburbs of the city.

The walk will take you through 5 beautiful bays – Bondi Beach, Tamarama Beach, Bronte Beach, Clovelly Beach and Coogee Beach – so be sure to bring a swimsuit so that you can enjoy the ocean and the sunshine.

Along the way, you’ll follow a series of coastal paths which pass dramatic cliffs, scenic parks, swimming baths, and epic viewpoints. And, not only are the views spectacular, but you might also spot dolphins and humpback whales, who are often visible from the trail between May and October!

How long does it take to walk from Bondi to Coogee?

The Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk is about 6.1km long, so should take roughly 1 – 1.5 hours to complete without stops. Of course, it’ll take you longer than this as you’ll want to stop and enjoy the many beaches on route.

The route is easy to follow as it sticks to the coastal paths, and is also completely paved and fairly flat with only a couple of small inclines.

If you like, you can make the walk longer by adding on an extra 3km from Coogee to Maroubra, which is an additional 70 minutes or so.

Alternatively, you can shorten the walk by going only from Bondi to Bronte, which is a distance of just 2km.

Bondi to Coogee Walk tips

Here are a few tips to prepare you to take on the walk:

• Avoid the weekend, if possible, as the trail can get pretty busy!

• I suggest starting early to beat the heat. There isn’t much shade on the trail so it can get pretty hot once midday hits.

• Bring your refillable water bottle as there are many places to fill it up with drinking water along the way.

• If 6.1km isn’t enough for you, you can continue the walk from Coogee to Maroubra, which is an additional 3km.

• If you are visiting between May and October, keep an eye out for migrating humpback whales! You can often see them from the trail during this time.

• There are a few ocean baths along the way which you can enjoy for free.

• Be sure to bring a snorkel mask to enjoy the Gordons Bay Underwater Nature Trail – more on this further down!

• As you’ll likely swim in the ocean or baths along the way, be conscious about your sunscreen choice and choose a reef-safe option!

Bondi to Coogee or Coogee to Bondi – which is best?

Although it is more widely known as the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk, many (myself included) prefer to walk it in the other direction, from Coogee to Bondi.

For me, arriving at the famous Bondi Icebergs and Bondi Beach made for a really good end to the walk. The whole walk is beautiful, but seeing Bondi open up in front of you is spectacular!

Not only this, but there are more cafes and restaurants in Bondi than there are in Coogee, so after a morning spent walking, you can reward yourself with some delicious food once you arrive in Bondi.

On the other hand, Bondi is a lot busier than Coogee and it’s definitely nicer to walk away from the crowds, rather than into them. Plus, if you walk from Bondi to Coogee, you’ll be walking away from the sun, which is preferable to walking into the sun and squinting to see.

It really doesn’t matter which direction you walk – it’s all down to you and depends on where you’d prefer to start and finish!

Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk map & route

It’s pretty much impossible to get lost on this walk. If you’re walking from Bondi to Coogee then as long as you keep the sea on your left, you’re going in the right direction.

The image below shows the route you’ll be taking – you can view this route on Google Maps here.

What to expect on the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk

I’m going to assume you’re walking from Bondi to Coogee, although you can simply do the reverse of this guide if you’d prefer to walk from Coogee to Bondi.

The start point: Bondi Icebergs Club

You can pretty much start the walk anywhere on Bondi Beach, but the official starting point is at Notts Avenue, right by the Bondi Icebergs Club, just south of Bondi Beach. The view of the Bondi Icebergs and Bondi Beach is one of the most iconic views of Sydney.

From the Icebergs, follow the concrete waterfront walkway. You’ll have beautiful views over Bondi Beach before turning around the corner at MacKenzie’s Bay.

MacKenzie’s Bay

Humpback whales migrate through the waters here between May and October, and MacKenzie’s Bay is a great lookout spot. You’ll need a little bit of patience and luck, but hopefully, you may see some whales breaching in the distance. It’s also not uncommon to see dolphins year-round!

From MacKenzie’s Bay, it’s only a short distance to Tamarama Beach.

Tamarama Beach

Tamarama Beach is small yet stunning, and sits snugly into a little alcove, surrounded by houses. At the back of the beach, there is a coffee shop and a park, so it makes for a nice little coffee stop.

From here, the path goes around the back of the coffee shop, onto the footpath at Tamarama Marine Drive, and back up to the cliff.

Roughly 1km on from Tamarama, you’ll come to Bronte Beach.

Bronte Beach

Bronte Beach was my favourite beach on the walk. Just behind the beach is a lovely park with excellent BBQ and picnic facilities, so I stopped here to enjoy my lunch.

Bronte also has a stunning ocean pool, known as the Bronte Baths, at the southern end of the beach. This is perfect if you fancy a peaceful swim, as the tides in the ocean mean that it’s definitely better for surfing than relaxing!

From the southern end of Bronte Beach, the trail continues on up a staircase and along a boardwalk.

Waverley Cemetery

You’ll soon pass by Waverley Cemetery, which is a heritage-listed cemetery up on the cliffs. As far as cemeteries go, this is by far the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. The views across the ocean are simply stunning. While it’s not necessary in order to complete the walk, I recommend taking a detour into the cemetery itself to stroll through and take in the views.

At the end of the boardwalk on the south side of the cemetery, the trail joins the road for a short while before you come to a pedestrian-only path that leads back to the coastline and towards Clovelly Beach.

Clovelly Beach

Clovelly is one of Sydney’s calmer beaches, making it an ideal place to go swimming or even snorkelling. It’s a small and tranquil beach, with few tourists, situated in a narrow bay between two rocky ridges. I really enjoyed the chilled-out vibes here and so sat to enjoy the sun for a while.

Gordons Bay

Nestled between Clovelly and Coogee, Gordons Bay is small and secluded. The bay itself has no parking available and so is only accessible via the coastal walk. This was probably my favourite part of the walk – very beautiful!

Make sure to bring your snorkel gear because Gordons Bay is the perfect place for it. Underwater drums are linked together by a chain to form a 620m snorkelling trail for you to follow, known as the Gordons Bay Underwater Nature Trail. The trail guides snorkellers and divers around reefs, sand flats and kelp forests – there are even plaques in the water which help you identify the wildlife you may see!

Dolphin’s Point

Before heading into Coogee, I recommend stopping at Dolphin’s Point to visit the memorial for the victims of the 2002 Bali bombings.

The memorial is a bronze statue honouring everyone who died in the bombings. The three links in the statue symbolize family, friends and community, as well as growth, hope and strength in unity.

The finish point: Coogee Beach

You’ve made it!

Coogee is a very popular and characterful beach and a great place to finish your walk. There’s a pavilion here, with lovely rooftop views, so treat yourself to a cold drink – you deserve it!

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