Walking from Bondi to Manly: An 80km Coastal Walk in Seven Sections

When walking from Bondi to Manly, around 11km a day in seven stages over three weeks, Joanne Karcz fell in love with her hometown all over again. Here’s how to walk 80km from Bondi to Manly in seven flexible sections you can tackle at your own pace.

The 80km Bondi to Manly walk between Sydney’s two most famous beaches showcases the beauty of Sydney’s Harbour and reinforces the notion that Sydney is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. But you don’t need to do it in one go. Split the trail into manageable sections and tackle them whenever the weather suits or mood strikes.

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Before You Start: How to Walk the Bondi to Manly Trail

The Bondi to Manly walk is split into seven sections that take roughly 11km each day, or around 2-3 hours of walking time per section. The beauty of this trail is flexibility. Do one section on a clear winter morning, tackle another on the weekend when you feel like a walk, or combine several consecutive sections when conditions are right.

You’ll walk mostly along clifftops and through bush, with sections of street walking, especially around Sydney’s inner suburbs. The route follows the yellow whale symbol (the official Bondi to Manly Walk marker) which is marked at regular intervals, though signage can be sparse in places. The Bondi to Manly Walk App and printed track notes are handy to have on hand.

Public transport gets you easily to the start and end of each section, so you can build the walk around your schedule. Most days finish near a bus stop or ferry wharf, making it simple to head home or grab a coffee.

The Seven Sections: Pick and Choose Your Route

Do them in order from Bondi to Manly, or start with a single section you find most appealing.

Bondi to Manly Day 1: Bondi Beach to Watsons Bay

I couldn’t have chosen a better day to start the walk. It’s Saturday. A crisp winter morning with clear blue skies as my friend and I set out from Bondi Beach to Watsons Bay. The walkway is teeming with dog walkers, runners and surfers. Different languages float across the path. I feel like a tourist in my own city.

We haven’t been to Bondi since the shooting there in December 2025 and before setting off, we pay our respects to those killed and injured.

The symbol of the Bondi to Manly walk, a yellow whale on a black background, is difficult to find. Finally, we see it, the size of a 50c piece on a sign to the Cliff Walk at the northern end of Bondi Beach.

Initially, there’s a fair bit of street walking. That soon changes. Strolling along cliff tops we look out to sea and back across to the city. We pass lighthouses and watch as yachts with billowing blue spinnakers race through the heads.

It’s been a wonderful start to the Bondi to Manly Walk.

Bondi to Manly Day 2: Watsons Bay to Double Bay

Water laps the shore and there’s a light breeze when we leave Watsons Bay for Double Bay. Boats bob on the calm water. We pass harbourside homes, a mix of new and old architecture. All have enviable views. They are guarded by high walls and security cameras.

Some of this section is familiar. The suspension bridge over Parsley Bay and Nielson Park where people relax on the newly reopened tiered seating. Branches arch over the bush track and sunlight sparkles across the water on the Hermitage Walk.

We pass small, secluded beaches and a group of red-hatted school children investigating the rockpools at Queens Beach.

At Rose Bay, a woman with large pink rollers in her hair crochets on a park bench. Now brown brick apartment blocks line the street. The unmistakable whiff of a BBQ floats over a wall.

The route takes us down narrow hidden stairways and in Point Piper we walk past some of Sydney’s most expensive real estate.

This walk reconnected us with old haunts and introduced us to a Sydney we haven’t met before.

Bondi to Manly Day 3: Double Bay to Milsons Point

As we leave Double Bay for Milsons Point, we admire the enormous Moreton Bay Fig trees dominating Steyne Park. We stroll past apartment blocks whose Art Deco brickwork and detailed designs stop me in my tracks.

And then there are the mansions, largely hidden behind high sandstone walls. We explore McKell Park with its beautifully manicured grounds, easily reached by ferry.

A small group practices Thai Chi in Yarranabbe Park. Rigging from yachts bobbing in Rushcutters Bay tinkle in the breeze. We admire magnolias in McElhone Reserve and climb up to Potts Point via a narrow set of stairs tucked between high-rise buildings.

The historic McElhone stairs lead us to Harry’s Cafe de Wheels and the Finger Wharf. Hugging the shoreline, we pass Mrs Macquarie’s Chair where tourists snap photos of the iconic Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

Following the path around Circular Quay we reach stairs to the Harbour Bridge. To shorten the next leg of our walk we cross the bridge.

My friend says, “So far this is my favourite walk.” And we’re only on Day 3.

Bondi to Manly Day 4: Milsons Point to Taronga Zoo

Walking from Milsons Point to Taronga Zoo, the Sydney Harbour Bridge gradually fades into the distance, and we glimpse the Opera House through gaps between apartment blocks.

This walk uncovers many hidden stairs. We climb another flight before passing the Governor General’s Sydney House and Kirribilli House, where the Prime Minister lives when he’s in Sydney. Again, on this side of the harbour, I enjoy the eclectic mix of architecture.

We pass Sub Base Platypus, once home to Oberon-class submarines, and Nutcote, the home of children’s author May Gibbs. Unfortunately, we’re too early to grab a coffee at the café there.

Water laps on the shore and glints through the trees alongside the path, which is mostly paved today. At Robertson’s Point, a map points to various landmarks across the water. It’s crazy to think that we’ve walked past them all in the last few days.

It’s been a good day, but my legs feel it after climbing multiple stairs, including a steep seemingly unending flight on the detour around Taronga Zoo.

Bondi to Manly Day 5: Taronga Zoo to the Spit

The walk from Taronga Zoo to the Spit is one we know well. A pleasant stroll through the bush with frequent views of the harbour. Waves wash gently against the shore, and the wattle is starting to flower. We have close encounters of the animal kind. A brush turkey defending his territory rushes at my shins. Scrub wrens chatter as they flit from branch to branch. And a kookaburra nearly steals my lunch.

After climbing the stairs at Chowder Bay, a young man points to a seal slothfully scratching its back on a weathered sandstone boulder. Across the water is North Head, our destination on the last day of this walk. Slowly I turn to the right, looking past South Head and Nielson Park, along the shoreline to the city. We have walked all that way.

There’s plenty of Military History in this section with military relics, old gun placements and batteries. We’d need all day to discover them all.

Walking in nature, with the added bonus of magnificent views, is the highlight of today’s section.

Bondi to Manly Day 6: the Spit to Manly

We have walked the trail from the Spit to Manly many times. Mostly through the bush with extensive harbour views, it’s a favourite walk for many. The call of a whip bird, hidden in leafy branches, cracks overhead. Clear and sparkling turquoise shallow waters blend to an intense blue further out.

We trudge up worn sandstone steps and avoid the muddy puddles after yesterday’s wild and wet weather. A chicken scratches in the undergrowth and a honey eater darts into a twiggy bush.

The Aboriginal Carving of a fish at Grotto Point looks like the whale on the sign we’ve been following around the harbour. From here we look through the gap between North and South Head out to the vast the ocean beyond.

All too soon, the low-rise apartments and houses of suburban Manly appear across the water. We leave the bush for a pleasant walk past houses, green lawns and little beaches to Manly Wharf.

Today has gone quickly and we soon board a ferry home.

Bondi to Manly Day 7: Manly Wharf to Manly Beach via North Head

I’m told that the walk from Manly Wharf to Manly Beach via North Head is lovely. Unfortunately, the weather isn’t. After clear blue skies and cool wintry days, there’s a threat of rain for this, the last section of our walk from Bondi to Manly.

We pass pale-yellow timber boat sheds to little beaches and parks we didn’t know existed. A cockatoo drinks from the small stream spilling over a sandstone ledge onto the beach below.

“Sydney is a crowded city and we’re the only people on this beach,” says my friend. Indeed, all along this 80km walk we have found places where you can be alone.

A steep hill takes us up to the Barracks Precinct where a road sign warns drivers to look out for Bandicoots. We walk through the red dirt parade ground to a bush track. It leads to the Third Quarantine Cemetery where, pink, violet, yellow and white spring flowers brighten the dull day.

We stop at several lookouts to see the city and arch of the Harbour Bridge in the distance and the collection of high rises that make up North Sydney, St Leonards and Chatswood.

One minute, we’re looking across to Balmoral Beach. The next we’re admiring the rugged coastline leading up to and around South Head. My friend exclaims: “This is the view to end with.” Surely the best way to do this walk is from Bondi to Manly.

We carefully descend the wet and slippery, rocky track down to Shelley Beach and follow the path around to the end of the walk overlooking Manly Beach.

It took seven days over three weeks, but we’ve walked the 80km from Bondi to Manly. It’s been a wonderful experience. There’s so much that’s good about this walk.

Why Bondi to Manly Beats the Reverse

If you’re wondering whether to walk from Manly to Bondi instead, don’t. We’ve walked both directions, and Bondi to Manly is the better route. The final section finishes on Manly Beach with that view from North Head looking back across Sydney Harbour to where you started. It’s the grand finale that makes this walk special. Walking it in reverse means you start with the dramatic views and end at a city beach with your back to the harbour. The psychological payoff is completely different. If you want to experience the Manly to Bondi direction, this article covers it in full detail.

Bonus: starting from Bondi means you can grab breakfast or coffee at the beach before you begin, rather than wondering if you’ll have energy for a celebratory meal at the end of Day 7.

Practical Tips for Walking Your Way

Tackle the walk from Bondi. The grand finale looking across the harbour to the city from Manly’s North Head is a wow moment.

It’s easy to use public transport to and from the start and end of each section of the walk. Plan your return journey before you set off. Buses run frequently from most finishing points, and ferries from Watsons Bay, Double Bay, Rose Bay and Manly are all direct back to Circular Quay.

• A yellow Aboriginal Whale symbol provides route guidance. In some places signage is missing. The Bondi to Manly Walk App and track notes printed off or downloaded from the Bondi to Manly Website come in handy.
• A map on the Bondi to Manly Walk App shows your real time location and gives options to complete the walk in 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 or 8 days or to customise the walk.
• Check the weather before you head out. Winter mornings start cold but most sections reward you with clear skies. Avoid walking the clifftop sections in high wind, especially the Spit to Manly and North Head sections where exposure is highest.
• Wear proper walking shoes. Street sections are fine in trainers, but most of the route involves stairs, slippery tracks, and uneven terrain. Your ankles will thank you.
• Bring water. Bins and taps are sparse along this route. Carry at least 1.5 litres.
• Pack snacks or plan lunch stops. The walk doesn’t pass many shops. Watsons Bay has fish and chips and cafes. Circular Quay has everything. Manly has countless restaurants and cafes.
• Dogs are welcome on most of the track but check the specific sections, especially around parks and beaches. Keep them on lead where marked.

where to stay for the Bondi to Manly walk

Walking it in one trip rather than over weeks? You will need somewhere to sleep between sections, and only a handful of the seven endpoints have accommodation worth booking.

Our guide to where to stay for the Bondi to Manly walk compares two approaches, moving between bases along the route or picking one hotel and travelling out each day, with rooms our editor Paula has stayed in at Bondi Junction, North Sydney, Manly and North Head.