Sydney Harbour Walks: 11 Best Routes (2025 Guide)

This guide to the best Sydney Harbour walks is designed to help you uncover some of the most beautiful parts of the city. Nothing says Sydney more to me than strolling by the water’s edge.

Sydney Harbour is known worldwide for its beauty, but did you know that much of this stunning shoreline is lined with peaceful walking tracks and over 30 beaches?

Well now you do, so how do you decide which walk to take? You ask a local expert, ;-). I love to spend a free Sunday morning walking off the week’s indulgences and below I share my favourites.

Sydney is fortunate to have so much of its harbour foreshore accessible to the public. Many of these walks are within Sydney Harbour National Park, which means they’re not dog-friendly. To help you choose the right walk, we’ve included accessibility notes for each track.

While Sydney’s coastal walks are stunning but often crowded, these harbour walks offer a peaceful alternative.

Walks on the northern side of the harbour

Many of the walks around Sydney Harbour on the lower north shore offer the feeling of being in the bush, while in reality you are only minutes from the centre of the city. These are great walks to add to your Sydney itinerary. We think even on a short visit to Sydney, try to do at least one of these.

Milsons Point to Lavender Bay

This walk along the harbour foreshore is an easy flat walk suitable for the whole family. You can combine it with a walk over the harbour bridge and a visit to the Pylon Museum for some fantastic harbour views.

Starting from Milson’s Point Station make your way straight down to the foreshore. At this point, you will have likely pulled out your camera and start shooting; it’s almost impossible not to 🙂

After you have taken in the harbour views, continue west to Luna Park. Just before you arrive you will see North Sydney Olympic Pool, which is currently closed for major renovation.

You can either walk through Luna Park or follow the foreshore around Lavender Bay and the pretty wharf in the photo above.

If you want to keep walking you could take a detour to Wendy’s Secret Garden and Lavender Bay Parklands. If you decide to do this you will find the full walk outlined on this page.

Highlights include:

• Luna Park – Sydney’s iconic amusement park with its famous smiling face entrance, perfect for photos and a bit of nostalgia
• North Sydney Pool – Currently closed for renovation (reopening October 2025), but the harbourside location remains stunning
• Wendy’s Secret Garden – A hidden community garden tucked away with harbour glimpses and peaceful walking paths
• Lavender Bay Wharf – A charming historic wharf area that’s particularly beautiful in the early evening light

Insider tip: Time your visit with the weekend Kirribilli Markets – Check the market dates here

Length: 2.5km
Public transport rating: Easy
Wheel-friendly: Yes, there are stairs up into Wendy’s Garden.
Dog-friendly: Yes, on leash

Cremorne Point Walk

Cremorne Point Walk is a lovely, gentle circuit walk around Cremorne Point Headland. With beautiful harbourside homes, a lovely free swimming pool and sweeping harbour views.

You can wander down to the point and the tiny white lighthouse if you are brave. Find all the details on our Cremorne Point walk guide.

Highlights:

• MacCallum Pool – A beautiful netted seawater pool with stunning views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, perfect for a refreshing swim (and entry is free!)
• Lex and Ruby Graham Gardens – Peaceful harbourside gardens with shaded seating areas and excellent photo opportunities.
• Stunning Federation Style Mansions – Some of Sydney’s finest heritage homes line the headland, showcasing early 20th-century architecture at its best.

Local tip: MacCallum Pool is closed once a week for cleaning, usually on a weekday but check before visiting.

Length: 3km as a circuit or continue round to Mosman Bay Wharf
Public transport rating: Easy – ferry or bus
Wheel-friendly: yes
Dog-friendly: yes

Dog owners might like to check this list of dog-friendly walks in North Sydney including off-leash and swimming beaches.

Mosman to Taronga Zoo

This shaded walk from Mosman to Taronga Zoo is perfect for a warm summer’s day. I often combine it with the Cremorne Point Walk for a full day exploring the harbour foreshore. You can start at either Mosman Bay or South Mosman wharves, or if you miss the ferry, simply begin at Taronga and walk in reverse.

One spot not to miss along this route is Curlew Camp at Sirius Cove. This area was home to an artists’ colony back in the 1890s that attracted some of Australia’s finest impressionists, including Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton. You can almost imagine them setting up their easels along these same harbour views.

Highlights of this harbour walk include:

• Sirius Cove – A sheltered dog-friendly beach with historical significance as the site of the famous artists’ colony
• Pretty paperbark trees – Beautiful native trees that provide natural shade and frame harbour views perfectly
• Little Sirius Point – A quiet headland offering peaceful harbour vistas away from the crowds
• Whiting Beach – A small, secluded beach perfect for a quick swim or picnic stop

Local tip: Mosman Art Gallery has produced a guide for this walk you can download to your phone.

Length: 2km
Public transport rating: Easy
Wheel-friendly: no
Dog-friendly: One of the few dog-friendly beaches in the inner city.

Bradleys Head to Balmoral Beach walk

This walk goes by many names – Taronga Zoo to Balmoral Beach, Bradleys Head to Chowder Bay, Middle Head walk – it all depends on where you start and finish. For the best harbour views in Sydney, this one is hard to beat. I think it’s number one of all the Sydney Harbour walks.

I’ve written a detailed guide to this walk between Taronga Zoo Wharf and Balmoral Beach.

The standout features you’ll encounter:

• Bradley’s Head Amphitheatre – A natural amphitheatre with sweeping harbour views and the perfect spot for a rest
• Clifton Gardens – Historic gardens with a netted harbour pool and excellent facilities for families
• Sydney Institute of Marine Science – An active research facility where you can learn about harbour marine life
• Middle Head (Headlands) lookout – Spectacular 360-degree views that showcase why this walk is my top pick

Insider tip: Be sure to stop in at the Marine Science Discovery Centre if it is open and try a virtual dive in Sydney Harbour.

Length: 5km
Public transport rating: easy ferry and buses
Wheel-friendly: no
Dog-friendly: no

Spit Bridge to Manly Walk

This walk is also known as the Manly Scenic Walkway, though the full scenic walkway extends past Manly Wharf to North Head and around to Manly Beach. It’s a spectacular 10km journey that will take you between 3-4 hours, depending on how fast you move and how often you stop to admire the views.

You could easily split this walk into two days if you’re staying in Manly and prefer to spend more time exploring along the way. You can also reverse this and make it a Manly to Spit walk instead.

Highlights:

• Dobroyd Head Lookout – Breathtaking 270-degree harbour views that showcase the full sweep of Sydney Harbour
• Grotto Point Lighthouse and Aboriginal engravings – A historic lighthouse paired with ancient Aboriginal rock art, offering both cultural and scenic highlights
• Reef Beach – A secluded beach perfect for a swim and rest before the final stretch to Manly

Local tip: Fairlight pool on the home stretch is considered one of the best harbour pools in the city.

Length: Manly to Spit 10km
Public transport rating: easy buses drop you at the start of the walk on the Spit Bridge, ferries will take you back to the city.
Wheel-friendly: no
Dog-friendly: no
More info: on NSW National Parks website

North Head Walk

This 8km walk begins at Shelly Beach and makes its way up onto North Head and into the Sanctuary. The views of Sydney Harbour are impossible to beat and plenty of history to be uncovered. This walk offers some of Sydney’s best whale watching viewpoints.

Insider tip: Go on a Sunday and you may be able to join the North Fort tunnel tours which are currently offered at 10:30am, 11:30am, 1pm and 2pm every Sunday.

Highlights of a walk at North Head

• North Head Visitors Centre – Staffed by volunteers with displays about the area’s military and quarantine history. Usually open from 10am-4pm
• Fairfax Lookout – This 1km wheelchair accessible track offers panoramic views across Sydney Harbour and out to the Pacific Ocean
• Bella Vista Cafe – A welcome refreshment stop with harbour views and good coffee
• The Quarantine Cemeteries – Moving reminders of the area’s role in Australia’s immigration history
• Australian Memorial Walk – A peaceful tribute walk with interpretive displays about the site’s significance

Also on North Head is the Q Station where you will find an assortment of dining opportunities. We enjoyed the Boilerhouse Restaurant on our visit. If you fancy a staycation with harbour views and a slice of history you will love this.

Length: The full walk is 8km, but you can choose shorter sections, like the Fairfax walk if you begin at the Visitor’s Centre.
Public transport rating: Easy, the 135 bus service runs from Manly Wharf.
Wheel-friendly: Partially, the visitor’s centre is accessible and can advise on the best routes to take
Dog-friendly: no

Walks on the south side of the harbour

Let’s start at South Head and make our way around the harbour.

Watsons Bay Walk

Officially called the South Head Heritage Trail, this is a short harbour walk with big rewards. We think it’s one of the best short walks in the city, so if you are short of time put this one on your list. The trip over from Circular Quay combined with the clifftop views, and pretty Camp Cove beach make this a top day out.

Check out our complete guide to walking in Watson’s Bay where you will find the route and highlights outlined in an easy to follow format.

Highlights of the Watsons Bay walk include :

• Candy-striped Hornby Lighthouse – Sydney’s most photographed lighthouse with its distinctive red and white stripes and spectacular harbour entrance views
• Lady Bay (nude) Beach – A secluded clothing-optional beach tucked away below the lighthouse (Sydney’s only legal nude beach)
• Camp Cove Beach – A sheltered family-friendly beach with calm waters and historical significance as an early landing site
• Old military cannon – Historic artillery pieces that defended Sydney Harbour, now offering great photo opportunities
• The Gap cliff-top views – Dramatic clifftop lookouts with sweeping ocean views (though sobering due to the site’s history)

Insider tip: If you are short on time, there are private ferry services that connect Watson’s Bay to Manly and only costs a few dollars more than the public one which will require you to return to Circular Quay and the head back across to Manly. The private ferries allow you to visit both sides of the harbour without going back to the Quay in between.

Length: 3.6km
Public transport rating: Easy
Wheel-friendly: only in some parts, not out to the head itself; however, there is a wheelchair equipped pool here.
Dog-friendly: No, not in the National Park.

Watsons Bay to Nielson Park

While this isn’t an official walking track, there are enough interesting spots along the way to make it worthwhile. You’ll need to follow Google Maps as your guide for some sections, but the rewards are worth it.

You’ll pass some of the most expensive real estate in the country, and while foreshore access is limited between Kutti Beach and Nielson Park, the street sections offer fascinating glimpses of Sydney’s grandest homes. The architecture and occasional celebrity spotting make this quite entertaining.

What you’ll discover along the way:

• Kutti Beach – A small, pristine beach popular with locals and perfect for a quick swim
• Parsley Bay Suspension Bridge – A charming pedestrian bridge over a sheltered inlet, great for photos
• Vaucluse House – A grand 19th-century mansion with beautiful gardens and harbour views
• Shark Beach – Don’t worry about the name – it’s a lovely netted beach at Nielson Park with excellent facilities

Local tip: Take a detour to Vaucluse House for high tea which is offered from Wednesday to Sunday.

Length: 3km
Public transport rating: Easy
Wheel-friendly: Mostly
Dog-friendly: only outside the National Park

Want to explore these walks with a local guide? Jenny’s hidden beaches tour offers a comfortable way to see several of these walks driving in between.

Hermitage Foreshore walk

The Hermitage Foreshore Walk is wonderfully quiet and peaceful. I rarely pass anyone else when I’m on this track, which makes it perfect for those seeking a more tranquil harbour walking experience.

Highlights:

• Milk Beach – A tiny, secluded beach that feels like your own private harbour sanctuary
• Strickland House – An elegant harbourside mansion with manicured gardens and harbour views
• Shark Beach and Nielson Park – A beautiful netted beach with excellent facilities and the perfect end to your walk

Insider tip: Head off the track for a visit to Vaucluse House and order some treats in the tearoom.

Length: 5km
Public transport rating: easy bus access
Wheel-friendly: no
Dog-friendly: no
More info: We have a photo guide to this harbour walk you can follow along.

Rushcutters Bay to Rose Bay

This walk takes you along suburban streets rather than peaceful bushland tracks, but these are some of Sydney’s most beautiful streets with plenty of parklands and beaches along the way.

There are also some great cafes and shops to explore, and if you tire of walking, the 325 bus will take you to either Watson’s Bay or Barangaroo.

What you’ll enjoy along the route:

• Seven Shillings Beach – A small harbourside beach with calm waters, perfect for a quick dip
• Murray Rose Pool – A beautiful netted seawater pool with excellent facilities and harbour views
• Seaplanes at Rose Bay – Watch seaplanes take off and land right in the harbour – it’s surprisingly entertaining
• Rushcutters Bay Park – Expansive parklands with excellent picnic spots and harbour access

Local tip: Take a swim at Murray Rose Pool – it’s open 24 hours

Length: 4.1km
Public transport rating: Buses all along the route
Wheel-friendly: yes
Dog-friendly: yes

The Complete Harbour Foreshore Walk

This is the ultimate Sydney Harbour walk on the south side of the city. With the final 300m boardwalk at Barangaroo now complete, you can walk all the way from Woolloomooloo Wharf to Anzac Bridge – an epic harbour foreshore journey.

I’ve written this detailed guide to the Foreshore Walk because I couldn’t recommend this more highly for anyone visiting Sydney. It takes in so many of the city’s major sites and is a flat, easy walk that’s almost entirely wheelchair-friendly, with just one or two minor detours.

Length: 11km
Public transport rating: Transport all along the route
Wheel-friendly: yes
Dog-friendly: much of the walk is suitable.

Sydney Harbour Walks at a Glance

Want more Sydney walks?

You might want to read these pages for ideas:

• We have written a list of our favourite Sydney Coastal Walks
• About walking in the Blue Mountains
• A detailed guide to the Bondi to Coogee walk
• The secret Berry Island and Gadyan Track
• And walking across the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Have questions about things to see and do in Sydney?
Head over and join our Facebook Group and we will be happy to help.