Your Best Guide to the Beautiful Seven Sisters Walk
Magnificent white chalk cliffs, rolling green countryside, endless sea views, lonely lighthouses and beautiful shingle beaches. The Seven Sisters Walk is one of the best walks in the South Downs National Park incorporating some of England’s most striking landscapes. Continue reading our guide for a great London day trip to the Seven Sisters Cliffs.
The Seven Sisters Cliffs are a series of spectacular white chalk cliffs in the South Downs National Park in East Sussex. They’re some of England’s most stunning landscapes and make for a great outdoorsy London day trip.
The 22-kilometre trail, from Seaford to Eastbourne, is renowned for being one of the prettiest coastal walks in England. The views are incredible and this is hands-down one of the best walks in the South Downs National Park!
On one side, you have endless sea views of the English Channel, on the other, rolling English countryside and in front, the iconic white cliffs plunging into the ocean.
The trail is rated moderate due to its length and the rolling ascents. We were definitely out of hiking practice when we did the Seven Sisters Walk as our legs started getting tired about halfway and they were a little sore for a few days after. The hike took just over 5 hours which included taking photos, breaks and plenty of time to admire the views.
In this guide to the Seven Sisters Walk, we’ll share a detailed guide on the trail from Seaford to Eastbourne. We’ll also tell you the best way to get there via car and train from London as this is a point-to-point trail and share some alternative shorter walking options.
Our Top Tip: you can do the walk from Eastbourne to Seaford, however, the views are more spectacular walking west to east.
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The Seven Sisters Walk; South Downs National Park
The Seven Sisters Walk starts at Seaford Beach; a vast stretch of shingle beach that runs for miles. From here, head east over the cliffs to Seaford Head Nature Reserve. Turning back, appreciate the view over the charming town of Seaford and the pleasant seafront reaching out into the horizon.
Continue on the trail to Hope Gap, where, if the tide is low, you can enjoy some time on the beach.
The trail continues to Cuckmere Haven. This was our favourite part of the Seven Sisters Walk offering the most spectacular views of the Seven Sisters Cliffs.
Continue past the famous Coastguard Cottages which look like something out of a BBC drama before descending to Cuckmere Beach.
Our Top Tip: if you’re brave enough for a dip, Cuckmere Beach is one of the best places for a swim on this London day trip.
The Cuckmere River joins the sea here, which you can cross at low tide (as long as you don’t mind slightly damp feet). During high tide, or to avoid damp feet, walk inland past the Cuckmere Inn and over the bridge before coming back out towards the sea.
After spending a bit of time on the beach, the trail continues over the cliffs. The section between Cuckmere Haven and Birling Gap is made of a series of ascents and descents as you make your way over the Seven Sisters Cliffs.
There are several benches and places to stop overlooking the ocean if you fancy a break.
We were expecting and hoping for endless views across The Channel, however, the day we hiked, it was very hazy and misty. Although slightly annoyed at first, the mist made the area look incredibly mystical and eerie and offered a unique way of seeing this spectacular landscape.
You could see the mist floating upwards from the cliffs as it approached land, looking like it had hit a wall. We spoke to a local photographer who told us he’d been waiting six years to see a mist like this to photograph! Our annoyance soon subsided to be replaced with excitement.
You’ll eventually reach Birling Gap where you’ll find public restrooms, a cafe and a shop. It’s accessible by car so it’s usually the busiest section of the trail. Birling Gap is also a great place for a swim in the South Downs National Park!
Continuing from Birling Gap, you’ll reach Belle Tout Lighthouse dubbed as “Britain’s most famous inhabited lighthouse” because of its stunning location and use in UK television and film.
The Belle Tout Lighthouse was completed in 1834 to protect ships from the rocky shore below. However, due to its clifftop location, the sea mists blocked out some of its light so it wasn’t as successful as hoped.
Over the years, severe coastal erosion made the lighthouse more effective until 1902 when a striped red and white lighthouse was built at the bottom of the cliffs. In 1999, Belle Tout Lighthouse was moved 17 metres back to prevent it from falling into the sea.
The candy-cane-striped Beachy Head Lighthouse is a little further along the Seven Sisters Walk looking like it’s been plucked from the pages of a storybook.
Again, we were slightly annoyed we didn’t have the endless clear blue sky views of the lighthouse perched in the ocean, however, now and again you could see the top half protruding through the mist looking eerie and really impressive!
Close by, The Beachy Head pub, with spectacular views over the English Channel and the Beachy Head Lighthouse, offers hearty pub grub classics and refreshing drinks with indoor and outdoor seating.
From here, the trail continues on to Eastbourne. There are multiple trails to choose from once you reach Eastbourne, but we’d recommend the one along King Edward’s Parade overlooking the sea until you reach Eastbourne Pier.
Once you’ve reached Eastbourne Pier, that’s the Seven Sisters Walk complete!
Our Top Tip: if you’re craving fish and chips because you’re by the sea and it’s pretty much compulsory, Oysters Fish and Chips is the place to go!!
How to Get to the Seven Sisters walk
Getting to the Seven Sisters Walk as a London day trip is a bit of a faff but totally worth it! Driving from London, the best way to get there is to drive to Lewes and park at the train station.
Seaford and Eastbourne are on different train lines so you can’t take a direct train between the two. However, there are direct trains to/from Lewes so from Lewes, take the train to Seaford to start the walk and back from Eastbourne.
If you’re taking the train from London there are two options. Option one is to buy two one-ways. London Victoria to Seaford; an hour and a half with a change at Lewes and Eastbourne to London Victoria; an hour and a half direct.
Option two is to buy a return from London to Lewes taking an hour and ten minutes and then two singles. One to Seaford and one back from Eastbourne. Both of these are around 20 minutes.
You can also do the Seven Sisters Walk as a day trip fro Brighton, located on the edge of the South Downs National Park.
Alternatives to the Seven Sisters walk
If you’re looking for a shorter walk to experience the magnificent Seven Sisters Cliffs, there are plenty of car parks between Seaford and Eastbourne where you can park up and enjoy a short coastal stroll in the South Downs National Park.
Birling Gap Car Park is the best place to simply park your car at the beach and enjoy the views of the cliffs.
From here, there’s also a 12.7-kilometre looped walk you can do called the Seven Sisters and Friston Forest Circular Walk. We’d recommend walking through the forest first to come back to Birling Gap from Cuckmere Haven to see the more spectacular cliff views.
For the famous views of the Coastguard Cottages and the Seven Sisters Cliffs, park at South Hill Barn Car Park and walk for 10 minutes.
Finally, the most accessible car park to Beachy Head Lighthouse is Shooters Bottom Car Park; a 5-minute walk.
If you’d like to remove all the logistics planning, you can explore the South Downs National Park as a London day trip with a knowledgeable guide and small group. You’ll meet at London Bridge and travel to Brighton before experiencing some of the area’s most beautiful scenery.
Everything Else to Know for the Seven Sisters Walk
Is there anywhere to eat on the Seven Sisters Walk?
There are a few places to eat along the Seven Sisters Walk, however, we’d recommend bringing a packed lunch and finding a bench overlooking the ocean somewhere along the trail.
The dining options are:
- The Cuckmere Inn – located 1.8 kilometres inland from Cuckmere Haven, this option may potentially add quite a bit of time to your day. However, if the tide is high when you reach Cuckmere Haven, you need to detour past the Inn anyway to cross the Cuckmere River safely on the bridge. The Inn serves average pub classics.
- Saltmarsh Farmhouse Cafe – located over the bridge from The Cuckmere Inn, we’d only recommend eating here if you have to use the bridge to cross the river. The cafe serves delicious toasted sandwiches, homemade quiche and salads.
- Birling Gap Cafe – this is a lively National Trust cafe serving savoury snacks, light meals, sandwiches, scones and cakes.
- Beachy Head Inn – a cosy pub close to Beachy Head Lighthouse offering pub classics.
The best time to hike the Seven Sisters
It’s possible to hike the Seven Sisters year-round, however, we’d recommend avoiding doing so when it’s really windy as the cliffs are completely open. The best time to hike the Seven Sisters is in May and June when the flowers are blooming and you don’t have the crowds you get in the summer.
Can I hike the Seven Sisters with my dog?
Yes, you can hike the Seven Sisters with your dog, however, always be responsible when close to wildlife and put your dog on the lead. We’d also strongly suggest keeping your dog on the lead as you walk over the cliffs.
What to bring for the Seven Sisters Walk
- Lunch and snacks
- Plenty of water
- Sunscreen – even if it’s not sunny as you start the walk as the weather here can be unpredictable
- Layers – the cliffs can get really windy and chilly even on a hot day
- Camera
We hope you’ve enjoyed our guide to the Seven Sisters Walk as a London day trip. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or contact us.