10 hikes near Sydney by public transport, no car needed

How we picked (and safety basics)

These are the best hikes near Sydney by public transport. Every one starts and finishes at a train station, bus stop or ferry wharf, so all you need is an Opal card, or a contactless bank card or phone.

We ranked them for backpackers: how big the payoff is, how easy it is to get there and how little it costs. They count down from 10 to 1, so number 1 is the one to do first.

We checked NSW National Parks (NPWS) alerts, council pages and Transport for NSW notices on 3 November 2026. Tracks can close at short notice after rockfalls, storms or fire bans, so check NPWS alerts and the Trip Planner on the morning you go.

• Swim only between the red and yellow flags at patrolled beaches. Many beaches on these walks aren’t patrolled.
• Carry water, a hat and sunscreen. Most of these walks have long stretches in full sun.
• Stay behind fences and keep back from cliff edges, rock platforms and blowholes, especially in big swell.
• Check for total fire bans before a bush walk. NPWS closes some tracks on those days, including the Royal National Park Coast Track.
• For the longer walks, fill in an NPWS trip intention form and tell someone your plan.
• In an emergency, call 000.

10. Cremorne Point Foreshore Walk

The cheapest, easiest postcard walk in Sydney, with Harbour Bridge and Opera House views, a harbour pool and a ferry both ways. Take the F6 Mosman Bay ferry from Circular Quay (Wharf 4) to Cremorne Point, about 10 minutes. Walk the harbour path around Robertsons Point to Mosman Bay wharf, then take the F6 back.

The walk is free, so you only pay Opal ferry fares. North Sydney Council calls its 2.5 km walk here easy, with steps. Go at sunrise or sunset for the best light on the Bridge.

Cremorne Point wharf was closed for maintenance until 30 October 2026. Timetables show F6 ferries stopping there again, but we couldn’t find an official reopening notice. If it’s still shut, Transport for NSW says to use Old Cremorne wharf or the bus from Milson Rd.

• MacCallum Pool is a 33 m pool filled from the harbour. Council lists no entry fee.
• It closes about once a week for cleaning, at times that depend on the tide. November 2026 closures: Thu 5 Nov 8am to Fri 6 Nov 7am, Mon 9 Nov 11am to Tue 10 Nov 7am, Thu 19 Nov 6am to Fri 20 Nov 7am, and Mon 30 Nov 3am to Tue 1 Dec 7am.
• Council says those times are estimates only, so check the times posted on the pool gates.

9. Hermitage Foreshore Track, Rose Bay to Nielsen Park

Tiny harbour beaches like Milk Beach with the Harbour Bridge behind them, the grounds of historic Strickland House, and a cafe, The Nielsen, at the end. NPWS says it’s 1.8 km one way, 30 minutes to an hour, Grade 3 (easy), with steps. Hardly any backpackers know about it.

Take the bus, not the ferry. Transport for NSW says that until further notice, no F9 ferries run to Rose Bay on weekends or on weekdays outside peak times. Catch bus 324 or 325 from Wynyard, Town Hall or Edgecliff station (they don’t stop at Circular Quay), get off at Kambala School on New South Head Rd and walk about 200 m to the track start on Bayview Hill Rd. Come back on the 325 from Vaucluse Rd opposite Nielsen Park.

It costs only Opal bus fares, and NPWS lists no fee for walkers. The park is open sunrise to sunset, and late afternoon is best, when you face the sun setting behind the Bridge. NPWS suggests swimming at Shark Beach in Nielsen Park after checking the Beachwatch water quality forecast. We couldn’t confirm whether the swimming net is up this season, and NPWS gives no patrol information for Milk Beach or the small coves, so swim with care.

8. Barrenjoey Lighthouse, Palm Beach

A sandstone lighthouse on the northern tip of Sydney, with a 360-degree view over Pittwater, Palm Beach and across to the Central Coast. NPWS says the Barrenjoey track is about 1 km, roughly 30 minutes each way. NPWS rates access as hard, so you need moderate fitness. The Smugglers track is shorter but steeper.

It’s about 40 km from the city, so make it a full day. Take the F1 ferry to Manly and then bus 199, or the B1 from Wynyard to Mona Vale and change to the 199. Get off at the Palm Beach Golf Club stop on Beach Rd, walk to Governor Phillip Park, and come back the same way.

It’s Opal fares only, and NPWS says park entry fees don’t apply here. The inside of the lighthouse only opens for guided tours on Sundays. NPWS says not to go in forecast strong winds, heavy rain or extreme heat. Fox baits (1080) are laid across Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park until 31 January 2027, so don’t touch them, and swim only between the flags at Palm Beach.

7. Kiama Coast Walk, Minnamurra to Kiama Blowhole

Basalt columns at Bombo Headland, the hidden Boneyard and the Kiama Blowhole at the finish, on a walk that starts and ends at a train station. Destination Kiama grades it medium: 8.5 km and about 3 hours.

Take the South Coast Line train to Minnamurra, about 2 hours from Sydney, and walk south via Cathedral Rocks, Jones Beach, the Boneyard and Bombo Headland. Kiama station is about 1 km on foot from the Blowhole for the train home. The walk is free, and on Friday to Sunday and public holidays Opal caps your whole day at $9.65.

Some parts run along unprotected cliff tops, so keep well back from the edge, the rock platforms and the Blowhole in big swell. Destination Kiama lists no beach patrols on this section, so save your swim for Surf Beach just south of the Blowhole, which is patrolled October to April. There are free water refill stations along the way.

• Early November is the end of whale season (May to November).
• Destination Kiama says the Blowhole works best in a south-east swell.
• In summer, start early to beat the heat.
• We couldn’t check Kiama Council’s notices, so ring the Kiama Visitor Information Centre on 1300 654 262 before you go.

6. Bouddi Coastal Walk, Putty Beach to MacMasters Beach

The wildest-feeling walk you can do without a car: rainforest gullies, empty beaches and the wreck of the PS Maitland at Maitland Bay. NPWS says it’s 8.5 km one way, 3.5 to 4.5 hours, Grade 3.

Take the Central Coast and Newcastle Line train to Woy Woy, then bus 59 to the Killcare Rd at Nukara Ave stop, about 1.1 km from Putty Beach. Finish at MacMasters Beach and take bus 65 to Gosford station for the train home. The buses are infrequent (the 59 runs 50 to 165 minutes apart, the 65 about every 70 minutes), so plan both in the Trip Planner the night before and start early.

It’s Opal fares only. NPWS charges $8 per vehicle per day at Putty Beach, so arriving by bus costs nothing extra. The old timber boardwalk between Putty Beach and Bullimah Beach is being repaired, and NPWS says to walk, not run, on it and stay out of fenced areas. NPWS gives no patrol information for Putty Beach or Maitland Bay, so swim with care, and lodge a trip intention form.

5. Wedding Cake Rock via Bundeena, Royal National Park

Sydney’s most photographed rock, at the end of a clifftop walk through coastal heath, with a ferry ride to get there. From Bundeena, NPWS says to allow at least 1 hour each way on the Coast Track.

Take the train to Cronulla, then the private ferry across Port Hacking to Bundeena. Opal isn’t accepted on the ferry: it’s $9.40 adult each way (about $18.80 return), paid on board by Eftpos or credit card, and you can’t book. Ferries run roughly every hour, and the weekend summer timetable starts at 8.30am. Walk south on the Coast Track and come back the same way.

Wedding Cake Rock is fenced off. NPWS says the soft sandstone is cracking and at high risk of collapse, so stay behind the fence, however good the photo would be. The track is steep and rocky and closes on total fire ban days. The beaches aren’t patrolled and can have strong rips, and large parts of the park have no mobile reception, so NPWS recommends the Emergency Plus app.

• The park is open 7am to 8.30pm.
• Until 18 December 2026, deer control closes some areas next to Bundeena from sunset to sunrise, Monday to Thursday (outside school holidays). Don’t plan to start or finish in the dark on a weekday.
• Go Friday to Sunday if you can, when the Opal daily cap is lower.

4. Spit Bridge to Manly (Manly Scenic Walkway)

The best all-round harbour bushwalk: hidden beaches, Aboriginal rock engravings at Grotto Point, views to North and South Head, and a ferry past the Opera House to finish. NPWS says it’s 10 km one way, 3.5 to 4.5 hours, Grade 3.

Take bus 173X from Wynyard (Carrington St, Stand A) to the Spit West Reserve stop on Spit Rd. It ran about every 20 minutes on the weekday we checked, but we didn’t check weekends, so look it up in the Trip Planner. Older guides say to take the 178 or 180, but those now only run from Warringah Mall. Cross the Spit Bridge on foot, walk to Manly and take the F1 ferry back to Circular Quay.

It’s Opal fares only and the walk is free. Go around low tide: NPWS says the track detours in places at high tide so you don’t get wet feet. You can swim at Clontarf Reserve, Forty Baskets Reserve and Reef Beach, between the flags where there’s a patrol. Fox baits are laid along the walkway until 31 January 2027, so don’t touch them, and fill in a trip intention form.

3. Grand Cliff Top Walk, Wentworth Falls to Leura

One of the best Blue Mountains walks by train: the plunge of Wentworth Falls, then hours of clifftop lookouts over the Jamison Valley, station to station with no tour needed. This is the NPWS “Day 1” section: 11 km, 5 to 7 hours, Grade 3, for moderate fitness.

Take the Blue Mountains Line train to Wentworth Falls, about 2 hours from Sydney. The walk starts a few hundred metres from the station on Darwins walk, then passes Wentworth Falls lookout, Weeping Rock, Empress Falls lookout and the Fairmont Resort on the way to Gordon Falls picnic area. Leura village is 1.5 km from there, so catch the train home from Leura. It’s Opal fares only.

Stop at Leura. Don’t carry on to Katoomba: part of the Prince Henry Cliff Walk near Leura Cascades and Majestic Lookout is closed after a rockfall. Below the cliff, parts of National Pass, Wentworth Pass, the Slack Stairs and the Valley of the Waters are also closed (NPWS will review this on 2 December 2026), and penalties apply for entering closed areas.

• About 1 km is on Leura streets. NPWS says to stay off the road and watch for cars.
• A park fire ban runs until 31 March 2027. Avoid high fire danger days.
• Mountain weather can be very different from Sydney’s, so start early and pack a warm layer.
• There are no swimming spots on this route.

2. Three Sisters and Prince Henry Cliff Walk, Katoomba

The view on every Australia postcard, and all you need is an Opal card. It’s short, easy and unmissable on your first trip to the mountains.

Take the Blue Mountains Line train to Katoomba, about 2 hours from Sydney. Catch bus 686 from the Carrington Hotel on Katoomba St to Echo Point (about every 20 minutes), or walk about 2.3 km. Do the 0.8 km return Three Sisters walk to Oreades and Lady Game lookouts, then follow the Prince Henry Cliff Walk west to Katoomba Falls and Scenic World (roughly 1.5 to 2 km, our estimate) and take the 686 back.

Head west, not east. Part of the Prince Henry Cliff Walk east of Echo Point, near Majestic Lookout and Leura Cascades, is closed after a rockfall (NPWS will review it on 28 April 2027). Honeymoon Bridge, the steep side route off the Three Sisters walk, is now permanently closed because of rockfall risk.

• It’s Opal fares only. Scenic World rides are optional and cost extra.
• Go early, before the tour coaches, or late afternoon for warm light on the Sisters.
• Mountain weather changes quickly, so bring a warm layer. A park fire ban runs until 31 March 2027.

1. Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk

Sydney’s signature walk: five beaches, ocean pools, Waverley Cemetery on the cliff and Gordons Bay, all for a bus fare. It’s about 6 km one way and takes 2 to 3 hours at an easy pace.

Take bus 333 from Circular Quay to Bondi Beach (about every 6 minutes, roughly 40 to 45 minutes), or the train to Bondi Junction and the 333 from there. Start at Bondi Icebergs and walk south to Coogee. Come back on bus 373 to the city (about every 10 minutes) or the 374 to Central (about every 20 minutes).

There’s a detour at Bronte. Waverley Council says parts of North Bronte beach and the coastal walk are still closed after an August 2025 rockfall, with no reopening date, so follow the signed route around the Bronte Surf Life Saving Club works. Go early to beat the crowds and the heat, wear a hat and sunscreen, and swim only between the flags.

Quick compare: all 10 walks

Times are from the Sydney CBD. Grades are the ones NPWS or the local council gives, where there is one.

Getting there without a car

Tap on and off with an Opal card, or a contactless bank card or phone. If you forget to tap off, you’re charged the maximum fare for that trip.

Adult Opal fares are capped at $19.30 a day Monday to Thursday, $9.65 a day on Friday to Sunday and public holidays, and $50 a week. So do the long ones (Blue Mountains, Kiama, Bouddi) on a Friday or the weekend. The Cronulla to Bundeena ferry is private and not on Opal, so that fare is extra.

Plan each trip in the Transport for NSW Trip Planner the night before, especially the Central Coast buses and weekend services. Wharves close for maintenance from time to time, so check alerts on the day.

Don’t want to DIY the Blue Mountains? A day tour from Sydney through GetYourGuide sorts the transport and the lookouts for you. If you’re heading further, a campervan relocation through Imoova or a JUCY hire turns a day trip into a road trip.

Running low on cash? Cherry season in Young

Young, in the NSW Hilltops, is Australia’s cherry capital. Picking runs roughly late October to December, with thousands of pickers arriving around Christmas. Check the postcode before you start if you need the days for your 88.

What to bring

These walks are mostly sandstone, sand and steps, with long stretches in full sun.

• Shoes with grip. Wet sandstone is slippery.
• Water, a hat and SPF 50+ sunscreen.
• Swimmers and a towel for the harbour and beach walks.
• A warm layer for the Blue Mountains, where the weather changes fast.
• A charged phone with data for the Trip Planner and the Emergency Plus app.
• A bank card for the Bundeena ferry, which doesn’t take Opal.