Seven Sisters Walk Guide: Seaford to Eastbourne

10.4K

The Seven Sisters cliffs walk, from Seaford to Eastbourne, is probably one of the most well known hikes that you can do as a day trip from London, and it’s not hard to see why. I have done this walk countless times, and the magnificent white chalk cliff views get me every time.

They are located within the South Downs National park, and forms a part of two walking trails. The England Coast Path, and the South Downs Way.

Also, the fact that you can get to the Seven Sisters cliffs from London in about 1.5 hours, makes it a perfect outdoorsy day trip hike. It’s also extremely easy to navigate. In fact, it’s impossible to get lost, and I challenge anyone to do so.

Read more: What to pack on a day hike

What I’m going to do in this guide, is first give you an overview of the Seven Sisters walk, as well as how to get there, full detailed logistics, an interactive map, and tips. I will then go on to describe the full route, with lots of photos. All distances I mention will be based on my walk on this day. You will find information on where to eat, as well as safety information at the end.

This post uses affiliate links. You can read the privacy policy or disclaimer for more info.

Why is it called the Seven Sisters?

Each sister represents a hill, although technically there is an eighth one. Plus, on either side of the Sisters Sisters cliffs, you will hike over a few extra hills.

Basically, it’s very hilly. Although, the scenery is so draw dropping, that you hardly notice all the hills. Actually, you definitely notice, but somehow the beauty takes the edge off.

Fancy seeing the famous sisters from below? Why not try this boat trip which takes you all along the coast, where you will learn all about the history from local guides.

How hard is the walk?

I would say that the Seven Sisters walk is moderate. Some may dispute that and say it’s challenging. There are a bunch of hills, that really get your heart rate up, but they don’t go on for that long. I would say that it’s the length of the walk that makes it harder as opposed to the hills.

The full Seven Sisters walk is about 11-13 miles station to station (Seaford and Eastbourne). The difference in milage is down to wether you need to make a detour based on the tide level. I go into this in more detail later on. There are also a few options to shorten the route, which I will tell you about later in the guide.

Which direction should you walk the Seven Sisters?

The most popular way to walk the Seven Sisters cliffs, is from Seaford to Eastbourne. Having walked both ways, I prefer this direction. The views are just a little bit better that way (in my opinion).

That’s not to say the other direction is bad, it’s just a slightly lower level of amazing. Also, if you start the walk from Seaford, you get to the Seven Sisters cliffs pretty quickly, however, from Eastbourne, you have a bit of a walk….actually, a very long walk.

Options to shorten the walk

Exceat (Cuckmere Haven), Birling Gap and Beachy Head, are the main points along the walk between Seaford and Eastbourne. Each of these places has car parking, and bus links. When I describe the route further down, you can see where each of these locations are along the route with milage.

How to get to there

The cliffs are located in the south east corner of the South Downs. If coming from London, you basically head south until you hit the sea.

By train

The Seven Sisters walk is the perfect route to do using the train, because it starts and finishes at a station. Seaford and Eastbourne (the beginning and end of the Seven Sisters walk) are both on the Southern train line.

• If coming from London, there are trains from London Victoria and London Bridge to Seaford. You will have to do one change (usually at Lewes). Then when coming back from Eastbourne, you can get a direct train back to London Victoria or London Bridge.
• If coming from Brighton, there are direct trains to both Seaford and Eastbourne, as well as indirect ones, with a change at Lewes.
• What ticket to get: If coming from London, you should buy a return ticket to Eastbourne, and a single from Lewes to Seaford. This will cover your return journey from Eastbourne, and your outward journey as far as Lewes, then the single ticket will cover you from Lewes to Seaford.

By Bus

The number 12X bus runs between Seaford, Exceat, and Eastbourne, Monday-Saturday. On Sunday it’s the 13X bus. This is the only one which goes to Birling Gap and Beachy Head, but runs a limited service on Sunday. You can plan your bus journey on the Brighton and Hove website.

By car

If coming by car, you can walk the full length of the Seven Sisters and back (this is actually a thing, it’s called the 14 sisters), or walk partway and turn back, or walk partway and get a bus back.

To do the 14 sisters:

• If starting from Seaford, walk as far as Beachy head, then turn back.
• If starting from Eastbourne, walk as far as Cuckmere Haven then turn back. I would actually recommend continuing a little past Cuckmere Haven and up the hill. The views are really good from there.

Other options:

• Park in Exceat, and walk along the river to reach Cuckmere Haven, which gets you straight onto the first of the Seven Sisters cliffs.
• Park at Birling Gap or Beachy Head, which will be on the cliffs.

Parking to walk the Seven Sisters

• Seaford parking – Richmond Road car park, Post Code: BN25 1DB. West Street car park, post code: BN25 1EE. Saxon Lane car park, post code: BN25 1QL.
• Exceat parking – Seven Sisters car park, post code: BN25 4AD.
• Birling Gap parking – Birling Gap and the Seven Sisters car park, post code: BN20 0AD.
• Beachy Head Parking – Beachy Head West car park, post code: BN20 7YA. If this one is full, there are a few others along this bit of road.
• Eastbourne parking – Eastbourne has so many car parks. The nearest one to reach the start of the Seven Sisters walking trail, is Wish Tower car park, post code: BN21 4DR. Or you can take a look at all the options here.

Map for the Seven Sisters Walk

Without the detour at Cuckmere Haven

With the detour at Cuckmere Haven

Tips for Walking the Seven Sisters Cliffs

• I advise not walking next to the cliff edge. They are crumbling cliffs.
• Plan the walk for low tide, otherwise you will need to take a detour along the river at Cuckmere Haven. You can check the tide times here.
• Take plenty of water and snacks.
• Wear sunscreen, and reapply.  The worst burns I ever got were on this walk. It wasn’t particularly sunny, in fact, it was an overcast day, and I was wearing sunscreen. I just forgot to reapply. 
• Hiking boots are not essential, but I do recommend at least wearing shoes with good grip. The first of the Seven Sisters you hike up is quite steep, and slippage could happen if you aren’t careful. 

Disclaimer: If you chose not to wear hiking boots, then I will not be held responsible if injury occurs. There. Just need to cover myself. You never know these days.

Why I wanted to go and walk the Seven Sisters cliffs again…

I have hiked the Seven Sisters cliffs more times than I can count, all before I started this website. I have been wanting to write a guide about the Seven Sisters cliffs walk for a while, however, I didn’t have many photos to show you its beauty.

So, a couple of weeks ago I went and walked it again, just for photography purposes….but also, any excuse to see the cliffs again.

The day I returned to the beautiful coastline was to be the hottest August bank holiday Monday EVER. I was strategic for this walk (maybe for the wrong reasons)….

I planned it so that for half of the walk, the sun would be in front of me, half the walk behind. You know, so I could even out sun exposure (cough, tanning).

However, I failed to think about the fact that this would also be the worst photography conditions. The middle of the day and harsh sunlight.

Although, I wasn’t too sad. The walk is good enough that I can forgive that. But man I had some real hard work when it came to the photos…They were almost unusable. The only way around it was to take some creative liberties with some of the colours in editing.

Anyway, let’s get into the good stuff.

---

Route Description: Seven Sisters Cliffs Walk, Seaford to Eastbourne

Once out of Seaford train station, take a right and head to the sea. It’s only a 5min walk. You will pass a supermarket, giving you a chance to get any supplies you may have forgotten.

Once you reach the shingle beach take a left, and you will get your first grand white cliffs view. Seaford Head. (Note: This is not the Seven Sisters, they come a bit later in the walk).

Now walk towards these cliffs. From here on out, you will be walking with the sea to your right for the whole way. I started my tracker once I reached the beach. All distances mentioned from now will reflect that.

Seaford Head will be your first uphill, and as you reach the top you get great views back over Seaford. 

Next, you will walk past a golf course (walking past golf courses seems to be the standard for any great walk in England), before getting your first glimpse of the magnificent Seven Sisters cliffs. 

Fun fact: The Sisters Sisters cliffs are often used as filming locations as a stand in for the famous white cliffs of Dover, as they are free of any modern development. 

Cuckmere Haven – 2.7 miles in (and the start of the Seven Sisters)

Next you will reach Cuckmere Haven, which is a valley where the South Downs meets the sea. This is where the Seven Sisters cliffs start.

But first off, you need to navigate the Cuckmere River. At low tide, it is possible to walk straight to the cliffs start. If you catch it right, you won’t get wet. Otherwise, you can walk through the low river.

When the tide is in, unless you want to get mega wet, you must *walk inland along the river towards Exceat, through the Cuckmere valley, to reach a bridge crossing. Then walk back along the Cuckmere river on the other side to reach the bottom of the Seven Sisters.

*I have been told there is now a makeshift bridge here, however, I have been back and couldn’t see one.

It does make for an interesting change in scenery. You will pass fields with grazing cattle and sheep. Even some canoeists in the river.

It does, however, add quite a bit to your walking distance (about 2 miles). If you don’t fancy the extra walk, then try and time it so you get here for low tide…..or be prepared to get very wet. Check the tide times here.

I didn’t check the tide times, so was prepared to have to walk through the river. I had no time for walking inland. Turns out the tide was way out.

The only downside to the tide being out, is you have to walk across the shingle of death to reach the Seven Sisters cliffs.

A few fun facts….

Fun fact: Cuckmere Haven has been used as a filming location for a number of shows and movies inducing Robin Hood and Atonement. 

Even more fun fact: At low tight you can see part of a German sailing ship wreck.

Extra fun fact: This area was very popular for smugglers between the 16th and 18th centuries.

You have the option to start or stop your walk from here, via the local village of Exceat where there are bus links. It’s slightly inland, and you can reach it by following that river I talked about.

You can read more about the area on the National Trust website.

Begin the hike up the Seven Sisters

As you hike up the first sister, it is quite steep, and could be slippy if your shoes don’t have good grip.

At the top, take a look back for a great view back over the beach and the Cuckmere Valley. This is also where the trail becomes part of the South Downs Way. 

Just a note, the best views of the cliffs are actually either side of them. When you are walking on the Seven Sisters cliffs, you can’t see them because, well, you are on them.

The views are still pretty cool though. A vast green undulating landscape, almost velvet like, with people ahead, so small they look like ants with their silhouettes on the horizon.

Birling Gap – 5.5 miles in (7.5 miles if you took the detour at Cuckmere Haven)

Birling Gap, the next stop in the walk, is a coastal hamlet marking the end of the Seven Sisters. The area is owned by the National Trust and offers a tourist centre, cafe, beach access, toilets, a car park, and transport links.

As such this is the most busy section of the Seven Sisters walk.

If you want to escape the crowds, just continue walking past, along the cliffs. Most people arriving at Birling Gap will hang around in the area or the cliffs either side. 

This is actually a good spot if you would like to have a break and eat or drink at the cafe, or even head to the beach.

There are bus stops here, so you have the option to stop or start the Seven Sisters walk at this point. If you choose to start here, then you could tie it in with a hike through Friston Forest.

This might be the end of the Seven Sisters, but it’s not the end of the walk…..

Belle Tout lighthouse

Next you will reach The Belle Tout lighthouse, which has had an interesting life. It was built in the early 1800’s, however, its location meant that it was frequently covered by the clifftop fog.

So it wasn’t very good at doing its job of warning passing ships. As such, it was decommissioned in the early 1900’s.

It then became a family home and tea house, was almost destroyed during WWII, then got bought by the BBC as a filming location. 

Due to the cliff erosion it was in danger of falling into the sea and in 1999 was moved back 17 meters from the cliff edge. It now has new owners who have converted it into a bed and breakfast.

How perfect would that be. Spending the night in a lighthouse. Waking up overlooking the sea and grand white cliffs in morning mistiness. Going for a little sunrise walk along the Seven Sisters before coming back for breakfast. This place is officially on my wishlist.

Note: I have been trying to stay there but it’s always booked out.

Beachy Head – 8 miles (10 miles with the detour at Cuckmere Haven)

The next stop in the walk is Beachy Head. This place is the stuff of poetry… literally. Poems have been written about it. The area has also featured in film and television including Harry Potter, James Bond and Black Mirror.

Fun fact: At 162m above sea level, it is the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain. 

In the early 1900’s, Eastbourne bought the surrounding land to save it from development….this makes me very happy.

Here you have the cute candy cane coloured Beachy Head lighthouse. Seems rather tiny in comparison to the looming white cliffs. 

It was built in the early 1900’s to take over lighthouse duties of the Belle Tout lighthouse.

Fun Fact: It wasn’t always red and white stripes. Originally, it was granite colour, then a black stripe was added, then finally the red stripes to make it more visible in daylight to passing ships. 

Beachy Head marks the eastern gateway to the South Downs National Park, but also the end of the cliffs walk (or beginning, depending on which direction you took). But you still have a little way to go…

Reaching Eastbourne town

The landscape will now change, featuring a lot more flora and fauna. During summer, the flowers were on show in all their purple and pink glory.

From now on, it’s pretty much downhill until you exit the National Park, into Eastbourne town.

I must warn you, from here it is about 3 miles walk to actually reach the station, and can feel never ending. However, if you stick to the coast, you get some wonderful views back towards the cliffs. 

---

Safety when hiking along the Seven Sisters cliffs

So, I’m going to be honest, when I first visited the cliffs I didn’t realise how dangerous it was to go close to the edge. I’m talking specifically about cliff erosion. I definitely got way to close thinking the only danger was me losing my footing, not the fact that the cliffs could crumble under me. There are lots of signs warning you not to go too close to the edge but I figured that was more to prevent user error. 

The cliffs are very unstable. Someone pointed out to me, if you look ahead at the cliffs, you can even see cracks in them where they are at risk of crumbling. 

Here is video footage of that happening. There have been a number of fatalities, of people falling over the edge.

Also, be careful if you choose to go down to beach level and walk under the cliffs, as you will be at risk of falling rocks. Don’t be scared though, it’s absolutely fine to walk along the Seven Sisters cliffs…Just keep away from the edge.

Swimming on the walk between Seaford and Eastbourne

When walking from Seaford to Eastbourne, there are a few options if you would like to take a dip in the sea. 

1. First off you have the shingle beach at Seaford. 
2. Your second option is at Cuckmere Haven, also a shingle beach. 
3. Next, you can get in at Birling Gap. More shingle.
4. Finally, at Eastbourne, you have a long stretch of, you guessed it, shingle beach.

Yes. A lot of the south coast of England is made up of shingle beach….my least favourite walking terrain.

Seven Sisters Tours

If you don’t want to walk the full Seven Sisters, then there are a few different tours you can do which take you to the highlights, both on land or by sea.

Seven Sisters boat trip: This is a small group boat tour on a luxury Italian boat, giving it a more VIP vibe. It will take you along the bottom of the Seven Sisters, with information about the history. The boat drivers are a brother and sister who are locals to the area, and have a blood line dating back to the most famous smuggler. You can find out more, and book your ticket here.

Seven Sisters full day experience from Brighton: This is a small group trip of just 6 people, taking you by minivan across the South Downs. Stops include, the Seven Sisters, Devil’s Dyke, the Long man of Wilmington, and Seaford Head. You can find out more and book your ticket here.

Seven Sisters full day experience from London: This is also a small group tour, taking you to the same sights as the tour from Brighton, but you will be picked up from London.

Where to eat along the walk

There are a number of places to eat along the Seven Sisters walk route. If you take the detour inland at Cuckmere Haven, you can stop at the Cuckmere Inn, which is a local country pub. Opening time are all day on weekends, and 11:30 – 21:30 on weekdays.

• Read the Cuckmere Inn reviews on Tripadvisor.
• Check out the Cuckmere Inn menu.

If you head a little further into Exceat (which is slightly off the Seven Sisters walking route), you have the Saltmarsh Farmhouse and Cafe. This is a cosy, rustic cafe, in a 16th century farmhouse. It’s mainly a boutique bed and breakfast, but the cafe and kitchen are open daily to the public from 10am

• Find out more, and read the reviews for the Saltmarsh Farmhouse Cafe on Tripadvisor.

At Birling Gap, you have a cafe which is run by National Trust. Here it’s more your cakes, sandwiches, pastries, and other quick bites, as well as tea and coffee etc. It is open every day from 10am-5pm.

• Read the reviews for the Birling Gap cafe on Tripadvisor.

At Beachy Head, you can stop for food and drink at ‘The Beachy Heady’. That’s its name. It’s a country pub and restaurant. Opening hours are all day on weekends, and 11:30 – 22:00 on weekdays.

• Read the reviews for The Beachy Head on Tripadvisor.
• Check out the Beachy Head full menu.

Next to The Beachy Head, is the Cadence Cycle Club cafe. This is more of a food shed, which serves hot drinks, sandwiches, pastries, cakes etc. It’s open from 8am-4pm on weekends, and 9am-3pm on weekdays.

---

Other cliff walks I recommend along the South East Coast

If you want more white cliff goodness, then I recommend heading east towards Dover. You could walk from Folkestone to Dover, or from Dover to Deal, both featuring white cliffs and hill walking. 

If you want to see the Seven Sisters Cliffs without the massive hike, you could try the Birling Gap to Friston Forest circular.

If you want some white cliffs without the hills, then you could walk the section just west of Seaford from Newhaven to Brighton. Or head to North Kent to do Margate to Ramsgate. Both of these walks have under cliff paths. The white cliffs are slightly less mighty though.

Other walks near the Seven Sisters

You could try out some more sections along the South Downs Way. The one before the Seven Sisters walk is Southease to Seaford. If you are feeling energetic you could tie it together with the Seven Sisters for one mega hike. 

Or a bit further back you could try Hassocks to Lewes, and Lewes to Southease. Both featuring the gorgeous rolling hills of the South Downs, village views down below, and lots of cows and sheep.

Pin it for later: A guide to walking the Seven Sisters Cliffs