Coogee to Bondi Walk, Sydney [UPDATED 2023]

The Coogee to Bondi walk (or Bondi to Coogee walk) is without a doubt Sydney’s most famous coastal walk.

Located in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, this 6km clifftop coastal walk goes from Coogee Beach to the iconic Bondi Beach, passing by some beautiful beaches, bays and ocean pools along the way.

Go for a swim in one of the rock pools, have lunch in one of the many cafes, have a surf or even go snorkelling. There is so much to do and see on this walk – read on for all you need to know!

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COOGEE TO BONDI WALK

Distance: 6km (one way)
Difficulty: easy to moderate
Time: 1.5 hours without stops

You can do the whole walk in about 1.5 hours, however many people like to do this walk over a few hours as they want to stop off at the beaches along the way and have a swim and sunbathe.

The path is paved throughout and in good condition, and although it is quite an easy walk it does go uphill and downhill sometimes – it isn’t completely flat but is still a fairly easy walk nonetheless.

For a shorter walk you can always just do the Bondi to Bronte walk. This part of the walk provides the most stunning views and you still get to see three of the five beaches on the Coogee to Bondi walk.

The Bronte to Bondi walk is only 2km and should take around half an hour to complete without stops.

The Coogee to Bondi walk is such a popular walk not only because of the stunning beaches, rock pools and views, but also because it is very convenient to access.

Public transport is readily available at either end of the walk, and it is located only a few kilometres east of Sydney CBD.

The walk follows the coastline all the way down – you can see the map below for an overview.

Note you can do the walk from either direction: from Bondi to Coogee or from Coogee to Bondi.

Most people tend to go from Bondi to Coogee but it really doesn’t matter which way you pick.

Both the start and end point have plenty places for food so whichever way you pick you’ll still be able to enjoy a nice meal and drink at the beach afterwards!

Going in the Bondi to Coogee direction means you will be going in the same direction as most people, which you might prefer, but it is personal preference.

I will describe the walk going from Coogee to Bondi Beach, so if you are going the other way just start from the bottom and work your way up.

Coogee Beach

The Coogee to Bondi walk starts at Coogee Beach – drive or get the 373 or 374 bus to Coogee from Circular Quay.

Coogee Beach is one of the Eastern Suburb’s most popular beaches.

The large crescent shaped sandy beach is a popular beach with families as the waves here are significantly reduced – they get interrupted Wedding Cake Island which can be seen 700 metres away.

The beach is 400 metres long and has amenities such as toilets, showers, changing rooms and free lockers.

There are plenty of places by the Pavilion and off Arden Street to sit down and have some food before you start the walk.

Coogee Pavilion is always a popular place and has three floors, a lovely outdoor seating area and terrace, as well as delicious Mediterranean food.

Russel Jones Memorial Pool

At the southern end of Coogee Beach you’ll find the small but picturesque Russel Jones Memorial Pool. You may want to visit here before you start the walk north to Bondi.

If you carry on walking past the Russel Jones Memorial Pool it will lead you down to McIver Baths, Wylie’s Baths and Maroubra.

From Coogee Beach you will follow the coastal walk north and round to Gordons Bay. It is about a 10 minute walk (700 metres) via Dolphin’s Point.

Here there are some great views of Wedding Cake Island and the view down to Coogee Bay is also really lovely.

Keep walking on the cliffs along the coast until you get to Gordons Bay. You’ll need to walk along Major Street briefly before joining onto the coastal path again.

Gordons Bay

Gordons Bay is a beautiful protected aquatic reserve with the most insane blue water! Plus there is even an Underwater Nature Trail here where you can do scuba diving or snorkelling!

This is one of the best places in Sydney for snorkelling, so definitely stop and head in if you have your snorkel gear with you!

As you walk around the bay on the path you’ll see a big steep staircase you need to go down. There are some benches to stop off and sit down on along the way if you need. After the staircase is where the entry point for the Underwater Nature Trail is.

From Gordons Bay to Clovelly Beach is 1km via Cliffbrook Parade (part of the coastal path). It should take you 15 minutes to walk.

Clovelly Beach

Clovelly Beach is a small but charming beach. It lies in a narrow bay between two concrete platforms and is actually the only beach in Sydney that is made from concrete! Whilst it doesn’t sound too appealing, it is certainly not an ugly beach.

The concrete walls means the beach is protected from the sea waves and so is a great place for families with young children.

There are also beach volleyball nets here so it is popular with groups of friends too.

There is a lovely atmosphere here and the Clovelly Ocean Pool (also known as the Geoff James Pool) lies on the southern concrete platform. At 25 metres long it makes a fantastic place to swim.

There is also free wifi here – Randwick Council provides free WiFi at most of their beaches.

The 339 bus departs from Clovelly Road to Pitt Street in the CBD if you want to catch the bus back from here.

From Clovelly Beach to Bronte Beach is 1.5km and it should take around 20 minutes to walk.

The walk starts off going uphill around the headland and then you will pass Clovelly Bowls Club and Sports Ground. After this the walk continues along a truly impressive clifftop boardwalk.

This is honestly one of the most stunning parts of the walk – despite also walking and alongside a cemetery!

For a part of this clifftop walk Waverley Cemetery is to your left and you have the stunning ocean views on your right. The cliffs here are so impressive and you can get some great shots of the waves below crashing against the rocks.

If you are doing the walk during the winter months you may be able to spot some humpback whales on their annual migration so keep an eye out!

You can also spot dolphins any time of the year. At the end of the boardwalk you’ll then walk onto Calga Place to get to Bronte Beach.

Bronte Beach

Take the path down from Calga Place to Bronte Beach – another really popular surf beach in the Eastern Suburbs! And out of all the ocean pools in Sydney I think the Bronte Baths are my favourite – they are so Instagrammable!

Bronte Baths are 30 metres in length, so whilst they smaller than many ocean pools in Sydney there is still plenty space for swimmers to do lengths (lanes are marked out).

There is also a shallower part of the pool that is perfect for families with children and groups of friends relaxing. There are also several spots here for you to lie your towel down and sunbathe too.

The baths are always open to the public, but if the sea becomes too rough or the pool is being cleaned they will temporarily close the metal gates in front of the baths, preventing access.

Note on Sundays 9-11am the Bronte Swimming Club does swimming galas here. It is a really nice atmosphere at this time if you do happen to visit at this time!

You’ll also find toilets, changing rooms and shower facilities next to the baths.

There are a few Instagrammable spots at Bronte Baths. Note the viewpoint you see on the picture above is quite difficult to reach so be careful. Bronte Baths is also really popular for drone photography if you have a drone!

Bus 379 leaves from Bronte Beach to Bondi Junction if you want to get the bus back. If you stay on the bus after Bondi Junction it then goes to North Bondi.

From Bronte Beach to Tamarama Beach it is about 700 metres and should take less than 10 minutes to reach. Walk along the footpath next to Bronte Marine Drive, that will lead into Tamarama Marine Drive.

You’ll go uphill and the downhill as you go around the headland.

Tamarama Beach

Tamarama Beach is one of the smaller beaches along the walk but it is incredibly picturesque sitting in an enclave surrounded by houses either side. There is a coffee shop and a playground at the back of the beach if you want to stop and have a break.

The 381 bus goes from Tamarama Beach to Bondi Junction if you need to take the bus back.

From Tamarama Beach to Bondi Beach it is 1.2km and should take around 20 minutes to walk.

Mackenzies Point

Mackenzies Point offers stunning views out to sea and is another fantastic viewpoint to look for humpback whales between May and October. From here you’ll also be able to see Bondi Beach infront of you.

Keep walking along the Eastern Beaches Coastal Walk, then at the end head up the steps and onto Notts Avenue.

Bondi Icebergs

You’ll then come to the iconic Icebergs Swimming Pool at the southern end of Bondi Beach. This is one of Sydney’s most scenic ocean pools and definitely one of the most Instagrammable places in Sydney so you should have to stop off and see it!

If you do fancy going for a swim here it costs $8. This is an iconic pool and is definitely something you should add onto your Sydney bucket list!

bondi beach icebergs swimming ocean pool sydney drone aerial photography

Ocean waves crashing into Bondi Icebergs

If you don’t want to swim in the pool however and you only want to get a picture, you can get the aerial picture below from street level when you are standing on Notts Avenue overlooking the pool.

The Icebergs Dining Room and Bar here offer stunning views across the ocean. The RSL next door however offers the same view but with much cheaper prices!

Bondi Beach

Bondi Beach is very popular and is one of Australia’s most well-known beaches. Unless you get here really early it is always extremely busy at Bondi! Bondi is the most famous surf beach in Australia – the waves are epic here!

Here at Bondi Beach the world’s first Surf Lifesaving Club was formed and you’ll most likely recognise it from the TV show Bondi Rescue – which shows the Bondi lifeguards regularly doing rescues.

Bondi Beach is busy, full of life and is a great place to sit and enjoy the sun and great atmosphere at the end of the walk.

There are plenty places at the pavilion and on the parade to grab lunch or a coffee, and there are toilets, showers and changing rooms by the beach if you want to freshen up after a dip in the ocean.

Use of the showers in Bondi Pavilion is free. There are also lockers here if you want to store your belongings safely whilst you go in the water.

The northern part of Bondi Beach is mostly for swimmers, whilst the southern end is for surfers. Surfboards and wetsuits are available to hire on the beach.

To head back to Sydney CBD from Bondi take the 333 or 380 buses – they will take you directly to Circular Quay.

Where to get food on the Coogee to Bondi walk:

There are SO many great places for food along the Coogee to Bondi walk. Coogee, Bronte and Bondi all have lots of cafes and restaurants in the streets next to the beach.

Where to find toilets on the Coogee to Bondi walk:

Coogee Beach (by the lifeguard station)
Cunningham Reserve (just by the north of Coogee Beach and Coogee Pavilion)
Clovelly Beach
Bronte Beach
Tamarama Beach
Mackenzies Point
Bondi Beach (South Bondi, Bondi Pavilion & North Bondi Beach).

Tips for the Bondi to Coogee Walk:

Weekends are extremely busy, especially if the weather is good. Like – ridiculously busy. Try and avoid doing the walk on weekends if you want to share the path with less people. Even though the path is wide it can get really crowded, especially in the afternoon.

Start the walk early if you have to come on the weekend. Even better, start the walk early on a weekday. There are lots of people running along this path but as there will be less walkers it will definitely be less crowded. If you are an early bird, get here for sunrise – the sunrises on the eastern beaches are incredible!

Sunset and sunrise can be particularly beautiful here at Bondi Beach.

Keep a look out for dolphins and whales!

The path is very easy to follow, and you won’t be alone so there will always be someone to follow!

What to bring on the Bondi to Coogee Walk:

Waterbottle, suncream & sunhat. There is no shade throughout the whole of the walk so make sure you are prepared if it is a hot day! You’ll find water refill stations at all of the five beaches along this walk so there are plenty opportunities to fill up your water bottle.
Swimming costume and towel if you wish to go for a dip!
Mask and snorkel if you wish to go snorkelling at Gordons Bay.
Camera.
Binoculars if you fancy whale watching between May and October. They are not necessary though as you can see them from the trail without binoculars often.

How to get to the Coogee to Bondi Walk:

As Coogee and Bondi are both very popular beaches, parking can be extremely tricky to find here.

There are a handful of free parking spots at Coogee, but you’ll have to get here early to bag one of them – especially if you are visiting on a weekend or during the holidays!

The nearby roads are all busy with local traffic and parking, and if you can’t get a free parking spot then you’ll have to pay for a metered spot. Parking is expensive and fines are very expensive.

Parking wardens are often walking around so make sure you put enough money in to cover for however long you will be and you observe any time limits in the parking (usually there is a 4 hour limit).

Also remember if you come by car then you’ll need to get back to your car once you’ve done the walk (you can get back to Coogee from Bondi Beach by taking 2 buses – there is no direct bus).

Because of all these reasons, public transport or Uber is the best way to get to the Coogee to Bondi walk. It is just so much easier and saves you a lot of hassle.

Public transport on either end of the walk is very easy, and all the beaches along the walk are serviced by buses so if you don’t fancy doing the whole walk you can just do a section and then get the bus back to Sydney CBD.

Plus if you aren’t driving back it means you can enjoy a nice cool beer at one of the bars or restaurants at the end of the walk!

How to get to Coogee:

Public Transport:
Take the 373 or 374 bus to Coogee from Circular Quay. Buses usually run every 15 minutes and will take you to Coogee Beach in around 40 minutes.

The X73 is the express bus and will get you to Coogee Beach even quicker but it runs less frequently. Click on each of the bus numbers to see their respective timetables.

Car:
If you are coming by car then you’ll probably start the walk from one end and then get the bus back to your car once you’ve finished. You can get free parking at Coogee but you’ll need to get here early!

You can find free parking on Dolphin Street at Coogee. Make sure you park in one of the 4P (4 hour) free parking spots and not the 2P (2 hour) ones as otherwise you won’t have enough time to do the full walk and get back to your car.

How to get to/from Bondi Beach:

Public Transport:
The 333 and 380 buses go from Circular Quay to Bondi Beach. It should take around 40 minutes. Alternatively you can get the train to Bondi Junction and then a bus (also 333 or 380) from Bondi Junction to Bondi Beach.

Car:
Parking can be quite scarce at Bondi – even early in the morning! Plus parking at Bondi Beachfront is really expensive – at $8 per hour it definitely adds up!

Many parking spots in Bondi also have a 4 hour maximum park, meaning you’ll have to be clock watching to make sure you don’t go over your parking time.

If you are doing this walk by car I suggest to park at Coogee (it is easier to get a parking spot here providing you get here early at the weekend!) as there is free parking at Coogee.

For public transport between Bondi Beach and Coogee you’ll need to take two buses: the 380 from Bondi Beach to Bondi Junction, and then the 313 or 314 that go from Bondi Junction to Coogee Beach.

If you are doing the walk in the summer months then a dedicated Eastern Suburbs beaches bus number 362 does run from Coogee Beach to Rose Bay via Bondi Beach, which means you’ll only have to take one bus!