Since moving to London we are always looking for great day trips in and around England. The Seven Sisters Hike is one of our favorites so far.
Seven stark white chalk cliffs covered in thick green grass, these ladies are like nothing we have seen before. Absolutely worth the trip, check out our tips for the hike below.
How to Get There: London to Seaford or Eastbourne
Great news! It is fairly easy to get to the Seven Sisters from London by train. Best route is from Victoria Station to Seaford, which will make the journey approximately 1.5 hours. You can then take the train back to Victoria Station from Eastbourne or Seaford, pending how long you want to make the hike. We love using Trainline to compare prices and purchase tickets.
Bonus: Our favorite route has you change trains in Brighton. Make a weekend out of it and enjoy the beach town of Brighton for a day on the way there or back!
Warning! Pay attention to your return train options. Last train back to London is around midnight. Don’t ask us how, but we ended up missing this train and had to cab all the way back to London. Not pretty…
Seaford to Eastbourne Walking Route
When arriving in Seaford, follow the crowds towards the beach. Take in the quaint seaside scenes while you’re there, but also make a stop at the public toilets. Next opportunity will be approximately 2 hours from now.
Walking along the promenade, you won’t be able to miss the cliffs. Standing proud against the coastline, follow the clearly marked path into Seaford Head Nature Reserve. The amazing views start here with a sweeping panoramic of grass and sea. Crazy enough, this isn’t even the hike itself yet. Continue on and soon the peaks of the Seven Sisters cliffs will appear in the distance.
Eventually the cliff side will begin to decline into Cuckmere Haven. The Cuckmere River now stands between you and the Seven Sisters. This we were not prepared for! To get around the river you have two options.
Option 1 – Depending on the tides, the river can be shallow enough to wade through to the other side. This was not an option for us at the time, the water would have been waste high. Sooo, option 2 it is.
Option 2 – Follow the Cuckmere River inland to make your way around and back to the coast. While much more timely, the views are picturesque and v English. Walking through pastures of sheep along the river, you’ll reach the Cuckmere Inn halfway. Highly suggest stopping here for a pitcher of Pimm’s and some chips on the picnic tables before carrying on down the other side of the river.
Either way, you’ll eventually make it to the other side. Congrats! The first sister (first cliff peak) now stands before you. You’ll see a few trail options up the cliff. Trails closer to the coast are MUCH more steep and made of crumbling slippery chalk. I would suggest not being a hero and taking the Park Trail, which winds up the cliff at a reasonable incline.
From here, take it all in. Up and down you’ll go from one sister to the next. Views from each, more beautiful than the next. The seventh and final cliff will end at Birling Gap. This is another great spot to stop with a beach, restaurants to refuel, toilets and the like. You can end the hike here. There are buses from the Birling Gap car park back into Seaford and Eastbourne. You can also call a cab from this point.
We decided to continue on up the next cliff towards the Belle Tout Lighthouse to rest and watch the sunset. This was our best decision of the day. We watched in amazement at the unblocked views of the horizon. The sun dipping into the ocean, turning the stark white cliffs warm hues of orange and pink as tiny humans played in the water below us. Hands down one of the best sunsets I’ve seen in England to date.
We had every intention of continuing our hike into Eastbourne, but time was not on our side as we quickly ran out of daylight and admittedly were totally knackered from the day’s hike. Ultimately we called Eastbourne Taxi for a lift back to Seaford where we grabbed dinner before making the journey home to London.
The walk in and through Eastbourne looks amazing, so if you have it in you, definitely carry on. We found the blog post here by Lines of Escape to be really helpful!
Seven Sisters Hike Difficulty & Duration?
Is it a hike? Is it a walk? Honestly, we had trouble deciding when writing this post. As you can see from the pictures, there are a number of steep inclines, which are sure to get the booty burning and have lead us to classify the sisters as a hike.
We saw people of all ages on the cliffs, so definitely a great option for varying endurance levels. It’s good to mention that this “hike” is long though! For sure a marathon, not a sprint. Highly suggest leaving at least 7 hours for the hike itself. This will give you plenty of time to stop for photographs and a bite to eat while leisurely taking in all the sights!
Seven Sisters Hike Tips & What We Might Have Done Differently
- Pack plenty of snacks and your bottle of water. While there are a number of stops along the way, they are few and far between. Bonus points if you pack wine for the sunset!
- If you make it back to Seaford for dinner, check out Gino’s Restaurant. Does anything hit the spot better than a big bowl of pasta at the end of a long hike? Service is warm and welcoming, plus they are conveniently located next to the train station.
- Got time to spare? Make a weekend out of it. The Belle Tout Lighthouse actually doubles as a bed and breakfast. We’re dying to stay there for the views alone.
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