Where: South coast between Seaford and Eastbourne. Starting in Seaford is highly recommended as you will have the iconic views of the cliffs visible at all times.

Distance: 20 km

How to get there: Trains to both Seaford and Eastbourne from London Victoria (1,5 hrs)

Navigation: No maps needed, the walk is one continuous path from the beach at Seaford. Check tidal charts before your hike.

Description: The Seven Sisters Walk is spectacular. Possibly the most popular day hike in the UK, you likely won’t have the coastal grandeur all to yourself - but a slightly early start will let you escape the crowds. However, this is not a walk to be rushed. This is a perfect hike to enjoy with friends, relishing the windswept beauty during a long lunch at the iconic Cuckmere Haven beach, and ending the day with ice cream and fish & chips in Eastbourne. Every cliff warrants a photo stop – just stay away from the edges! A massive clifface collapsed in February 2021, luckily no one was injured.

Also, I do not recommend doing this hike on a very windy or rainy day, as it is extremely exposed. You are walking on bare sea cliffs the whole way until you get to Eastbourne, there is not a speck of shelter or trees anywhere. I have hiked this trail six times, once on a colder and foggy day with some rain. This is definitely a hike for good weather days, the expansive views are the highlight of the trip.

The trail is gentle on the feet, being white dirt or grass the entire way, except for the stony beach and minor river crossing at Cuckmere Haven. Hiking boots are not necessary, although a pair of sturdy trail runners are preferable to everyday sneakers. You will face two steep climbs out of Seaford and Cuckmere Haven (but both are over quickly) and one steep descent into Eastbourne. Other than that it’s all rolling hills spooning you in!

Start your hike along the lovely beach front in Seaford, a small but vibrant town with all amenities including cafés and a Morrisons for resupply. Brightly coloured wooden sheds line the walkway, and you definitely won’t get lost as everyone is heading in the same direction. The first cliff towers above the town and white paths streak upwards, choose one and don’t forget to turn around to enjoy the views!

The path is steep, but this first climb is the longest one of the whole trail. Any normally fit person can tackle the Seven Sisters Walk with no trouble, so don’t panic even if the climb leaves you winded. Once on top of the first cliff you will save superb views behind you of Seaford and the southern coast stretching eastwards. Make sure to stop for photos on the white cliff plateau halfway up…

Once up and over the first cliff, enjoy the lovely green grass and a level stroll for a couple of km before descending into Cuckmere Haven. This iconic beach is the motive of many an English postcard, and features in major feature films such as Atonement. Wildflowers line the trail, and wild bunnies can be seen hopping about in the bushes to your left.

On a personal note, I first hiked this hike after months of lockdown during the early summer of 2020. Our world had come crashing down during the most monumental year of our lives, we were left to write our MA dissertations alone in our bedrooms. We were all in the middle of a massive personal crisis at the time of this hike - but the freedom of the great open landscapes was food for our starved souls. Out here it didn’t matter if the world had ended. The wild cliffs, glittering ocean, and grassy hills were untouched by catastrophe. Out here we could stretch our legs and be young - together.

Cross the beach and sit down for a lunch at the far end after crossing the river (at high tide you might have to detour via Cuckmere Inn, follow the river inland). The beach is very stony and the water is COLD, but it’s the best spot for lunch along the whole route in my opinion - despite being rather early on the trail. From here on it’s all rolling green hills and white trail, the endlessness of which is best enjoyed uninterrupted. Going for a swim at the beach will hopefully also save you a pee break in the bushes later!

A super short and steep climb up the high cliff beyond the beach, just bend your head down and shoot up as fast as you can.

From now on it’s just about enjoying the vast openness stretching all the way into the horizon. The world has three colours: blue, white, and green as far as the eye can see. The terrain undulates gently up and down, the paths take you close towards the cliff edges, but if that feels too edgy, there is planty of grass to stroll on further inland. This stretch is my favourite, it’s just drop dead gorgeous, and keeping up a group conversation is easy as everyone can walk spread out across the wide trail.

The white cliff are luminous on a sunny day. Given my Norwegian heritage, I am extra partial to the feeling of being fried by the sun for hours on end. This stretch is so long and gentle, the horizon seemingly scoops you in as you drift along in the grass. I have never been a runner (how is it so exponentially much harder than walking?), but I did eventually run this trail in 2024, it’s a perfect half marathon distance.

After a few km you can pop in for an ice cream and a toilet break (for those too fussy to opt for the bushes) at Birling Gap car park. This area is normally very busy with families and tourists coming to see the cliffs without having to hike the trail. Not a place to linger. Continue on the path through a small estate, the trail remains clearly signposted and soon you’re back out on the green clifftops.

It’s always nice to hike with friends, and you can send some unique and cute Pin Badges to your friends as a souvenir of your hike!

The last high cliff gives a vast view out towards the endless seas, the perfect spot for an existential snack break. In this picture, Lena, Emma, and I sat enveloped in sadness for all that had been lost, but gratitude for having one another. I think this was the moment where I transitioned mentally from being an ardent solo-hiker to the hybrid hiker I am today. There’s nothing like the adventure of taking on the world all on your own. But in this moment, when the world felt more isolating than ever, I felt like nothing could match the love I have for my friends. A world without them is a world not worth living in. When all other bonds and anchors holding life together snapped, ours were stronger than ever. I have written this elsewhere, but the greatest adventures in life lie in other people. I am so against the many narratives of our age telling us to turn inward, say no, take a step back. Take a step in! Turn outward, venture into the world, say YES, love wildly, do everything.

And before you know it, the path descends steeply down towards Eastbourne, a much bigger town with a long beach, lively market stalls, and fish & chips bundles the size of a newborn baby. Enjoy!