The Royal National Park is one of Australia‘s most beautiful national parks and also one of the easiest to access from a major city. Despite the proximity of Sydney, the wilderness feel while exploring its many walking tracks has stayed intact. Every time, I feel small and vulnerable when I admire the broken multicoloured and gigantic cliffs threatening to collapse into the crashing waves just below.

Royal National Park Coastal Walk Bundeena - Wattamolla 07

Not only is the Royal National Park remarkable for its beauty, but it is also of historical importance. It was established in 1879, making it Australia’s oldest national park and the second oldest in the world after Yellowstone National Park in the United States.

What to do in the Royal National Park?

Take your time. Explore everywhere if you can. It’s a stunning place.

But if your time is limited, I have listed below my recommendations. If you’ve been to the Royal National Park, I’d love to hear what you liked there: please leave a comment at the end of the article!

Wattamolla Beach

Although it’s one of the most popular spots in the Royal National Park, it shouldn’t be missed.

How often do you see a cascade flowing into a pool that becomes the ocean in the background? Plus, it’s the start of a few hikes, so you can check it out without wasting time at all in your exciting program.

Indeed, I never stay for long at Wattamolla Beach. There are too many people: not what I am looking for in a national park. But if you’re lucky to go there off-season and during the week, you may get a different experience.

Responsible travel tip: Take three for the sea. Have you ever seen those signs? It encourages people to pick up rubbish before they end up in the ocean. If every visitor picked up three items, it would make a real difference. And at Wattamolla, you shouldn’t have issues finding three items to pick up. In less than 10 minutes, I had my hands totally full…

Coastal Hikes in the Royal National Park

Walking along the cliffs is a must-do when visiting the Royal National Park. 

I have walked the Coastal Track from Bundeena to Garie Beach, and the views are breathtaking. The path was very easy to follow, and I cannot remember any challenging part – except going uphill and downhill, and the length of course. Many hiking tracks are one-way only.

If you travel as a group with a couple of vehicles, I recommend leaving one at the end of the hike so you can finish the loop with the car and avoid coming back the same way.

For example, you can leave your car on Bundeena Drive and hike to Marley Walk (4km), then to Wedding Cake Rock (+1km) and finish in Bundeena (+7km).

That’s also what we did to hike from Wattamolla to Curracurrang Cove (1.5 km), then to Eagle Rock Lookout (+2 km) and finish at Garie Beach (+3 km). I recommend doing it this way rather than in the opposite direction: it is more agreeable to go down the stairs to arrive at Garie Beach than to start with them!

It’s easy to organise an overnight hike from Sydney City to tackle the entire Coastal Track (26km). You can easily use public transport to reach Bundeena and then go back via Otford station.

In addition to the NSW National Park official website, I also used Wild Walks to plan our hikes in the Royal National Park.

Famous Instagram spots in the Royal National Park

The Royal National Park is a trendy place. The number of people on the hike increased in the last few years as its popularity increased on Instagram. Indeed, it hosts two one-of-a-kind landmarks that attract international Instagrammers: the Wedding Cake Rock and the Figure 8 Pool. I spent a few weekends exploring the area: I hardly stopped at the Wedding Cake, and I have never been to the Figure 8 Pool. Not because I don’t think these spots are worth it, but because there are many other places to explore without the crowd.

If you are interested in checking out Figure 8 Pools and Wedding Cake Rock, please read on to avoid disappointment.

Figure 8 Pools can be reached after what is described as a challenging hike where you have to scramble in the rocks. It can be a bad surprise for those more into Instagramming than into hiking. Instagrammers sometimes take risks to get the best picture. They regularly get injured at Figure 8 Pool as waves can suddenly crash on them. If you go there, stay alert and understand the risks you are taking.

Wedding Cake Rock is fenced. You can see it from the path, with an excellent natural lookout a bit further as you carry on walking towards Little Marley Beach. Despite the fence, the walk is still worth it as the coastline is spectacular and Wedding Cake Rock is the only blocked view you’ll get. When the number of visitors dramatically increased, the authorities found out the rock was (and still is) very unstable and will collapse soon. The warning on the fence could not be more explicit: “Do not risk your life for a photograph”. Most visitors (all of them but our group for our experience) jump the fence and take the risk. Do they enjoy the thrill as much as the funny-looking rock? Just know that the rock does look unstable from the other side. And during the Coastal Walk, we spotted stones that recently collapsed. It does happen. Plus, it’s a hefty fine if you get caught – and there are many other great spots to take impressive photos in the park.

These photos may help you make your own opinion on these two places.

3. Kayaking in the Royal National Park

Tired of walking along the coast? Give your legs a rest with a paddle adventure.

Are you thinking of buying an inflatable kayak? We love how we can now explore more places easily since we got one. Check out my tips on how to choose an inflatable kayak and the most important questions to answer first.

Renting equipment in Bundeena was easy, and I enjoyed kayaking in the Royal National Park.

With a group of friends, we took a self-guided tour with transfers so we could kayak for two hours on the calm and lovely river. Then we hiked around 10km of the coastal walk from Bundeena to Wattamola. It was a great way to explore as much as possible the national park in just one day.

Royal National Park Kayaking

4. Waterfalls in the Royal National Park

Waterfalls were not my priority when I visited the Royal National Park – except for Wattamolla which I think is worth checking out. Although I’d like to see some waterfalls there, we always end up doing the coastal walks instead. It seems more logical in this National Park, but I may be wrong. If you’ve had enough of the cliffs (is that even possible?), you may want to explore a bit more inland.

Here are the hikes I selected (but I didn’t have time to do): Winifred Falls (4km one way) and Deer Pools (2 km one way).

Where to stay in the Royal National Park?

There is one campsite in Bundeena (Bonnie Vale campground) that you can book online. The other two campsites are not accessible from the road: you’ll need to hike the coastal walk to get there.

If you don’t want to camp, there are cottages in the national park (click for more info*) with three bedrooms. Another option is to stay in Bundeena* or Cronulla* (from where you can catch a ferry to Bundeena). I recommend having a look at Airbnb* offers, you will have more options than traditional hotels.

Have you been to the Royal National Park? Did you like it as much as I did? Share your experience in the comments below!

Where is the Royal National Park?

The Royal National Park is in New South Wales, located only 30km south of the heart of Sydney as the crow flies. It normally takes less than 90 minutes to drive there, but you may get stuck in traffic during the weekend.

The Royal National Park is very easy to access via public transport. You can catch a train to Cronulla from Sydney City (Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line; one hour), and then, after a five-minute walk, you can catch a ferry from Cronulla to Bundeena. The Royal National Park starts in Bundeena, around 15 minutes away from the marina. Visit Transport NSW and Cronulla ferries websites to plan your trip.

If you do the Coastal Walk all the way from Bundeena to Otford (a two-day hike), you can catch a train back to Sydney from Otford.

It’s one of the stops on my Australia’s East Coast road trip guide that you can download for free here.

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What to do in the Royal National Park - Sydney

Eloise

Eloise is the creator and writer of MyFavouriteEscapes.com. She writes about her experiences exploring exotic destinations and finding hidden gems closer to home. Her goal is to share tips and stories to inspire and encourage others to go on their own adventures. She loves outdoor and nature-based activities like scuba diving, hiking, kayaking, and sailing. She grew up in France and has lived in England and Turkey before calling Australia home for the past decade. So let's get ready for another adventure!

This Post Has 10 Comments

  1. Cat

    We LOVE Royal National Park and you’ve included so many of our favourite spots! We only recently visited Wattamolla, but the cliff walks and kayaking is brilliant. We’ve attempted the walk to the Figure of 8 Pools at low tide a few times, but always been scared of the swell!

    1. Eloise

      Hi, Cat! I would have loved to know which other spots are among your favourite! I think it’s wise to be scared of the swell at Figure 8 Pools when you read all the accidents that happen…

  2. Vibeke Johannessen

    This makes me miss Australia. It is such a beautiful country and so much to see and experience. I didn’t get to visit this park but will definitively go back to visit the places I didn’t get to visit in Australia. Figure 8 pool looks so cool. Great to read your tips about it and the risks. It is not easy to see the risks by only see the photo. Thank you for sharing.

    1. Eloise

      Thank you, Vibeke! Australia has so many great places that it’s nearly impossible to see them all in one trip. As it’s very easy to access, I hope you’ll be able to add the Royal National Park to your itinerary next time!

  3. Candy

    Royal National Park seems like a place I could spend the whole weekend exploring. I’ve seen photos on IG of Figure 8 Pools and had no idea that it was a little bit dangerous to get that shot. It always looks so calm and I can’t see the harsh waves in the shots. I’m a novice hiker, so I would definitely need to up my hiking game if I want to get to the Figure 8 🙂

    1. Eloise

      Hi, Candy! Yes, these waves are unpredictable and that’s why it’s so dangerous. You think it’s all good… and then you get smashed. I’ve seen some shocking videos on YouTube… They do warn people about it, but accidents still happen.

  4. Sandy N Vyjay

    The Royal National Park looks to be full of natural treasures and instagrammable places.. But of course pictures and selfies are not something that one should put their lives at risk for. The figure 8 pool and the Wedding cake rock do look intriguing, but I would rather prefer to walk along the cliffs and bask in the spectacular views.

    1. Eloise

      Hi, Sandy. I agree with you and I prefer to stay away from places with big warning signs and fences! 😉

  5. Ilana

    I love visiting national parks, especially during the summers! This one looks really huge! I like that you included both a tip about responsible travel but also some nice spots for Instagramers 🙂

    1. Eloise

      Thanks, Ilana. I actually think the entire national park is a good spot for Instagramers! It’s very scenic all along the coast – if you’re willing to hike there!

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