Hike to Barrenjoey Lighthouse in Palm Beach, NSW

Palm Beach is the most northern suburb in Sydney, and although it’s 1-2 hours from the city centre (depending on transport option) it’s totally worth a visit when you’re in Sydney, Australia!As well as a beautiful beach and the fabulous Boathouse Cafe there is the famous Barrenjoey Lighthouse hike. The relatively short (but very steep) hike takes you to the most northern point of Sydney and gives you a 360 degree view of your surrounds.

​It’s pretty darn sweet!

You have a few options, depending on time and whether you want to see anything else along the way.Your first option is obviously driving, although majority of visitors to Sydney city will not have a car so the next options all involve public transport.

Public Transport from Sydney City to Palm Beach, Sydney

• Catch the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly, check out the beach and then catch the 199 bus from Manly to Palm Beach
• Catch the L90 bus all the way from Wynyard to Palm Beach
• Catch the B1 (B-Line) from Wynyard to Mona Vale and then change to the L90 or 199 bus in Mona Vale

Once you get to Palm Beach the best stop to get off at (the closest to the beginning of the hike) is outside the Palm Beach Golf Club, ask you driver which stop this is to save yourself getting off at the wrong stop! Mind you, if you do get off at the wrong stop you won’t be too far away, the beach and town is small.

​Once you hop off the bus you want to head North towards the lighthouse. If you’ve gotten off at the golf course you want to take the road that runs along the golf course all the way to the end. You’ll have the golf course on your left, and then you’ll pass the Boat House cafe.​Note: Just north of the Boathouse Cafe there is a public bathroom and a drink bottle refill station. Fill your bottles here! There is no water at the top of the hike!

Once you’ve passed the boathouse Cafe then you will see the beach to your left, walk down on to the sand and keep heading toward the lighthouse. Towards the end of the beach there will be a path to your right that will take you up to the lighthouse.

There are 2 track options. The Smugglers Track  is shorter (400m) with more steps and the other, the Barrenjoey Track is longer (800m) but less steps. Both are very steep. I recommend going up the Barrenjoey Track and down the Smugglers, that way you’ll get better views on both the ascent and the descent in my opinion.

​Many people take on the steep hike just to get the famous photo showing both Palm beach and Pittwater, and although this is breathtaking, the views in all directions are equally as amazing. To the South you get Palm Beach & Pittwater, to the North you get the Central Coast, West you get West Head and the Kuringai Chase National Park and East you get the Tasman Sea. As a bonus, if you happen to be in Sydney during humpback whale migratory season and are feeling lucky, Barrenjoey can be a pretty awesome spot to see one.