One of our team recently returned from a trip along the South Downs Way, and it exceeded all expectations. This corner of England is full of bustling market towns, ancient history and scenery that surprised me every single day. And the grand finale – the Seven Sisters cliffs – is one of the finest stretches of coastal walking in Britain. 

If you're planning your own visit, here's everything you need to know. Where the cliffs are, how to get there from London, and why the Seven Sisters hike deserves a place on your list. 

Where are the Seven Sisters? 

The Seven Sisters cliffs sit on the East Sussex coast in southern England, between the towns of Seaford and Eastbourne, inside the South Downs National Park. The cliffs form part of Seven Sisters Country Park – 280 hectares of chalk grassland, meandering river valley and coastline centred on Cuckmere Haven, where the River Cuckmere meets the sea at Exceat. 

They also mark the final, and best, stretch of the South Downs Way. The trail runs 100 miles (161km) from Winchester, the old Saxon capital of England, all the way to the seaside town of Eastbourne – and it saves the Seven Sisters for the end. 

How to Get to Seven Sisters from London 

One of the joys of the Seven Sisters is how easy it is to reach. All you need to do is get to Winchester, where the trail begins – and that couldn't be simpler. 

• By train – Winchester is on the South Western Railway network, just an hour from London Waterloo, with frequent services throughout the day. 
• By coach – National Express runs around five daily services from London Victoria Coach Station to Winchester. 

The Seven Sisters Cliffs 

Chalk cliffs meeting a beach are a rare sight, and Sussex is one of the best places in the country to see them. The Seven Sisters take their name from the seven hilltops that form the silhouette of the cliffs. From west to east they're called Haven Brow, Short Brow, Rough Brow, Brass Point, Flagstaff Brow, Bailey's Hill and Went Hill – and to this day, nobody quite knows where the names came from. The original Seven Sisters are the Pleiades, a cluster of seven stars that Greek mythology cast as sisters. 

The brilliant white of the cliff face is pure chalk, formed in prehistoric times when this land lay underwater. As sea levels fell, the soft chalk was exposed – and the sea has been sculpting it ever since. It's why the Seven Sisters look so clean and bright compared to other stretches of the English coast. 

The Seven Sisters Hike 

A highlight of the whole South Downs Way was the final day from Alfriston to Eastbourne – the very same stage that closes our South Downs Way walking holiday. It's a route that saves the best until last. 

The day covers 12.5 miles (20km) with around 420m of ascent. Don't let the modest distance fool you – the path rises and falls over every one of those seven chalk summits, so there's a fair bit of climbing packed in. And you'll stop for photos more often than you expect. Fair warning. 

From the picture-postcard village of Alfriston, with its Tudor-beamed cottages and tea rooms, the trail follows the Cuckmere Valley as the river winds its way to the sea. Then the Seven Sisters roll away in front of you as you walk the cliff tops. At Birling Gap there's the chance of a refreshing swim from the shingle beach – or at least a little paddle. East of here you pass the old Belle Tout lighthouse, then get wonderful views down to the red-and-white striped Beachy Head lighthouse before climbing Beachy Head itself – a huge chalk headland with panoramic views in every direction. The official end of the South Downs Way is at Meads Village, from where it's a half-hour stroll (or a short bus ride, if you're feeling weary) into the traditional seaside town of Eastbourne. An ice cream on the Victorian pier feels thoroughly earned. 

We describe the walk west to east for a reason – the prevailing wind is at your back, and the white cliffs make a far better finale than a starting point. 

National Trust Birling Gap and the Seven Sisters 

Roughly two-thirds of the way along the cliff walk you'll reach Birling Gap, a hamlet in a dip between the Sisters and Beachy Head. The National Trust's Birling Gap and the Seven Sisters site is the ideal halfway stop – there's a café, a small shop and a visitor centre, plus a staircase down to the shingle beach below the cliffs. At low tide you can explore the rock pools and look back up at the chalk towering above you. It's also one of the few places along this stretch where you can actually get down to sea level, so it's well worth timing your walk around it. 

One thing worth knowing: this is one of the fastest-eroding coastlines in Britain, so keep well back from the cliff edge – both at the top and the base. 

Walk the Seven Sisters with Macs Adventure 

The sea, the South Downs and those white chalk cliffs make for some of the finest walking in England. So put on your boots, pack your camera and head for the coast. 

Our South Downs Way walking holiday covers the full 100 miles from Winchester to Eastbourne over 8 days of walking, with the Seven Sisters as the grand finale. It's graded moderate – one of the most accessible National Trails in Britain – and runs from April to September. We arrange hand-picked B&Bs and inns along the trail, door-to-door luggage transfers, and full route guidance in the Macs Adventure app, so all you need to think about is the walking. Getting there is easy too: Winchester is an hour by train from London Waterloo, and Eastbourne is around 1.5 hours back to Victoria at the end. 

Macs Adventure has been arranging self-guided walking holidays since 2003, and this trip alone has more than 80 reviews from walkers who've done it. If you have any questions, get in touch with one of our England walking specialists. We've walked it ourselves, and we're always happy to talk about it.