Beautiful England Coastal Path: Margate to Broadstairs Walk

England has many incredible coastal hiking paths with beautiful views and landmarks. You can choose from beginner to advanced tracks. Margate to Broadstairs Walk is one of the easiest ones I’ve done.

Compared to the Seven Sisters, this is a walk in the park, literally. You’re mainly walking on flat terrain whilst being captivated by its beautiful coastlines and dramatic hanging white chalk cliffs.

If you are looking for a leisurely coastal path to walk, this is the perfect trail for you. It’s a nice little day trip from London and a great opportunity to spend time in the English great outdoors.

The walk is around 6 miles (just under 10 km) and is part of the Viking Coastal Trail along the Isle of Thanet, in Kent. It was our first coastal walk in England and the landscape is nothing short of spectacular!

Strolling along the sandy beach with the phenomenal white chalk cliffs and the never-ending view of the beautiful English coastline, plus melancholy British weather, was a truly unforgettable experience.

You can either walk from Margate to Broadstairs or the other way round. You can also do the entire walk at sea level, on the clifftop or both. But just make sure to check the tide level for the sea level walk, as some parts will be covered by the water in high tide.

You can complete the route within 2 hours. But it took us about 4 hours in the end! It wasn’t a difficult walk. We wanted to take our time and stroll along leisurely, switching between cliff level and sea level.

The views were stunning and of course had to stop for photos so I could share them with you! You’re welcome!

Just something to consider when you’re planning your walk.

Key TakeAways:

• Incredibly Scenic and Historical Landmarks: Enjoy picturesque views of the English Channel, admire the iconic Botany Bay with its stunning chalk stacks, and explore the charming town of Broadstairs, known for its connections to Charles Dickens.
• Accessible and Enjoyable Route: This walk is perfect for a leisurely day out, suitable for all ages and fitness levels. Easily accessible from London. The path is well-maintained and clearly marked. It’s a comfortable 4.5 miles (7 kilometres), allowing plenty of time for sightseeing, picnics, and relaxing by the sea.
• Cultural and Culinary Delights: Also plenty of opportunities to experience historical attractions and culinary delights. Both Margate and Broadstairs have quaint cafes, seafood restaurants and traditional English pubs where you can reward yourselves with a post walk indulgent.

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Getting from London

Getting to Margate from London is super easy. It’s just a 1.5-hour train journey from King’s Cross St Pancras station. I use the Trainline to book my train tickets from London to Margate. The whole process is seamless.

I always look for their super off-peak all-day return. It’s typically cheaper and you have a lot of flexibility on the day ➖you can catch any train provided they are during off-peak hours.

You can train to Broadstairs and walk back or get off at Margate and walk to Broadstairs. It’s the same train. We did a one-way walk from Margate to Broadstairs and caught the train back to London from Broadstairs.

You can go on to the National Rail’s website to plan your journey. It also has a live departure timetable, which is always handy to check on the timing and statuses.

You could also carry on to Ramsgate and train back from there. We decided to stop at Broadstairs to explore their culinary scene, which did not disappoint!

Margate beach

Margate is a historical town by the seaside and is one of the few sandy beaches in England. It feels like a step back in time. The Main Beach is like a carnival with a kids’ playground and jumping castles etc.

Margate Dreamland is an amusement park with vintage rides. The beach is a very popular summer destination. I remember going there for a warm summer day, and the beach was full of people, I struggled to see where the sand was… haha!

Once you arrive at the Margate train station, make your way to the seaside. You will hit the Main Beach and we want to turn right to commence our walk (i.e. beach on our left). Soon after, you will see these colourful Kids Corner, that takes you back to a school carnival!

Our Margate to Broadstairs Walk Starts Here

Continue around the bend of Walpole Bay and start your walk on the footpath along the promenade.

Note, at this sea level, you will also be walking on the sand, seaweed or some rocky terrains. Some parts are only accessible on low tide. So it is important to check the tide before you embark on this walk.

Don’t worry, there are stairs/walkways to take you up to the cliff-level en route. So if you can’t see a walking path, look for the way to go up!

By this point, we decided to go up and carried on along the cliff so we could admire the view from the top. And it did not disappoint. It was spectacular!

We did the walk in late May. The temperature on the day was in the high tens but it does get windy up there. Without the sun, the real feel was more like the low tens. I felt a bit under-layered if I’m being honest. So I recommend keeping that in mind when planning your walk.

Botany Bay, Kingsgate Castle and Joss Bay

As we walked forward, I always liked to look back and check out the view behind me. It was equally breathtaking!

The next highlight is Botany Bay. You can walk on the beach when the tide is low.

I couldn’t believe how many brave people were beaching and swimming in May temperature! Just watching them made me shiver… haha! I mean, we’d been walking nonstop for about 2 hours by then, and I wasn’t exactly warm in my woolly jumper and denim jacket! Brrr…

But I can imagine how lovely it would be in the summer with the sun shining down.

Once you can see Kingsgate Castle, then you are almost at the end of your Margate to Broadstairs walk!

Continue along the path around to the back of the castle…

After Kingsgate Bay, you will be greeted with another set of white chalk cliffs… Joss Bay

Arriving at Broadstairs

You will be greeted by a set of cute colourful beach huts lining up on the promenade. That’s Broadstairs Ladies and Genltemen. You have arrived!

 

Hello, colourful beach huts!! I’ve waited too long to meet you!!

Now if you would excuse me… I have a beach hut photoshoot to get to…

Eventually, we carried on the promenade to Broadstairs town. By this point, I just wanted to park myself somewhere warm and eat my heart out. I was starving! and freezing!

Broadstairs was busy! It took us a while to find a restaurant. So make sure you book in advance. This was around 4 pm by the way, on a cold-ish Sunday in May. I can only imagine what the town would be like in summer!

This concludes our leisurely walk from Margate to Broadstairs. I hope you enjoyed the photos and feel inspired to go check out the scenic views for yourself.

Will you do this walk?