Durdle Door to Lulworth Cove Walk [full guide + free map included]

Where is Durdle Door? 

Durdle Door is located in the county of Dorset in south England. It’s part of the Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site coastline south of Bristol, located between the towns of Southampton and Exeter.

This coastline area is famous for its breathtaking natural beauty, beautiful beaches, dramatic cliff landscapes, and charming villages hidden in hills and forests. Easily reachable from London, it’s one of the best ideas for weekends breaks in the UK or staycation in the UK. 

Here’s Durdle Door map:

Durdle Door is an impressive rock formation made of limestone ranked among the world’s most beautiful natural arches. Through thousands of years, the waves crashing against the rock have created a hole in the middle, to create this giant-sized door over the sea.

Photo of the arch from the beach, at the bottom of the hill

Interesting Facts About Durdle Door

I love learning things about the places I’m about to visit, so here are my findings about Durdle Door: 

• Durdle Door was formed somewhere about 140 million years ago, but the arch as we know it today took shape about 10,000 years ago.
• The name comes from the word « thirl », Old English word for « pierce, bore or drill ».
• The place has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001.
• It’s privately owned. Durdle Door belongs to the Welds family.
• Several dinosaur bones have been discovered in the area.
• According to geologists, the gradual erosion process is expected to eventually wear away the roof of Durdle Door, leaving behind only a stack. 
• It’s a favorite popular spot for sports enthusiasts, including wild swimming, diving, snorkeling, kayaking, and hiking. 

How To Get to Durdle Door

To do the walk from Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove, you can choose to start either from Durdle Door or Lulworth Cove. However, I highly recommend starting from Durdle Door for several reasons. 

First, because Durdle Door parking lot has more spaces available while the Lulworth Cove parking lot gets crowded quickly. 

But also because catching the last sunlight on the famous arch will likely be the highlight of your day. And given how quickly it gets dark, you’ll be more than happy to only have a short 10-minute walk back from the beach to your car. 

🚗 By Car

The easiest option is to drive up to Durdle Door, which is perfectly marked on Google Maps: 

• From Bristol: the trip takes about 2 hours 20 (76 miles / 122 kilometers). If you’re coming from Bristol, I recommend stopping by the outstanding Cheddar Gorge. 
• From London: the trip takes about 3 hours (129 miles / 208 kilometers)

When arriving, simply park your car in the dedicated car park, open from 8 am to 5 pm. Here are the parking prices in 2024 (payment is by card only, or through the JustPark app): 

• Up to 4 hours: 6 pounds 
• All-day parking: 12 pounds

You can also park up the road for free, right before the Durdle Door Holiday Cottages. You’ll probably see a lot of cars already parked there.

This is a nice option to park for free or outside the car park opening hours, but this will add 15 minutes of walking to reach Durdle Door.

🚌 By Public Transport

The closest train station to Durdle Door is Wool. From there, you can take the bus line X54 to Durdle Door. But you should know the bus service is very limited during the winter. 

• Bristol to Durdle Door – 3 hours 45: the fastest option is to take the train to Southampton Central, then the South Western Railway train to Wool, and finally take the X54 bus to Durdle Door Park Entrance. 
• London to Durdle Door – 3 hours 10: the fastest option is to take the Southern train to Clapham Junction, then the South Western Railway train to Wool, and finally take the X54 bus to Durdle Door Park Entrance.

The X54 bus operates all year round. If you visit in the summer, you’ll have more bus options and possibly less travel time. 

For more information about how to get there by train and bus, check here the trains/buses in Dorset. And if you’re on a budget, here are awesome tips for cheap travel in England.

Durdle Door Hike Details

While you’re in Dorset’s Durdle Door, use this opportunity to discover more of the Jurassic Coast. The easy hike from Durdle Door to Lulworth Cove is a very nice option to do so.

But first, here are some details you need to know before starting the Durdle Door walk. 

Durdle Door Lulworth Cove Walk Info

Durdle Door to Lulworth Cove Hike

Easy

1,5 hours (round trip)    2 km / 1.3 miles

83m / 272ft    80m / 263ft

Get the Map

⏱ Time: Hiking from the top of the stairs in Durdle Door to the beach in Lulworth Cove takes about 45 minutes. Plan at least half a day for this walk. The round trip will take you 1h30, and you’ll easily spend 1 hour in both Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove.

🚶‍♀️ Distance: The hike is 1,3 miles (2 kilometers).

🤙 Difficulty: The hike is easy and the path is well-maintained.

📈 Elevation: You’ll walk up 272 feet (83 meters), and walk down 262 feet (80 meters).

Durdle Door to Lulworth Cove Hike Itinerary

Before starting the walk, make sure to download the offline map of the area in Google maps to have it saved on your phone. This way, you’ll never be lost, even with no network.

Then, you can head to Lulworth following these steps:  

1. The first step is to take the same path you took when coming, the one that will take you to the car park. You will pass in front of Man O’war Bay, a stunning bay right next to Durdle Door.

Man O’war Bay next to Durdle Door

2. Right after Man O’War Bay, you’ll see a small path going along the cliffs: that’s the South West Coast Path, the one that leads straight to Lulworth Cove. Unfortunately, due to the eroding land, a big landslide happened on this path in 2013 and destroyed a part of the SW Coast Path.

3. To start the hike to Lulworth Cove, you’ll need to keep going up to the car park, instead of taking the SW Coast Path right away. Just before reaching the car park, you’ll see a path going down on the right; that’s the one you need to take (see map below). This path will also lead you to Lulworth Cove, and it will merge into the SW Coast path after 5 minutes.

4. After 10 minutes of hiking up the path, you’ll reach the top, and you’ll see Lulworth Cove in the distance. From there, it’s all downwards to the beach.

View of the cove from the South West Coast path

Aaaand, you’ve made it to Lulworth! The whole walk is simply breathtaking with outstanding views on the sea, you’ll love it.

But just one more thing: don’t walk too close to the edge of the cliffs when doing this walk, it’s very unstable and could collapse at any moment. 

As said earlier, you can choose to do the reverse, which means taking the Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door walk instead. It’s exactly the same, simply doing it backwards, so you can use all these informations as well. 

Also, if you don’t want to do the round trip, you can take the X54 bus at Lulworth Cove to take you back to Durdle Door in a few minutes only. 

Discovering Durdle Door 

When you get to Durdle Door, you have 2 choices: you can either go down the stairs to the beach, or you can stay on top of the hill to watch it from above.

Durdle Door Beach

If you want to go down to Durdle Door beach, you don’t have to climb down the hill. You can simply use the stairs leading directly to the beach.

Be careful when you go down the stairs; the ground quickly becomes wet, and it can get slippery. Some parts of the stairs are closed off; for a good reason. Do not try to go down these stairs, you’ll put yourself at risk, as they might collapse.

When we got down to the beach, we realized that what looked like a sand beach from above was in reality not completely a sand beach. The beach is made of sand mixed with pebble stones, which creates this crunchy noise when you walk on it.

As we were in Durdle Door during April, it was way too cold to swim, sadly. However, the upside of that was that there was almost no one, and we had the location to ourselves.

If you choose to go in summer, the water still isn’t that warm, but it’s definitely warm enough to swim in, and locals regularly come there to relax, bathe, or try the wild swimming spots around.

Durdle Door From The Cliffs

For a different view of Durdle Door and its beach, you can walk on the cliffs.

When you’re at the edge of the cliffs, right above the stairs, instead of taking the stairs down to the beach, go right and follow the path.

This walk will take you on a nice stroll along the cliffs. If you keep walking for 10 minutes, you’ll have a stunning view of Durdle Door from above when you turn back.

Discovering Lulworth Cove

Lulworth Cove is another natural marvel. It has a unique shape, and the contrast between the white pebble beach and the blue water is a real treat for the eye.

When you arrive in Lulworth Cove, there are 2 main spots you can go: on top of the left cliffs, and on top of the right cliffs, where you also have the Stair Hole.

Lulworth Cove Left Cliffs

Going to the top of the left cliffs is the hardest of the two. After reaching the beach, we had to walk along the beach all the way to the end, on the left side. There, we found stairs going up, and we followed the path all the way to the top of the cliffs.

When we were there, it had rained heavily the previous days, and the whole path was turned to mud. We weren’t correctly equipped with boots but with simple sneakers. Walking in the mud and water was tough; on several occasions, we slipped and almost fell.

On the way down, it was even harder; try not to slip when going down a steep cliff covered in mud!

We reached the beach exhausted and covered in mud. Nesrine was even ashamed of entering the local café, so you imagine how bad we looked with mud everywhere, soaked shoes, and wet pants?

Lulworth Cove Right Cliffs And Stair Hole

Unlike to left cliffs, going on top of the right hill is pretty easy. You simply take the upward path next to the boat shed café, and you’ll reach the top in 5 minutes. From there, you have a pretty good view of Lulworth Cove.

You can also follow the SW Coast Path to see another unique rock formation, the Stair Hole.

Best Time to Walk Lulworth Cove Hike

Basically, you can visit Durdle Door & Lulworth Cove at any time of the year. The landscapes are always marvelous, and everything stays open during the low season.

But some periods and moments are better than others, I’m telling you everything here: 

➡️ Best season: 

I recommend you not to visit in winter as the weather is often quite bad (cold and rainy), and the wind is extremely strong.

The best time to go is during the warm months, from April to September: walking around is more pleasant and you can also enjoy the beach. However, the summer months (July-August) are very crowded with tourists coming from everywhere.

➡️ Best time of day: 

I recommend you start the walk as early as possible so you won’t have a problem parking and you’ll have the whole place to yourself. It also allows you to go on other walks in the afternoon if you want to. 

If you have the chance to visit during the low season, you can also do it at sunset, which is simply beautiful.     
 

What to Pack

Even if the walk is quite easy, there are some things you absolutely need to pack for this walk. So check the weather forecast and pack accordingly:   

• Bring boots if there is rain planned. Otherwise, wear appropriate river hiking shoes. 
• Bring at least 2 liters of water per person. Consider bringing more if you’re doing it in the summer. 
• Pack snacks for the walk; you can even plan a picnic on top of the cliffs. 
• If you go during summer, bring your snorkeling mask or swim goggles, the underwater life is very interesting!
• If you’re carrying camera gear or simply your phone, be careful with the sand, it’s the worst enemy of electronic devices. Keep them safe in your bag or in a pocket that zips up.  

Read more: The Essential Hiking Gear List

Where to Stay Near Durdle Door and Lulworth

As said before, doing this walk will, at least, require half a day. So if you want to stay on site, here are some nice options: 

⭐️ Best Hotel – Limestone Hotel: located half a mile from Lulworth Cove (5 minutes drive), this country-style house has free parking and a restaurant. The rooms offer all the necessary comfort (wifi, private bathroom…) and a magnificent view of the Dorset countryside. The breakfast is copious and delicious. 

💰 Best Budget Hotel –  The George B&B: this bed & breakfast hotel is located about 25 minutes drive from both Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door, right next to the Weymouth Marina and the beach. The George offers free parking, wifi, clean rooms, and friendly staff. 

FAQ About the Durdle Door Walk to Lulworth Cove

How far is Durdle Door from Lulworth Cove? 

If you choose to hike, Durdle Door is 1,3 miles / 2 kilometers away from Lulworth Cove. By car, it’s about 1,8 miles / 2,9 kilometers, which is 8 minute drive. 

Is it better to park at Durdle Door or Lulworth Cove?

For me, it’s better to park at Durdle Door if you want to do the round trip. Durdle Door’s car park is larger so you won’t struggle finding a spot. Also, Lulworth Cove is a nice stop for a coffee before getting back to Durdle Door. And it’s much better to end the hike with a view of the arch, especially if you’re doing it at sunset. 

But if you need to do some grocery shopping before starting the hike, then you should start the trail from Lulworth Cove as there are shops there. 

Is the walk from Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door dog-friendly?

Yes, the Lulworth to Durdle Door walk is dog-friendly, as well as the beaches. 

What are the facilities available on the hike?

You can fill your water bottle at the Durdle Door parking lot (the hike starting point) and the Lulworth Cove Visitor Center. Toilets are also available at both locations.

At Lulworth Cove, you’ll also find several convenience stores and a pub. 

At Durdle Door, there is usually a food truck selling refreshments and ice creams. 

Visit the Jurassic Coast

Wondering what to do after visiting Durdle Door and Lulworth? 

No worries, you definitely can’t get bored in the Dorset region. Check the following posts to find out more walks and things to do on the Jurassic Coast: 

• Worbarrow Bay
• Old Harry Rocks
• Corfe Castle
• Cheddar Gorge

You can also check the full guide of all the best places in the Jurassic Coast: 21 Best Places to See on the Jurassic Coast.   

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