Seven Sisters Cliffs: Birling Gap, Beachy Head & Seaford Head

The cliffs

The Seven Sisters are a run of chalk sea cliffs on the Sussex coast between Seaford and Eastbourne, inside the South Downs National Park. Three places give you the view: Seaford Head for the classic panorama of all seven, Birling Gap for the beach directly beneath the chalk, and Beachy Head for the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain.

Getting there

• By coach: a day trip stops at all three viewpoints, which no single bus route does.
• By train: Brighton or Eastbourne, then a coastal bus. Allow most of a day from the Midlands.
• By car: parking at Birling Gap and Beachy Head fills early on sunny weekends.

What to bring

• Shoes you can walk grass and chalk in. The paths are uneven.
• A windproof layer, in any season. The clifftop is colder than inland.
• Water and food if you are not stopping at the Birling Gap cafe.