Durdle Door to Lulworth Cove Walk, Jurassic Coast, Dorset, England

Come with us on this Durdle Door to Lulworth Cove walk where you’ll have the chance to explore some of the most photographed and iconic landmarks along the Jurassic Coast of England. 

You’ll get a closer look at Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove, but you’ll also see some other breath-taking landmarks such as Man O’War Cove and Stair Hole, visit stunning beaches and enjoy the amazing views along the coastline.

If you’d like to see our Durdle Door to Lulworth Cove walk with some amazing drone footage then make sure to watch our YouTube video by clicking here. (This video also contains our Old Harry Rocks’ walk.) You can also watch our full Jurassic Coast series by clicking here.

All you need to know about the Jurassic Coast

The stunning Jurassic Coast stretches from Orcombe Point, Exmouth in East Devon all the way to Old Harry Rocks, Swanage in East Dorset. The 154 km (96 miles) long coast was the first totally natural World Heritage Site to be designated in the UK.

The Jurassic Coast has 185 million years of geological history with rock formations from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. As a result, the coastline is filled with some of the most amazing natural features. These include arches like Durdle Door, pinnacles and rock stacks like Old Harry Rocks, coves and limestone foldings like Lulworth Cove and Stair Hole and even a tide island called the Isle of Portland only connected to the mainland by a barrier beach.

Erosion is still taking place today, forming the landscape daily. The coast is being managed through a fine balance of protecting people but also allowing the natural process of erosion to continue to shape the landscape. This basically means that there are coastal defences put in place where houses are at higher risk, whilst no action is taken elsewhere. Here is a list of notable landslides that have altered the Jurassic Coast just in the past 20 years:

• A 400 m (1,300 ft) section of the coastline was reshaped after what is considered the worst landslide in 100 years in May 2008.
• In 2012 about 400 tonnes of rock fell onto the beach at Burton Bradstock causing a fatality.
• In 2016, another cliff fall happened at West Bay.
• After heavy rainfall further cliff collapse occurred at Hive Beach in Burton Bradstock in August 2020.
• The most recent collapse happened in April 2021 near Weymouth. This latest one was described as the biggest rockfall in the UK in 60 years.

What’s amazing about the Jurassic Coast is that you can walk the entire length of it via the South West Coast Path. The 1,014 km (630 miles) long path is considered England’s longest waymarked long-distance footpath running from Minehead in Somerset to Poole Harbour in Dorset. 

About Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove

Durdle Door is without doubt one of Dorset’s most photographed landmarks. What’s interesting about Durdle Door is that it’s part of the Lulworth Estate which is owned by the Welds family. The family has been managing the 12,000 acre estate since 1641. Although it’s privately owned, it’s open to visitors all year round. 

Did you know? – Lulworth Estate actually owns about 5 miles of the Jurassic Coast including Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove. The estate also has a castle called Lulworth Castle, a park and even an adventure centre.

Durdle Door is a massive limestone arch which was formed on a concordant coastline. A concordant happens when layers of different rock types run parallel to the coastline.

The name ‘Durdle’ comes from the Old English word ‘thirl’ which means to pierce or drill. ‘Thirl’ actually derives from the word ‘thyrel’ which means hole. 

Lulworth Cove, just to the east of Durdle Door, is also part of Lulworth Estate. The cove is known to be one of the finest examples of such a landform as it’s nearly perfectly spherical in shape. Just like Durdle Door, it’s also on a concordant coastline.

How Lulworth Cove was formed? – In a nutshell, the sea broke through the outer layer of hard Portland limestone. It then eroded the clays behind the limestone. The erosion, however, slowed down due to the chalk cliffs that stand behind the cove.

It’s actually quite easy to see a great example of how Lulworth Cove was formed. Just to the west is another cove ‘in the making’ called Stair Hole. The sea here has broken through the limestone already and is slowly eroding the clays. This is basically what Lulworth Cove would’ve looked like ages ago.

How to get to Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove

By Car: Durdle Door is located to the south of Winfrith Newburgh and west of West Lulworth. The best way to arrive is probably by car. You can park at Durdle Door Car Park (Post Code: BH20 5PU) adjacent to the Durdle Door Holiday Park. You can also park at Lulworth Cove Visitor Centre (Post Code: BH20 5RS) to the south of West Lulworth.

Both car parks cost £4 for up to 4 hours or £10 all day. It’s not cheap, so I recommend you plan how much time you’d like to spend in the area. You can easily spend a full day here, so it might be worth paying for all day parking and making the most of your visit. If you don’t have your own car but would like to enjoy the freedom of a private vehicle, then you can always hire a car to get to Durdle Door.

Please Note! – From April to September the car park opens at 9 AM and closes at 9 PM. From October to March it’s only open from 9 AM to 4 PM!

By Public Transport: If you arrive by public transport you can take Buses 30, 31, X52 and X54 travelling to destinations such as Weymouth, Bridport, Poole, Swanage, Bovington Camp and Cold Harbour. I recommend getting off at the Durdle Door Park Entrance bus stop. From there, you can walk past the holiday park and head down to Durdle Door. You can plan your journey by clicking here.

If you’re coming from further afield, I recommend getting the train to either Wool or Weymouth. Train services are running between London and Weymouth. From there just take the bus to Durdle Door. You can also take a taxi from Wool station if you wish. Make sure to plan your journey with Trainline which also provides information on bus fares.

By Bike: Regional Cycle Route 6 runs to the north through Winfrith Newburgh, West Lulworth and East Lulworth. In addition, Local Cycle Route 5 and National Cycle Route 2 run further north in the area.

Good to Know Before You Go

Length of the Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove Walking Trail

The Durdle Door to Lulworth Cove walk we completed was just 6 km (4 miles) long. Depending on your speed or how long you’re spending at the main features, this route could take around 3 hours. 

For reference, we got to Durdle Door around lunchtime and it was sunny. However, heavy rain was forecasted within the next few hours. So, we tried to enjoy the scenery and the sunshine as long as possible. (We actually got caught in a heavy downpour on our way back, so we did the walk back from Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door in about half the time it took us to get there.)

You can extend your walk and I recommend spending more time around Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove if you pick a lovely day. From Durdle Door you can follow the South West Coast Path to the west and walk to the Bat’s Head or even to White Nothe. Bat’s Head is just over 1 km from Durdle Door and White Nothe is located approximately 4 km away. You would obviously need to walk back too, so it would be double the distance.

At Lulworth Cove, if you have time, I suggest you walk up and along the cove to get the best views. (With the rain clouds fast approaching we didn’t have time to do that as we had no waterproof covers for our camera gear.) You can also explore Fossil Forest just to the east of Lulworth Cove.

When to visit Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove

Generally speaking you can visit Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove all year round. The scenery will be more lush during the spring and summer months. Obviously, during the warmer months it’s also more pleasant to walk around, plus you can also enjoy the beach. The majority of the tourists visit between July and August. If you have the chance, consider visiting during the less busy months. This would also help to ease mass tourism.

If you’d like to beat the crowds, I recommend you start your Durdle Door to Lulworth Cove walk a bit earlier. Especially, if you can only visit during the weekend or school holidays!

The beauty of this place attracts not only tourists and outdoor lovers, but also tons of photographers, so chances of seeing others there around sunrise is pretty high. Then again, the majority of the people wanting to enjoy the beach will probably arrive a bit later in the day.

Alternatively, I suggest coming on a weekday if you can. Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove are two incredibly popular spots along the Jurassic Coast. When we arrived around lunchtime on a normal Tuesday in May the place was pretty busy and there were quite a few people on the beaches too. So, I can only imagine this place during the weekend or summer holidays!

Level of Difficulty

I would rate the route easy to moderate as you can complete it with a basic level of fitness. If you’ve not been walking and hiking a lot you might find the descent and ascent to and from Durdle Door steep. From Durdle Door car park it takes a good 20 minutes to get to Durdle Door Cliff Lookout Point. The path is rocky and can be slippery. If you’d like to visit the beach, you’ll also have nearly 150 steps to get down. (Obviously, you’ll have to do this journey all the way back up to the car park!) Therefore, I highly recommend wearing comfortable footwear like trainers or boots and not flip-flops. 

Please Note! –  I don’t recommend you stand or sit too close to the edges along the coastline. You should also stick to the designated paths and don’t try to climb down or up anywhere else. (At the time of writing this post, I saw in the news that a woman lost her life by falling off the cliff after trying to descend off the designated path!)

Many people visit Durdle Door to enjoy its beautiful beach. If you’d like to have a dip in the ocean, just be careful as the beach drops steeply and there’s also a strong under-tow.

Please Note! – There is no lifeguard at the beach.

There’s no shelter along this trail either, so strong wind and rain can make this walk uncomfortable. Therefore, I recommend checking the weather app before your visit and wearing appropriate clothing.

I think this walk could be a great activity even on a slightly windy and rainy day but I wouldn’t suggest doing it in really bad weather conditions or when visibility is too low. After all the views are the best part of this walk!

Facilities around Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove

Cafés and picnic spots: I highly recommend packing your own lunch and having a picnic somewhere on top of the cliffs overlooking Durdle Door or along the beach. If you’d like to grab a coffee or tea and a bite to eat, you can do that either in Lulworth Cove Visitor Centre or walk into West Lulworth just north of the visitor centre.

Please Note! – Barbecues and open fires are NOT permitted anywhere on the Lulworth Estate. Therefore, make sure to pack an appropriate picnic basket when you visit Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove.

Toilet facilities: There are public toilets available at Durdle Door Car Park and at Lulworth Cove Visitor Centre. Please note there won’t be any public toilets available adjacent to Durdle Door Beach. You’ll need to walk back up the hill I’m afraid.

Camping: Pre-booked camping is possible at Durdle Door Holiday Park, however, you are NOT allowed to wild camp anywhere along the cliffs or on the beaches.

What to Wear and Bring with You?

You are in the south of England so the weather tends to be slightly better compared to the north. However, it can still change quickly, especially during the winter months.

At the time of our visit it was mainly dry and sunny. However, the wind picked up quickly and rain clouds which appeared in the distance reached the coast pretty fast. Therefore, I recommend weather appropriate clothing when going on the Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove walk. You’ll be exposed along the majority of the trail. Therefore, make sure you check the weather forecast before you set off and have a few layers with you. You might feel a bit cooler closer to the coastline but warmer for the rest of the walk. 

Whilst the trail is pretty good it can still be a bit uneven in places. Rain can also make parts of the trail muddy and slippery. Therefore, I suggest wearing comfortable walking shoes, boots or sandals. 

I also suggest packing your own lunch and snacks and having plenty of water and hot drinks with you depending on the weather. You can stop for a picnic anywhere along Durdle Door or Lulworth Cove. Along this walk you’ll also have the chance to walk down to some sandy beaches. So if you’d like to have a dip in the water then pack some swimsuits and towels with you.

Please Note! – Whatever you bring with you, make sure you either take it home with you or dispose of it responsibly. Please note that there are NO bins at the beaches so make sure to have a garbage bag with you where you can collect all your waste. (And obviously don’t leave it on the beach!) Enjoy your time in nature but Leave No Trace!

Durdle Door to Lulworth Cove Walking Trail

The Durdle Door to Lulworth Cove walking trail is very easy to follow as it is clearly signposted, but as usual I divided the route into 5 main sections.

You can always park at Lulworth Cove Visitor Centre and do the walk in reverse order. 

1. Durdle Door Car Park to Man O’War Cove

After you’ve parked your car at Durdle Door Car Park, you have to make your way down to Durdle Door. The path will be clearly signposted. It’s quite a steep descent and the route is rocky so take your time. It takes a good 10 to 15 minutes before the view starts to appear in front of you.

You’ll first pass Man O’War Cove just to the east of Durdle Door. You can admire its beauty from the top or you can also visit its sandy and fine pebble beach.

Please Note! – You can reach either Man O’War Cove Beach or Durdle Door Beach via a set of steep steps. Therefore, I recommend wearing supportive shoes.

2. Man O’War Cove to Durdle Door

To the west of Man O’War Cove is Durdle Door and Durdle Door Beach. I recommend staying up high and walking a bit further along the South West Coast Path. One of the best spots to view Durdle Door and the beach is from Durdle Door Cliff Lookout Point. (Please refer to the AllTrails map above.) From this point you’ll have an excellent view in either direction. Obviously to your left you’ll see the iconic Durdle Door view. But don’t forget to look to your right and admire the beautiful white cliffs. You’ll be able to see a cliff called Bat’s Head in the distance. You can also walk there too if you’d like to extend your walk.

If not, you can turn back and either visit the beach, or head back towards the car park. From Durdle Door you have to walk back up the steep hill. Once you’ve managed to get almost to the top, you’ll need to walk through the gate on your right towards Lulworth Cove. You really can’t miss it as it’s clearly signposted, plus a lot of people will be walking through this field. (Just a warning: they might have livestock such as sheep and cows in this field so proceed carefully.)

3. Durdle Door to Stair Hole

The path you need to follow is pretty straight forward. The first part will be pretty level with a small incline. Then around halfway through you’ll start walking downhill, and it gets pretty steep towards the end. This section is actually paved with wide steps. Before you start descending you can look back to check out the beautiful coastline behind you. (But don’t worry if you’re too excited to see Lulworth Cove and you forget about it. The view will be in front of you on your way back!)

Once you’ve walked through the gate you’ll see Lulworth Cove Car Park on your right. Just walk through it and head into Lulworth Cove Visitor Centre. You have plenty of facilities here so if you need to use the toilet or want to grab a drink or food it’s a good time to do so. 

There will be signs leading you to Lulworth Cove. At the roundabout if you follow Main Road, you’ll end up on Lulworth Cove Beach. I recommend following Britwell Drive first. From there just take the South West Coast Path on your left. This will lead you to Stair Hole and Lulworth Cove. You’ll get to a lookout point for Stair Hole, but I recommend coming off the path before you get to this lookout point. This path isn’t an official one, but people have clearly walked through there before. Please make sure you stay on the already created path without damaging the environment further. You’ll have a fantastic view of Stair Hole once you’ve walked a bit further in.

As I mentioned at the start, Stair Hole is almost like an infant cove and it’s probably how Lulworth Cove once looked. I recommend spending some time here to admire the amazing geology.

4. Stair Hole to Lulworth Cove

Walk back the way you came and merge back onto the South West Coast Path. You’ll pass the Stair Hole lookout point and soon come to a fork in the road. to your right there will be a big lookout point. There is also a path going straight ahead. The path on your left will lead you down to Lulworth Cove Beach. We carried on straight ahead until we got to a cool view point. You can admire the view from here for as long as you wish. 

From this point we saw that massive rain clouds were coming in fast. We decided to head back to Durdle Door car park to avoid getting our cameras wet. 

But if you have more time and are a bit luckier with the weather I highly, highly recommend walking down to the beach and also to walk up the cliff behind Lulworth Cove by following the South West Coast Path. This will give you a great overview of one of the finest coves in the world. 

Again if you have more time, you can walk to the other side of the cove and visit Fossil Forest. Fossil Forest is basically a submerged forest. It was once filled with plants and trees around the time Portland Stone was formed, and the sea levels dropped. Later when the climate became wetter the forest was flooded. Unfortunately the trees died but their stumps and roots got preserved by calcareous sediments. 

Please Note! – Fossil Forest is located within the Lulworth Rangers, therefore it has restricted access. You can check out the governments website for more information by clicking here.

5. Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door Car Park

Once you’ve explored Lulworth Cove and Stair Hole, you’ll need to head back by the same way you arrived. You’ll again walk through Lulworth Visitor Centre and the car park. Immediately you’ll start your ascent. As you would’ve expected when you walked down the hill, it is pretty steep going back up. So, just take your time. Once you’ve passed the very steep part it will be more level and you can once again enjoy the view of the stunning coastline in front of you. When you get to the end of the path, just head up to the car park. You have now completed your Durdle Door to Lulworth Cove walk and explored some of the most iconic features along the Jurassic Coast of England. 

Additional hikes along the Jurassic Coast in Dorset

The Dorset section of the Jurassic Coast is definitely packed with some of the most amazing landscapes. Therefore, it also offers some of the greatest walking routes. Whilst you can walk the entire length of the coast by following the South West Coast Path, you can also break it up and explore it section by section. The latter is what we did and here is a list of great walks you can complete too:

Golden Cap and Langdon Hill Circular Walk – Explore Golden Cap by a 7 km long circular walk that takes in Langdon Hill, Seatown Beach, St Gabriel’s Chapel and St Gabriel’s Wood. Click here to read it.

Old Harry Rocks Circular Walk – A 10 km circular trail that takes in the stunning Old Harry Rocks. Click here to read it.

Isle of Portland Circular Walk – A 16 km route circling around the entire Isle of Portland, visiting many features such as a lighthouse, cool rock formations, stunning viewpoints, a sculpture park and many ruins. Click here to read it.

You can also browse for more hiking trails in the UK and around the world in my Hiking Adventures Series.

Final Thoughts on the Durdle Door to Lulworth Cove Walking Trail

Whilst this Durdle Door to Lulworth Cove walk is super popular and a point to point one, I was still left speechless after seeing these iconic landmarks. No wonder they are well visited all year round.

Although Lulworth Estate can be pretty touristy I still think it’s 100% worth a visit. There’s so much to see and do here that my only regret is not visiting for a bit longer. (Obviously, the weather wasn’t on our side in the afternoon.) Therefore, my biggest advice for you is to plan on spending a full day on Lulworth Estate to make the most of your visit. (And the very expensive parking fee…)

Have you ever visited Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove or the Jurassic Coast before? If so, how much of the area did you manage to explore? Let me know in the comments below.