Ramsgate to Margate Walk via Broadstairs – Viking Coastal Trail

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I love walking by the sea. There is something magical about it that keeps me grounded and calms me every time I need it. I’ve been dreaming about long walks along the coast for years, so when we finally moved back to Kent, I knew I wanted to do the Margate to Ramsgate coastal walk as soon as I could.

As you might know, I walked from Margate to Broadstairs a few years prior. I’d never discovered what was hiding behind Viking Bay though.

Fortunately, this January turned out to be quite warm, so one day we decided to do the Ramsgate to Margate walk as a family. Since I was already familiar with the Margate–Broadstairs part of the walk, we started in Ramsgate this time. Apart from getting a different perspective, I felt better knowing I could break the walk in Broadstairs without missing out on the part of the journey that mattered most to me.

Ramsgate

We started our walk in Ramsgate town centre. It was so warm that I was comfortable walking in just a t-shirt at one point — and trust me, I’m usually inseparable from my jacket, even in summer.

The town centre, the marina, and Main Sands were jam-packed with people. The view of the building site just opposite Ramsgate Main Sands spoiled my mood momentarily, so we walked past it quickly.

That’s when we arrived by the Ramsgate Tunnels — once a Victorian railway tunnel, later turned into purpose-built air raid precaution tunnels where around 60,000 people took shelter (and lived) under Ramsgate during the Second World War. It’s on my list of places I still want to visit.

We continued along Marina Esplanade and East Cliff Promenade. Deep in conversation, we missed the only stairs leading to the top of the cliffs and found ourselves at the end of the promenade. I was annoyed that we had to turn back to find them.

Before we started this walk, I was very determined to spend as much time as possible at sea level. I completely didn’t consider the fact that we were taking a stroller.

We found ourselves in Winterstoke Gardens, followed by King George VI Memorial Park. The park has a playground and two cafés. I’d especially recommend checking out Italianate Glasshouse. It isn’t directly on the route, but look how beautiful it is!

After leaving the park, we walked by the road for a bit. There’s no pavement here, but the road is very quiet. I wish I could live here one day, in one of those big houses with glorious sea views.

Entering Broadstairs: Dumpton Bay

We took the nearest way down to the promenade. It was very steep and slippery because of the amount of sand lying on the ground. Be careful, especially if you’re walking with a stroller.

The end of the driveway finishes with stairs to the beach, which terrified me. The promenade was also unusually high above the beach, which didn’t help.

We followed the Broadstairs Undercliff Walking Trail up to Louisa Bay, enjoying the sea views, and then left via the nearest driveway. It led us to Victoria Gardens, but it was slippery in the same way as Dumpton Bay.

From the clifftops, we could see Viking Bay and its beach. I was so happy to see how far we’d walked — I couldn’t believe we were already in Broadstairs.

After popping into Tesco to replenish snacks, we continued via East Cliff Promenade until the driveway leading up to the clifftops.

Stroller tip: If you’ve got a stroller, use this exit up to the clifftops — it’s the last accessible one.

From there, we continued the Ramsgate to Margate walk following the roads, as most of the bays are sandy beaches that are accessible only at low tide. It was much easier this way, especially as we were already quite tired.

After passing the North Foreland Private Estate, we reached North Foreland Lighthouse. I don’t think it’s possible to visit the lighthouse, though.

We took a few photos and kept walking to Joss Bay, where we met a lady riding a horse. Our little one was mesmerised!

There wasn’t much interesting until we reached Kingsgate Castle. Be careful here: the pavement ends at one point and you have to walk along a narrow road.

Kingsgate Castle was built around the 1760s and was converted into 31 flats in the 1990s.

We passed the castle and The Captain Digby pub and were hit by so many memories. The last time we walked that path was almost six years ago. That’s wild to think about — so much has happened since then.

We passed the playground, and I went down the cliffs to take photos of the Kingsgate Bay Sea Arch.

It’s a semi-popular tourist spot. People were coming to take photos all the time, so it was hard to get a shot with no one in it.

And in case you’re wondering how I got down there… well, I used a hidden, very narrow, and apparently unsafe path, which I wouldn’t recommend.

Safety note: For a safe route, use the stairs down to Kingsgate Bay or Botany Bay. It’s sandy, so it isn’t stroller-friendly, but it’s much safer.

Towards Margate

Prince’s Walk was quite challenging for me. I was tired at this point, the sun was setting, the wind was picking up, and we still had a long way to go. Because of the weather (and the fact I wasn’t feeling great), we kept walking along the clifftops. This part has always been difficult for me.

Once we reached Bethesda Medical Centre, we changed our minds and went down to the promenade via Hodge’s Gap. The path leads straight to Walpole Bay and the tidal pool, which is often described as the largest tidal pool in the UK.

Its walls are wide enough to walk around at low tide. We spent so many hours walking by (and around) this tidal pool when we lived in Margate — it felt like a lovely trip down memory lane.

After a few minutes, we reached the Lido — once a vibrant part of town and a popular swimming pool, now filled with sand and decaying.

You can also see a gigantic mural of Sir David Attenborough painted across the cliff walls. Unfortunately, it’s being damaged and covered in graffiti.

After taking a few photos, we continued along Fort Lower Promenade. We passed Winter Gardens, Margate Yacht Club, and RNLI, and then arrived by Turner Contemporary.

It was quite dark by then, so it was difficult to photograph Antony Gormley’s Another Time statue. After seeing an entire beach filled with hundreds of statues like that, I really wanted to photograph the ones in Kent too. There are two more statues in Folkestone!

Fun fact: There are 100 statues just like this one on Crosby Beach, near Liverpool.

And that’s it. We arrived at Margate Harbour Arms and, of course, Margate Main Sands.

The last stretch was hard mostly because of the strong wind. It was cold too, especially after sunset. I was surprised to find the “new” car park near Margate Yacht Club, but it made me oddly happy — I hope the town keeps being restored and slowly looks better.

This journey took longer than I expected, but it was so worth it. It took us 5 hours 43 minutes to complete 19.34 km and it was more difficult than I expected.

The “clean” route is around 16.5 km (10.25 miles) if you don’t count our two snack stops and the distance to and from train stations.

Logistics for the Ramsgate to Margate walk via Broadstairs

Start	Ramsgate
Finish	Margate
Distance	10.25 miles (16.5 km) Distance depends on your start and finish points.
Time	around 5 hours (longer with stops / family pace)
How to get to (and from) Thanet	The easiest way to get to Ramsgate from London is a direct train from St Pancras International. The journey takes around 1.5 hours. If you’re travelling locally, there are also direct trains and buses from Herne Bay, Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone, and other towns. There are a few bus services connecting Margate, Broadstairs, and Ramsgate — with “The Loop” being the most convenient.
Recommended tide times app	Tide times (iOS/Android)
Privacy-first note	If you’re sharing this walk online, consider waiting until you’re home to post, and avoid live location tags.

More walks along the South East England Coast Path

• Margate to Broadstairs — 6 miles (9.7 km), part of the Viking Coastal Trail (sandy beaches + chalk cliff views).
• Dover to Deal — 11.37 miles (18.3 km), part of the Saxon Shore Way, which follows the White Cliffs of Dover (pushchair-friendly version).

Can you walk along the coast from Margate to Ramsgate?

Sure. If you want to walk from Margate to Ramsgate (or the other way round), check tide times first and decide where you should start. Some beaches disappear under water at high tide, so your route can get blocked.

And yes — it’s not really possible to do the beach sections with a stroller.

How long is the coastal walk from Ramsgate to Margate?

Ramsgate to Margate is around 10.25 miles (16.5 km) and takes about five hours at a steady pace.

If you include walking to and from train stations (and any detours), it can easily become around 12 miles (19.34 km).

Ramsgate to Margate walk via Broadstairs map

Here’s the Ramsgate to Margate coastal walk map based on our journey.

You can also check The Beach Roamer’s Ramsgate to Margate guide, which includes useful information and a map.

Have you ever walked from Ramsgate to Margate (or the other way round)? Share your experience in the comments — I’m very curious what your favourite part was!