- Duration
- ~3 km on foot, ~2.5 h (≈ 2 h 5 min: moving and stop time only)
- Who it suits
- Everyone
- Transport
- walk
- Start
- St Kilda Beach
- Finish
- Elwood Beach
- Pace
- relaxed pace
- Best time
- later in the day, for the sunset from the hill
- Budget per adult
- free, plus the tram to St KildaPrices as of: July 2026; transport and zoo prices October 2026
Getting there
Tram to St Kilda Beach, then walk the bay path. A full-fare bank card works.
Stops in order
The text version of the route: stops, time at each and the legs between them. Times are estimates, without queues, traffic or swims.
1. St Kilda Beach~30 min at the stop
The start of the shore. The flags and the cafes are here, and the crowd thins as soon as you walk south along the water.
Tip: Swim between the flags at the start. The bay wind is cold even on a clear day.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 30 min · 2 km
2. Point Ormond~20 min at the stop
The low hill over the water at the end of the Elwood canal. This is the sunset stop.
Worth knowing: In April 1840 the 157 settlers of the Glen Huntly, flying the fever flag, were landed here on 'Little Red Bluff'. Two tent camps formed a makeshift quarantine; those who died were later reburied in St Kilda Cemetery.
Tip: The canal is the inland option if the wind is in your face. Give the hill ten minutes, then keep going to the quieter sand.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 15 min · 1.2 km
3. Elwood Beach~30 min at the stop
The quieter sand at the end of this walk. Buses on Ormond Road connect back toward the tram.
Tip: Swim here only if the flags are up on this beach too. Otherwise the swim was at the start, at St Kilda.
Open on the map ↗
Before you go
- Route times are estimates: walking, driving and a sensible pause at each stop. Add queues, traffic and swims yourself.
- Prices, timetables and trail status change. Check the venue's official site and the state transport app before you go.
- On beaches, swim only between the red and yellow flags. Use sun protection even when it is cloudy.