over the sea in a small bay at sunset with pink clouds above. Parking at Durdle Door." width="1024" height="682" />over the sea in a small bay at sunset with pink clouds above. Parking at Durdle Door." width="1024" height="682" />
Our in-depth guide to the car parking situation at Durdle Door covers everything you need to know when planning your visit!
If you’re heading to Dorset, chances are, you’ll want to visit Durdle Door while you’re there. This natural limestone arch over the sea is one of the area’s most iconic sights. There are two beautiful beaches here, too, with sheltered bays for swimming – so the rocky arch makes a brilliant day trip.
If you are planning a visit, this handy guide should cover everything you need to know about the car park situation at Durdle Door.
We also have driving directions, public transport tips, and lots more info in a separate guide – click here to read that. But if you just need to know about the car parks – read on…
CONTENTSThere is a large car park at Durdle Door with space for hundreds of cars – including large vehicles. There’s also a large overflow carpark in Newlands Meadow (on the same site) which opens on busy days.
However, the car parks can fill up – especially on hot days in the height of summer – so it’s a good idea to arrive early. You can’t reserve car parking spaces at Durdle Door in advance.
Please note, from Durdle Door Car Park it is a 900m walk to the beach via a fairly steep path (more on this further down the page).
FYI – while there are toilets and other facilities at the car park, there are none on the beach itself. So take everything you need with you!
Durdle Door Car Park is marked correctly on Google Maps (click here) and is located on the same site as Durdle Door Holiday Park, so it’s easy to find via SatNav. The postcode is Wareham BH20 5PU.
The entrance to the car park is clearly signposted on the road between Winfrith Newburgh and West Lulworth. If you are coming from Lulworth Cove, the carpark entrance is on the left.
Payment is by card or the JustPark app only (no cash). The JustPark app allows for easy online payments at car parks throughout Dorset. Before your visit, we highly recommend downloading the app, setting up an account, and adding a payment card in advance – this will speed things up when you get to Durdle Door.
UPDATE AUG 2024: The prices went up this summer and have now been updated above. Parking has become very expensive and there is unfortunately no nearby alternative. It may be much cheaper to use public transport. You can take a train to Wool (or leave your car there) and take any of the following buses to Durdle Door’s entrance: X50, X54, Jurassic Breezer 30, Jurassic Breezer 31.
No – at the moment, it is not possible to pre-book a car parking space at Durdle Door. If the car park is full, we recommend parking at nearby Lulworth Cove and walking the cliff path to Durdle Door. You can also take a bus between the two. Click here for our guide to getting from Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door.
From Durdle Door Car Park, it’s a 900m walk to the beach via a steep path of packed earth and gravel. This should take around 20 minutes – perhaps a little longer on the way back up.
It can be a challenging walk for some, but there are some fantastic views of the arch on your way down. We recommend sensible footwear and plenty of water (especially for the way back up). The walk from the car park down to the beach should take around 20 minutes.
Remember, there are no shops, toilets, or other facilities on the beach – these are all at the car park. So take everything you need down with you. And PLEASE bring all your rubbish back up, we need to protect this beautiful place!
FYI – You can get a view of Durdle Door without really leaving the carpark. A short walk to the top of the cliff path affords a glimpse of the rocky arch. However, the best views are from the beach and the coast path.
There is no free parking close to Durdle Door. The limestone arch and surrounding beaches are part of the privately owned Lulworth Estate so the only nearby parking
However, there is a small layby on the road before the entrance to Durdle Door Car Park, with space for a handful of cars. If you’re driving from Winfirth Newburgh towards Lulworth Cove, the layby is on the right just after Old Daggers Gate Road – click here for the location on Google Maps.
From this layby, the walk down to Durdle Door would likely take around 45 minutes to an hour. We’d recommend opting for the paid car park, which is both more convenient and safer.
Please DO NOT park on the side of the road between Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove if there is no layby. The road is not wide enough to support this and there have been incidents where emergency vehicles could not get through due to cars blocking the road.
The car park is on Durdle Door Holiday Park, so is well maintained and has several facilities. There are toilets at the car park, and the holiday park has a small convenience shop and a restaurant.
At the top of the cliff path down to the beach, there is also a refreshment kiosk. This is open from early March to the end of October and sells ice creams, drinks, and hot and cold refreshments. Please note, the kiosk only accepts card payments.
The best postcode to use for Durdle Door is BH20 5PU, which is the postcode for Durdle Door Car Park.
Another alternative is to park at Lulworth Cove and walk to Durdle Door. It’s an easy, one-mile walk along the South West Coast Path over the cliff that separates these two coastal highlights. The path starts from the back of the carpark in Lulworth and is very well signposted, so it’s simple to find your way. Click here for a route map and directions.
There’s also a longer, 5-mile circular walk from Lulworth that goes along the cliffs to Durdle Door, then back following an inland route to the beach at Lulworth Cove. Click here for a route map and directions.
There is ample paid parking at Lulworth Cove carpark (BH20 5RS), which costs £10 for 4 hours or £20 for the day. It is managed by the same company as Durdle Door and the charges are the same. Again, you can pay by card at the machine or use the JustPark app.
There is also very limited free roadside parking in the village of West Lulworth. Church Road is normally the best bet – but it gets full quickly on busy days. Take care not to inconvenience the villagers or block access if you do park there – there have been incidents where ambulances couldn’t get down the road due to badly parked cars.
If you have any questions about parking at Durdle Door – or anything else – please feel free to get in touch. Scroll down to leave a comment and I’ll get back to you asap.
