It’s a theory rife amongst seasoned travellers that cities are best discovered on foot. Trains, light planes and traffic-filled streets are all very well for the jaded locals, but none of these modes of transport are the best way to engage with the charm and nuances of undiscovered terrain.

Sydney is the perfect prototype for a city worth a walk. The dramatic sweep of beaches and harbour sanctuaries make anything from a dawdle to a heart-thumping power walk an enjoyable way to traverse the lie of the land. Sensible shoes, an internal compass and personal endurance are essential to any walking tour of the notoriously hilly streets of Sydney.

One of the best walks available to Sydney-siders of a temporary and permanent nature starts at the Spit Bridge and ends at Manly Cove. The walk might not be recommended by its association with one of the least glamorous names ever attributed to a landmark - main rivals include the Dead Sea and Death Valley - but the views from this path along Sydney Harbour’s northern foreshores more than make up for it. Covering a distance of about 9.5 kilometres, this well-worn track is a wonderful way to see beautiful stretches of shoreline and the style to which some of the city’s more well-to-do residents have become accustomed. Grand homes have filled up some of the best spots around the harbour, but there’s still an abundance of wild scrubland, rainforest growth and beaches to meet the quota for natural beauty. Protected sites also feature on this walk, such as the midden between Fisher Bay and Sandy Bay where broken shells remain as evidence of an Aboriginal campsite. Turn off the track to the Grotto Point Lighthouse for the view, the Clontarf Beach café for something cooling, Reef Beach for a secluded dip and celebrate the walk’s completion with a swim at Manly Beach.

For walks a little closer to the postcard-quality sights of Sydney’s central business district, there are a couple of choices. Visitors should acquaint themselves with Mrs Macquarie’s Chair; which is much more impressive than it sounds. Carved out of a rock ledge to accommodate the recreational wants of the Governor’s wife who knew a good view when she saw one, the chair is perched on the eastern edge of the Royal Botanic Gardens occupying a prime spot for panoramic views of the harbour. From here, it’s a short walk meandering along the calm and leafy foreshore in the Royal Botanic Gardens, past the Art Gallery of New South Wales which itself is certainly worth a detour to see the state’s best collection of Australian, European and Asian Art. There’s a healthy collection of Aboriginal art on show and works from some of the nation’s greatest artists such as Streeton, McCubbin and Nolan. Follow the path around to the Opera House and the walk is completed by the appearance of the rather spectacular sails of Jorn Utzon’s invention.

Another less conventional way to see the city is of course the Bridge Walk. It requires you to book ahead, don an unflattering protective suit and have high hopes for seasonable weather, but it’s certainly a memorable way to take a walk. A stroll across one of the city’s most famous structures leads you to a point 134 metres above sea level and can be taken at dawn, anytime during the day and even at night. If you happen to make it up there on Australia Day (January 26) it’s the perfect place to observe the city’s rarely enacted ‘ferrython’ in which the city’s ferries race for the obscure yet coveted title of Ferry Champion.

In the eastern suburbs, the walk from Bondi Beach to Bronte Beach is an ever-popular way to enjoy the bracing winds of the coastline and the juice vendors there to reward the trail of dehydrated walkers. At less than three kilometres, this walk comes with an unbeatable view of the Pacific Ocean checkered by bikini and speedo-clad people keen to get from one beach to the next. Begin the venture with the extremes in fashion to be witnessed along the Bondi promenade made even more famous by Paris Hilton’s outdoor shower shown round the world, cruise past the sun-baking hoards at Tamarama and cool off at the Bronte Baths to be found at the southern end of the beach. The Bondi to Bronte walk is apt for those who tend to stroll rather than trek.

Next up in the eastern suburbs is the walk from the ever-so-affluent streets of Rose Bay to Watson’s Bay. This walk has it all, including about four hours of well-rewarded effort. Starting at Lyne Park in Rose Bay, the path takes in a variety of cliffs, coves, parkland, magnificent homes and beaches through Tingira Reserve, the Hermitage Foreshore Scenic Walk, Nieslen Park, Vaucluse Bay and Parsely Bay. Both Nielsen Park and the bay named after a meal adornment are very popular and picturesque spots for a swim or a picnic with requisite amounts of cheese and wine. Watson’s Bay is the perfect destination for any walk no matter how long or shot due to the reliable quality of beer, fish and chips to be discovered at the world famous Doyles Restaurant which first opened its doors in 1885.

For those savvy travellers who wish to end their holiday with a more satisfying knowledge of the action-filled streets of Sydney rather than the perverse driving habits of the city’s cab drivers, walking is the way to go.