Visit Perth

Sunsets over the Indian Ocean, a 400-hectare park overlooking the city, a port of Victorian facades and a car-free island home to quokkas: Perth, isolated on the west of the continent, is lived outdoors, with more sunshine than most Australian capitals.

Why go to Perth?

Perth is the gateway to Western Australia, a huge state with landscapes still little visited. The city itself offers fine sand beaches twenty minutes from the centre, a well-preserved colonial heritage in Fremantle and Rottnest Island, the one easily reached place to see wild quokkas.

Perth's must-sees

Unique wildlife, colonial heritage and wide open spaces, often less than an hour from the city.

Kings Park and Botanic Garden

Over 400 hectares of bushland and gardens above the Swan River, with a glass and steel walkway crossing the eucalyptus canopy.

Rottnest Island

A car-free island to explore by bike, with turquoise coves, snorkelling and above all quokkas, small curious marsupials living wild near the paths.

Fremantle Prison

A gaol built by British convicts in the 19th century and listed by UNESCO. Guided tours of the cells and, optionally, of the flooded tunnels by boat.

Cottesloe Beach

Perth's most famous beach, with its Art Deco pavilion and Norfolk pines. In March, it hosts the open-air Sculpture by the Sea exhibition.

WA Museum Boola Bardip

The state museum, opened in 2020, blending natural history, Aboriginal cultures and the history of Western Australia. Its suspended blue whale skeleton is its emblem.

Swan Bells

A glass bell tower by the water at Elizabeth Quay, housing historic bells from St Martin-in-the-Fields church in London. River views from the terrace.

Perth Mint

A mint operating since 1899, one of the oldest in the country. Gold pouring demonstrations and a display of nuggets from the gold rush.

Pinnacles Desert

Thousands of limestone pillars rising from the yellow sand of Nambung National Park, about 200 km north. Spectacular at sunset.

Fremantle Markets

A Victorian market hall from 1897 with fresh produce stalls, crafts and street food, open Friday to Sunday. Buskers play by the entrance.

What to discover in and around Perth?

The centre, Elizabeth Quay and the Swan River

The business district lines the Swan River, a wide estuary where dolphins are sometimes spotted. Elizabeth Quay, developed in 2016, reopened the city to the water with promenades, a pedestrian bridge and the ferry jetty. The South Perth ferry crosses in about ten minutes and offers the finest view of the towers; the zoo is a short walk from the landing. Half a day covers the centre, the old London Court lane and the Perth Mint. Free CAT buses link most of the district.

Northbridge and the Perth Cultural Centre

Just north of the station, Northbridge holds the Perth Cultural Centre, with the Art Gallery of Western Australia, the State Library and the WA Museum Boola Bardip, opened in 2020. The gallery's free collections give a prominent place to Aboriginal artists. In the evening, the area becomes the city's main hub for Asian restaurants and bars, very lively from Thursday to Saturday. Allow a day for the museums, followed by dinner in Northbridge: everything is walkable from the centre.

Subiaco, Leederville and the west of the city

West of the centre, Kings Park sits on a plateau above the Swan River; a visit there naturally extends to Subiaco, a district of Federation houses and cafés, and Leederville, younger, with its retro cinema and the bars of Oxford Street. Both are under ten minutes by train from the centre. Allow half a day in the park, plus time for lunch in one of the two districts. In September, the Kings Park wildflower festival draws crowds: come on a weekday and early in the morning.

Fremantle, the historic port

About thirty minutes away by train, Fremantle has kept one of the best-preserved sets of Victorian and Edwardian architecture in the country, inherited from the 1890s gold rush. The Round House, built in 1831, is the oldest public building in Western Australia. The maritime museum, the prison and the covered markets easily fill a day, best rounded off with fish and chips by the harbour. At weekends, come early: the markets open Friday to Sunday and the area fills up by noon.

The Indian Ocean beaches

Some twenty kilometres of beaches line the city, from Cottesloe to Scarborough by way of City Beach. Swim in the morning: in the afternoon, the sea breeze known as the Fremantle Doctor picks up and churns the water, especially from December to March. Swim between the flags on beaches patrolled by lifeguards, and check the state's shark-monitoring app before heading out further. In the evening, sunset over the ocean is the great local ritual, ideally with a picnic on the lawns.

Day trips in Western Australia

The Swan Valley and its wineries are half an hour from the centre. Further out, the Pinnacles Desert is two and a half hours north, the Margaret River region, wine and surf, three hours south: allow at least two nights there. To continue your trip elsewhere in Australia, distances call for a flight: Melbourne and its laneways are about three and a half hours away by air, with a time difference of two to three hours depending on the season.

Frequently asked questions about Perth

Is one day enough for Rottnest Island?

Yes for the essentials: the ferry takes about 30 minutes from Fremantle, longer from central Perth. Rent a bike on arrival for the loop of around twenty kilometres, stopping in the bays to swim. Take the first morning ferry, as the island has very little shade.

How do you take a quokka selfie without breaking the law?

Keep your distance, crouch down and let the animal approach on its own, without touching it or offering food: it is a protected species and fines are high. Quokkas are most active early and late in the day, near shaded areas.

Can you see the Pinnacles on a day trip from Perth?

Yes, about two and a half hours by the coast road. Combine it with the Lancelin dunes for sandboarding, and stay for sunset over the pillars. Drive back carefully: kangaroos and emus often cross the road at dusk.

Should you stay in Perth or Fremantle?

Perth is more convenient for museums, transport and organised day trips. Fremantle offers a village feel, pubs and direct departures to Rottnest. With four nights, many spend two in each, the two being linked by frequent trains.

When can you see wildflowers around Perth?

From August to October, peaking in September. Kings Park then displays thousands of local species during its festival, close to the centre. For fields in the wild, drive north towards the Pinnacles and beyond, where blooming starts earlier.

How long is the flight from Perth to the east coast?

Allow about three and a half hours to Melbourne, four hours to Sydney or Brisbane, with a time difference of two to three hours. The Indian Pacific train also links Perth to Sydney over several days, across the Nullarbor Plain.

Is it safe to swim at Cottesloe?

Yes, the beach is patrolled by lifeguards during the summer season. Swim between the flags, ideally in the morning before the Fremantle Doctor, and avoid deep water at dawn and dusk. The SharkSmart app reports any sightings in real time.

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