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Crown Towers Perth, Perth, Australia

Things to do guide

The best things to do in Perth

Updated 7 October 2026 · 14 things to do

Pictured: Crown Towers Perth

Perth is one of the most isolated big cities on earth, and it has turned that into a way of life. The sky is enormous, the light is dazzling, and the Indian Ocean is never far away. Locals finish work and go straight to the beach to watch the sun drop into the sea, which is something the east coast of Australia can't offer.

The city itself is compact and easy: a small centre on the Swan River, a huge park on the hill above, the old port of Fremantle downstream and a string of white beaches in between. Then there is Rottnest, the island offshore where the quokkas live.

Don't miss

  1. 1Kings Park and Botanic Garden
  2. 2Rottnest Island
  3. 3Fremantle
  4. 4Cottesloe Beach
  5. 5The Pinnacles

The big sights

  1. Kings Park and Botanic Garden

    Nature

    The Perth skyline seen from Kings Park
    Photo: Calistemon, CC BY-SA 4.0

    On a bluff above the city, Kings Park is one of the largest inner-city parks in the world, most of it natural bushland. The lawns along the edge give the classic view of Perth: glass towers, the wide Swan River and the hills beyond.

    The botanic garden is devoted to Western Australia's extraordinary plants, with giant boab trees and a treetop walkway among the eucalypts. In spring the wildflowers put on a show. It suits everyone, from picnicking families to serious walkers.

    Tip: Come up for sunset, then stay to watch the city lights come on.

  2. Elizabeth Quay

    Landmark

    The curving footbridge at Elizabeth Quay
    Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Perth's waterfront precinct brings the river right up to the city's edge. A curving footbridge loops over the inlet, with promenades, a water playground, bars and restaurants around it, and ferries leaving for South Perth and Rottnest.

    Beside it stands the Bell Tower, a glass spire that houses historic bells from the London church of St Martin-in-the-Fields. It is a pleasant place for an evening stroll.

  3. Fremantle

    Neighbourhood

    The gatehouse of Fremantle Prison
    Photo: Calistemon, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Freo, as locals call it, is Perth's port and its most characterful corner: streets of gold-rush-era buildings, pubs with wide verandas, buskers, bookshops and a fishing-boat harbour lined with fish and chip restaurants.

    The convict-built Fremantle Prison is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with absorbing tours, and the WA Maritime Museum stands on the waterfront. Finish with a coffee on the Cappuccino Strip or a beer at a craft brewery by the harbour. Allow a full day.

  4. Optus Stadium and Matagarup Bridge

    Landmark

    Across the river in Burswood, Perth's main stadium is home to Australian rules football in winter and cricket in summer, and it is a striking piece of architecture in its own right. Tours go behind the scenes and up on to the roof.

    The swooping black-and-white Matagarup Bridge links it to East Perth on foot. The bold can climb the bridge's arches and ride a zip line back down.

Beaches and islands

Perth faces west, so every beach is a sunset beach.

  1. Rottnest Island

    Day trip

    A quokka with a joey on Rottnest Island
    Photo: Calistemon, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A short ferry ride from Fremantle or the city, Rotto is a low, sun-bleached island ringed with dozens of small bays of white sand and startlingly clear water. There are almost no cars: you hire a bike and pedal from one beach to the next, stopping to snorkel.

    It is also home to the quokka, a small, cheerful-looking marsupial found almost nowhere else, which wanders about unbothered by people. Look and photograph, but don't touch or feed them.

    Tip: Book the ferry and bike hire together, and take an early boat to make a full day of it.

  2. Cottesloe Beach

    Beach

    Cottesloe Beach seen from the north
    Photo: Calistemon, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Perth's best-loved city beach is a broad stretch of pale sand below grassy terraces shaded by Norfolk Island pines. The water is clear and usually calm, good for swimming and snorkelling, and a handsome old pavilion overlooks it all.

    Come late in the day with fish and chips and join the locals on the grass for sunset. It is an easy train ride from the centre.

  3. Scarborough Beach

    Beach

    Further north, Scarborough is the livelier, surfier alternative: a long, wide beach with reliable waves, backed by a modern foreshore with a big public pool, a skate park, playgrounds and plenty of places to eat and drink.

    It draws a young crowd and has more going on in the evenings than Cottesloe. The afternoon sea breeze, known as the Fremantle Doctor, cools things down and gets the kitesurfers out.

Culture, food and drink

  1. WA Museum Boola Bardip

    Museum

    WA Museum Boola Bardip seen from Beaufort Street
    Photo: Gnangarra, CC BY 2.5 au

    In the Perth Cultural Centre, the state museum reopened in a bold new building that wraps around its heritage wings. Its galleries tell the stories of Western Australia, from Aboriginal cultures and the state's wildlife to its mining booms, and a blue whale skeleton hangs overhead.

    The Art Gallery of Western Australia is next door, so the two make an easy day indoors when the sun is too fierce.

  2. Northbridge

    Nightlife

    James Street in Northbridge
    Photo: Nachoman-au, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Just across the railway from the centre, Northbridge is where Perth eats and stays up late. Its streets hold the city's Chinatown, dozens of Asian and Italian restaurants, small bars, pubs and clubs.

    It is busiest at weekends and has a rougher edge late at night than the riverside. Go for dinner and a wander between bars; it is the obvious place to end an evening after the museums nearby.

  3. Fremantle Markets

    Market

    The heritage Fremantle Markets building
    Photo: Calistemon, CC BY-SA 4.0

    In a Victorian market hall that has been trading since the 1890s, well over a hundred stalls sell fresh produce, street food, crafts, clothes and souvenirs, with buskers working the doorways.

    The markets open towards the end of the week and at weekends, and they are the liveliest place in Freo when they do. Come hungry and graze.

  4. Swan Valley

    Food

    Vineyards in the Swan Valley
    Photo: User:Orderinchaos, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Western Australia's oldest wine region begins barely half an hour from the city centre. Family-run wineries line the roads alongside breweries, distilleries, chocolate makers and farm stalls, so you can eat and drink your way around a loop in an afternoon.

    It is flat, friendly and unpretentious. Join a tour or a river cruise from Perth so that nobody needs to drive.

Day trips

  1. The Pinnacles

    Day trip

    The Pinnacles of Nambung National Park in evening sun
    Photo: Calistemon, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A couple of hours north of Perth, in Nambung National Park, thousands of limestone pillars rise out of a yellow sand desert, some knee-high, others taller than a person. A driving loop and walking trails thread between them.

    The light is best early or late in the day, when the shadows stretch across the sand. Many tours combine it with sandboarding on the white dunes at Lancelin.

  2. Mandurah

    Day trip

    An hour south by train or road, this relaxed coastal city spreads around a huge estuary and a network of canals. Boat cruises tour the waterways, where wild dolphins are frequently seen, and the foreshore has cafés, a boardwalk and safe swimming.

    It is a gentle day out, good with children. Crabbing is a local passion in summer.

  3. Margaret River

    Day trip

    A vineyard in Margaret River
    Photo: Lasthib, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Around three hours' drive south, Margaret River is one of Australia's finest wine regions, known for cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay. It also has world-class surf breaks, limestone caves and forests of towering karri trees.

    It is really too good and too far for a day trip: go for two or three nights if your schedule allows.

Where to stay in Perth, Australia

Not sure which area suits you? Read our guide: Where to stay in Perth →

Getting around

Trains run from the centre to Fremantle, Cottesloe and Mandurah, and free buses loop around the city centre. Ferries leave for Rottnest from the city, Fremantle and Hillarys. A hire car or a tour is best for the Pinnacles, the Swan Valley and Margaret River.

When to go

Perth has hot, dry summers and mild, wetter winters, with a great deal of sunshine all year. Spring, from September to November, is lovely: warm, and the season for wildflowers.

Questions about visiting Perth, Australia

What is Perth best known for?
Sunshine, Indian Ocean beaches and sunsets, Kings Park, the port of Fremantle and the quokkas of Rottnest Island.
How many days do you need in Perth?
Three to four days covers the city, Fremantle, the beaches and a day on Rottnest Island. Add more for the Pinnacles, the Swan Valley or a few nights in Margaret River.
What is there to do in Perth with kids?
Cycling and swimming on Rottnest Island, the playgrounds and treetop walk in Kings Park, the WA Museum Boola Bardip, the beaches and a dolphin cruise in Mandurah.
Do you need a car in Perth?
Not for the city, Fremantle, Cottesloe or Rottnest, which are all reached by train or ferry. A car helps for Scarborough, the Swan Valley and trips further afield.

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