These Are Top Places to Go in Perth, Western Australia

Visiting Perth feels unavoidable if you want to travel to Western Australia. It’s the natural starting point or inclusion for most adventures out west as the state’s rare urban centre. But don’t think of Perth as just a place to go through on your way to better things because then you’re selling the city short.

The last few years I’ve made several trips over to Perth to see family and get to know Australia’s west. Each time, I’ve been introduced to new places to go in Perth and my respect for the city has just grown and grown. Some have been the classic things to do in Perth that most tourists see without fail. Others though, have really opened my eyes to just how great Perth is as a destination on its own.

I know you’re probably pretty excited about planning out your West Australia itinerary, whether you’re heading down to all the many places in south west Western Australia such as Margaret River and Albany, or going north to Jurien Bay, Shark Bay, or Ningaloo. But don’t miss out on the chance to also experience the best of Perth too.

Kings Park

Probably the best known attraction in Perth, or least the one I seem to visit most, is Kings Park. That’s because this large hilltop park ticks a lot of boxes for tourists who visit Perth.

Kings Park overlooks the Swan River and offers many different views of Perth, including towards the nearby skyline. It’s home to the State War Memorial, which is always an important landmark in Australian cities.

And then there’s the enormous expanse of lawns and nature that cover the rest of these beloved Perth gardens. Trails let you admire all the different native flora in the Botanic Gardens, including ‘Gija Jumulu’, a giant boab tree that you don’t often see this far south.

You can spend hours exploring Kings Park, especially if you get out onto the bush trails around the DNA Tower. It’s simply one of the best free things to do in Perth because it does actually help you get to know the city better, while offering so much variety.

Elizabeth Quay

The Swan River has had a big hand in shaping Perth and rarely are you that far from it. But for most visitors the main place where they’ll get close to the river is when wandering around Elizabeth Quay. This waterfront complex is home to several city landmarks, as well as the jetty where some ferries to places like Rottnest leave from.

Each time I’ve been down to Elizabeth Quay, it’s looked different. That’s because this area of Perth is heavily under development, with countless new skyscrapers being added to the skyline. I think ignore the walls of glass and you’ll enjoy your visit more.

With a walk through the area, there’s a few things to see. Elizabeth Quay Bridge sits across the mouth of the quay and is quite a good viewpoint, especially of the curious Spanda sculpture emanating from the waterfront. Nearby, you have the Bell Tower, where the historic Swan Bells are housed inside a strange glass spire.

WA Museum Boola Bardip

If you’re at all curious about Perth or Western Australia from a cultural, historical, wildlife, or even geological perspective, this is the museum to go to. WA Museum Boola Bardip is a fantastic and massive museum that feels like it explores Western Australia from every perspective possible.

Boola Bardip translates as “many stories” from the language of the Whadjuk Noongar people, the traditional owners of the land where Perth stands today. And that name is a perfect description of this museum. I spent almost three hours here and only left when I couldn’t put off getting lunch any longer.

Over three levels, you can learn about:

• Western Australia wildlife and plant life;
• the relationship between its people and the land;
• the region’s geology and astronomy;
• cultural development of Western Australia;
• hear stories from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders from WA;
• and, see an entire blue whale skeleton.

The Art Gallery of Western Australia

Another museum in Perth’s cultural precinct north of the train station is the Art Gallery of Western Australia. With this free activity in Perth you’ll see an eclectic mix of art exhibits that are just as hard to describe as they are to predict. While I was there, they had galleries from the Heide circle, an abstract exhibit, modern First Nations art, and portrait entries for the Lester Prize. Such a strange mix means you should find something that draws you in, but if not, that’s fine too as it’s free.

Northbridge Street Art

Northbridge is Perth’s main hub for nightlife just north of the CBD. The area is full of bars and has lots of food options, making it an option for where to spend your evenings in Perth. However, during the day you can also visit Northbridge to see its street art. Much of the street art seems to orbit the North Metropolitan TAFE, an area you can easily spot by the rainbow mosaic painted on its street and footpath.

Perth Beaches

Western Australia is spoiled with awesome beaches and that includes several in Perth. Cottesloe Beach may be the city’s most famous beach, but there are plenty of larger and less busy Perth beaches.

Head farther north up the coast and you’ll reach an excellent string of beaches. Floreat Beach would be the first I’d recommend just based on how nice the beach is, how quiet it is, and the quality of surf available. City Beach nearby is also great and feels more family-friendly. Plus you have Clancy’s Fish Bar right there, which has become a ritual of mine thanks to their fish tacos.

Head even farther up the coast and you come to Scarborough Beach and Trigg Beach. While Scarborough provides more of a waterfront promenade behind its sandy beach, Trigg Beach is nice for beach walks with its rocky point.

London Court

Australia has a bit of a love affair with extravagant shopping arcades. Royal Arcade in Melbourne and The Strand Arcade in Sydney are two great examples with their Victorian style. But Perth decided to go in another direction with its London Court, a small lane in the CBD.

London Court has an unexpected Tudor style to its buildings, despite being built in the 1930s. One benefit of its odd styling though is that you will not walk past it by accident. The twin faux-Tudor buildings at each end on the Hay Street Mall and St Georges Terrace are dead giveaways that there’s something here to see.

In the lane you’ll find all sorts of stores and businesses. Madlilys Cafe was the only place I stopped at here and I had no complaints about their coffee.

Lake Monger

Photo by Nathan Hurst on Unsplash

Perth really likes its nature reserves and suburban parks, with Lake Monger a perfect example of this. This oddly-triangular lake is found in northwest Perth just beyond the inner suburbs. It’s a popular recreation space for locals with a track right around it that’s popular with runners and cyclists.

As a tourist, that may not seem like a Perth highlight, but there’s more to this lake than that. For one thing, you get some nice views of the city skyline from across the lake when standing at the northern edge of Lake Monger.

But it’s the local wildlife that really makes the lake interesting. Black swans are all over the place at Lake Monger, among a wide variety of bird life, helping explain why it’s Western Australia’s state bird and such an influential symbol to early colonial settlers. You can also potentially see the local snake-necked turtles of Lake Monger, but that really depends on your luck.

Bold Park

One of the more recent places in Perth I learned about is Bold Park. While I’ve visited Kings Park multiple times at this stage, Bold Park was new to me until my most recent trip.

This hilly block of Australian bush landscape is located in Perth’s west, just shy of City Beach. Walking trails weave their way through the park’s grassland and trees, providing a nice spot for a peaceful stroll.

But the park also has its own viewpoints. From Reabold Hill Summit Lookout you can both see the Perth CBD and the nearby coastline, even making out Rottnest Island in the distance. The Zamia Trail is the longest walk through Bold Park and takes a bit under 2 hours to complete, with only a few small hills that you need to face.

Fremantle

The most important thing to know about visiting Perth is that many of the best places to go aren’t actually in Perth. Fremantle is the best example of this; it’s a small port city that’s part of the Perth metropolitan area.

What’s great about Fremantle is that it’s super easy to reach from Perth CBD and it’s jam-packed with things to do. Spend a day in Fremantle from Perth and you can see all sorts of historic colonial landmarks, such as Fremantle Prison, check out a brewery at Little Creatures, and discover whole new cultural attractions like the WA Shipwrecks Museum.

Fremantle is both self-contained and accessible, which is why many people travelling to Perth choose to stay here. They get the benefit of everything Fremantle has going on, plus an easier trip to the beach, while just being an easy train ride from downtown Perth.

Rottnest Island

This popular Perth island is the other main “Perth” attraction that’s not in the city. If you’ve seen the famous “Quokka selfies” then Rottnest Island probably already sounds familiar, but there’s more to this island than its furry inhabitants.

Rottnest is a fantastic mix of appeals, so it’s most likely you’ll find something here that catches your eye. The quokkas are the big one, but the island also boasts some gorgeous beaches, interesting coastal landscapes, the possibility to see fur seals and its own colonial history.

I enjoyed staying on Rottnest overnight at one of the campgrounds and cycling along its empty roads. In my opinion, that’s the best way to explore at your own pace, and is easy to do with the ferry/bike combos available.

Swan Valley

Every Australian city has its preferred wine regions and for Perth they are Margaret River and the Swan Valley. While Margaret River is more of a weekend away kind of place, the Swan Valley is super easy to reach from the city of Perth.

Journey just beyond the outer suburbs of Perth and you find state-of-the-art wineries with gorgeous riverside backdrops and sumptuous food on offer. If that doesn’t sound interesting to you, then it probably won’t be for you. But safe to say, I don’t that’s how most people feel after visiting the Swan Valley.

A Swan Valley winery tour from Perth is easy to do and no more expensive than most wine tours in Australia. But if you have the time and money, I have to recommend doing your wine tour as a river cruise because slowly cruising up the Swan River adds so much to the experience.

Travel Tips for Visiting Perth in WA

With so many things to do in Perth, you really shouldn’t be in any rush to zip through the city. And if you’re thinking about spending some time in Perth, I have a few tips to help with your time there.

Unless you pick up a rental car at the airport, public transport is going to be your friend. Get a Transperth card at the bus station or train station so that you can easily get around the city, especially if you want to visit Fremantle, Optus Stadium etc.

I’ve already mentioned the CBD and Northbridge as places to get food and coffee, but Oxford St in Leederville is an excellent alternative. It has a huge range of restaurants and cafes, and is likely to be more lively than the CBD on the weekend.

In terms of where to stay in Perth, the CBD and Fremantle are going to have most of your options. Fremantle is a great choice so long as you’re aware of the 30-minute commute and that trains back don’t run after midnight.

Which of these places to visit in Perth WA have you been to? What are your favourite things about visiting Perth? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.