Perth runs on its coastline and its river, and most of what’s worth doing here flows from one or the other. You can swim at a white-sand beach in the morning, walk through 400 hectares of bushland above the city by lunch, and be sipping wine in the Swan Valley by mid-afternoon, all without leaving the metro area.
This guide sorts the best things to do in Perth by interest and by how much time you’ve got, so you can build a day that actually fits together rather than chasing attractions across opposite ends of the city.
Perth at a glance
| Best free attraction | Kings Park (400 hectares, no entry fee, open 24 hours) |
| Best beach for swimming | Cottesloe |
| Best beach for surfing | Trigg |
| Best day trip | Rottnest Island (30 min ferry from Fremantle) |
| Closest wildlife | Caversham Wildlife Park, Swan Valley (30 min from CBD) |
| Best free walk | Kings Park (400 hectares, no entry fee) |
| Best sunset spot | Reabold Hill or Scarborough Beach |
Beaches
Beaches are Perth’s strongest card. The metro coastline runs for kilometres of clean white sand and clear Indian Ocean water, and the catch is choosing the right one for what you actually want to do. Swimmers, surfers and families all end up at different stretches, and locals tend to skip the busiest spot in favour of one a few suburbs north or south.
- Cottesloe Beach is the classic choice for calm swimming, cafes and a sunset crowd. It’s the busiest, and it earns it.
- Trigg Beach is where experienced surfers head for reef breaks and body surfing, away from the tourist stretch.
- Rockingham Beach, 45 minutes south, brings calm turquoise water, resident dolphins and easy island escapes.
- Bathers Beach is Fremantle’s one swimmable city beach, walkable from the port’s bars and markets.
- Hillarys Boat Harbour pairs a protected swimming beach with food, an aquarium and the Rottnest ferry, which makes it a solid family base.
Nature, parks and walks
You don’t have to drive far from the city to be properly in the bush. Perth’s parks range from small inner-city reserves to national parks with waterfalls and koalas, and several double as the best free things to do in town. These suit anyone after a walk, a picnic or a bit of wildlife without a full day trip.
- Reabold Hill is the highest natural point on the Swan Coastal Plain, with a short boardwalk to a lookout that’s one of the better free sunset spots in Perth.
- Whiteman Park covers around 3,700 hectares of bushland with tram rides, wildlife and free entry, which makes it a reliable family day out.
- Yanchep National Park, about an hour north, has a koala viewing colony (established 1938), show caves and easy lake walks.
- Serpentine Falls in the Perth Hills is a swimming hole and waterfall worth the drive on a hot day.
- Victoria Gardens is a quiet riverside green space in East Perth, handy if you want a short walk near the CBD.
Museums and culture
Perth’s cultural venues cluster in two spots: the Perth Cultural Centre in Northbridge and the port precinct in Fremantle. Some are free, others charge a modest admission, and the Fremantle pair tells the story of the WA coast through shipwrecks, submarines and a winning America’s Cup yacht. This is the obvious fallback for a cooler day or when you’ve had enough sun.
- WA Museum Boola Bardip spans eight galleries of WA’s natural and cultural history. General admission is $15 for adults ($10 concession), though it’s free for anyone 15 and under.
- WA Maritime Museum at Victoria Quay lets you walk through the HMAS Ovens submarine and see Australia II up close.
- WA Shipwrecks Museum holds original timbers of the Batavia, wrecked in 1629, and entry is free, making it the standout free museum in the metro area.
- State Buildings in the CBD turn restored 1890s government offices into a precinct of bars, restaurants and a heritage hotel.
If museums are your main reason for visiting, our WA Museum Boola Bardip guide and the two Fremantle museum guides above cover hours, ticketing and how to pair them in a day.
CBD and waterfront precincts
The city centre sits on the Swan River, and most of the best CBD time is spent on the water’s edge rather than among the office towers. These precincts are walkable from each other and from the train, so they fold neatly into a half-day in town.
- Elizabeth Quay is the city’s main riverfront precinct, with bars, a footbridge and the ferry across to South Perth.
- South Perth Foreshore offers the postcard view back across the river to the city skyline, a short ferry hop from Elizabeth Quay.
- State Buildings anchor the historic end of the CBD with food and heritage in one block.
- Victoria Gardens give you a quieter riverside stretch just east of the centre.
Day trips from Perth
The best of Western Australia starts just outside the metro area. A handful of trips sit within an hour or two of the city and reward a full day rather than a rushed couple of hours. Rottnest is the standout, but the Swan Valley and the southern beaches each make an easy day out.
- Rottnest Island is the marquee day trip: a car-free island with quokkas, 63 beaches and snorkelling, 30 minutes by ferry from Fremantle.
- Our Rottnest day trip guide covers ferry options, itineraries and the practical planning that makes or breaks the day.
- Swan Valley is Perth’s wine and food day trip, 30 minutes from the CBD, with wildlife parks, distilleries and more alongside the cellar doors.
- Yanchep National Park and Serpentine Falls give you bushland and waterfalls north and south of the city.
Free things to do in Perth
Perth is a high-cost city, but a lot of its best experiences cost nothing. You can fill several days on beaches, in free parks and around a couple of genuinely free museums without paying entry once. These are the standouts worth building a budget day around.
- Every metro beach, from Cottesloe to Trigg, is free to use.
- The WA Shipwrecks Museum offers free general entry; the WA Museum Boola Bardip charges general admission but is free for under-16s.
- Whiteman Park and Reabold Hill are free to enter, with parking the only cost at most.
- The riverfront precincts at Elizabeth Quay and the South Perth Foreshore cost nothing to walk.
How to plan your time
The honest planning rule in Perth is to pick a side of the river and a stretch of coast, then stay roughly in that zone for the day. The city is spread out, and chasing a beach, a day trip and a museum in one day means more time in the car than anywhere worth being.
- Half a day: a single beach plus a coffee, or the Perth Cultural Centre museums, or a walk and lookout at Reabold Hill. Pick one zone and don’t rush it.
- A full day in the city: pair the Elizabeth Quay and South Perth Foreshore precincts using the ferry, then a beach for sunset.
- A full day out of the city: commit to one trip. Rottnest needs a whole day; the Swan Valley easily fills one too.
Fremantle deserves a mention as a combination day: Bathers Beach, the two maritime museums and the port’s food and markets all sit within walking distance of each other.
Frequently asked questions
What is the number one thing to do in Perth?
If you only do one thing, make it a beach day or a Rottnest Island trip. The metro beaches are Perth’s defining draw, and Rottnest, a 30-minute ferry from Fremantle, packs quokkas, 63 beaches and snorkelling into a single car-free island. Both show you why people fly across the country for the WA coast.
What can you do in Perth for free?
Plenty. Every metro beach is free, the WA Shipwrecks Museum offers free general entry, and parks like Whiteman Park and Reabold Hill cost nothing to enter. The riverfront precincts at Elizabeth Quay and the South Perth Foreshore are free to walk too. Note that the WA Museum Boola Bardip now charges general admission (free for under-16s). You’ll still find a budget visitor can fill several days here without paying much entry at all.
How many days do you need in Perth?
Three to four days covers the city well: a beach day, a Rottnest or Swan Valley day trip, a Fremantle day and a CBD and riverfront day. With less time, prioritise one beach and one day trip. The city is spread out, so trying to squeeze everything into a day or two means a lot of driving.
What is the best beach in Perth?
It depends on what you want. Cottesloe is the pick for calm swimming, cafes and sunset crowds, while Trigg suits surfers and stronger swimmers after reef breaks. Families often prefer the protected water at Rockingham or Hillarys Boat Harbour. There’s no single best beach, just the right one for your day.
Is Perth good for a day trip out of the city?
Yes, and it’s one of Perth’s strengths. Rottnest Island, the Swan Valley, Yanchep National Park, Serpentine Falls and Rockingham all sit within about an hour of the CBD. Each rewards a full day rather than a flying visit, so commit to one rather than trying to combine two.
Getting around
Once you’ve decided what to do, the next question is how to reach it. Perth’s free CAT buses cover the CBD, the train network runs out to Fremantle, Rockingham and Yanchep, and the river ferries link the city to South Perth from Elizabeth Quay Jetty. Standard Transperth fares run on a flat structure ($2.80 per trip with a SmartRider, as of January 2026), and a DayRider pass covers unlimited travel for the day. Our complete guide to Perth public transport maps the trains, buses and ferries so you can plan the journey before you set off.