2 days in Perth

Day by day

1. Day 1: Kings Park and Botanic Garden and Fremantle Prison

   Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Fremantle Prison, Cottesloe Beach and Elizabeth Quay and the Bell Tower, then Matagarup Bridge and Optus Stadium in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Kings Park and Botanic Garden

      The Lotterywest Federation Walkway, a glass-and-steel bridge, carries you through the eucalyptus canopy, and the garden displays more than 3,000 Western Australian plant species, with wildflowers peaking in spring.

   2. Late morning

      Fremantle Prison

      Guided tours cover the cell blocks and gallows, while the Tunnels Tour descends 20 metres to paddle through flooded passages by boat.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Western rock lobster

      Seafood restaurants in Fremantle and Hillarys, and seafood markets selling cooked lobster.

   4. Afternoon

      Cottesloe Beach

      It faces west, so sunsets drop straight into the Indian Ocean.

   5. Late afternoon

      Elizabeth Quay and the Bell Tower

      The riverfront precinct opened in 2016 links the CBD to the Swan River with a footbridge, waterfront restaurants, the Spanda sculpture and the copper-and-glass Bell Tower, which houses the Swan Bells, including twelve historic bells from London's St Martin-in-the-Fields.

   6. Evening

      Matagarup Bridge and Optus Stadium

      Walk across at sunset, or catch an AFL match at the stadium between March and September.

2. Day 2: WA Museum Boola Bardip and Art Gallery of Western Australia

   WA Museum Boola Bardip, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Fremantle Markets and WA Maritime Museum, then Northbridge in the evening.

   1. Morning

      WA Museum Boola Bardip

      Galleries cover Aboriginal cultures, WA's wildlife and geology, and the state's history, with a blue whale skeleton suspended in the main hall.

   2. Late morning

      Art Gallery of Western Australia

      A rooftop space adds a terrace with views back over the city.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Chilli mussels

      Pubs and seafood restaurants around Fremantle's Fishing Boat Harbour and South Terrace.

   4. Afternoon

      Fremantle Markets

      A Victorian market hall opened in 1897 on the corner of South Terrace and Henderson Street, with around 150 stalls of produce, crafts, food and buskers on Friday to Sunday and public holidays.

   5. Late afternoon

      WA Maritime Museum

      Tours of the submarine HMAS Ovens run from outside.

   6. Evening

      Northbridge

      Clubs, bars and late-night eateries around William Street, James Street and the Perth Cultural Centre.

Before you go

• Fremantle Prison: Tunnels and night tours are limited and often sell out; reserve online.

If it rains

• Swap in AQWA – Aquarium of Western Australia (Hillarys): Spend the rest of the afternoon on the calm, protected beach inside Hillarys Boat Harbour.
• Swap in The Perth Mint (Perth CBD): Time your visit around a scheduled gold pour demonstration.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 16–22 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.1 hours in June to 14.2 hours in December, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Train. Transperth trains run from Perth station to Fremantle (via Subiaco and Cottesloe), Joondalup, Mandurah, Midland, Armadale and the airport.

More or fewer days

• One day in Perth
• 3 days in Perth
• 5 days in Perth

Questions travellers ask