Things to do · Perth · Australia
16 best things to do in Perth
16 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
The essential sights in Perth are Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Fremantle Prison and Cottesloe Beach. Of the 16 picks below, 9 are free, 6 work on a rainy day and 9 suit children. Allow about 5 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Kings Park and Botanic Garden
- Free sights
- 9
- Good on a rainy day
- Fremantle Prison
- Time to see the highlights
- 5 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kings Park and Botanic Garden | Kings Park | Half a day | Free |
| Fremantle Prison | Fremantle | 1.5–2.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Cottesloe Beach | Cottesloe | Half a day | Free |
| Elizabeth Quay and the Bell Tower | Perth CBD | 1–2 hours | Free |
| WA Museum Boola Bardip | Northbridge | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Art Gallery of Western Australia | Northbridge | 1.5 hours | Free |
| Fremantle Markets | Fremantle | 1–1.5 hours | Free |
| WA Maritime Museum | Fremantle | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Round House | Fremantle | 30 minutes | Free |
| Perth Zoo | South Perth | 3 hours | Mid-priced |
| AQWA – Aquarium of Western Australia | Hillarys | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Swan Valley | Swan Valley | Half to full day | Mid-priced |
| Caversham Wildlife Park | Swan Valley | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| The Perth Mint | Perth CBD | 1–1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Matagarup Bridge and Optus Stadium | East Perth | 1 hour | Free |
| Scarborough Beach | Scarborough | Half a day | Free |
The 16 best things to do
Park · Kings Park
1.Kings Park and Botanic Garden
About 400 hectares of bushland, lawns and botanic garden on Mount Eliza overlook the CBD and the Swan River. 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.
Watch sunset from the State War Memorial lookout, where the city lights come on across the river.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Historic site · Fremantle
2.Fremantle Prison
Built by convicts in the 1850s and used as a prison until 1991, this is part of the UNESCO-listed Australian Convict Sites. Guided tours cover the cell blocks and gallows, while the Tunnels Tour descends 20 metres to paddle through flooded passages by boat.
Book the Tunnels Tour ahead; it is the most memorable option and runs in small groups.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Tunnels and night tours are limited and often sell out; reserve online.
- History
- Iconic
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Beach · Cottesloe
3.Cottesloe Beach
Perth's signature beach has clear, usually calm water in the summer mornings, snorkelling around the reef near Peter's Pool and the groyne, Norfolk Island pines on grassy terraces and the white Indiana pavilion. It faces west, so sunsets drop straight into the Indian Ocean.
Swim in the morning before the afternoon sea breeze — the 'Fremantle Doctor' — roughens the water.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Couples
- Kids
- Outdoors
Waterfront · Perth CBD
4.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.
Climb the Bell Tower for river views, then catch the ferry across to South Perth for the skyline from the other side.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- After dark
- Views
- Kids
Museum · Northbridge
5.WA Museum Boola Bardip
Western Australia's state museum reopened in 2020 in a building that joins heritage structures with a dramatic modern wing. Galleries cover Aboriginal cultures, WA's wildlife and geology, and the state's history, with a blue whale skeleton suspended in the main hall.
Start in the Ngalang Koort Boodja gallery on First Nations stories before moving to the natural-history halls.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Gallery · Northbridge
6.Art Gallery of Western Australia
The state gallery in the Perth Cultural Centre holds Australian, Aboriginal and international art, with a strong focus on Western Australian artists. A rooftop space adds a terrace with views back over the city.
Pair it with WA Museum Boola Bardip across the plaza for a rainy or very hot afternoon.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Free
- Rainy day
Market · Fremantle
7.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.
Combine it with coffee on the Cappuccino Strip next door and a walk to the Fishing Boat Harbour.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
- History
Museum · Fremantle
8.WA Maritime Museum
Shaped like an upturned boat on Victoria Quay, the museum displays Australia II, the yacht that won the America's Cup in 1983, alongside galleries on the Indian Ocean, pearling and naval history. Tours of the submarine HMAS Ovens run from outside.
The nearby WA Shipwrecks Museum displays timbers from the Dutch ship Batavia, wrecked in 1629 — worth adding on the same visit.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
Historic site · Fremantle
1.Round House
Completed in 1831, this 12-sided former gaol is the oldest public building still standing in Western Australia. It overlooks Bathers Beach, and a tunnel cut by whalers in the 1830s runs underneath it to the shore.
Visit around 1pm, when the time ball and a cannon are traditionally fired on the hilltop.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Views
Zoo · South Perth
2.Perth Zoo
A short ferry ride across the river from Elizabeth Quay, the zoo has an Australian bushwalk with kangaroos and wallabies walking freely, a nocturnal house, and Asian and African animal areas, all in established gardens.
Take the ferry from Elizabeth Quay to Mends Street and walk up; it turns the trip into a mini river cruise.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Aquarium · Hillarys
3.AQWA – Aquarium of Western Australia
At Hillarys Boat Harbour, about 25 minutes north of the city, the aquarium follows Western Australia's coastline from the cold south to the tropical north, with an underwater tunnel among sharks and rays and a coral reef display.
Spend the rest of the afternoon on the calm, protected beach inside Hillarys Boat Harbour.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Experience · Swan Valley
4.Swan Valley
Western Australia's oldest wine region, about 25 km northeast of the CBD, is lined with wineries, breweries, a distillery, chocolate and nougat makers and fruit stalls. A river cruise from Barrack Street Jetty is a scenic alternative to driving.
Take a tour or a river-and-wine cruise rather than driving between cellar doors.
- Time needed
- Half to full day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Food
- Couples
- Outdoors
Zoo · Swan Valley
5.Caversham Wildlife Park
Inside Whiteman Park on the edge of the Swan Valley, this wildlife park has a large collection of Australian animals, with kangaroo feeding, koala encounters and a farm show.
Combine it with a Swan Valley lunch; the park is a short drive from the wineries.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Museum · Perth CBD
6.The Perth Mint
Opened in 1899 to refine gold from the Western Australian goldfields, the Perth Mint is Australia's oldest operating mint. The visitor experience covers the gold rush and includes a live gold pour in the original melting house.
Time your visit around a scheduled gold pour demonstration.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Architecture · East Perth
7.Matagarup Bridge and Optus Stadium
A sweeping pedestrian bridge over the Swan River links East Perth with Optus Stadium, home to AFL and international cricket. The bridge's arches are lit at night and the riverside paths on both banks make a pleasant walk.
Walk across at sunset, or catch an AFL match at the stadium between March and September.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- After dark
- Views
Beach · Scarborough
8.Scarborough Beach
A broad surf beach with a redeveloped foreshore of playgrounds, a beach pool, skate park, bars and an amphitheatre. Surf schools operate along the beach, and sunsets here are among the city's busiest social events in summer.
Swim between the flags; the surf can be strong and rips are common.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Active
- Outdoors
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | WA Museum Boola Bardip, Art Gallery of Western Australia, WA Maritime Museum and The Perth Mint |
| History | Fremantle Prison, WA Museum Boola Bardip, Fremantle Markets and WA Maritime Museum |
| Views | Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Elizabeth Quay and the Bell Tower, Round House and Matagarup Bridge and Optus Stadium |
| Outdoors and nature | Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Cottesloe Beach, Perth Zoo and AQWA – Aquarium of Western Australia |
| Food and markets | Fremantle Markets and Swan Valley |
| After dark | Elizabeth Quay and the Bell Tower and Matagarup Bridge and Optus Stadium |
| With children | Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Cottesloe Beach, Elizabeth Quay and the Bell Tower and WA Museum Boola Bardip |
| On a rainy day | Fremantle Prison, WA Museum Boola Bardip, Art Gallery of Western Australia and WA Maritime Museum |
What to book ahead
- Fremantle Prison: Tunnels and night tours are limited and often sell out; reserve online.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Perth?
Kings Park and Botanic Garden. About 400 hectares of bushland, lawns and botanic garden on Mount Eliza overlook the CBD and the Swan River.
+What can you do for free in Perth?
Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Cottesloe Beach, Elizabeth Quay and the Bell Tower, WA Museum Boola Bardip and Art Gallery of Western Australia. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Perth when it rains?
Head indoors to Fremantle Prison, WA Museum Boola Bardip, Art Gallery of Western Australia and WA Maritime Museum.
+What is there to do in Perth at night?
Elizabeth Quay and the Bell Tower and Matagarup Bridge and Optus Stadium are best after dark.