With kids · Perth · Australia
Perth with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: SheDev, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Perth is excellent for families: calm summer beaches, free museums, Kings Park's playgrounds, quokkas on Rottnest and a zoo reached by ferry. Most attractions are relaxed and uncrowded compared with Australia's east coast. Top picks: Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Perth Zoo and AQWA – Aquarium of Western Australia. Families usually base themselves in Perth CBD and Elizabeth Quay.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 9
- Best area for families
- Perth CBD and Elizabeth Quay
- Rainy-day options
- 3
Best things to do with kids
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
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
Museum · Northbridge
4.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
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Beach · Cottesloe
5.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
Zoo · Swan Valley
6.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
Waterfront · Perth CBD
7.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
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
Museum · Fremantle
9.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
Rainy-day ideas
- WA Museum Boola Bardip — Start in the Ngalang Koort Boodja gallery on First Nations stories before moving to the natural-history halls.
- WA Maritime Museum — The nearby WA Shipwrecks Museum displays timbers from the Dutch ship Batavia, wrecked in 1629 — worth adding on the same visit.
- AQWA – Aquarium of Western Australia — Spend the rest of the afternoon on the calm, protected beach inside Hillarys Boat Harbour.
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping and solo travellers
Perth CBD and Elizabeth Quay
The CBD runs from the riverfront at Elizabeth Quay, with the Bell Tower and ferries to South Perth, up through the Hay Street and Murray Street malls to Perth station. Free CAT buses and the Free Transit Zone cover the centre, and Kings Park is a 20-minute walk west. It is the most practical base, though quiet on weekend evenings.
- Good
- Central for trains, ferries and buses; Walk to the river and Kings Park; Wide range of hotels
- Watch out
- Quiet in the evenings and on weekends; Office-district feel
- Nearby
- Elizabeth Quay, The Bell Tower, Kings Park, Northbridge
Family travel tips
- Kings Park's Rio Tinto Naturescape and Synergy Parkland playgrounds are popular with children.
- Hillarys Boat Harbour's protected beach is ideal for toddlers.
- Hire bikes with child seats or trailers on Rottnest Island.
- Plan outdoor activities for mornings in summer and keep children well covered against the sun.
Day trips for families
- Rottnest Island (About 30 minutes by ferry from Fremantle) — Wadjemup, a car-free island with about 60 beaches and bays, is best explored by bike.
- Penguin Island (About 50 minutes by car, then a short ferry) — A small island off Rockingham home to a colony of little penguins, with a discovery centre, boardwalks and beaches.
- Yanchep National Park (About 45 minutes by car) — Bushland north of the city with a koala boardwalk, western grey kangaroos grazing on the lawns, guided tours of Crystal Cave and Noongar cultural experiences.
When to go with children
The best months overall are March–April and September–November. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Perth good for kids?
Perth is excellent for families: calm summer beaches, free museums, Kings Park's playgrounds, quokkas on Rottnest and a zoo reached by ferry. Most attractions are relaxed and uncrowded compared with Australia's east coast.
+What can kids do in Perth?
Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Perth Zoo, AQWA – Aquarium of Western Australia, WA Museum Boola Bardip and Cottesloe Beach.
+Where should families stay in Perth?
Perth CBD and Elizabeth Quay: Riverside business district of hotels, the Bell Tower and Elizabeth Quay's ferries.