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Hotels in Perth

Australia's sunniest city, and the most isolated in the world

Perth

LanguageEnglish
CurrencyAUD
TimezoneGMT+8
Temperature12-30 °C
Dial Code+61
Population26.4M
Area7,692,024 km²
SocketsType I
Tap waterDrinkable

Discover Perth

Perth is the capital of Western Australia and the most remote major city in the world — the nearest city with over a million people, Adelaide, is two thousand seven hundred kilometres away. That isolation has kept its relaxed character intact, even as it grew rich on iron ore and gold mining. It sits on the wide Swan River, which meets the Indian Ocean just past the centre, and gets over three thousand hours of sunshine a year, more than any other Australian city. White-sand city beaches with clear water are twenty minutes from downtown by train, and Kings Park, one of the largest inner-city parks in the world, spreads out above the city with its original bushland intact. The harbour town of Fremantle, with its Victorian buildings and UNESCO-listed convict prison, is a separate town an hour up the river. But the biggest draw is Rottnest Island, home to quokkas — small marsupials that look like they're smiling and show no fear of people. Perth is also the starting point for trips along the west coast to the Pinnacles, the dolphins of Monkey Mia and the Ningaloo Reef.

What to see

The places worth your time in Perth, and what to expect at each

Kings Park

Kings Park

West Perth

A four-hundred-hectare park on a hill above the city centre, much of it preserved original bushland. It includes a botanic garden with thousands of Western Australian plant species, a glass walkway through eucalyptus canopies, and views over the skyline and river.

Tip: Entry is free, as are the guided walks from the visitor centre. The Lotterywest Federation Walkway crosses through the treetops. Wildflowers bloom in September and October, with a festival held then. Head to the State War Memorial for sunset.

Admission:
free
Time needed:
2–3 h
Elizabeth Quay

Elizabeth Quay

CBD

A new waterfront district on the Swan River, with a promenade, a footbridge, a small island and restaurants. Ferries depart from here to Fremantle, to Rottnest, and across the river to South Perth.

Tip: The ferry to South Perth is part of the city transit system and costs the same as a bus — a scenic river cruise for the price of a commute. In the evening, the walkway and fountains light up. South Perth Zoo is nearby.

Admission:
free
Time needed:
1 h
Swan Bells

Swan Bells

CBD

A sail-shaped glass tower on the waterfront housing bells from London's Church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, ringing out for celebrations since medieval times. The bells sound at set times, with a viewing deck above.

Tip: Bell ringing usually happens around midday; days and times are listed on the website. The sixth-floor viewing deck overlooks the river and Elizabeth Quay. The ticket includes a chance to try ringing the bells yourself.

Admission:
paid entry
Time needed:
45 min
Cottesloe Beach

Cottesloe Beach

Cottesloe

Perth's most famous beach, with white sand, clear water and Norfolk pines. People come from across the city to watch the sun set over the ocean, and in March it hosts the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition.

Tip: Take the train from Perth station to Cottesloe in twenty minutes, then walk ten minutes. Swim between the flags, and go in the morning when the wind is calmest — in the afternoon a sea breeze called the Fremantle Doctor picks up. Lifeguards patrol in summer.

Admission:
free
Time needed:
2–4 h
Perth Mint

Perth Mint

East Perth

Australia's oldest operating mint, dating from 1899, with a gold-pouring demonstration, the world's largest gold coin, and a collection of gold nuggets from the gold rush era. The limestone building in East Perth still strikes investment coins and bullion for markets worldwide.

Tip: The gold-pouring demonstration runs every hour, with a gold bar poured and cooled right in front of you. At the end you can lift a real gold bar. The shop sells investment coins close to market price.

Admission:
paid entry
Time needed:
1.5 h
WA Museum Boola Bardip

WA Museum Boola Bardip

Northbridge

The new Western Australian Museum, opened in 2020, with collections spanning natural history, general history and Indigenous culture. A blue whale skeleton hangs above the entrance hall.

Tip: Permanent exhibits are free. The museum sits in the Northbridge cultural precinct next to the gallery and library, easy to combine. The stories of the Noongar Aboriginal people are the strongest part of the visit.

Admission:
free
Time needed:
2 h
Art Gallery of Western Australia

Art Gallery of Western Australia

Northbridge

The state gallery, with Australian and Aboriginal art, plus a rooftop bar overlooking the city. Contemporary exhibitions change frequently. The collection holds over eighteen thousand works, with contemporary desert Aboriginal art as its strongest section.

Tip: Entry to the permanent collection is free. The rooftop bar is open in the afternoon from Wednesday to Sunday. The gallery sits next to the museum in the cultural precinct.

Admission:
free
Time needed:
1.5 h
Fremantle Prison

Fremantle Prison

Fremantle

A prison built by convicts in the 1850s, operating until 1991. Listed by UNESCO alongside other Australian convict sites. Tours cover the cell blocks, the gallows and the underground tunnels.

Tip: The tunnel tour goes twenty metres underground and includes a boat ride — book ahead, as spots are limited. The torchlit night tour is genuinely spooky. Fremantle is half an hour by train, or reachable by ferry from Elizabeth Quay.

Admission:
paid entry
Time needed:
1.5–2.5 h
Caversham Wildlife Park

Caversham Wildlife Park

Swan Valley

A wildlife park in the Swan Valley featuring native Australian animals, where you can pet a koala, feed kangaroos, and see wombats, Tasmanian devils and kangaroos on a farm setting.

Tip: This park is ideal if you're not making it to Rottnest, or if you want to get close to koalas. The farm show and sheep-shearing demonstrations run several times a day. Combine it with a Swan Valley winery visit.

Admission:
paid entry
Time needed:
2–3 h

Photos: Kings Park — Samuel Wiki (CC0) · Elizabeth Quay — File:Elizabeth Quay June 2018.jpg: Nick-D derivative work: Georgfotoart (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Swan Bells — Dietmar Rabich (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Cottesloe Beach — Michael_Spencer from Perth, WA, Australia (CC BY 2.0) · Perth Mint — Chris Olszewski (CC BY-SA 4.0) · WA Museum Boola Bardip — Gnangarra (CC BY 2.5 au) · Art Gallery of Western Australia — The Logical Positivist (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Fremantle Prison — Gnangarra (CC BY 2.5 au) · Caversham Wildlife Park — Alexey V. Kurochkin (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Where to stay

Areas and districts, matched to the kind of trip you are taking

CBD

Best for: a first visit

The business centre, with the Hay and Murray Street shopping malls, Elizabeth Quay and hotels. Free buses.

Northbridge

Best for: nightlife and culture

Bars, restaurants and the cultural precinct with the museum and gallery, north of the train station. It's Perth's liveliest neighbourhood at night.

Fremantle

Best for: atmosphere and markets

A harbour town with Victorian buildings, the prison, Fremantle Markets and breweries. An hour from the centre, but a nicer base than the CBD.

Cottesloe and Scarborough

Best for: the beach

Beachside suburbs with hotels and cafés. Scarborough is livelier, Cottesloe quieter. Head to the beach in the morning, since the wind picks up in the afternoon.

Search hotels →

Getting around

From the airport

Perth Airport lies twelve kilometres east of the centre. Qantas flies direct from London and Paris; otherwise, connections run via Dubai, Doha or Singapore, with a total journey from Prague of twenty to twenty-four hours. The Airport Line train runs into the centre. An electronic eVisitor visa is required before departure. The Indian Pacific train crosses the whole continent to Sydney in four days.

Perth Airport (PER) · 12 km

  • Airport Line train to the centre· 20 min· AUD 5
  • Taxi / Uber· 20 min· AUD 40

Around town

The Transperth public transport network covers trains, buses and ferries. Free CAT buses run through the centre, and other buses are free within the central free-transit zone. Trains reach the beaches and Fremantle. A car is needed for trips out of town.

CAT busesFree around the centre and Northbridge, with several colour-coded routes. · free
Transperth trainsTo Fremantle, the beaches and the airport. Pay with a SmartRider card or contactless. · AUD 3
FerriesFrom Elizabeth Quay to South Perth as part of city transit; the Rottnest ferry is a separate private service. · AUD 3
Uber / taxiFor evenings and airport runs. · AUD 20 within the centre
Rental carNecessary for the Pinnacles and Margaret River. · AUD 55/day

Useful apps: Transperth, Uber, Google Maps

When to go

Perth has a Mediterranean climate with a hot, dry summer and a mild, rainy winter. Spring, from September to November, is best, with wildflowers in bloom and temperatures around twenty-five degrees; autumn, from March to May, is also good. Summer, from December to February, is hot, over thirty degrees and often past forty, but dry, with a reliable sea breeze. Winter, from June to August, is rainy and cooler, around eighteen degrees.

Best time

September to November and March to May

What to avoid

January and February for the heat, July for the rain

MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Day31°32°30°26°22°19°18°19°20°23°27°29°
Night18°18°17°14°11°9°8°8°9°11°14°16°
Rainy days32471115171613953

Food & drink

Perth has excellent Indian Ocean seafood, vineyards in the Swan Valley and Margaret River, and a large Asian community. Fremantle is famous for fish and chips and its breweries. Prices are high, as everywhere in Australia.

What to try

Rock lobster

Western rock lobster, caught here in greater numbers than anywhere else in the world. Grilled with butter, it's expensive but fresh.

Fish and chips

Battered fish with chips, bought at the harbour across the street and eaten from paper on the jetty. Ask for tartare sauce, and watch out for the seagulls — they're bold.

Barramundi

An Australian sea perch with firm white flesh, grilled as a fillet with lemon. The most common fish on menus in Queensland and a reliable choice at an ordinary pub too.

Flat white

Espresso with silky microfoamed milk, an Australian invention and the backbone of local café culture. Coffee here is exceptionally good even in small towns, and chains aren't the norm.

Meat pie

A small pastry filled with braised beef in thick gravy, the national fast food. Bought at a bakery or petrol station and eaten by hand with ketchup.

Margaret River wine

A region three hours south producing world-class cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay.

Fremantle craft beer

Little Creatures and other breweries in Fremantle run large beer halls by the harbour.

What it costs

Flat white

AUD 5–6

Fish and chips in Fremantle

AUD 18–25

Dinner at a restaurant

AUD 50–80 per person

Beer at a bar

AUD 11–14

Return ferry to Rottnest

from AUD 80

Fremantle Prison

from AUD 25

Bus in the centre

free

Night in a 3-star hotel downtown

AUD 170–280

Indicative prices that change over time — treat them as a guide, not a price list.

Practical information

SocketsIAustralian, angled pins
Voltage230V / 50Hz
Tap waterTap water is drinkable — Tap water is drinkable across Australia and ranks among the best in the world in quality; buying bottled water is a waste of money. Public spaces, beaches and national parks all have drinking-water fountains where you can refill a bottle for free. The only exception is remote farms and campsites, where water comes from a rainwater tank and is marked non-potable.
TippingTipping isn't customary in Australia, since the legal minimum wage is high and service is included in the price. At restaurants, rounding up happens only for genuinely good service, with ten percent typical at nicer places. At cafés, bars and in taxis, no one expects anything. Watch for weekend and public-holiday surcharges, usually ten to fifteen percent, always printed on the menu.
Driving on theleft
SafetyAustralian cities are safe, and walking at night raises no real concern, though ordinary caution helps in nightlife districts on Friday and Saturday after midnight. The real risks are natural: the UV index tops ten in summer, when you can burn in fifteen minutes even under cloud, and rip currents form on ocean beaches — swim only between the red-and-yellow flags, where lifeguards are on duty. Don't lean over the edge on coastal cliff trails. There's no reciprocal healthcare agreement between the Czech Republic and Australia, and treatment is very expensive, so insurance is essential. The emergency number is 000. Sharks live in the waters off Perth, and some beaches have shark nets and spotters; swim only where lifeguards patrol.
Opening hoursCity shops are open from nine to five or six, until nine on Thursdays, and from ten to four on Sundays. Coles and Woolworths supermarkets run until ten in the evening. Cafés open at seven and close by mid-afternoon around three — Australians eat breakfast out, but an afternoon coffee outing isn't really a thing. Restaurants serve dinner from six until nine or ten. On weekends and public holidays, restaurants add a ten to fifteen percent surcharge.
Customs & etiquetteAustralians are informal and switch to first names quickly — addressing a doctor or official by their first name is normal. Queuing is taken seriously, and cutting in line is one of the few things that draws a public reaction. At a bar, you order at the counter and pay immediately, not at the end of the night. Smoking is banned on most public beaches and on all restaurant verandas. At the entrance to national parks and at events, you'll hear a 'Welcome to Country,' an acknowledgment of respect for Indigenous peoples; it's listened to in silence.
A few local wordsHello — G'dayThank you — Thanks / TaHow much does it cost? — How much is it?The bill, please — Can I get the bill, please?Cheers — Cheers

How to plan your days

1 day

One Day in Perth

  1. 1Morning at Kings Park and the treetop walkway.
  2. 2Lunch in the centre.
  3. 3Elizabeth Quay and the Swan Bells.
  4. 4Train to Cottesloe.
  5. 5Sunset over the Indian Ocean.

2 days

Two Days in Perth

  1. 1Day one as above.
  2. 2Day two, ferry to Fremantle.
  3. 3The prison and its tunnels.
  4. 4Fish and chips at the harbour and the markets.
  5. 5Evening at Fremantle's breweries.

3 days

Three Days in Perth

  1. 1The first two days as above.
  2. 2Day three, ferry to Rottnest Island.
  3. 3Cycle around the island.
  4. 4A quokka selfie and some snorkelling.
  5. 5Return to Perth in the evening.

Day trips

Rottnest Island

20 km · 30–90 min by ferry

A car-free island home to thousands of quokkas, which show no fear of people. The island is explored by bike, either brought from the mainland or rented. Turquoise bays offer snorkelling among coral. Quokkas must not be fed or petted — fines are steep.

The Pinnacles

200 km · 2.5 h by car

Thousands of limestone pillars, up to three and a half metres tall, rising from the yellow sand dunes of Nambung National Park. Most beautiful at sunset. On the way are the Lancelin sand dunes, popular for sandboarding.

Swan Valley

25 km · 30 min by car

Western Australia's oldest wine region, with more than forty wineries, breweries, chocolate makers and cheesemakers. It can be reached by river cruise from Perth.

Frequently asked questions

How many days are enough for Perth?+

Three days: the city, Fremantle and Rottnest. With extra time, it's worth a trip to the Pinnacles or Margaret River.

Where can you see quokkas?+

On Rottnest Island, a thirty-minute ferry ride from Fremantle. They must not be fed or touched.

How do I get from the airport to the centre?+

By the Airport Line train in twenty minutes. Trains run to Perth station every twelve minutes.

Where should I stay in Perth?+

In the CBD or in Fremantle, or by the beach in Cottesloe or Scarborough. Fremantle is a good choice for the Rottnest ferries.

Is Perth expensive?+

Yes, like the rest of Australia. You can save on buses and free museums. Market lunches are cheaper than restaurants.

When do the wildflowers bloom?+

From August to November, peaking in September. Western Australia has over twelve thousand species of wildflowers.

Do I need a visa?+

Yes, an electronic eVisitor visa, free for EU citizens. It's processed online before travel and approval is usually quick.

Are there sharks in Perth?+

Yes, but attacks are rare. Swim between the flags and don't go in the water at dusk.

Arrival Card

Fill in the required arrival card before your trip to avoid delays at immigration.

Complete Arrival Card

Visa Requirements

Check the latest visa requirements for entering this country. Some nationalities may need to apply for a visa or e-visa before travel.

Check visa requirements

Emergency Numbers

Police000Ambulance000Fire000

Language

English

Currency

AUD

Timezone

GMT+8

Dial Code

+61

Population

26.4M

Area

7,692,024 km²

Voltage

230V / 50Hz

Driving Side

Left

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