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Planning a trip to Perth, Australia? You’ve come to the right place!
I was born and raised in Perth, so allow me to show you how to spend three fun-filled days in my home city. From cruising down the Swan River to stargazing in the Pinnacles Desert, there are tons of fun ways to experience Australia’s sunniest city. And not only have I planned it all for you, I’ve also got lots of local tips and insider knowledge on how to make the most of your time here.
So if you’re ready for beaches, food, and plenty of culture, buckle up and get ready to spend the perfect three days in Perth. Let’s go!
Don’t Miss Out On Our Top Choice!
The tour we loved the most and suggest booking ASAP is this one!
Our personal FAVORITE thing we did in Perth was this Pinnacles Desert tour! Discover the unique rock formations, go sandboarding, watch the sunset over the desert, and gaze up at the star-filled sky – all in a single day.
Itinerary Overview
One of the best things about Perth is how easy it is to get around. Exploring the city is stress-free–and no, I’m not just saying that because I grew up here!
Uber is the easiest and most reliable option for short trips around the city, but taxis are also readily available and reasonably priced. Perth’s traffic is pretty light compared to larger Australian cities like Sydney, but you should still allow a bit of extra time when traveling during rush hour. This is typically from 7-9 am and 4:30-6:30 pm.
In addition, you can make use of the city’s free Transperth CAT buses, which make it easy to hop between popular spots like Elizabeth Quay, Kings Park, and Northbridge. The riverfront and downtown areas are also flat and super walkable, so it’s easy to explore on foot. In fact, I recommend it!
Day 1: Get to know Perth with a guided walking tour of the city’s highlights, then enjoy a scenic Swan River cruise. The evening will finish with a sunset stroll through Kings Park to see the river and city lights at night.
Day 2: Spend your morning exploring at your own pace before setting off for an unforgettable trip to the Pinnacles Desert for sunset and stargazing. You’ll get back to Perth late, but it will be worth it!
Day 3: Perth has a lot to offer, so today you’ve got a choice! You can either take a full-day tour to Rottnest Island to meet adorable quokkas or go wine tasting in Swan Valley. Then, enjoy a rooftop dinner and a final walk along the riverfront.
Day 1
Breakfast – La Veen Coffee – King Street
Start your first morning in Perth with breakfast at La Veen Coffee, which is just a short 4-minute walk from the starting point for this morning’s walking tour. It’s housed in a beautifully restored heritage building, and it’s known for its cool, creative vibe.
I’d recommend arriving around 8 am to give yourself plenty of time to enjoy your food (and some great coffee) before heading out. Speaking of which, I recommend either the smashed avocado with poached eggs if you want something fairly light, or the buttermilk pancakes or breakfast burger if you’re craving some substance.
Morning – Explore Perth’s highlights with a local guide
There’s no better way to start your Perth adventure than with this 3-hour guided walking tour. It starts at 9:30 am and wraps up around 12:30 pm in Barrack Square, which puts you in the perfect spot for lunch and the afternoon cruise.
We think this tour’s itinerary is fantastic. In fact, as a local, I can confirm that it really is the perfect introduction to Perth! It takes you through all of the must-see sites, from historical hotspots to eye-catching architecture and, my favorite, street art. You’ll hear stories that you certainly wouldn’t find in a guidebook, and visit streets and laneways you might otherwise miss.
This small-group tour is accessible for all mobility levels and allows plenty of time for coffee or restroom breaks along the way. Walking in a relaxed group makes it easy to see everything without feeling rushed. All in all, we think it’s the perfect way to kick off your stay in Perth and get your bearings. Don’t just take my word for it, either, because you can read hundreds of 5-star reviews here.
Book this top-rated walking tour here with free cancellation!
Lunch – SIMPLE Italian Cucina Pizzeria Perth Waterfront
We’ve got about 1.5 hours until the next tour begins, so make a beeline for SIMPLE Italian Cucina, which is one of my favorite restaurants on the waterfront. It’s right next to where the walking tour ends and this afternoon’s cruise begins, so it’s super convenient and means you won’t have to rush through your meal.
As for what to eat, well, I don’t think that you can go wrong with one of the hand-stretched pizzas here. They’re super fresh, and the prosciutto and arugula topping is particularly popular. However, you’ll find classic pasta dishes on the menu, as well as some seafood options like chilli mussels. Yum!
Afternoon – Go on a scenic cruise down the Swan River
The Swan River flows through the heart of the city so naturally, taking this scenic cruise is a must-do experience while you’re in Perth. You’ll get to take in all of the waterfront sights as you sit back and relax, so it’s the ideal way to sightsee on a sunny day (which, as a local, I can tell you is pretty much every day!).
It’s best to book the tour for 2:15 pm, as this will give you plenty of time for lunch. The tour lasts for 2 hours and 45 minutes, so it should finish at 5 pm, and then you’ll have a little time to chill in Barrack Square before making your way to tonight’s dinner spot.
On the cruise, you’ll see city highlights like the Bell Tower, Kings Park, and the Fremantle harbor while enjoying live commentary from the captain. There’s also a bar on board where you can purchase some drinks to enjoy en route – you’re on vacation, after all!
The cruise now runs daily, but it usually sells out at least a few days in advance. I recommend booking at least a week ahead to make sure that you get the time slot you want. There’s free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, so you’re still covered if your plans change.
Book this scenic Swan River cruise here, before it sells out!
Dinner – Angel Falls Grill
Tonight’s dinner is at Angel Falls Grill, one of Perth’s most popular spots! It’s just a 3-minute taxi ride or a 20-minute walk from Barrack Square, so getting there is easy. We’d suggest making a reservation for around 6:30 pm to give yourself time to freshen up after your tour and relax for a second before dinner.
Angel Falls Grill is a Venezuelan-inspired steakhouse, and it’s a little different from your typical Perth restaurant. The food here is all about bold South American flavors, and we love the lively vibe. Dining here is a nice way to get a glimpse of Perth’s multicultural food scene! They also have lots of shareable small plates on the menu if steak’s not your thing.
Evening – Take a sunset stroll through Kings Park
After dinner, head over to Kings Park and Botanic Garden for a relaxed sunset stroll. It’s about a 3-minute taxi ride or a 20-minute walk from Angel Falls Grill, so getting there is easy.
Kings Park is one of Perth’s most iconic spots, and there’s no better time to visit than around sunset or twilight when the city lights start to twinkle. Take your time wandering the paths and soaking in the views, especially from the Fraser Avenue viewpoint, which looks out over the Swan River and the skyline.
This is the cherry on top of a great first day in Perth. Take your time and snap a few photos before heading back to your hotel. I’m sure you’ll sleep well after all of today’s activities!
Related Read: Find yourself with extra time? See our list of top things to do in Perth for more fun activities to add to this itinerary!
Day 2
Breakfast – Petition
Start your morning at Petition, another contemporary cafe set in a heritage building. It’s located in central Perth, close to the attractions you’ll be checking out this morning. We suggest getting there between 7:30 and 8 am so you can enjoy a leisurely breakfast and still have plenty of time to sightsee.
The menu here is seasonal, but there’s always something delicious on offer, from ricotta hotcakes with honeycomb butter to shakshouka. Take your time and savor your breakfast before you head out to explore the city.
Morning – Sightseeing and free time
After breakfast at Petition, you’ve got a few hours before your afternoon tour at 1:30 pm. Remember, this tour includes hotel pickup, so make sure to leave enough time to get back and freshen up. If you’re wondering how to spend the morning, here are a few ideas:
- Revisit Kings Park & Botanic Garden – This is one of the largest inner-city parks in the world, so although we took a stroll here last night, it’s definitely worth returning to explore some more. I suggest strolling along Fraser Avenue or visiting the State War Memorial for some history and panoramic city views. You can also pop into Aspects of Kings Park Gallery Shop for locally made crafts and gifts.
- Enjoy art and culture in the Perth Cultural Centre – If you’d rather stay in the city, the Art Gallery of Western Australia and WA Museum Boola Bardip are both just a short walk from central hotels. The exhibits at both are easy to enjoy even if you only have an hour or two.
- Go shopping – Perth’s downtown is compact but it offers great shopping! I recommend checking out London Court, a historic Tudor-style arcade with charming shops, or the pedestrian-friendly Murray Street and Hay Street Malls.
Afternoon/Late Evening – Journey to the Pinnacles Desert for stargazing
The Pinnacles Desert boasts an incredibly unique landscape, so there’s no way you can pass up the chance to visit while you’re in Perth. But to make it truly epic, I recommend booking this all-inclusive sunset and stargazing tour. The desert is free from light pollution, and the night sky here will have your jaw on the floor.
The tour starts around 1:30 pm, and hotel pickup is offered if you’re staying centrally. If not, you can meet the tour at Beaufort Street Tourist Bus Stop instead. The tour lasts for 9.5 hours, so you’ll be dropped off back in Perth at around 11 pm. The driver will drop you as close to your accommodation as possible at the end of the tour.
The desert is about a 2-hour drive from Perth, but don’t worry, you’ll make a few fun stops on the way! The first is the Lancelin Sand Dunes, where you’ll go sandboarding, and then you’ll catch the awesome views from either the Nilgen Lookout or Hangover Bay, depending on the weather and your group’s preference. Then, you’ll arrive in the Pinnacles Desert just before sunset, when the pillars are starting to cast crazy long shadows that look truly incredible.
As the sun goes down and the stars start to appear, you’ll tuck into a barbecue dinner with complimentary wine. Then, the cherry on top of it all is a stargazing session using telescopes and astro binoculars. The amount of stars you can see out here is truly mindblowing and as you stargaze, you’ll also learn about how Aboriginal astronomy was actually the world’s first form of astronomy.
I think this tour is hands down the best thing to do in Perth, and I’m not the only one who loves it. You can read 900+ rave reviews right here!
Book this once-in-a-lifetime tour here, before it sells out!
Why We Book Tours with Viator
Viator is a trusted online booking system for tours around the world! We almost always book our tours using Viator for a couple of reasons:
- Free cancellation on most tours – Most of the tours on Viator allow you to cancel and get a full refund up to 24 hours in advance. This is handy in case plans change, or if booking an outdoor activity, the weather forecast is looking grim.
- Reserve now and pay later – You can secure your spot on some of the most popular tours well in advance and not pay until closer to the day of the tour.
- Lowest price guarantee – If you happen to find the same tour at a lower price elsewhere, Viator will refund you the price difference.
- Pay in your chosen currency – Avoid costly international transaction fees by choosing to pay in your home currency.
- Peace of mind – When booking with tour operators you find in person on the street or in small booking offices, you are often promised one thing and given another. This online platform holds tour operators accountable with a written description of inclusions as well as the opportunity for customers to leave reviews.
Check out the Viator website here! Or, for more info, read our detailed review about Viator here.
Day 3
Today you have two fantastic options for full-day tours, depending on what you’re interested in. If seeing adorable quokkas is on your bucket list, I recommend this Rottnest Island tour. It’s one of the only places in the world where you can see these adorable little creatures!
But if you’re all about food and wine, then you can head to Swan Valley on a wine tour and spend the day sampling gourmet food and Western Australia’s best wines. Both tours are full-day experiences with hotel pickup included, so you can relax and enjoy the ride. The only difficult part is deciding which one to choose!
Option 1: Morning/Afternoon – Explore Rottnest Island
Rottnest Island is arguably the most popular day trip destination from Perth, and it’s not hard to see why. Who wouldn’t want to visit beautiful beaches and hang out with cute quokkas? Quokkas are small, adorable marsupials that look like they’re smiling all the time, and Rottnest Island is one of the only places in the world where you can see them!
On top of all of that, Rottnest Island is super historic. It was used as a prison and an internment camp during WWII, so there’s plenty for history fans to learn about here.
So if that tickles your fancy, I highly recommend booking this full-day tour. It starts at 8:45 am and leaves from Barrack Square – just make sure you choose the option from Perth, not Fremantle! The tour also includes your ferry tickets to make it easy to get to Rottnest Island, and it lasts for 8 hours, which means you’ll get back to Perth around 4 pm.
Once you arrive, you get a 1.5-hour guided bus tour which includes historic sights, like Wadjemup Lighthouse, the adorable quokkas, and all the beautiful beaches too!
Then, in the afternoon, you get several hours to explore by yourself. You can enjoy the cute cafes, rent a SUP, or swim in the gorgeous, clear water. If you’re anything like me, you won’t be able to resist it, so bring your bathers with you!
Read 500+ 5-star reviews and book this popular tour here!
Option 2: Morning/Afternoon – Taste Western Australia’s best wine in Swan Valley
The Swan Valley is one of Western Australia’s most beautiful wine regions, and it happens to be just a short drive from Perth! But of course, you don’t want to drive yourself on a wine tour, so I think the best way to experience it is on this full-day guided tour. It takes care of everything for you, from transport and winery bookings to tasting fees and food. What more could you want?
You’ll be picked up from your hotel around 10:15 am before heading out to the valley, where your guide will share stories about the region’s 180+ years of winemaking history. Along the way, you’ll stop at several boutique wineries to meet local hosts and enjoy guided tastings of premium wines like Verdelho and Chenin Blanc, which are two of the Swan Valley’s specialties.
Between stops, you’ll enjoy a gourmet winery lunch, plus cheese and chocolate tastings that perfectly complement the day’s theme. And because no great day in WA ends without a cold beer, the final stop is a local microbrewery for a round of craft beer samples before the drive back to Perth.
The tour lasts about 6-7 hours, wrapping up around 5 pm in time for a sunset dinner. It’s a really fun and social day out – and the 500+ glowing reviews certainly attest to that. Bailey and I love going wine tasting in the Swan Valley, and this tour guarantees you’ll get to do it in style.
Book this top-rated tour here and pay nothing until 48 hours before you go!
Dinner – HQ Bar + Kitchen
End your final day in Perth with dinner at HQ Bar + Kitchen, an uber-stylish rooftop restaurant and cocktail bar. The restaurant sits on the 10th floor of the Quay Perth Hotel, and I recommend booking ahead for dinner, especially if you want to catch the sunset! Trust me, it’s worth it for the panoramic views of Elizabeth Quay and the Swan River.
But it’s not all style over substance here. HQ serves up modern Asian fusion. I highly recommend the bao buns, or the Japanese scallops if you’re a seafood lover like me! The cocktails are pretty great, too, and they look as good as they taste.
Evening – A final stroll or nightcap
After dinner, take a leisurely walk along Elizabeth Quay to soak in the waterfront at night. The city lights reflect on the Swan River, which makes for some beautiful photos. It’s a peaceful note to end your trip on!
Of course, you might want to make the night last a little longer, in which case feel free to stay at HQ Bar + Kitchen for another cocktail or two. They play music, but it’s not so loud that you can’t chat. It’s a fun place to spend the evening without getting too crazy. Cheers!
Where to Stay in Perth
Now that you’ve found the best things to do, it’s time to find a place to stay in Perth. I recommend staying in the Perth CBD (Central Business District) if you can. Lots of the tours mentioned in this blog offer free pickup in the CBD, and staying here means you’ll be close to the top restaurants and attractions.
Plus, the CBD has lots of hotels to suit a range of different budgets. If you need some help narrowing it down, these are our top picks!
The Westin Perth – $$$
A mix of classy and contemporary, The Westin Perth is the place to stay when you’re looking for a touch of luxury. The prime location in the heart of Perth puts you within walking distance of the trendy Elizabeth Quay area as well as lots of restaurants and cafes. You can also use the hotel’s infinity pool or its signature restaurant run by iconic Australian Chef Guy Grossi.
Rooms at the Westin Perth typically cost between $400 and $600 AUD per night, while suites can reach up to $1,000 AUD. Check out all the options and book your stay here!
Pensione Hotel Perth – $$
Pensione Hotel Perth is a refurbished boutique hotel with 98 rooms, and I think it makes a nice mid-range option. It’s close to Elizabeth Quay, major shopping centers, the Swan River, and Northbridge, so the location is ideal. Inside, you’ll feel like you’re stepping into the 1960s with restored furniture and décor from the time filling the lobby.
The staff members are really friendly, and room prices are reasonable, typically ranging between $200 and $300 AUD per night. Reserve your stay at Pensione Hotel Perth in advance to get the best prices!
Hostel G Perth – $
You don’t need to pay big bucks to stay in Perth’s CBD. Hostel G Perth has dorm beds and private rooms to save you money, and if you’re traveling in a group, you can even book out a whole dorm all to yourselves! We like this hostel because it has a fun and friendly vibe, with a huge common area where you can watch movies and meet other travelers.
Dorm beds start at around $80 AUD per night, while a private room typically costs around $175 AUD when booked in advance. Find out more and secure the best prices over at Booking.com!
Related Read: Looking for more hotel recommendations? See our guide on where to stay in Perth for the best areas to stay in and top hotels!
Renting a Car, Campervan, or Motorhome in Australia
With many must-see destinations in Australia outside city limits, one of the best ways to get around is driving yourself!
Australia is a huge country and traveling between cities or getting to some of the most scenic spots requires driving. While public transit is sometimes an option, it often adds a lot of time. Plus, we love the freedom to stop wherever we want and not have to stick to a set schedule.
You have three options: a car, a campervan, or a motorhome. Here’s what you need to know about each and where to get them:
- Car – A rental car is the most affordable option – especially if you choose a smaller vehicle. It gets you to all of the best destinations with ease. The only downside to a car is that you will need to stay in hotels along the way (no camping). The easiest place to rent a car in Australia is on DiscoverCars.com where you can compare cars, companies, prices, features, and more very easily.
- Campervan – A Campervan is a large van with a bed and a small kitchen in the back. It’s what many budget travelers use to get around Australia since it allows you to camp comfortably and for free (most) nights. Campervans are best for couples or solo travelers who are happy to live in a small space. You should also love the outdoors and camping…and be prepared for an adventure of a lifetime! My favorite campervan rental company is JUCY because they have a huge selection of campervans to choose from, plus multiple pick-up/drop-off locations. You can browse JUCY’s campervan selection online here.
- Motorhome – A motorhome is larger and more comfortable than a campervan. Many motorhomes will comfortably sleep 6 or more people – perfect for a family visiting Australia. Motorhomes are the most expensive option, but with one you won’t ever need to stay in a hotel and you’ll save money that way. My top choice for a motorhome company is Star RV because they have beautiful motorhomes at affordable prices. You can check prices and availability for Star RV motorhomes online here. For more detailed info, read my complete guide to renting a motorhome in Australia!
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Thanks for reading!
Three days is a great intro to Perth! I may be partial to this city, but I know there are some truly unique things to see here, from quokkas to the stunning Swan River, and our epic day trips. This itinerary gives you an overview of the city, and you can either follow it exactly or pick out your favorite activities. Regardless, it will help you plan a memorable trip!
Before you go, check out all of our Australia blogs. We have traveled all over the country and have city itineraries, where to stay guides, lists of top things to do, and more – all available for you! Here are a few related blogs to inspire your next destination, cheers!
5 BEST Pinnacles Tours from Perth: Which One to Book
10 Things to Know BEFORE Booking a Rottnest Island Tour + Best Tours
Where to Stay in Melbourne, Australia: 7 Best Areas & Hotels