The Best First Nations Tours In Western Australia

Dive into the heart of the Wildflower State.

There’s much to love about boomerangs and bush tucker, however many people seem to believe that’s where Aboriginal tourism starts and ends. But that’s just scratching the surface, especially in Western Australia, where some of the world’s oldest living cultures date back more than 60,000 years. From mud crabbing and women’s healing ceremonies to rock art galleries older than the pyramids, learn stories and traditions, both ancient and modern, from this generation’s custodians on one of these exceptional First Nations tours and experiences.

1. Follow the journey of the tide drifters

Oolin Sunday Island Cultural Tours, Dampier Peninsula — Sail into secluded coves aboard a powerboat. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Where: Jawi Country, Cygnet Bay, Dampier Peninsula

“We were the first paddleboarders," says Jawi woman Rosanna Angus as we navigate King Sound’s Middle Passage in a powerboat. Home to impressive whirlpools and the world’s highest tropical tides, Jawi people once crossed these treacherous waters on biel biel (small rafts made from mangrove wood) to hunt, fish and trade on the mainland. “They perfected the art of navigation, from the stars to the tides." Named Australia’s Top Tour Guide in 2023, Angus, who owns Oolin Sunday Island Cultural Tours , shares stories of the tide drifters and her experiences growing up in a mission on Ewuny (Sunday Island), on a 4.5-hour tour.

2. Some of the world’s oldest petroglyphs

Murujuga National Park on the Burrup Peninsula — The site is home to engravings that are estimated to be over 50,000 years old. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Where: Murujuga Country, Burrup Peninsula, Pilbara

Granted UNESCO World Heritage status for its First Nations cultural heritage, Murujuga’s petroglyphs (rock engravings) are older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. There are more than one million engravings – some as old as 50,000 years – and, unlike those famous monuments overseas, this site’s significance and stories haven’t been lost. They’re held by the area’s traditional custodians, the Ngarda-Ngarli peoples. Learn more about them on a 1.5-hour rock art tour at Nganjarli (previously known as Deep Gorge) with Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation. 

3. A healing experience for women

Reddell Beach from above — The rugged sand cliffs at Reddell Beach. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Where: Djugun and Yawuru Country, Broome

The day is slipping towards sunset, and the otherworldly Reddell Beach is awash with deep pinks when a smiling Pat Torres emerges from behind a sand dune. I’m here for a two-hour healing experience exclusively for women , which the Djugun Jabirr Jabirr Elder offers through Jarndu Ngaank Tours (she also runs other experiences, open to everyone). Torres leads me through water and smoking ceremonies before we settle in for an enlightening chat over a thermos of tea made from Davidson plums, a native superfood.

4. A lesson in Bardi-Jawi survival skills

Southern Cross Cultural Tour, Dampier Peninsula — Meander through mangroves on a fascinating four-hour cultural walk. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Where: Bardi-Jawi Country, Dampier Peninsula

The Kimberley is known for its rust-red earth and turquoise waters, but Bardi-Jawi man Bolo Angus wants to show you some of its other faces. The owner of Southern Cross at Lullumb , Angus shares the diverse landscapes of his ancestral homeland on a fascinating four-hour cultural walk, which begins on a salt marsh and meanders through mangroves, paperbark forests and along creeks. We drink from a freshwater spring, search for crustaceans and learn which rocks are best used as tools and cooking mortars.

5. Kayak with dugongs and other sea creatures

Wula Gura Nyinda Eco Adventures in the Shark Bay World Heritage Area — Paddle up the picturesque and sacred waters of Shark Bay. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Where: Guthaaguda, Shark Bay

There’s no denying Shark Bay, 800 kilometres north of Perth, is special. The area is UNESCO World Heritage-listed for its vast sea-grass beds, dugong population and stromatolites (layered rock-like structures that are among the oldest life forms on our planet). The best way to experience it is on an 8-hour tour with Nhanda and Malgana man Darren “Capes" Capewell, who runs Wula Gura Nyinda Eco Cultural Adventures . It begins with a 4WD tour, with stops to follow animal tracks and find bush medicine, before you slip into a kayak and head out on the water in search of manta rays, dolphins and the elusive dugong.

6. A lesson in ancient traditions, from ochre to coolamons

El Questro Wilderness Park, East Kimberley — East Kimberley’s legendary El Questro encompasses deep gorges and rugged sandstone ranges. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Where: Ngarinyin Country, East Kimberley

One of Australia’s most extraordinary stays, El Questro is a privately owned parcel of wilderness in East Kimberley that encompasses sandstone ranges, rainforest, salt flats and thermal springs across 700,000 acres. In 2022, 165,000 hectares of land were returned its traditional owners, the Ngarinyin people. Now, El Questro guests can join a two-hour experience, Injiid Marlabu Calls Us , that includes timeless rituals such as a burning and cleansing ceremony, storytelling and song-sharing, and explains the symbolic importance of charcoal and ochre, and the coolamon (a shallow vessel used for carrying things).

7. See Perth through an entirely new lens

a Noongar guide from Go Cultural Aboriginal Tours and Experiences, Elizabeth Quay — Learn about the traditional uses of boomerangs from a Noongar guide. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Where: Karrgatup, Mount Eliza and Kings Park, Perth

Did you know that many of Perth’s roads were built on the tracks trodden for millennia by the Noongar people? Or that the banks of the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River) were lined with paperbark trees less than 200 years ago? A Noongar guide from Go Cultural Aboriginal Tours & Experiences leads guests on a 90-minute walk at Karrgatup (Mount Eliza and Kings Park), sharing the first story of this land, traditional Noongar life and song, and points out some of the park’s native flora along the way. The Aboriginal-owned and operated business also offers a moving 60-minute tour of Wadjemup (Rottnest Island).

Blend the addictive energy of dance, creative cinematic movies, captivating theatre, and energising music during Perth Festival.

Perth Festival has extraordinary roots. Born as a summer community experiment back in 1953, the brainchild of Professor Fred Alexander, it’s now Australia’s longest-running international art-based festival. From its first event at University of Western Australia, it now spans across Noongar Boodjar country (Perth City) bringing worldclass performances into the hearts of ardent festivalgoers. Hundreds of curtain calls, including numerous free events, are set to linger and leave a lasting impression on those who seek thrills that fill life’s in-between spaces. Featuring unmissable highlights from 6^th February to 1^st March, we’ve done the legwork for you – here’s what’s on, and where:

1. East Perth Power Station

East Perth Power Station during Perth Festival — See East Perth Power Station come alive. (Image: Jessica Wyld Photography)

Abandoned, run-down and shutdown in 1981, East Perth Power Station , located on the banks of the stunning Swan River, was reinvented in 2025 as an entertainment venue for the Perth Festival. Pack a picnic, bring the family and kick back under paperbark trees at Casa Musica – a free event featuring a melting pot of world-class musicians from Australian shores and around the globe. The diversity will have you bopping until the final encore.

A decade after David Bowie’s passing, his powerful music lives on in the electrifying show, Rebel Rebel . Powerhouse vocalists join Perth Symphony Orchestra for one incredible night showcasing the singer-songwriter’s iconic hits. Illuminate your world through the eyes of First Nation Noongar artist, Lance Chadd Tjyllyungoo in a free event. His distinctive paintings and Dreamtime stories decorate the Power Station’s walls depicting spiritual beliefs. Or settle in to watch British indie pop singer-songwriter, Nilüfer Yanya .

2. St Mary’s Cathedral

Take in Award-winning vocal group, Roomful of Teeth. (Image: Anja Schutz)

Step into the lofty ceilings of Perth’s grandest cathedral, St Mary’s, and soak up choral harmonies. Dating back to 1865, the stained-glass reproductions of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper are a talking point, add talented maestros, and the stage is set to enthral.

The international line-up is impressive. Master Irish fiddler, Martin Hayes takes to the stage with exquisite lyrical compositions from his native land. Åkervinda , an award winning Swedish quartet, weave stories of love, loss, and resilience into harmonious Nordic folk songs. The USA Grammy Award-winning vocal group, Roomful of Teeth , break all the rules. Hear their voices echo through the arched vaulted ceilings.

3. Lotterywest Films

guests at Lotterywest Films as part of Perth Festival — Discover the Lotterywest Films program. (Credit: Jessia Wyld Photograpghy)

One of the festivals longest-running favourites, Lotterywest Films run a rich tapestry of cinematic features showing until 29th of March. Pack a picnic, cushions, popcorn and pop a cork under a Somerville Pine Tree as the sun sets and screenings begin. Cinema lovers, choose your poison from thrillers, deep-dive documentaries, tearjerkers, raunchy rom-coms and side-splitting comedies. The program is fantastically full, the filmmakers the best in the business, and the outdoor setting, unequalled.

4. The Embassy

guests at The EMbassy as part of Perth Festival — Step into the old world glitz of The Embassy. (Image: Franz Bato)

Modelled on Perth’s historic Embassy Ballroom, a devilish dance venue that operated in the 1900s, The Embassy in Perth Town Hall , serves sophistication in its A-list shows. Set your sequins a’sparkle at the, What’s TINA Got to Do With It extravaganza where guest artists play tribute as they belt out the glitzy star’s hits. The returning act, Ali Bodycoat & The Embassy Big Band, will have you jiving as you take to the dance floor reimagining a bygone era. Who doesn’t like chocolate? Black-bearded drag sensation, La Gateau Chocolat puts the raw in cacao. World-renowned for his feisty range of storied songs, he reveals the inner-man come artist through his deliciously sweet and intimate act.

5. Unusual locations

still from The Trial theatre — Watch a star-studded cast in The Trial. (Image: Cole Baxter)

We’ve all heard of the hit show, The Office, but a spinetingling operatic thriller acted out in disused office space? Philip Glass’ nail-biter, The Trial , has a star-studded line-up. Together they deliver a dramatic ordeal showcasing Oscar-winner Christopher Hampton’s libretto; the suspense lingers after the final bow.

Sit back under starry skies and soak up dynamic dance at Ballet at the Quarry: Incandescence . Four exclusive classical and contemporary acts illuminate the amphitheatre’s stage as Perth City twinkles at nightfall. Mystery excites the mind. West Australian Opera returns again with another ‘secret opera’. Be led from an undisclosed meeting point and let the music lead to the secret.

6. A View From A Bridge

A View From A Bridge special event at Perth Festival — Share your innermost thoughts at A View From A Bridge.

Free, connecting strangers, and inclusive to everyone, artist, Joe Bloom’s collaborative project, A View From A Bridge has one prop – an old red telephone. Talk into the receiver , share thoughts, innermost feelings, memories, hopes and dreams as Bloom captures you from afar. The freedom to speak through the telephone movement has a worldwide following. A range of clips will be shown online.

What else to do in Perth

Shadow Wine Bar in perth — Taste the best of Perth at eateries like Shadow Wine Bar.

Endless blue skies crown Perth during February, making it the perfect time to explore Australia’s most western capital city. The city might be compact, but it packs a punch when it comes to what’s on. Perth Cultural Centre houses the city’s art-scene venues: Western Australian Art Gallery, WA Museum Boola Bardip and Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA).

After exploring the city’s alleyways, hidden corners, and main hub, savour worldclass food in Perth’s vibrant eateries. Award-winning restaurants, rooftop bars, and cafes can be found throughout; the leisurely eat-and-drink scene is literally mouthwatering, so book extra nights.

Start planing your 2026 trip to Perth Festival at perthfestival.com.au .

The best First Nations tours and experiences in Western Australia